Computers in Context

The Philosophy and Practice of System Design

Bo Dahlbom author Lars Mathiassen author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Published:26th Aug '93

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Computers in Context cover

When software systems are delivered too late, when they fail to meet the needs of their users, when only a fraction of their capacity is used, when their maintenance costs more than their development, when changes are impossible – then there is a frantic search for new and better engineering techniques and tools.

Dahlbom ande Mathiassen advocate a different approach to these problems: pausing and reflection. Surprisingly little time in the education of systems developers is devoted to a consideration of the methods, goals and politics of computerization. The core of the book is an examination of the notion of quality itself. The effective computer professional must arrive at his or her sense of what quality can and should mean in a particular situation in order to resolve the inevitable creative tensions between the nature of people and that of computers, between structured systems and the process of change.

The authors draw on a rich range of literature from philosophy, organizational theory, and technology and social change to support their points. But, adducing many real-life examples they avoid jargon and presuppose no formal background. Computer in Context will help students, computer professionals, and managers alike understand better what it is they are trying to do with computer systems, how and why.


"Dahlbom and Mathiassen have written a pathbreaking book about software development in a meaningful human context. They examine key assumptions about the role of software developers, and their relationship to culture and work in a way which touches everyday practice and which can subtly transform it. It should be read by every practicing software developer." – Rob Kling, University of California, Irvine

"I enjoyed this book. It is both more amusing and more challenging than the usual books on system design." – Joseph A. Goguen, University of Oxford.

ISBN: 9781557864055

Dimensions: 229mm x 150mm x 23mm

Weight: 517g

320 pages