If I work for a software company, who's responsible for the software?
On one hand, here am I. I am the one actually coding it. I know intimately the reasoning behind it. I am the most likely person to be able to perceive its faults. If there is an exceptional circumstance, should I report it?
On the other hand, here is my employer. They employ knowledgeable people to act as architects, technical leads, or committee members on boards. These people are the ones who design the system, define an acceptable range of parameters, and generally guide the constraints on the software.
Now here is the dilemma. Suppose I'm busy coding the software to the specification generated by experts who rule over me, and I see something that I don't think is right. What do I do? Most of us may question the problem, but then back down if there is seen to be a good deal of thought (or intra-office political weight) behind our 'problem'. But perhaps I'm not convinced, as many of us aren't. How far do we press the problem? Do we lose the job and threaten the livelihood of our family on account of our insistence that a problem exists when in fact it may not be the committee of experts but rather us who is wrong? It is possible that we are right, but will quitting over this problem actually solve anything?
Where do you draw the line?
1 comment:
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