I just came across a very interesting and powerful blog post by Robert C. Martin (aka Uncle Bob), a highly influential and successful software engineer since the 1970s. He calls out to computer programmers to become a profession. Within his post, he postulates:

“Nothing happens in our society unless it is mediated by software. No commercial transaction takes place. No law gets enacted or enforced. No surgery is performed, No drug is created. No plane flies. No car starts. No alarm clock rings. No groceries get bought. No soccer game is played. No telephone rings. The lights don't turn on. Without software -- nothing works.”

It is very easy to adapt his examples to the construction and waste disposal industries. No GPS position is calculated. No road paved. No holes dug. No grounds leveled. No report generated and sent. No waste bin emptied. Without software - nothing works.

Robert C. Martin continues that the “depth of our dependence upon software is complete. Our society requires software in order to function; even at the most detailed level. Without software, quite frankly, and quite literally, we all die.”

I think Martin over-emphasized the last sentence, but after some thought I tend to agree to his fundamental statement, that we are dependent on software. He continues that such a dependency creates a lot of responsibilities for computer programmers. To handle this responsibility, he formulates a programmer’s oath.

But I want to continue my thoughts towards the users of software. Did you give some thought about software last time you bought something? For example, did you choose your last smartphone because of its hardware features (it looked so fancy) or because of the available high-quality software? (Please don’t get me wrong; I don’t want to criticize your buying behavior in any way.)

I know, quite often you have to buy software as part of a product and there is no way to figure out whether it is high quality software or not. But maybe, if you have some purchasing power or a chance to ask, why not ask how software has been developed, what steps have been taken to ensure high software quality. Maybe get an expert along to evaluate the producers’ statements. Before buying a car you often get a mechanic to check the car. Maybe you need a software engineer in the future as well.