The Software Cynic

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I found the following in some notes from October 2000. I don’t remember why I made the observations. Requirements The bad news: it’s just has hard to define small project requirements as it is large project requirements. The good news: since there are...

It Looks Good From Here

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I went on a kayaking trip with some friends. We stopped and looked at the first rapid on the first river from the bridge. I distinctly remember saying, “It looks good from here.” And it did. What I didn’t see was around the corner. The river bed...

Now, What is Change?

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Re-reading my blog titles occasionally leads to interesting thoughts. Many titles mention change, and most entries have something to do with change. But after all these entries no one has asked me, “Don, what do you mean ‘change’?”. Until...

So, What is a System?

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I’m working backwards. I started this entry on defining change. Then I realized change can’t exist without systems. So, what is a system? I like the following (heavily inspired by Systems Thinking Basics: From Concepts to Causal Loops) Systems have several...

Single Point Requirements

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The “Simple Case of A500” occurred 10 years ago. I’m currently coding the “Son of A500”. Completely different companies, completely different products, a decade apart. I’m the only common factor. And even I’m different. The...