What happened to engineering?
-
Not software engineering, the real one. Software engineering used to compare with the latter like astrology compares with astrophysics. But now? In my bitter experience, many brand new products doesn't work properly from the very start. I'll name few examples: a GPS watch, a blood pressure monitor, a TV soundbar, even a vacuum cleaner. On the other side, my Windows 8 never crashes, seldom hangs. Are engineers, collectively, on sabbatic leave?
"Population aging is a shift in the distribution of a country's population towards older ages." (From wikipedia) It will only get worse.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
-
I'm more concerned about the time wasted waiting for a DVD or Blu-ray player to boot up, then check for updates, and determine whether or not the licence is valid, then not allow me to press the eject button until it confirms that there's no disc in it... These sorts of things worked just fine before they became infected with Java.
-
Had to ask. A guy at a previous job was running in battery save mode for half a year before realizing why the gps was all over the map. Is i always showing a too large distance by any chance?
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
-
I'm more concerned about the time wasted waiting for a DVD or Blu-ray player to boot up, then check for updates, and determine whether or not the licence is valid, then not allow me to press the eject button until it confirms that there's no disc in it... These sorts of things worked just fine before they became infected with Java.
-
I kinda know what you mean, but ... my suspicion is that it's the "software engineering" side of new devices that lets down the hardware engineer side. A sous vide I bought, with WiFi and BlueTooth. That works wonderfully, if you ignore the WiFi and bluetooth (and definitely the app that comes with it) I don't own a GPS watch, or even a smart watch: mine has hands, is made of titanium, and was a gift last century! Vacuum cleaners ... blame the EU, I do. I have a "old" 2200W mains machine which works, even on cat hair. Modern ones ... the EU cut the max power in two stages to 900W and they suck. In both senses. They are rechargeable mostly because the manufacturers needed to find something to sell them on, since "actually cleaning" was no longer an option.
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Never throw anything away, Griff Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
OriginalGriff wrote:
Vacuum cleaners [...] they suck
You only wish they did. In the near future, they will stop in the middle of cleaning, download a firmware update, and fail to start again because of a licensing issue.
-
OriginalGriff wrote:
Vacuum cleaners [...] they suck
You only wish they did. In the near future, they will stop in the middle of cleaning, download a firmware update, and fail to start again because of a licensing issue.
That's OK - I'm used to switching the hoover off and back on again anyway... :laugh:
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Never throw anything away, Griff Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
-
Not software engineering, the real one. Software engineering used to compare with the latter like astrology compares with astrophysics. But now? In my bitter experience, many brand new products doesn't work properly from the very start. I'll name few examples: a GPS watch, a blood pressure monitor, a TV soundbar, even a vacuum cleaner. On the other side, my Windows 8 never crashes, seldom hangs. Are engineers, collectively, on sabbatic leave?
Most people in software arent engineers, they are nerds.
-
Managers.
Latest Article - A Concise Overview of Threads Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802
-
It really isn't so much about the power as you might think. It's all about air flow. It's a bit like with amplifiers. Twice the power only gives 3db more sound And modern vacuums simply are to small to have a proper airflow. If you have the space you should buy one of these[^]. They never were more than 1000w but they will last you your lifetime.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
"Twice the power only gives 3db more sound"... That's a bit misleading. Twice the power gives twice the 'sound'. Sound pressure level has a logarithmic scale of measurement where +3db is a multiplying factor of 2. A logarithmic scale of measurement is used because the human ear is also logarithmic, automatically compensating for increases in sound pressure level so the perceived increase in loudness isn't linear. An increase of 3db is a doubling of the SPL. It's twice as loud, although to the brain doesn't seem so, but that's a physiological phenomenon.
-
I kinda know what you mean, but ... my suspicion is that it's the "software engineering" side of new devices that lets down the hardware engineer side. A sous vide I bought, with WiFi and BlueTooth. That works wonderfully, if you ignore the WiFi and bluetooth (and definitely the app that comes with it) I don't own a GPS watch, or even a smart watch: mine has hands, is made of titanium, and was a gift last century! Vacuum cleaners ... blame the EU, I do. I have a "old" 2200W mains machine which works, even on cat hair. Modern ones ... the EU cut the max power in two stages to 900W and they suck. In both senses. They are rechargeable mostly because the manufacturers needed to find something to sell them on, since "actually cleaning" was no longer an option.
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Never throw anything away, Griff Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
In my past it has been if there is an Engineering problem it's too late to fix it or it will cost too much so let the Software Engineers fix it they can make it work so we code around problems and at least make it work till the next version (hate it) But then again " It's software that makes Hardware Happen" ;)
-
Not software engineering, the real one. Software engineering used to compare with the latter like astrology compares with astrophysics. But now? In my bitter experience, many brand new products doesn't work properly from the very start. I'll name few examples: a GPS watch, a blood pressure monitor, a TV soundbar, even a vacuum cleaner. On the other side, my Windows 8 never crashes, seldom hangs. Are engineers, collectively, on sabbatic leave?
I agree with you here. I've notice a number of old school mechanical devices that are poorly designed. For example, they've put in some new paper towel dispensers in the bathrooms and kitchens at work. On the dispenser it says 'pull down slowly with both hands'. Yeah, that's not going to work. Every person I see using the dispensers just grabs the paper with one had and pulls down fairly quickly. Half the time, the paper gets jammed or tears off inside the dispenser. So now you have to resort to the dial on the side of the dispenser to get the paper to a place where you can reach it. Kind of like they only let the designer test the dispenser.
