Agony Quote by Tom Van Vleck
“We know about as much about software quality problems as they knew about the Black Plague in the 1600s. We've seen the victims' agonies and helped burn the corpses. We don't know what causes it; we don't really know if there is only one disease. We just suffer - and keep pouring our sewage into our water supply.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Software Engineering Conference, 2020
Software quality issues are poorly understood, likened to a historic plague, leading to ineffective fixes and ongoing damage.
In simple terms: We lack clear causes for software bugs, causing repeated harm.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the unknowns and invest in research.
Themes
software engineering
risk management
systems thinking
Mood
concerned
analytical
Type
observational
cautionary
When to use this quote
- project planning
- quality assurance
- incident response
- process improvement
Key Concepts
complex systems
epidemiology metaphor
Questions to Reflect On
- What hidden factors might be driving software failures?
- How can we better diagnose systemic issues?
A Different Perspective
Understanding causes is harder than treating symptoms.
![“[we have]taming of an ancient disease [malaria] that over the centuries has killed untold millions of people.” quote by Margaret Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c2b/margaret-chan-13176_ancient_we-have-taming-of-an-ancient-disease-mal_2277069.jpg)
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
