Comments on: “Evidence-based” software scheduling a la FogBugz http://www.wordyard.com/2007/10/11/evidence-based-scheduling/ Technology, politics, culture Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:18:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jacob http://www.wordyard.com/2007/10/11/evidence-based-scheduling/#comment-1080 Jacob Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:49:37 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1400#comment-1080 @DAR: Excuse me? While EBS may not be a completely new idea (I don't know and don't really care), the only similarity it has with Yesterday's Weather is that it uses historical data in determining estimates. That's something ANY good estimation tool would do, and not exactly an XP invention. The information it provides is also orders of magnitude more useful than "well, we completed 6 stories last iteration, so we should be able to do 6 stories this time around." Please, spare us the fanboy religious fanaticism. @DAR: Excuse me? While EBS may not be a completely new idea (I don’t know and don’t really care), the only similarity it has with Yesterday’s Weather is that it uses historical data in determining estimates. That’s something ANY good estimation tool would do, and not exactly an XP invention. The information it provides is also orders of magnitude more useful than “well, we completed 6 stories last iteration, so we should be able to do 6 stories this time around.”

Please, spare us the fanboy religious fanaticism.

]]> By: DAR http://www.wordyard.com/2007/10/11/evidence-based-scheduling/#comment-1083 DAR Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:41:16 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1400#comment-1083 "A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet". I find it rather amusing that Fog Creek is garnering kudos for this "innovation". This is a technique that the extreme programming community has been using for years. (Look up "project velocity" and "yesterday's weather" for more details.) Plus, I find it rather ironic that Joel - for years a vocal XP nay-sayer - finally winds up getting attention for a feature ... that he cribbed from XP! “A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet”.

I find it rather amusing that Fog Creek is garnering kudos for this “innovation”. This is a technique that the extreme programming community has been using for years. (Look up “project velocity” and “yesterday’s weather” for more details.)

Plus, I find it rather ironic that Joel - for years a vocal XP nay-sayer - finally winds up getting attention for a feature … that he cribbed from XP!

]]> By: COMPIK NEWS » Blog Archive » Some feedback on EBS http://www.wordyard.com/2007/10/11/evidence-based-scheduling/#comment-1082 COMPIK NEWS » Blog Archive » Some feedback on EBS Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:12:21 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1400#comment-1082 [...] Scott Rosenberg: “What’s most interesting about the new FogBugz is what Spolsky and his team are calling ‘Evidence Based Scheduling…’” [...] [...] Scott Rosenberg: “What’s most interesting about the new FogBugz is what Spolsky and his team are calling ‘Evidence Based Scheduling…’” [...]

]]> By: Some feedback on EBS | Gadget, Hitech - Software http://www.wordyard.com/2007/10/11/evidence-based-scheduling/#comment-1078 Some feedback on EBS | Gadget, Hitech - Software Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:29:31 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1400#comment-1078 [...] Scott Rosenberg: “What’s most interesting about the new FogBugz is what Spolsky and his team are calling ‘Evidence Based Scheduling…’” [...] [...] Scott Rosenberg: “What’s most interesting about the new FogBugz is what Spolsky and his team are calling ‘Evidence Based Scheduling…’” [...]

]]> By: The Disco Blog » Blog Archive » The weekly bag– Oct 19 http://www.wordyard.com/2007/10/11/evidence-based-scheduling/#comment-1079 The Disco Blog » Blog Archive » The weekly bag– Oct 19 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:21:52 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1400#comment-1079 [...] “Evidence-based” software scheduling a la FogBugz- Looks like Joel Spolsky’s tool is rather cool, man. [...] [...] “Evidence-based” software scheduling a la FogBugz- Looks like Joel Spolsky’s tool is rather cool, man. [...]

]]> By: Will Sargent http://www.wordyard.com/2007/10/11/evidence-based-scheduling/#comment-1077 Will Sargent Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:14:55 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1400#comment-1077 There's a couple of services which attempt to track programmer activity automatically through telemetry; the two I'm aware of are Hackystat and Sixthsense Analytics. This is more of a bottom up approach than EBS, but it has the advantage(?) that it only shows what's been done, rather than what still remains to be done. Waltzing with Bears is a classic. Their analysis of the infamous airport baggage handling system is in itself revelatory, but being expert witnesses gives them all kinds of good stories. There’s a couple of services which attempt to track programmer activity automatically through telemetry; the two I’m aware of are Hackystat and Sixthsense Analytics. This is more of a bottom up approach than EBS, but it has the advantage(?) that it only shows what’s been done, rather than what still remains to be done.

Waltzing with Bears is a classic. Their analysis of the infamous airport baggage handling system is in itself revelatory, but being expert witnesses gives them all kinds of good stories.

]]> By: Raj Waghray http://www.wordyard.com/2007/10/11/evidence-based-scheduling/#comment-1081 Raj Waghray Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:06:51 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1400#comment-1081 Scott, Tom De Marco and Timothy Lister do an extremely good job of explaining Monte Carlo simulation in their book "Waltzing with bears". Yes, you are right if at all Spolsky and Fogbugz decide to make the data available, it will make for fascinating read. The reason why evidence based scheduling will not catch on is not due to the lack of data currently - I am sure organizations have enough historical data to estimate with reasonable accuracy - rather due to the fact that development teams are time and again made to commit to unreasonable dates due to business pressure. It is always going to be a no-win game for the dev teams. Thanks Raj Scott, Tom De Marco and Timothy Lister do an extremely good job of explaining Monte Carlo simulation in their book “Waltzing with bears”.
Yes, you are right if at all Spolsky and Fogbugz decide to make the data available, it will make for fascinating read.
The reason why evidence based scheduling will not catch on is not due to the lack of data currently - I am sure organizations have enough historical data to estimate with reasonable accuracy - rather due to the fact that development teams are time and again made to commit to unreasonable dates due to business pressure.
It is always going to be a no-win game for the dev teams.

Thanks
Raj

]]>