Newsletter Volume 26 Issue 9, Sep 2014
From The Editor
Well, that didn’t take long! Our article in the August 2014 Issue, Losing Your Emotions? There’ll Be An App For That suggested “maybe we can keep up, and even increase, our digital media bad habits and lose our emotions but get an App to replace them.” And here it is, less than a month later. A 16 September 2014 ScienceDaily article, reports on new research, which uses face recognition software to recognize the emotion portrayed by a face, see Computerized emotion detector below.
“Almost a year since our previous article Software Testing Debate Becomes Open Warfare and we have another outbreak, again featuring accusations, a Petition, blogs, social media and a split between old school and new school.“
Yes, it’s on again for young and old, this time over the seemingly innocuous topic of “an internationally agreed set of standards for software testing that can be used within any software development life cycle or organization”, see below, More Software Testing Warfare.
“ One of the characteristics of Big Data projects is that they combine software development, business process and scientific research “
In a follow-up to her August 2014 article Big Data – Mixed Messages from Government,
Anne Verney weighs up further advice from Government and Industry sources, see below, Big Data – Management Project Pitfalls.
“tech companies with women on their management teams have a 34% higher return on investment”
Despite the solid empirical evidence supporting the case for more women in IT and more women in leadership roles, the issue is still being clouded by a great deal of unconscious bias and pseudo- science, see below Women in Leadership: Facts and Misconceptions.
Current Issue
Articles in the current Issue cover:
Computerized emotion detector
“Preliminary tests gave a 94 percent success rate”
More Software Testing Warfare
“For an overview of the international commotion stirred up by this controversy, you need look no further than the amazing collection of resources provided by Netherlands tester Huib Schoots”
Big Data – Management Project Pitfalls
“Many big data discoveries realise their full potential when applied to improve business processes.”
Women in Leadership: Facts and Misconceptions
“You realize you’re saying that groups of women are smarter than groups of men?”
Events
ACOSM2014 – The Australian Conference on Software Management
ICT Innovation Today: New Opportunities and Threats in Software Managemen
Thursday 27th November 2014
9 am to 6 pm at NICTA, Australian Technology Park
Questions now being asked by industry leaders, management and staff include:
Is there still a future in the ICT industry for the traditional Internal IT Department and the CIO?
Will ITaaS be “the last nail in ITIL’s coffin”?
Can new metrics show the way to removing systemic ICT industry barriers to progress?
Why is the ICT industry ignoring opportunities for growth, productivity and competitive advantage?
What are the new Project Manager skills, not taught in traditional project management training ?
Is unconscious bias still clouding perceptions about women in ICT and in leadership?
The 2014 Australian Conference on Software Management will address these questions and others, with talks and discussion forums featuring distinguished ICT industry leaders, practitioners and educators. Take this chance to network and to benefit from a range of topical, practical and sometimes controversial advice for organisations large and small. See http://qesp.org/acosm-2014-australian-conference-software-management.
About QESP and ACOSM
QESP is a non-profit organisation which started out as the Software Quality Assurance Association in 1984, then in 1988 became the Software Quality Association (SQA). In 2005, SQA merged with the Australian Software Metrics Association (ASMA) to become ASMA/SQA. This was followed by a change of name to Quantitative Enterprise Software Performance (QESP).
ACOSM was first held in 1993 in Sydney as ASMA’s annual Australian Conference on Software Measurement and in 2014 has broadened its scope from Software Measurement to Software Management.
Join QESP to keep up with industry trends, network with peers, receive discounts on Events and help us to spread awareness of existing and emerging software management principles and practice.
Annual Membership Fees:
Corporate membership – $200 (permits 4 nominated employees to receive newsletters, attend meetings and to receive discounts on training courses and workshops.)
Individual membership – $50; Student Membership $25 (initial free membership).
Quotes from recent QESP Newsletter Articles (http://qesp.org/newsletters)
September 2014 Issue
“Almost a year since our previous article Software Testing Debate Becomes Open Warfare and we have another outbreak, again featuring accusations, a Petition, blogs, social media and a split between old school and new school.“
Women in Leadership: Facts and Misconceptions
“tech companies with women on their management teams have a 34% higher return on investment”
“You realize you’re saying that groups of women are smarter than groups of men?”
August 2014 Issue
Big Data – Mixed Messages from Government
“despite lack of clarity and the lack of funding, there is still progress from which we can all benefit”
“The benefits of a team with diverse mind sets can be the best thing any organisation can get its hands on.”
July 2014 Issue
New Insights on Software Process Improvement
“Cancelled projects were about 35% in the 10,000 function point size range and about 5% of software outsource agreements ended up in court in litigation.”
“Many engineers in industry and the DoD have never seen a detailed plan, let alone participated in making one.”
The Big Data Debate: “N=All” or “Complete bollocks. Absolute nonsense.”
“If the system failed, it did so only in the outsize dreams of Big Data acolytes.”
ICT governance and management forum – 16 October 2014
Queensland based IT-030, IT-030-01, IT-030-06, IT-030-07 members, or others, may have an interest in attending this event, at Microsoft Australia Level 28, 400 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
This forum is aimed towards executive management with responsibilities for IT & project governance processes, project managers and IT people, IT outsourcing and service management using or interested in standards. Likewise non-executive directors with an interest in this aspect of governance.
The format of the event will be afternoon tea followed by a panel introducing and discussing the work of IT-030 and JTC 1/SC40 followed by informal networking.
Registration from 3:00 pm with afternoon tea followed by panel starting from 3:30 pm. Please advise of any specific dietary requirements by RSVP.
RSVP
This is a complimentary forum and places are limited. To confirm your attendance, please
RSVP by Friday, 10 October 2014 to events@standards.org.au providing your name, organisation and email address details.
ENQUIRIES
Damian Fisher Senior International Development Manager 02 9237 6098 or damian.fisher@standards.org.au
Ted Smillie
QESP Chairman