-
It really isn't so much about the power as you might think. It's all about air flow. It's a bit like with amplifiers. Twice the power only gives 3db more sound And modern vacuums simply are to small to have a proper airflow. If you have the space you should buy one of these[^]. They never were more than 1000w but they will last you your lifetime.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
"request quote" I'm sure that'll be inexpensive for home use. Right.
-
Most people in software arent engineers, they are nerds.
Hey man, the 1980s are calling, they want their "insult" back...
-
Hey man, the 1980s are calling, they want their "insult" back...
If the shoe fits... ;) It is true though, like no other form of engineering IT has too high a nerd content to be done professionally.
-
"request quote" I'm sure that'll be inexpensive for home use. Right.
In the long run, actually yes. The price tag is normally €250.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
-
I agree with you here. I've notice a number of old school mechanical devices that are poorly designed. For example, they've put in some new paper towel dispensers in the bathrooms and kitchens at work. On the dispenser it says 'pull down slowly with both hands'. Yeah, that's not going to work. Every person I see using the dispensers just grabs the paper with one had and pulls down fairly quickly. Half the time, the paper gets jammed or tears off inside the dispenser. So now you have to resort to the dial on the side of the dispenser to get the paper to a place where you can reach it. Kind of like they only let the designer test the dispenser.
Yeah, I really hate those dispensers. They expect you to pull on something with wet hands that is just going to tear easily once you grab it. It's gotta be the worst design on the planet. What the hell ever happened to just keeping things simple? Maybe you remember or maybe you don't, but there used to be towel dispenser that had a crank with rollers. Just grab the crank, rotate it out for the amount of paper you want, then tear it off. Easy, simple, mechanically robust, always worked. For a lot of stuff, the problem is two fold: First, they gotta make things break so you'll have to buy more of 'em, and second, they have to constantly change things on them (usually to worse solution) to make you either have to buy the new model because old consumables are no longer available or no longer fit - or just to make you think that if you keep the old stuff around, you are no longer "cutting edge" or whatnot. Basically the automotive sales model.
-
Not software engineering, the real one. Software engineering used to compare with the latter like astrology compares with astrophysics. But now? In my bitter experience, many brand new products doesn't work properly from the very start. I'll name few examples: a GPS watch, a blood pressure monitor, a TV soundbar, even a vacuum cleaner. On the other side, my Windows 8 never crashes, seldom hangs. Are engineers, collectively, on sabbatic leave?
-
I agree with you here. I've notice a number of old school mechanical devices that are poorly designed. For example, they've put in some new paper towel dispensers in the bathrooms and kitchens at work. On the dispenser it says 'pull down slowly with both hands'. Yeah, that's not going to work. Every person I see using the dispensers just grabs the paper with one had and pulls down fairly quickly. Half the time, the paper gets jammed or tears off inside the dispenser. So now you have to resort to the dial on the side of the dispenser to get the paper to a place where you can reach it. Kind of like they only let the designer test the dispenser.
-
Business needs trump good engineering. Get it out and start the revenue stream ASAP. And plan for quick obsolescence so that we could sell you the next version. It’s all about the money.
-
Not software engineering, the real one. Software engineering used to compare with the latter like astrology compares with astrophysics. But now? In my bitter experience, many brand new products doesn't work properly from the very start. I'll name few examples: a GPS watch, a blood pressure monitor, a TV soundbar, even a vacuum cleaner. On the other side, my Windows 8 never crashes, seldom hangs. Are engineers, collectively, on sabbatic leave?
Either, the great majority of the repliers to your post didn't understand what you were referring to, or, if they did, made rather indirect and obscure followups :-) Or possibly it is me misunderstanding... In the days of traditional engineering, you studied the requirements, architected the principal aspects of a solution, then went on to designing how you would build a real world solution, and then, when you knew and had documented how to do the building, you set off to do that. "Software engineering" today is "Well, let's start with 'int main(void) { return 0; }', and develop it further from that point on. ... Done; we have something running. Now, tell me what your problem is!" The current plus-word for lack of architecture, design and implementation plan is "agile". Any trace of planning is labeled with the double-minus-term "waterfall method", that noone dares to touch with a ten foot pole. "Documentation" is known as "the source code". You may (mentally - please don't try it in real life) imagine "agile" building of a new house: Let's start digging a hole in ground, so we can use that as a starting point for a concrete foundation. Once we've got the outer walls in place, we can start making a basement floor plan. Since we don't know yet where we will need water, we will simply label the drilling of a hole through the outer wall for the water pipe as a "technical debt"... Your new GPS watch, blood pressure monitor, TV soundbar or vacuum cleaner rarely fail mechanically. They fail from extremely poor and uncoordinated software development. Even though I am a software guy myself, I fully support the hardware guys claiming that no matter how good quality the hardware is, the software guys (that is us!) manage to mess it up. An essential part of it is that SW people generally Know The Answer. They have very little tradition for asking the user about his functional needs, work patterns, terminology etc: The SW guys sit in their ivory tower deciding what the user shall like. For the HW part, they don't look at how the hardware actually works, how it is intended to be used, but go ahead programming for how they think the hardware should work, in their opinion, and then they start bitching when it is different. I know from personal experience, the most explicit one on a library software project when I tried to bring forth some wishes from the libarians themselves, but was cut off by the project leader: "F**k the librarians!" Yes, there
