Software managers sometimes assume that every skilled programmer is also proficient at interviewing customers and writing requirements specifications without any training, resources or coaching. This isn’t a reasonable assumption. Like testing, estimation and project management, requirements engineering has its own skill set and body of knowledge. Unfortunately, most computer science educational curricula emphasize programming-related knowledge over other software life cycle activities. In addition, many software practitioners—including myself—lack formal education in their field. Self-study and on-the-job learning often neglect softer skills such as those needed in requirements engineering.

Computer projects have failed for as long as there have been computers. But now that most companies are only as stable as their bits and bytes, the consequences of information technology screwups aren't easily disguised - they show up in earnings reports.

To help sort out the relevance—both present and future—of the two most popular OOP languages, C++ and Java, we talked with Bjarne Stroustrup, the designer of C++, and Tim Lindholm, distinguished engineer at Sun Microsystems. Here are their views on the future of programming, competing languages, evolution vs. revolution of OOP languages, and programming standards.

"None of us is as smart as all of us," consultant Ellen Gottesdiener proclaimed, quoting author, consultant and former software developer Gerald Weinberg in her Tuesday class on collaboration patterns. According to Gottesdiener, collaboration patterns are collections of reusable techniques and activities (such as tasks or actions) that can be used by IT and customer teams in a group setting to work together more effectively.

Effective testing is crucial to producing reliable and dependable software systems. However, there are few guidelines or formal criteria to determine whether someone is or might become an effective software tester. Also, testing is often viewed as an undesirable and unchallenging career track. Some organizations staff testing groups primarily with new hires and mediocre or failed programmers. The implication is clear: Testing is not that important to product success. [Editor's Note: Used by permission.]

Quite often in the world of software engineering, testers and Quality Assurance (QA) managers find themselves to be the "last hired" and the "first fired." In some IT shops, QA does not exist at all. In spite of this, recent years have brought major breakthroughs in the areas of software testing and quality assurance.

This site includes a number of useful references on data communications and telecom protocols and terms. Some include PDF format "posters" with protocols families and interrelationships.

Applets and servlets, small applications usually written in Java, can enhance the display and delivery of Web pages. This article provides an overview of both, the application of each, and the differences.

While telecom giants AT&T, WorldCom and Sprint are all taking different approaches to converting themselves into data-services companies, they all worship one gospel truth: The consumer long-distance business is dead.

Two new telecommunications studies suggest that the ugly fallout under way among cash-poor network operators could result in more business for the survivors as the need for network capacity grows.

Sub Desktop is a neat little twist on many system tray utilities that give you access to your desktop icons without minimizing all of the currently displayed windows. Sub Desktop is unique in that it displays the desktop in another window. This allows you to have the "desktop" available as a standard window on the taskbar.

This is a handy little "cheat sheet" with dozens of keyboard shortcuts for Word 97, Excel 97, and IE 4/5.

With confusion increasing over who will be the 43rd president of the United States, one eBay auctioneer had put the presidency up for bid.

"Minesweeper," a seemingly simple game included on most personal computers, could help mathematicians crack one of the field's most intriguing problems.