I am quite frustrated at the moment. Frustrated that the powers that be refrain from learning from the past and realising that changes in technology must go hand in hand with changes in the way the technology is implemented. I am currently contracted to a rather large and well known defence company where I am on a team creating very elaborate and complex military applications. The problem with companies like these, is that they insist on remaining in the dark ages of software development, where the Waterfall model dominated. This, as I see it, is the most ridiculous way to develop software, especially in this environment. I mean this place has these retarded project plans with 5 year time horizons!! This is so stupid, no-one on earth can even begin to predict what the hell is going to happen in 5 years time with respect to anything, so why the hell even try!

An agile methodology is what we should be using, not this archaic system of dividing analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment etc. into nice little bite size chunks. This will not work in the modern software world where requirements change all the time, new technology progresses at a daily rate and collaboration is needed on a constant basis in order to ensure results. All that the waterfall model affords is permanent frustration because decisions take months to be made, they have to be made by people who have no understanding of software, entire enterprise systems requirements must be completely thought out before the damn thing is even started and managers sit all day looking at their ridiculous 5 year project plans which are impossible to follow, maintain or have any basis in reality…..

The new guard is here and if you choose to accept it, your life will be much easier. Think Agile, think Test-Driven Development, this is the way forward, this is the only way……

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