Re: out of memory during c4gl

In article <E1528B8AB050AB60.9283413900ED7988.FB1579A7B1C03734@library- proxy.airnews.net>, Daniel Wright <dw420@airmail.net> writes > >BTW, I'm seriously considering begging mgmt to do away with all >contractors, since the quality of their code (in general) is pitiful >(not to mention they cost easily twice what they pay me). > >I'm sure some of you readers are contractors, but I am really wondering >if they're worth a crap at all. They have no interest in the overall >quality of a project...as far as I can tell, they're just there to bill Wrong - they just are never given enough time to get up to speed or they are not included in the quality system. An actual exchange between my project manager and a contractor Project manager: "I want you to write this XX program..." Contractor: "Where is the spec?" Project Manager: "There isn't one" <Contractor looks confused> Project Manager "Anyway.....what I want the program to do is this..." We all get specs when we write new programs and discuss them with the customer to clarify things. The contractor got a) no spec b) no customer contact The contractor produced a program and we then told what needed changing to "make it right". After the third round of dicussions and code changes there was a fourth discussion. This was at 11:30 am A major rewrite was needed at the last minute as the project manager had the wong idea about what was wanted ("The customer changed their mind" - "Yeah right". Project Manager: "By the way we need it installed tomorrow as <Sales <Manager> has agreed <Sales Person> will demo it on customer site tomorrow in their demo enviroment". What quality would your code be in? Of course that "demo" version was the one that we put live and fell over on the first test as a) (Main reason) It needed configuration parameters which where either missing or wrong as no-one knew how to set it up. It was made live after the contractor left and the person making it live just copied the binary across without checking what else was needed.... b) There was one bug in the code. Of course after x rounds of try it, an error message appears, find out why, set up another configuration parameter no-one really cared about the now absent contractor and everything was blamed on him. No specs No time allowed to test No time allowed to document And the contractor gets all the blame (behind his back) !! After the second time this happens the contractor things "F*uck them, I'll just take the money and keep my mouth shut, if they want to pay me big bucks for shit code then fine I'll do it their way". Every ontractor I speak to knows the code is crap but is never given a chance and they really regret it as all that happens is their skills get worse, but hey that's life. >hours and write some of the shittiest code I have ever seen. >(There's even an ongoing joke about one which is that his QA tests are, >if it compiles, it must be ok. [This is exaggerated, but probably not >too far from the truth].) > -- David Williams