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Cuchulainn
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Project Management Role and Duties

October 29th, 2011, 9:37 am

This is a well-defined role. The issue is how it is effected in the current context. A good project manager is a down-to-earth pragmatic realist who can operate at 30,000 down to 10 feet above ground level if need be.Top 10 Software Project Risks
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Cuchulainn
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Project Management Role and Duties

October 29th, 2011, 2:02 pm

QuoteGold plating: contributors are free to spend the time as they wish (they can even quit if they get a proper job ) . However, bug-fixing of code in the official release should have priority because we guard quality of releasesBoehm (1981) page 191 discusses ways to combat "diseconomies of scale", his motto is - and I quote - REDUCE THE SCALE.Classes of features considered gold plating are (analogies possible)1. Instant response time: only 10% requests need fast response.2. Pinpoint accuracy: do we need 6-digit accuracy, really?3. Unblanced systems: one or more parts are very efficient, not needed by the rest of the system.4. AI features (AI is fascinating, most projects were scrapped in frustration). Boehm wrote this in 1981. Lots of hullabaloo.5. Interactive multicolour vector graphics (see 4.)6. "Everything for everyone" systems, the ultimate PL/I or MIS system."NOT" gold-platingA. Modularity and Information Hiding.B. Measurement and diagnostic capabilities.C. Humanised input/output pre and post processors.
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Cuchulainn
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Project Management Role and Duties

October 29th, 2011, 2:12 pm

The 1995 version of the top 10 software project risk taxonomy (Barry Boehm) is listed here:1.Personnel shortfalls2.Schedules, budgets, process3.Commercial off-the-shelf software, external components4.Requirements mismatch5.User interface mismatch6.Architecture, performance, quality7.Requirements changes8.Legacy software9.Externally performed tasks10.Straining computer science
 
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Cuchulainn
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Project Management Role and Duties

October 29th, 2011, 2:15 pm

QuoteShortfalls of external supplied components: I was thinking about this this morning: we have dependencies on boost. They have bugs, new releases, different features in different versions.And boost libraries overlap in functionality (IDL~date, Math~Random). There seems to be no layered uses hierarchy in boost, which makes the libraries less useful for a novice. This issue and solution is addressed hereQuestion: let's say we wanted to build a bunch of modules 'to do' statistics on top of Boost. Whch libraries would I use and would you go about creating such a system?
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rmax
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Project Management Role and Duties

October 29th, 2011, 6:48 pm

I think that the Project Management role in this is interesting - just because it is not a true PM role. Normally the PM will drive the change etc. But here the role has got to be different. It has to manage the interaction between the participants and ensure that the over all requirement is being met without disaffecting the (free) workforce and keeping a "radar" open for potential pitfalls in the future.In terms of timeline - I think we will not be against anything like that until we have a good couple of releases and some core people who are continually contributing. In truth I can't see us doing everything by Wilmott forum in the current state. Either we need a more direct mailing list approach, or we need some other method to discuss ideas using the current tools. i.e. stop people from unintentionally hijacking threads and potentially start labelling them in a structured way.Thoughts?
 
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rmax
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Project Management Role and Duties

October 29th, 2011, 7:39 pm

Makes sense. I think it would be good to categorise the posts so we can lock them when certain projects have finished. The posts you have listed above are kind of questions (which is probably the right way to go). But I can see areas where we have extensions e.g.:Initial Workstreams - here people will post what ever they are beginning to cut code on.Release 0.1 Progressthe issue that we will have is that the commentary will be non-linear. We will need to focus people to reply to the "sub-thread". Something that I don't do at present.
 
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rmax
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Project Management Role and Duties

October 29th, 2011, 7:55 pm

I like that idea. We need to agree the standard for the labels. I think as this is open/collaborative then it will be difficult to "enforce" the formal side of things, but hopefully we can drive behaviour through reaction to what people post.At the moment it won't be an issue as there are only about 5 of us looking at these threads!!!
 
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Cuchulainn
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Project Management Role and Duties

December 29th, 2011, 12:48 pm

The Scrum method - forget the hype and such for the moment - does have good points (btw it's just a name that projects use since a long time). Roles of people in the project. Product planning, estimation and monitoring This is not a million miles away from how engineering projects are executed. My own favourite for (small-scale) risky projects is Boehm's Spiral Model
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Cuchulainn
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Project Management Role and Duties

February 18th, 2012, 1:36 pm

How are RNG and PRNG rolling along?Any ideas when I can try out with MC102?
 
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MiloRambaldi
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Project Management Role and Duties

February 18th, 2012, 10:20 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: CuchulainnHow are RNG and PRNG rolling along?Any ideas when I can try out with MC102?Minor setback: I was fired last week. I'm working on the MT generator now (the original for starters, not the new 128-bit one).I'm not sure what MC102 is?