GENESIS 
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In the beginning the Project manager created the Programming 
staff.  The programming staff was without form and structure.  
And the Project Manager said, "let there be Organization"; 
and there was Organization. And the Project Manager saw that 
Organization  was good; and the Project Manager separated the 
workers from the Supervisors, and he called the supervisors: 
"Management", and he called the workers : "exempt". 

And the Project Manager said, "Let there be a mission in the 
midst of the Organization, and let it separate the workers, 
one from another."  And the Project Manager created the 
mission and he called it : "The System".  And the Project 
Manager separated those who were to benefit from The System, 
from those who were to build it.  And he called the former:  
"Users", and he called the latter:  "programmers". 

And the Project Manager said, "Let all the Programmers in the 
Organization be gathered in one place, and let a Chief 
Programmer be brought up to lead them".  And it was so.  And 
the Project Manager saw that he was competent. 

And the Project Manager said unto the Chief Programmer, 
"Create for me a schedule, so that I may look upon the 
schedule and know the Due Date."   And the Chief Programmer 
went among his staff and consulted with them.  And the staff 
was divided into two parts;  one part was called: "Analysts", 
and the other part was called:  "Application Programmers".  
And the Analysts went back to their desks and estimated,as was 
there custom.  And it came to pass that each Analysts brought 
his estimate to the Chief Programmer, whereupon he collected 
them, summarized them, and drew a PERT chart. 

And the Chief Programmer went unto the Project Manager and 
presented to him the estimate saying "It shall take ten 
months."  And the Project Manager was not pleased and said, "I 
have brought you up from the depths of the staff; but you have 
not grasped the Big Picture."  And the Project Manager hired 
consultants, and authorized overtime, and he said  to the 
Chief Programmer, "Behold, see all I have done!  The Due Date 
will be in five months."  The Chief Programmer was much 
impressed and went from the Project Manager and proceeded to 
implement The System. 

And the Chief Programmer sent his Analysts to the Users and 
said, "Let Specifications be written."  And there were 
meetings, and lunches, and telephone calls.  And the 
Specifications were written. And there was a Payday and the 
Happy Hour; one month. 

And the Chief Programmer examined the specifications and saw 
that they were too ambitious.  And he separated the mandatory 
features from the optional features; and he called the 
mandatory features: "Requirements", and he called the optional 
features: "Deferred", and the Users called him names.  And the 
Chief Programmer gave the Specifications to the Analysts and 
said, "Let the Requirements be analyzed and let the files be 
designed."  And it was so.  And the Chief Programmer said, 
"Let the Software Houses put forth their Salesmen, and let us 
have a Data Management System."  And it was so.  The Software 
Houses brought forth all things for them, each according to 
his own file structure.  And it came to pass that a Data 
Management System was selected; and the Chief Programmer saw 
that it was good.  And there was a Payday and the Happy Hour; 
a second month. 

And the Chief Programmer said, "Let the system be divided into 
parts, and let each part be called a 'Module'.  And let 
programming teams be formed and let each be assigned to write 
a Module."  And it was so.  And the Chief Programmer created 
the programming teams with two levels, a greater and a lesser; 
and he called the greater the "Senior Programmers", and he 
called the lesser the "Junior Programmers".  and he gave the 
greater dominion over the lesser.  And the Chief programmer 
saw that it was good. And the Junior programmers saw it 
differently. And there was a Payday and the Happy Hour; a 
third month. 

And the Chief Programmer said, "Let the programming be started 
and let much overtime be consumed, for there is but two months 
left."  And the Programmers, both the Senior and the Junior, 
were much afraid, they strove to please the Chief Programmer.  
And they flowcharted, and they coded, each in his own fashion.  
And the Chief Programmer looked upon the work and liked it 
not. And the Chief Programmer said, "Let there be a Standard.  
And the programmers looked upon the Standard and liked it not.  
And there was a Payday and the Happy Hour; a fourth month. 

And the Chief Programmer said, "Let there be Progress Reports, 
so we can monitor and control", and there were Progress 
Reports.  And the Chief Programmer looked upon the Progress 
Reports and saw that the Due Date was not to be met.  And the 
Chief Programmer arose, pressed his suit, shaved his beard, 
and went unto the Project Manager, and groveled.  And the 
Chief Programmer pointed his fingers, and caused Blame to 
issue forth upon all manner of creatures who sold Hardware and 
Software.  And the chief Programmer asked for an extension. 

And the Project Manager was exceedingly angry, and cast doubts 
upon the Chief Programmer's ancestry; and uttered a multitude 
of threats.  But it came to pass the Extension was granted; 
and the Chief Programmer took the Extension back to the 
programming teams, and there was much rejoicing.  And there 
was a Payday and the Happy Hour; a fifth month. 

And the Chief Programmer said, "Let the programming Modules be 
integrated, one with another, so that System Testing may 
begin."  And it was so.  Two by two the Modules were 
integrated. one with another.  And great difficulties were 
experienced, and many hours of overtime were used, and many 
cups of coffee were consumed.  And it came to pass that System 
Testing was completed.  And there was a Payday and the Happy 
Hour; a sixth month. 

Then the Chief Programmer did go to the Project Manager and 
said unto him, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of joy which 
will come to the Users; for on this day The System is 
completed."  And suddenly there was with them a multitude of 
Users praising the Chief Programmer and saying, "Glory be to 
the System in the highest, but could you make one small 
change??"