Here's a transcript of a real life conversation I had with a permie development team lead this afternoon;
Permie Team Lead; 'Hey Mich, I see that your test team haven't raised a lot of issues about the interfaces we developed'
Mich the Tester; 'That's right, but the 7 issues they've raised are test blocking issues, meaning that the rest of the functionality on a particular interface can't be tested because the issue prevents the interface from working at all'
PTL; 'I'm surprised because I expected much more issues'
MTT; 'how many issues did you expect?'
PTL; 'well about 250 or so, but don't take it as a personal attack'
MTT; 'I won't, but on what do you base that number?'
PTL; 'our development strategy'
MTT; 'what do you mean?'
PTL; 'well we built the interfaces in a hurry'
MTT; 'let me turn the question around, but don't take it personally; if you expected 250 issues, why did you deliver the software?'
PTL; 'because the board of directors gave me an unrealistic deadline'
MTT; 'and you didn't tell them their deadline was unrealistic?'
PTL; 'I did, but the problem is I need to prove that to them now and I need many more issues to prove that I was right about the deadline!'
MTT; 'are you suggesting that this is MY problem?'
PTL; 'not as such no'
MTT; 'good, then we agree that this is not my problem'
PTL; 'erm, yes' (walks off in a huff muttering 'bloody overpaid contractors etc'
Now then, sometimes I have moments of self doubt and start to think I'm the mad one. But then I snap back into a quasi rational mode and think that permies live in some off-parallel universe where the laws of nature are just a bit skewed, rather like a painting by Dali or Matisse.
Are they really all this mad?
Permie Team Lead; 'Hey Mich, I see that your test team haven't raised a lot of issues about the interfaces we developed'
Mich the Tester; 'That's right, but the 7 issues they've raised are test blocking issues, meaning that the rest of the functionality on a particular interface can't be tested because the issue prevents the interface from working at all'
PTL; 'I'm surprised because I expected much more issues'
MTT; 'how many issues did you expect?'
PTL; 'well about 250 or so, but don't take it as a personal attack'
MTT; 'I won't, but on what do you base that number?'
PTL; 'our development strategy'
MTT; 'what do you mean?'
PTL; 'well we built the interfaces in a hurry'
MTT; 'let me turn the question around, but don't take it personally; if you expected 250 issues, why did you deliver the software?'
PTL; 'because the board of directors gave me an unrealistic deadline'
MTT; 'and you didn't tell them their deadline was unrealistic?'
PTL; 'I did, but the problem is I need to prove that to them now and I need many more issues to prove that I was right about the deadline!'
MTT; 'are you suggesting that this is MY problem?'
PTL; 'not as such no'
MTT; 'good, then we agree that this is not my problem'
PTL; 'erm, yes' (walks off in a huff muttering 'bloody overpaid contractors etc'
Now then, sometimes I have moments of self doubt and start to think I'm the mad one. But then I snap back into a quasi rational mode and think that permies live in some off-parallel universe where the laws of nature are just a bit skewed, rather like a painting by Dali or Matisse.
Are they really all this mad?
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