If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
This is one of those annoying questions that philosophy professors like to pose as thought experiments to students pondering the nature of reality. A true student of philosophy may launch into a heavy discussion of metaphysics. Those who prefer their questions to be answerable would do well to respond: It depends. Define "sound."
The American Heritage Dictionary...
Alternate title: "In Defense of Hacks"
Competition breeds innovation, and there is perhaps no better example than the space race between the United States and Soviet Union in the 60s and 70s. The desire to demonstrate the superiority of one model of government over the other manifested in a fierce competition for supremacy in space exploration, out of which came such indispensable inventions as CAT scans, bar codes, fire-resistant fabrics, dialysis machines, and Tempurpedic mattresses. The question...
How do you determine whether a project is "successful?"
That it was on time? Partially.
That it was within budget? Certainly helps.
That the end product meets business objectives and performs to specification? Bingo.
"Quality Assurance" is sometimes (incorrectly) thought of as being synonymous with "Testing." And, many designers & developers treat Quality Assurance, or QA, as an afterthought--a task to be done after a product is developed. But quality assurance is an integral part of the development process, not...
George Bernard Shaw once said, “America and Britain are two countries separated by a common language.” As an American married to a Brit, I can personally attest to the truth of this statement. Minor differences in culture can create a language barrier even when we think we’re speaking the same language.
While our countries of origin create a bit of a cultural gap, an even bigger one is created by the fact that I am a...