2 People

2.3 Open problems: specialization, training, recognition

Software for particle physics is a complex matter, where specialization is important, both in the application domain, and in aspects of software engineering. The various people involved act in complementary roles, these being:

It is important to recognize this situation, foresee the appropriate selective training for people doing different jobs, and the mechanism to acknowledge achievements and encourage mutual understanding. Teaching advanced software technology to those who do not need it may be confusing. Pretending that software is easy, so that whoever works in an experiment can stick his fingers in the code no matter how, is also inappropriate. This will create instability in the system, frustrate the software specialists, and generate animosity between "users" and "producers" of the software. (These considerations are controversial, and not generally accepted in the community.) Having said that, let us concentrate on aspects of the software production process, and ways to improve it.

Software Development: People, Process, Technology - 16 MAR 95

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