Class Activity: Analyzing Software Failures from The Daily WTF
Duration: 40 minutes
Group Size: 2-3 students per group
Objective:
You will explore software failures and bad practices by analyzing real-world examples from The Daily WTF. You will develop skills in identifying software problems, understanding their consequences, and discussing how better practices could have prevented them.
Class Breakdown:
1. Introduction & Example Analysis (10 minutes)
- Introduce: The Daily WTF website is a source of real-world software mistakes, bad coding practices, and poor decision-making in development.
- Example article (e.g., Tracking Time).
- Problem Identified: What went wrong?
- Negative Effects: What issues did it cause?
- Prevention Strategies: How could it have been avoided?
- Discussion: Thoughts on what went wrong and alternative solutions.
2. Group Article Selection & Analysis (20 minutes)
- Each group (2-3 students) browses The Daily WTF and picks an article that interests them. It may be one of that the group did for homework, or a new one.
- They then analyze their selected article, answering:
- What is the main problem? (Describe the bad software practice, bug, or decision.)
- What were the negative consequences? (What did it break? Who suffered?)
- How could it have been avoided? (Better coding, testing, design, management?)
- Groups take notes to prepare for their presentation.
3. Group Presentations (5 minutes per team, ~6 groups) (30 minutes total)
- Each group presents their chosen WTF story, covering:
- A quick summary of the problem.
- What went wrong and its impact.
- How they would have prevented it.
- After each presentation, take a few minutes for discussion/Q&A.