Week 1: Software Engineering and its motivation

What are some famous software bugs?

- Y2K Bug (2000): 2-digit year caused misinterpretation of 2000 as 1900.
- Gangnam Style (2014): YouTube view counter overflowed 32-bit signed int (>2.1B). Fixed by moving to 64-bit.
- Y2K21 Exchange Bug: Microsoft Exchange used a 32-bit int to store date in antivirus engine; caused mail delivery failures in Jan 2021.
- Tesla Recall (2021): 12,000 cars recalled due to false collision warnings from self-driving beta software.

Why haven't software questions changed over decades?

- Software takes long due to evolving scope, underestimation, and poor planning.
- High costs stem from errors, rework, and complexity.
- We can't find all errors due to complexity and testing limitations.
- Maintenance is costly as software evolves and requirements change.
- Progress is hard to measure due to hidden work (e.g., debugging, testing).

What are the top success/failure factors in projects?

📈 Success Factors (Standish CHAOS Report):
- 15.9%: User involvement
- 13.9%: Executive support
- 13.0%: Clear requirements

❌ Failure Factors:
- Incomplete requirements/specs
- Lack of user input
- Changing requirements mid-way
- Lack of resources

What soft skills are most important for teamwork? What did Google find?

- Communication, patience, feedback, tracking tasks, and reliability.
- Google’s research (Project Aristotle): psychological safety, dependability, structure, meaning, and impact are critical for team success.

. Pros and Cons of Prototypes

Prototype: Visual, uses fake data, for design/testing ideas
Pros (Prototype): Fast feedback, quick design test.
Cons: Throwaway. Doesn’t test viability.

. Pros and Cons of MVPs?

MVP (Minimum Viable Product): A minimal usable version that can be launched to real users.

Pros (MVP): Real market testing, early value.
Cons: May fail if too minimal or buggy.

What are Software Engineering Ethics?

1. Public — Act in the public interest.

2. Client and Employer — Act in their best interest, while respecting public interest.

3. Product — Ensure high professional standards in products.

4. Judgment — Maintain integrity and independent judgment.

5. Management — Promote ethical software development and maintenance.

6. Profession — Advance the integrity and reputation of the profession.

7. Colleagues — Be fair and supportive to colleagues.

8. Self — Keep learning and promote ethical practice.

Phoebe can’t play jazz Music, please call someone.

Why was a VW engineer jailed?

- Volkswagen Scandal: An engineer helped design software that cheated emissions tests.
- He was jailed for fraud and violating environmental laws.
- Ethical failure: Software deliberately hid true emissions from regulators.