On Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:33:54 -0500, Joseph Gwinn
wrote:



We all get burned by that only-a-prototype scam, once.

In the programming world, the standard defense was to do the hack work
in a language forbidden for the delivered system, so some desperate
manager couldn't declare the hackwork to be "good enough - we need only
a chevy, not a caddilac, ...". We all know this song.

I like it. Now we need an analogous dodge for hardware. I delivered a
"prototype" machine a few weeks ago that I fear is slipping into
permanent status. Twenty years from now the new guy will be wondering
what the hell I was thinking when some of the design decisions were
made. What I was thinking was how to deliver in six weeks a prototype
of a machine where I originally estimated a 4 month design and build.

--
Ned Simmons