Re: Embedded Systems Survey

["Marin D. Condic" <mcondic-nospam@quadruscorp.com>]

Robert A Duff wrote:
> 
> "Marin D. Condic" <mcondic-nospam@quadruscorp.com> writes:
> > You think there may be some way of getting an honest answer to the
> > question of how many developers prefer Ada for a given problem domain?
> 
> I don't know, but it seems to me more important to ask whether the
> resulting software is cheaper, safer, or better in some other way,
> rather than whether the developers prefer it.  ;-)
> 
It may be more important to make a business case for Ada, but that's not
something you do by survey. We couldn't go out and conduct a poll that
asks "Which language do you believe to be cheaper, safer, etc." and have
the results tell us much that is meaningful. People's opinions about
what costs less to develop in are meaningless. Whereas, when conducting
a survey, asking people what they *prefer* generates something useful.

You can't argue about what someone likes or dislikes. Asking them why
they like/dislike something also generates useful information. If we
have a clear picture of perceptions, preferences, etc., we might be able
to better address the *marketing* aspects of Ada, instead of just the
technical or business aspects of the language.

Just a thought. I knew all those marketing classes I took would pay off
one day. :-)

MDC
-- 
======================================================================
Marin David Condic - Quadrus Corporation - http://www.quadruscorp.com/
Send Replies To: m c o n d i c @ q u a d r u s c o r p . c o m
Visit my web site at:  http://www.mcondic.com/

"I'd trade it all for just a little more"
    --  Charles Montgomery Burns, [4F10]
======================================================================