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- noun computing The translation of a user need or marketing goal into a software product.
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bilby commented on the word software development
"A while back I read an interview with a children’s birthday clown. At one point the interviewer asked, 'What if you’re dying out there? What if the kids are hating it?' And the clown revealed a fascinating trick of the birthday clown trade: Every year, it seems, there are two or three funny words that invariably crack kids up, and when things are going sour, you can blurt one out and bring the house down. But a clown’s got to keep up to date, because the funny words mysteriously change over time. Where 'booger' might have killed in 1998, 2004 demands nothing less than an 'underpants.'
Curiously, I’ve noticed an almost identical aspect in the software development trade. Every year there seems to be a technical whatsit that management recognizes as the sexy-cool new thing but doesn’t really understand. This year, for instance, a programmer can always tack the phrase 'and I’m thinking of incorporating some XML functionality' onto a project summary to explain why he’ll need an extra week, account for a missed deadline, or impress a superior. In this respect, the gap between software engineers and birthday clowns is almost negligible."
- 'Tricks Of The Trade', Matthew Baldwin, 22 Dec 2007.
December 23, 2007
john commented on the word software development
Great story, but XML is très 2001. For 2007, my vote for the magic tech word word of the year would be 'Ruby'.
It's useful to note that in the right context XML, Ruby, and all the various other Silver Bullets that people have clung to are powerful technologies. But when being used to snow managers the actual words, and what they represent, are irrelevant, since all that's being heard is "this is the pixie dust that will solve all our problems."
December 23, 2007
bilby commented on the word software development
True, seems a bit dated. I felt constrained to put today's date on the citation as that was showing on the page and today is when I reefed it off the web. 2004 is a more likely date for this article.
I haven't met Ruby since Tuesday ... Dying all the time. Lose your code and you will lose your mind.
December 23, 2007
seanahan commented on the word software development
I would think "Ruby on Rails" might be a bit more accurate as magic tech word.
December 25, 2007