After the Gold Rush: Creating a True Profession of Software Engineering
(Best Practices)
Published:
1999
Pages:
208
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User Comments
I agree with the review above and have some updates on where things have gone since the book was published.
RIT has graduated their first class of undergraduate software engineers. All 12 got jobs, with the minimum offer in the vicinity of $80k. They are also building a new Software Engineering building. The pipeline for future years looks like it will scale up to 40 a year in 2005. Contact Dr Fernando Naveda ([email protected]) for info on getting students to be co-ops at your company.
The SWEBOK is in its 0.9 version and available for release. If you are interested in where the profession is going, download a copy and use it for reference. If you have subject matter experts in your company, encourage them to participate as reviewers.
The Texas Board of Engineers has a grandfather process to license Software Engineers. I know at least one EDS person who got through the process. 50 other people have done the same. They have started writing the test that will be used to license future engineers that come out of programs like the one at RIT. If you live in Texas, check it out.
Buy this book and give it to friends.
Check out the status of the profession at www.construx.com, which is Steve McConnell's company. They also have a great reading list for people in our profession. Great web site too.
I've probably found an excuse to post this comment on almost every discussion thread here, but I don't need an excuse this time.
IT will never earn the right to called an engineering discipline until we prove that we are capable of building an information infrastructure that is as reliable and as easy to take for granted as plumbing and highways. Surely by now we've all heard the old cliche that if airliners were built the way we build software, no one would live long enough to use their frequent flyer miles.
This book and the accompanying review make this point well and back it up with a lot of excellent suggestions.