So if the problem isn't Ada, then what is the problem?

So if the problem isn't Ada, then what is the problem?

[SAHARBAUGH]

Gary Funck asks:
So if the problem isn't Ada, then what is the problem?

IMHO the problem is lack of good systems engineering.  Software
engineering can go only so far in insuring a good system. 
Ada has been a successful nucleating point for software
engineering and GREAT strides have been made of the past 15
years in software engineering.  The language, the tools,
the process description, the capability maturity model,
the capability assessment have all worked together to define
a software engineering discipline.
  I see on this BB the frustration when systems continue to
fail.  People turn against each other.  "If only we had used
a different programming language"  If only we had some other
name than tagged" etc "then all would be well".  It would
make no difference in system behavior in my opinion.  You have
only so much design freedom at the software programming language
level of system design.  By time a project gets to software
the fatal flaws are firmly in place.  The GAO reports say
"lack of proper requiremnts" etc.
  Is all lost? No.  The relatively new National Council on
Systems Engineering is addressing the problem.  We are
emulating the software engineering community, defining a
systems engineering process, a maturity model etc. No mention
of a language has been made.  NCOSE is NOT a Gov sponsored
organization.  There is no System Joint Program office, no
strawman, steelman language specs, no big dollar contracts
to develop tools before the process and technology is
understood.  The SE model is being done by NCOSE members
on their own time.  I guess that some of them attend 
meetings on Gov contractor ooverhead $ so some tax money
gets spent somehow.
  If you want to know a poc for your nearest NCOSE chapter
send me e-mail and I'll tell you as best I can.
  p.s. Systems engineering views software engineering
as a "specialty engineering".  It is not expected that
software engineering alone can insure good systems.  I
urge you to become active in NCOSE and bring your vast
experience, knowledge and zeal to bear on THE REAL PROBLEM.
sam harbaugh SAHARBAUGH@ROO.FIT.EDU