Terry gave a list of things for programmers to be successful:
problem solving, creativity, attention to detail, oral and written
communication skills, patientce, desire.

I would like to add that (since some of these are opposites),
that not every programmer need have every attribute. Nor would it
be desireable for every programmer to have all these attributes.
It would be better to have a portion of the team creative,
a portion of the team communicative, and the majority of the
team have attention to detail.

In particular, you cannot be creative and have attention to the
detail At The Same Time. And some people will be more creative
than others. This is okay.

However, the way we manage projects in the United States of America
in 1998, you had better all have a lot of patience.

As far as desire is concern, nothing ever succeeds without the passion
of people of desire.

Mike Brenner [log in to unmask]