[SIGCIS-Members] software modernization failures

Mon May 29 10:28:58 PDT 2023

Hi Lee,

Do not know if this would be of any interest or use...I wrote a short book
chapter case or failure study of the Control Data Corporation's Advanced
Logistic System for the USAF--software and real time networked global
system. CDC was the main contractor on this system to coordinate all
supplies, weapons, personnel, food, medicine, etc. in real time. It would
have been the largest logistics system in the world if it worked.

The system never worked in real time, its whole purpose. It was a giant
failure, roughly a $250 million plus software project in the first half of
the 1970s. As such, it is one of the largest failed software projects up to
that point (perhaps the largest) in the 1970s. As I cite, Willis Ware (who
I interviewed and I also researched his papers and did research at the RAND
Archives) was Chief Scientist of the Air Force (in addition to head of CS
at RAND) and he warned the Air Force it would fail and he was right.

Jeffrey R. Yost. Materiel Command and the Materiality of Commands: An
Historical Examination of the US Air Force, Control Data Corporation, and
the Advanced Logistics System  in Arthur Tatnall's History of Computing
IFIP Proceedings published by Springer (2010).  Here is the link

Title (springer.com)
<https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-642-15199-6_10.pdf>

Best, Jeff

*Please connect at:*   *Mastodon
<https://mastodon.social/@JustCodeCulture> Twitter
<https://twitter.com/justcodeculture> ** Linkedin
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-yost-b714566>*

*Jeffrey Yost, Ph.D.         *
Director, Charles Babbage Institute <http://www.cse.umn.edu/cbi>; Research
Professor, History Sci/Tech/Med

222 21st Avenue South, University of Minnesota; Minneapolis, MN 55455

*Studies in Computing and Culture book series, Johns Hopkins U. Press *
Co-Editor
*PI, NSF-funded CBI project "Mining a Useable Past: Perspectives,
Paradoxes, and Possibilities with Security and Privacy."*
*Blockchain & Society Blog and Site* <https://www.blockchainandsociety.com>
 (Founder/Leader)

*Interfaces: Essays and Reviews in Computing and Culture
<https://cse.umn.edu/cbi/interfaces> *Co-Editor (w/ Amanda Wick)

*Committee Member, National Academy of Engineering Extraordinary
Engineering Impacts on Society*

*Making IT Work: A History of the Computer Services Industry (MIT Press)
<https://amzn.to/3gqe4R6>*

On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 10:23 AM Lee Vinsel via Members <
members at lists.sigcis.org> wrote:

> Hi, Jonathan! and all,
>
> If there is a good book on why software adoption/modernization fails so
> often I have missed it, but I have really enjoyed the work of Robert
> Charette on the topic. I think his first piece on it was simply titled "Why
> Software Fails <https://spectrum.ieee.org/why-software-fails>" and was
> published in IEEE Spectrum. He has written several follow ups since then.
> Bob is easily approachable via email and has a wealth of knowledge about
> these topics. By the way, he is also the author of the recent 12 part
> series "The EV Transition Explained," which was also published as an ebook
> <https://spectrum.ieee.org/ev-transition-explained-ebook> and
> demonstrates his characteristic insights into system dynamics.
>
> Lee
>
> On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 7:58 PM Jonathan Coopersmith via Members <
> members at lists.sigcis.org> wrote:
>
>> Any suggestions for a book or article on software modernization
>> failures, especially for large projects?  Why do they seem common -- and
>> apparently remain so?
>> Thank you.
>>
>> Stay sane,
>>
>> Jonathan
>>
>> Jonathan Coopersmith
>> Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
>>
>> Professor Emeritus
>> Department of History
>> Texas A&M University
>> College Station, TX  77843-4236
>> 979.739.4708 (cell)
>>
>> "A Chief Skunk Looks Back,"
>> <https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/a-chief-skunk-looks-back/> (interview
>> with Sherm Mullin) *Aerospace America* March 2023
>>
>> It's taking longer to vote - especially if you are Black or Hispanic
>> <https://theconversation.com/its-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-elections-and-even-longer-for-black-and-hispanic-voters-191711>
>> , theconversation.com
>>
>> Preserving space archives:  https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/
>>
>> *FAXED.  The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine* (Johns Hopkins University
>> Press)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion
>> list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member
>> posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list
>> archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/
>> and you can change your subscription options at
>> http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
>>
>
>
> --
> Associate Professor
> Department of Science, Technology, and Society
> Virginia Tech
> leevinsel.com
> @STS_News
> _______________________________________________
> This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion
> list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member
> posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list
> archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and
> you can change your subscription options at
> http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/attachments/20230529/33cf56a4/attachment.htm>