Client Screening

[billybiro]

I'm working on a £multi-million system which has used VSS for nearly 2 decades without problems.

Then you have been incredibly lucky. Assuming of course that you've had more than 1 or 2 people accessing the repo over that time.

I'm not sure if you read the article I linked to, but here's one particularly salient snippet:

SourceSafe doesn't really run as a server, but as a set of files shared over SMB. As a result, you're relying on each individual client to not misbehave. A single misbehaving computer can destroy the database.

Basically, all of the security, reliability and integrity of your entire repository is managed by the clients of that repository, not by the server (because there isn't one). This alone makes it the single worst source-control solution out there. And given that much more modern (and secure, reliable, better featured etc.) are essentially available for free (i.e. Git, Mercurial, Subversion) there's really no excuse whatsoever to be using VSS today.

Hell, even if you're in one of those bizarre "enterprisey" corporate environments that simply refuse to use any software (especially open source) unless they're paying 6 figures for it, you can always point them to Microsoft's replacement for VSS, Team Foundation Server.

[RasputinDude]

And when VSS goes wrong, it *really* goes wrong. You can pretty much kiss your history goodbye.

From all of the places that I have contracted, I have *never* had a single-click build. And I have worked on safety critical to military systems.

Most places do have some form of code control, but it's surprising how many don't have a defect management tool.

[SueEllen]

Clients can answer some of the Joel questions and then you dig deeper to find what they have in place is tulip.

For example lots of clients/companies have permie testers but the work they do and the (lack of) process is tulip.


I'm currently with a client were I can swear the test manager and 3 out of the 4 testers don't have a bloody clue, so are a hindrance rather than a help in getting the one small product the company produces out on time,