This is almost to good to be true....

I was over at reddit today and found a very interesting link. An interview with Bjarne Stroustrup the designer of C++. Titled: "The Problem with Programming". Now if you have a hard time figuring out my last rambling about the software industry. This is the article to read.

Bjarne states:

I think the real problem is that "we" (that is, we software developers) are in a permanent state of emergency, grasping at straws to get our work done. We perform many minor miracles through trial and error, excessive use of brute force, and lots and lots of testing, but--so often--it's not enough.

Software developers have become adept at the difficult art of building reasonably reliable systems out of unreliable parts. The snag is that often we do not know exactly how we did it: a system just "sort of evolved" into something minimally acceptable. Personally, I prefer to know when a system will work, and why it will.

And when asked about how to fix it.

In theory, the answer is simple: educate our software developers better, use more-appropriate design methods, and design for flexibility and for the long haul. Reward correct, solid, and safe systems. Punish sloppiness.

But he is not naive and continues with

In reality, that's impossible. People reward developers who deliver software that is cheap, buggy, and first.

Read the whole interview it is worth your time.