Manifesto for Software Craftsmanship

The Manifesto for Software Craftsmanship has been around for a while (go read it) with a growing number of signatories around the world. Robert Martin sums it up in one short sentence: " We are tired of writing crap". Since crap can be easily mis-understood he elaborates (reproduced here without asking for permission ):

• What we are not doing:
  • We are not putting code at the centre of everything.
  • We are not turning inward and ignoring the business and the customer.
  • We are not inspecting our navels.
  • We are not offering cheap certifications.
  • We are not forgetting that our job is to delight our customers.
• What we will not do anymore:
  • We will not make messes in order to meet a schedule.
  • We will not accept the stupid old lie about cleaning things up later.
  • We will not believe the claim that quick means dirty.
  • We will not accept the option to do it wrong.
  • We will not allow anyone to force us to behave unprofessionally.
• What we will do from now on:
• We will meet our schedules by knowing that the only way to go fast is to go well.
• We will delight our customers by writing the best code we can.
• We will honour our employers by creating the best designs we can.
• We will honour our team by testing everything that can be tested.
• We will be humble enough to write those tests first.
• We will practice so that we become better at our craft.
• We will remember what our grandmothers and grandfathers told us:
• Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
• Slow and steady wins the race.
• Measure twice cut once.
• Practice, Practice, Practice.

Go read more from Robert and follow him. While your are on it, sign the manifesto.