SCM and the System Being Managed

[From Yet another SCM Manifesto]

In complex systems, the ones that matter, the SCM becomes part of the system being managed itself. The distinction Frank makes is thus not relevant.

In the context of the Artificial Intelligence metaphor, this is comparable to the reply by Hoftstadter and Dennett to the Chinese Room challenge by Searle: it is the whole system which displays intelligence, not any distinct or localized part of it.

The Mind's I (the link is: http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mind's_I —there seems to be a bug in the wiki code...).

-- MarcGirod - 27 Sep 2003

The objective of a software developement organisation is to develop software that contributes to the business objectives. SCM is merely facilitating the development of software by making it managable.

Unless you are a SCM tool vendor, the development of an SCM system itself is not part of your business. Yet, many software development organisation spend lots of effort and money on improving their SCM system, with the intent of improving their software development capability.

As long as this is within proportions (i.e. the total amount of effort and money spent on SCM improvement is less than the total amount of effort and money earned from it) this is OK, but still that does not make developing the SCM system part of the core activities of the software development organisation.

-- FrankSchophuizen? - 19 Oct 2003

The reason, for which you bring SCM in, is to manage your understanding. If the SCM itself grows the opacity and escapes management, it fails.

-- MarcGirod - 02 Nov 2003