The Problem with Software: Why Smart Engineers Write Bad Code

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By Adam Barr ’88

Published Oct. 31, 2018

Why is there so much bad software? And why aren’t professors teaching computer-science students what they need to know? Adam Barr ’88, who was a programmer for more than 20 years, tackles both the causes and consequences of bad software in The Problem with Software (MIT Press). He argues that the best hope for improving software engineering is to move it to the cloud. 

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The October 2025 cover of PAW, featuring an illustration of a woman dressed like Superman, but the S on her chest is a dollar sign.
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