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I urge you to listen to the riveting and wonderful radio feature about what happens when you try to build a make-or-break project on a ridiculously tight timeline:

https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-worst-video-game-ever/

The page has summary text, but listen if you can. I’ve heard very few instances of a developer speaking so candidly and with such self-awareness about what it feels like to be part of a failing software project.

Listen. Then imagine that instead of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, it’s social security for the entire USA.

I always give that story as an assignment to my Software Design and Development students. One of the things we talk about is that if the developer •hadn’t• managed to build the game, if the project had collapsed at any point before release, it probably would have saved the company.

The worst possible outcome here is that these DOGEbags manage to build •something• and actually think it works.

@inthehands that would be not just disastrous for social security itself but for the entire software industry. The damage could happen even if they fail to actually replace anything but simply say they did it. A bunch of managers and investors are suddenly going to have absolutely absurd beliefs about what's possible in development. So many people are so credulous towards Musk because they want to believe him.

@thomasjwebb @inthehands

i don't GAF about the software industry, if they failed to actually replace anything but just said they did, that would be fine, Social Security as is works very well

the problem is they're going to break what's working & leave those of us who have worked since age 16 and not yet even reached the full retirement age of 67 with NOTHING to live on when we can't work after we made 50 years of contributions

everything else is a distraction

@504DR @thomasjwebb @inthehands

i think so too