Eight Essential Misunderstandings

Dear Reader,

The eight essential points I have summarized so far aren't the sum total of the things you need to understand about the VISTA lifecycle. They aren't even a comprehensive overview. They don't even represent the majority of the main issues.

They're just the clearest refutations of the eight most common misunderstandings about managing the VISTA software. You can't really understand the VISTA software lifecycle unless you can recognize when you aren't doing it.

So here they are. See how many of these destructive VISTA practices you recognize.

-1. VISTA should be managed with an industry-standard software lifecycle.
-2. Managing VISTA requires a central code repository.
-3. Managing VISTA requires strong, centralized leadership.
-4. Expert project managers must control VISTA's software lifecycle.
-5. User requests should be submitted to a sophisticated review process.
-6. Programmers should work on whatever their managers tell them to do.
-7. Politically important projects should get top priority.
-8. VA is the VISTA producer, everyone else VISTA consumers.

Yours truly,
Rick