In the end, though, it's still just software. It may have a different architecture and deployment scheme, but it's all just software. Software that was written by one or three or 100 people. Perhaps all collocated, possibly many teams in different countries.
No matter the arrangement, architecture or deployment, it still comes down to simply being code. Which is why it is important to strive for the utmost quality in the code written. And this is what we should focus more on, instead of worrying as much about the latest buzz or new-fangled strategy. The written code. Without it, we have nothing to show.
For something so important, it's surprising how often it gets overlooked and undervalued. The process of designing, writing and developing software has been analyzed, and much has been written. Yet, it's still not common amongst all involved in this process to study or even simply discuss it.
If we are to move forward, and to truly improve, I believe we must look at things differently. Instead of the standard engineering view, I've come to see that we need to examine the more artistic side to it. It starts with design, and then to implement that design we write. These terms are more often associated with a creative process than with something as solid as one usually thinks of engineering.
This creative aspect I feel is somewhat forgotten by many developers. Many just see themselves as "code monkeys" pounding out SLOC and hacking together a solution. You can get to an end result with this method, but will it be truly sound and robust? Is it maintainable? Are you proud of it? Is it a thing of beauty?
Those last few bits seem to be lacking far too often. I feel that if we strove to fully embrace the creative piece of development, and to see the code we write more as a written work, these goals could more readily be met. Part of this should include studying examples of "great code" from Knuth, Martin and others just as those in art school study Picasso and Renoir. If new artists can improve with this study, the same should be true of software developers and craftsmen.
I guess what I've been trying to get at here is that while SaaS is the latest, greatest buzz, we need to focus always on Software as a Craft. If we wholeheartedly pursue SaaC, we'll be able to make the best of our abilities now and with whatever comes next.
I was inspired to start this blog by Career 2.0, and my pre-existing thoughts on software being a more artistic craft than just engineering were solidified by Dreaming in Code. I highly recommend both of these books, and will hopefully get a more detailed review of each up in the future.
