After 35 years in the business (retired in '96) working many years in both the private sector and for the Federal Government, I feel qualified to make some judgements.

1. The quality of programmers I have observed has varied enormously, from superb to terrible. Most have been OK but nothing more. The terrible ones have tended to be weeded out (even in the Federal Government, where they are usually moved to a non-technical position).

2. The quality of managers I have observed has also varied enormously, a few being uncannily good, most being a bit better than OK, and a few sad cases operating on the Dilbertian level. (The sad cases have tended to stay put. Never to be promoted, but in for the long haul.)

3. In the Federal Government, I have managed a very large number of contracts. I have been pleased with a majority of the contractors' efforts.

I have had enough experience over the years with Pinkerton Computer Consultants to conclude that overall, that has to be a damn fine company. I have also had very good experience with personnel form Lockheed Martin and EPA (a firm in the DC area that used to be 8-A but has grown out of that status). However, my experience with these latter two firms has not been all that extensive.

When I was working in A.I.D., in the mid-80s I inherited a system which had been written for Food For Peace by a smallish company whose name escapes me. Those programs were so beautifully structured as to almost be works of art.

But I can tell horror stories too about contractors. Just one of several dillies: Also at A.I.D., I was dealing with a horrible outfit who was proposing to send a young man to Francofone West Africa to deal with some PC problems that our aid recipients were having. Fluency in French was absolutely essential. So I got someone who spoke good French to talk with this young man over the phone. He couldn't handle French conversation even when it was very clear and very slow.

So there is enormous variation in contractor competence (and honesty) also. From what I've been hearing, tho, that statement doesn't seem to apply to India. Everything I hear about the software they are producing for us is appalling.

-- Peter Errington (petere@ricochet.net), September 04, 1999

Answers

Hey but Peter, think of the money we're SAVING by employing the Bangalore Bandits :)

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), September 04, 1999.

Andy, the decisions made to rely on India show that Dilbertian managers can in some cases rise to a high decision-making level.

-- Peter Errington (petere@ricochet.net), September 04, 1999.

Hiring a firm in an environment where you know nothing is suicide

-- Concerned (cx@c.com), September 11, 1999.