Gail Shaw wrote:
> Warning, rant follows. If you're not interested, don't read further.
> 
> So, yesterday my boss asked that I take a quick look at a couple of the
> scripts for a rather major change to our one system that's going live
> tomorrow evening. I wasn't overly concerned, because the code had already
> been checked over.

Have you asked the boss why the system wasn't tested thoroughly prior to 
setting a date to go live?

If there ever was a #1 rule for any complex system, it's got to be "make 
sure the *#%$@! thing works before you depend on it."

And for contractors, the #2 rule should be "make sure their stuff works 
before you pay them."

And rule #3 is "An IT system is done when it is done; pressuring people 
to finish quicker will only increase the chance that they will deliver 
an unsatisfactory system."

Rules 1 and 3 were violated in the 2002-3 time frame in the US Air 
Force.  A new personnel database system was put into operation, and 
there were immediately problems with all sorts of personnel data 
operations.  The problems were so pervasive that there is simply no way 
there could have been adequate testing of the system.  Somebody gave the 
order to go live without first ensuring that the *#%$@! thing worked.

Regards,
John

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