Re: Can't live without.

"AAsk" <AA2e72E@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:fdf9f76f-b1c0-4778-a2e4-accaef9dda34@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "One lone APLer could in many cases replace 10-20 applications
> programmers..."
>
> Another viewpoint on the same scenario is that "one lone APLer
> introduces a single point of failure in the orgnisation" and no
> organisation will chose to live with this kind of vulnerability.
> Organisations exist to make a profit and the strongest influence on
> profit is their expenses: can you seriously believe that they spend
> 10-20 times more ( I am assuming that the APLer gets paid t he same as
> the orhers!) for the same end product?


Solid teamwork is not a garanty for reliable systems. The reliable 
systems e.g. in the public sector can be counted on the fingers of one 
hand, and they have large teams with strict protocols for 
system-analysis and programming. I know of a system costing > 100mln 
euro's that is useless, or of 600.000 people receiving the wrong amount 
of allowance. Most such systems suffer not only from the "mythical 
man-month" but also from the fact that the real world has changed long 
before the projected system is in the air.
On the other hand I know of really large APL-systems (e.g. an 
oil-refinery system, a student-financing system, large insurance- & 
pension systems, built by two or three people running smooth and stirdy 
(they should because big interest are at stake).

In general for any system you'll need a small team (as small as 
possible) of really smart guys  who know the ropes.