That it is people who design software is terribly obvious . . . and ignored. Weinberg's discussion of people written in 1969 was followed by a stunning silence that lasted 15 years. The silence was finally broken by DeMarco and Lister's Peopleware (1999). Another silence followed that book. We shouldn't have to wait another 15 years before learning more about how people's characteristics affect software development. This chapter discusses people's general "funkiness," their failure modes, their success modes, and their general mode of operation, in the following sections: "Them's Funky People" discusses how different and unpredictable people are. A theme is that although general rules of operation may apply to this human device, any useful generalization is limited by the variations among people. "Overcoming Failure Modes" discusses the weak points of the human device. If we are going to create systems of people working together, we should not rely on aspects of behavior that are points of failure for most people. "Working Better in Some Ways Than Others" asks, "What is the natural mode of operation of the human device?" When we try to apply these ideas, we have to bear in mind the variations among people. "Drawing on Success Modes" asks, "What permits us to succeed ever, given all the ways we have of failing?" The answers may surprise you for how vague they initially sound and how powerful they are in their end effect. The end of this section shows how success modes combine for a stronger effect. The final section relates these ideas to everyday life. Individuals
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