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The code base here is generally crappy. While I'm not authorized to fix directly any issue, there's a process to report them - but these reports will likely be ignored unless a user experiences the same issue; so any time I spot bugs in areas that I'll have to touch anyway, because of change requests or new developments, I silently fix them and attach the fixes to the task tracker. So far, no one has complained...
Luca
The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance. -- Wing Commander IV
En Það Besta Sem Guð Hefur Skapað, Er Nýr Dagur.
(But the best thing God has created, is a New Day.)
-- Sigur Ròs - Viðrar vel til loftárása
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At one stage I contracted to a company working on a UK public sector application. Their policy was that once a release had gone to the customers, no fixes could be made that weren't in response to an issue directly raised by the customer.
I distinctly remember encountering a potential null-pointer defect in the (C++) code-base (while looking at an area of code for another fix). However, on attempting to raise this as an issue needing a fix, I was informed it couldn't be fixed unless the customer reported it as a problem.
How exactly the client was supposed to know that the application blowing up was related to this particular problem still escapes me.
Further, code was strictly reviewed, and any attempts to "sneak" fixes into the product were frowned upon and likely to removed, with possible disciplinary action following.
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Rob Grainger wrote: I was informed it couldn't be fixed unless the customer reported it as a problem.
So on the sly let a customer know of the error and have them report it 
I have honestly done this because I had run int he same issue at a past employer and had one or two other customers that I handled that I could use for this in trade for some 'extra help' when they needed it
Rob Grainger wrote: attempts to "sneak" fixes into the product were frowned upon and likely to removed, with possible disciplinary action following.
So I hope you still don't work there?
This was one reason I left my last company Could not take the silly crap like this anymore...
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I'm surprised this wasn't on the list. Any company that has its act minimally together will use some kind of bug tracking. Submit it, have QA verify it, and put it in the queue to get fixed.
I suppose that could fall under the category of "official channels."
Marc
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That works, as long as people will use it. Where I work, the people who pass for a QA department use anything but the company bug tracking application. We get an evergrowing variety of Excel spreadsheets and Access documents (I won't dignify Access as a data base). They do this deliberately to minimize Engineering's ability to respond to issues in a public forum.
We're getting started on the Big New Thing™. I'm pushing my boss to refuse to respond to any issues documents other than those reported in the corporate bug tracking application.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Gary Wheeler wrote: I'm pushing my boss to refuse to respond to any issues documents other than those reported in the corporate bug tracking application.
Good for you. I was in a similar situation. One of the reason people did not use bug tracking was the version we had was crappy. I took it on myself, did some homework, finally decided on BugTracker.Net. Now I refuse to take anything, except from the bug tracker. Slowly things are working out. There are still some people dragging their feet.
One guy send me last week an email of a bug, so far I have ignore it, wait until the next meeting, surly he will bring the issue, my response will be I did not see it in the bug tracking, did you entered it 
Yusuf
Oh didn't you notice, analogous to square roots, they recently introduced rectangular, circular, and diamond roots to determine the size of the corresponding shapes when given the area. Luc Pattyn[^]
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I don't mind receiving bug reports from any source (e-mail, phone, conversation in the hall).
What I do mind is when they use a tool for reporting bugs in an organizational fashion that I can't respond to. This is done here for two reasons. One, the people involved dislike the bug tracking tool because it's not under their direct control. Two, when the bug-tracking documentation is under their control, they can claim that Engineering is not responding to bugs when they carry it into meetings.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Gary Wheeler wrote: Access documents (I won't dignify Access as a data base)
Does it gain any credibility since Access 2000 and later *can* use the MSSQL engine rather than JET?
I don't claim to be a know it all, for I know that I am not...
I usually have an answer though.
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Not in my case, since the Access 'data base' is a single file that is only accessible to QA personnel.
Software Zen: delete this;
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I took "official channels" to mean whatever bug tracking software you have. Depending on the bug (complexity, whether it's in-house software or production software, whether someone is currently working at other changes to that product, etc.), I may be the one to fix it, but over the last couple of years we've managed to stop "just fixing" things for the most part and started reporting every little thing to keep records so if one "fix" breaks something else we know who did it and where to start to determine where the new bug was introduced. It is a pain for the quick fix issues but for the more lengthy ones it seems like less of a waste.
