Week 01: the beginning

That aside, it's time to talk Software Engineering practices and Agile methodologies. Since this is the first week, I'll start with what I now know of both topics and maybe what I hope to learn throughout the semester.

Software Engineering is the thorough process of taking a project from conception -> delivery -> the end of its useful life. It's about professionalism and all that bollocks, but more importantly using appropriate methods to produce and maintain the software to the satisfaction of the client (time, cost, scope, with as many -ities as you can think of). There's a certain amount of quality expected from Software Engineering, including working documentation, final documentation and the product itself. An appreciation of risk (and effective risk management) is also key to the success of a project.

Throughout this subject, I hope to polish up on some techniques. But more importantly, I'm hoping it will change the way I think. Adding structure to my thought patterns and how my brain gets around certain aspects (such as requirements, design, risk, etc.) has improved immensely this year. During LSSD, several things stuck in my mind which I have since used to good effect:
- Vision vs Pain (the motivation of the client)
- Knowledge, Skill & Technology (three key categories of risk)
- People... Communication (communication in several contexts is the #1 risk in most projects I've been involved in)

Agile processes I know little about. But it sounds like fun. It is very mindful of risk, keeps a close eye on progress in relation to the overall goal and relies very heavily upon communication. Without communication, everything goes to hell.