This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Era observations
The 1960s and 1970s set the stage for subsequent eras in software development. Computer performance began to realize exponential improvements. Random-access storage devices multiplied. Core memory evolved from workers manually feeding wires through sets of tiny toroid “doughnuts.” Person–computer interactions began their steady evolution.
Through the early years of this era, we might label software development as “ad hoc,” but pioneers worked on early methods they envisioned turning into an engineering discipline. By the end of the era, structured methods and project management methodologies began to bring better organization and control to bear on the process of delivering working software; we might label them “advanced ad hoc.” The next era would build on this base.
In the Wild West era, optimizing computer resources took precedence over optimizing people resources.25 The costs of computer processing cycles, core memory, and external memory were enormous compared to those today. Hardware began its Moore’s law26 performance improvement march. In early years, computing power was expensive compared to personnel costs, which led to compromises, some of which caused problems for years (such as the Y2K issue). Today, in a world mired in the digital revolution, the situation has reversed: People costs are high compared to computer resources.
Although software development was in its infancy in the Wild West era, valuable solutions were delivered. Some of these systems, modified repeatedly, still exist today. Systems were primitive by today’s standards, but they worked.