‘Dog food’ software development.

[PurpleGorilla]

Heard about this the other day, googling it, seemed to suggest in house slop that developers don’t give a feck about; just want something to dish up?

 

[cojak]

Includes a lack of design and little or no testing.

 

[BR14]

So, still no change after 40 years then?
ho, hum

 

[PurpleGorilla]

‘Dog food’ software development.

Sounds more like dog sh!t software development.

 

[d000hg]

Isn't dog-fooding the principle that if your developers are forced to use the software, they will realise it's crap and fix it? That's a great thing to do because not only are they motivated to fix things for their own benefit but they are forced to understand the software in real world usage not just develop the bit they are assigned with no idea how it relates to the product.

Or is this a different thing with a very similar name?

 

[TheGreenBastard]

Dogfooding in software engineering is developing software to scratch one's own itch, and then selling it to the broader market.

The argument/proposed benefit is that the team intrinsically knows the problem to be solved (and delivers something good).

 

[BR14]

When did applications programmers become 'software engineers'?
about the same time that bin men became 'domestic waste disposal engineers' ??

Same crap, different title

 

[MrButton]

Isn't dog-fooding the principle that if your developers are forced to use the software, they will realise it's crap and fix it? That's a great thing to do because not only are they motivated to fix things for their own benefit but they are forced to understand the software in real world usage not just develop the bit they are assigned with no idea how it relates to the product.

Or is this a different thing with a very similar name?

This was my understanding. And have seen it work well.

 

[d000hg]

Dogfooding in software engineering is developing software to scratch one's own itch, and then selling it to the broader market.

The argument/proposed benefit is that the team intrinsically knows the problem to be solved (and delivers something good).

That seems like the mirror of my description. Your scenario would inevitably involve developers using their own product but in my reading it comes from "eat your own dog food" ie you're eating what you make, not making it TO eat if you get the distinction.

I came across it on Joel on Software, he may have twisted an existing definition.

 

[d000hg]

When did applications programmers become 'software engineers'?
about the same time that bin men became 'domestic waste disposal engineers' ??

Same crap, different title

When job ads started asking for software engineers probably. Although programmer != Software engineer. Developer is closer. Programmers spend their time writing code and are happy. Developers spend their time wishing they were writing code.