* NOTE ROOM CHANGE: LECTURE THEATRE E351 * UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM presents "Putting People into Software Evolution: simulation-based work in progress" Dr. Paul Wernick (School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire) 14 February 2007 (Wednesday) Lecture Theatre E351 Hatfield, College Lane Campus 3 - 4 pm Coffee/tea and biscuits will be available. [Catering Permitting] Everyone is Welcome to Attend [Space Permitting] Abstract: The pressures which act on a software system over its life from inception to retirement are many and varied. It is an important goal in considering software evolvability to understand, and if possible to manage these influences. Latour's actor-network theory (ANT) suggests that both human and technological entities (development tools, document, the system itself) are potentially active participants in their own evolution. I will describe Latour's theory, and present a model of a software evolution process in the form of a diagram which places technical and human aspects in a close juxtaposition. I will also present a theoretical calibration of this model accomplished within the last three weeks. I believe that an ANT-based approach towards long-term software process simulation show promise of more realistic representation of the process, and thus be a step towards dynamic simulation models whose predictive power will help us to better understand and manage software evolution and evolvability. -------------------------------------------------- Hertfordshire Computer Science Research Colloquium http://homepages.feis.herts.ac.uk/~nehaniv/colloq