Respect for Software Architecture in the offshore industry

I have been reading about the nascent – still nascent – discipline of Software Architecture from various sources but it is hard to follow because I am not able to practise it usefully. There are so many reasons for this including my lack of experience but the disrespectful behaviour of the business types is really not helping. There is always a collision between managers and technologists and we know generally on which side the top management is.

Even software engineering is not really a discipline according to David Parnas and I quote from his article that appeared in VOL. 53( 10 / 2010 ) NO. 10 of the ‘Communications of the ACM”.

Recent experiences reminded me that the activity we ( euphemistically ) call software engineering does not come close to deserving a place among the traditional engineering disciplines.

It might not be a discipline still but the work in this area is not at all insignificant. It is important enough to figure in Wharton’s list.

Software Architecture though is not in the same league yet. Agilists do not subscribe to the traditional definition of architecture and they are gaining ground fast. So new aspiring architects are pulled in different directions by traditionalists and agilists.

I have also tried to read about building architecture that many of us seem to be drawing inspiration from. They have their own Nobel prize too.