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"Report through official channels" covers this one.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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That was my assumption too.
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Report it publicly to the "at-fault" developer in front of everyone in the room in a very accusing manner...
Someone I "work" with does this all the time.. to say tact is not their forte is an understatement.
Billy.
MCPD Windows Developer
"Duct tape is like the force, it has a light side, a dark side and it holds the universe together!" - Anonymous
my holding page..more coming soon!
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WilliamFalconerUK wrote: Someone I "work" with does this all the time..
Yusuf
Oh didn't you notice, analogous to square roots, they recently introduced rectangular, circular, and diamond roots to determine the size of the corresponding shapes when given the area. Luc Pattyn[^]
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That's typical fear-of-unemployment behavior.
"Dear boss, that guy is such a bad coder. I am so much better. If you have to fire somebody, choose him, not me!"
This statement is false.
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Corinna John wrote: That's typical fear-of-unemployment behavior.
In this case the person in question has always been like this, and they're usually the person who goes in and "improving" things without consultation with the developer previously responsible for the code or indeed the remit.
Billy.
MCPD Windows Developer
"Duct tape is like the force, it has a light side, a dark side and it holds the universe together!" - Anonymous
my holding page..more coming soon!
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And this person is the reason for all of the process we have when it comes to fixing bugs. One of our former developers saw a configuration variable that did not make sense, and modified the code late in the development cycle. Since nobody expected any changes in that area, the last round of testing skipped the modified code. It wasn't until after we shipped that we realized what had happened. Due to the program not working correctly for about 10% of our customers, we had to immediately roll out a patch and scrap the existing inventory.
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I have a ex-colleague who did this to me all the time. He would evil-grin and literally point his finger at me during meetings when the boss asked us who was responsible for the bugs. I was baffled as to how come he was so sure that it was always my fault when I was not so sure of it myself. It turned out that most of the bugs were his. Once he pointed his finger at me again and the boss told him to make sure it was not his own bug before he pointed finger to others. Well, that made my day! From that day onwards, he did not accuse anyone in meetings.
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Wong Shao Voon wrote: Once he pointed his finger at me again and the boss told him to make sure it was not his own bug before he pointed finger to others. Well, that made my day! From that day onwards, he did not accuse anyone in meetings.
I wish the boss here had the balls to do the same as this would probably shut him up. unfortunately we're all managed by jellyfish.
Billy.
MCPD Windows Developer
"Duct tape is like the force, it has a light side, a dark side and it holds the universe together!" - Anonymous
my holding page..more coming soon!
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I think a better survey question would be...
You just FOUND a sev-1 bug in YOUR code base.
It's causing the company to lose $1000 per day.
But it's Friday evening.
You'll be stuck at work repairing the issue and
keeping testers, ops guys and DBAs and others from enjoying their weekend.
Do you...
1) start the sev-1 process immediately?
2) wait until Monday...;)
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Discuss it with the boss - do I cost the company such a huge amount for a measly $2k. Not bloody likely. Fix it now, test on Monday.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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Mycroft Holmes wrote: do I cost the company such a huge amount for a measly $2k
You make more than 1k per day? I want your job!
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Colin Angus Mackay wrote: You make more than 1k per day?
I wish, he did however mention me, the DBA, testers and QA people, plus opening the office over the weekend and the additional overheads entailed, 2k is peanuts. Now had it been 20k or 200k it would have been a different story.
As I work on software that deals in multi millions a DAY then 2k is really a paltry amount. It all depends on your perspective.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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There are so many variables to this though...
1. Do you respect the company/boss you work for?
2. Do you get paid well, bonuses, paid leave, etc?
3. Do you enjoy the problem solving that your job involves?
4. Is it viable to get home late from work?
5. Do you bill your company per hour?
I answer yes to all these so i guess i'd stay back...
6. Does your boss give you unlimited free beer everyday after 5pm for as long as you work?
I answer yes to this one also, which negates all the others anyway.
7. Is the copious amounts of free flowing beer the cause of the bug in the first place?
Probably, but we're not telling the boss that! 
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