The Future for IR35
Q) Dave, it has been over a year since you launched your site. How is the site going these days, and what are your current views on the whole IR35 topic?
A) The site is going well thanks. I had a patch where I did not have time to update it due to other commitments. I updated it over Xmas and will now be keeping it current, particularly with the judicial review coming up, and of course the end of the tax year. I like the site to be the portal for all ir35 activity. There is now a new feature on it so people can add in their own links for free.
I don't know enough about the law to say whether I think the judicial review will succeed. Even if it does, the government will appeal I think, and it might be a long battle. It's a shame to say it, but I think many contractors are staking everything on the judicial review and not continuing to fight the legislation. There is lots going on at the moment, and the pressure needs to be kept up.
If the judicial review fails, then I think the government will aim at the small minority of contractors who have not made sure they are going to pass IR35 with their contracts and working conditions. If a contractor has a strong case and shows they are prepared to fight, I don't think the government will bother with them. They have limited resources to try and enforce IR35 and will need to use them effectively. What ever happens, the government will call IR35 a success in their usual spinning way.
Technology Future
Q) Dave, you are on the bleeding edge of technology at MLHSBC. In your opinion what technologies should people be focusing their efforts on?
A) In my opinion, there are lots of other things that IT professionals can learn, in addition to the core programming languages. In terms of technology Microsoft .Net is quite a large shift. Microsoft are pushing all their languages so they become fully OO compliant. I think Visual Basic will become something of the past, and C# will take over. C# is a very crisp and clean language - I recommend people learn it. Java is still going to be big, but if people are choosing between cross training to Java or C#, I suggest they go down the C# route. Also, if there are people out there who are not yet programming on the Intranet/Internet, I'd suggest they get involved as soon as they can, or risk being left behind.
I think the IT development industry is starting to mature and we are starting to become a bit more like the construction industry. People are doing more modelling/design, and component based development. I'd recommend people get into OO, and learn visual modelling. Design Patterns is something I think every developer should know about, in addition to being proficient in UML.
On the process side of things, I'd recommend people learn the basics of use case driven developments. The Rational Unified Process is very good - the six best practices should be our 6 commandments. But be careful not to apply to much of a heavy process. Visual Modelling and developing iteratively is the way forward. Extreme Programming (XP) is becoming popular in some circles - and quite rightly so. It is a lightweight process ideal for web developments where the deadlines are aggressive and the requirements are constantly changing. Understanding software process and risk limitation are rare and valuable skills.
I think software quality is going to be something that people start to take very seriously. People will become more familiar with the concepts of program correctness and robustness, and know what they mean and how they can be applied and measured. Building quality from the start buys time throughout the development. Again, the concepts in XP about writing the tests first are superb and I think will become the norm. My recent article on Design by Contract spells out the benefits of quality.
On the whole I think the market will demand those professionals who view development more as an engineering disipline rather than just 'writing code'. Super techies will still be required, but the all round software engineers will be the winners.
The Dot Com Market
Q) This year we've seen the rise and fall of many dotcom companies in addition to technology stocks diving. What are your views on what will happen to the dotcoms?
A) It's certainly been an interesting year in the dot com market. Lots of money has been thrown at 'good ideas'. The B2B market has been healthy, but the B2C market just hasn't happened for some sites. The mass market isn't ready to start buying lots of their goods on-line. For example, boo.com went under. Granted, the management was questionable, but in my view I think they went in too early and spread to wide. I also can't see people buying clothes on-line. People prefer to try things on and browse around.
When internet connection speeds get quicker and you can get a full connection through the TV, I think it will take off. Until then, it is going to be a struggle. The start up costs are also very expensive, with a large portion of money going into advertising.
When things do take off in the B2C arena I think the market will become ruthlessly competitive. Development will be key here to ensure sites are built that can easily be maintained and enhanced. The quick 'hacks' might get into the market quick, but in the long run they will not be able to compete and deliver a quality product to the market as quick as those who build well designed solid systems capable of being extended with ease. This ties in with my views on where technology will go, in terms of design, and software quality.