In the 80’s I worked at a digital design engineering firm, as a computer programmer for seven years, when the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) was a giant in computers, employing over 120,000 people. DEC was famous for the VAX computer, a main frame computer on which I wrote my first program.
One job I did at the engineering firm was to prepare and teach a class in software design, which I presented three times at the DEC headquarters in Massachusetts.
While DEC is no longer in business, purchased by ComPaq in 1998 after a decline as the PC took over the world, the fundamental concepts of software engineering remain unchanged.
I still have my notes from the class I presented. Here is how I started the class.
One job I did at the engineering firm was to prepare and teach a class in software design, which I presented three times at the DEC headquarters in Massachusetts.
While DEC is no longer in business, purchased by ComPaq in 1998 after a decline as the PC took over the world, the fundamental concepts of software engineering remain unchanged.
I still have my notes from the class I presented. Here is how I started the class.
- The key to software engineering is getting the best out of good people.
- Software is intriguing, software components do not degrade or wear due to fatigue, no imperfections or variations are introduced in making additional copies of a piece of software (“Software Engineering,” by Randall Jensen, 1979)
- Four attributes of a software engineer are:
- Technical Talent
- Ability to Understand Management Concepts
- Ability to Communicate
- Creativity
Click here to read a brief history of the Digital Equipment Corporation:
https://digital.com/digital-equipment-corporation/