Computer Professionals and Procrastination

If you ask any job recruiter in the computer field what the most common complaint employers have with computer science students, they will probably say something along the lines of, they do not always meet the deadlines. Punctuality is valued in almost all moral theories, including the social contract theory, the rule utilitarianism theory, and Kantianism. Each of these three philosophies provide arguments against procrastination.

Unfortunately, many computer professionals do not practice punctuality, resulting in project delays and unhappy software users. People who work in the computer industry must avoid procrastination because they have a responsibility to make their customers happy, satisfied customers will continue to give their business, and the consequences of procrastinating affect multiple people. Professionals in any industry must always consider their responsibilities.

One of the most important responsibilities of a professional is to guarantee the satisfaction of their customers. The relationship between a merchant and a customer is one of the foundations of society. Procrastination from the merchant disrespects this relationship, and transitively violates Thomas Hobbes social contract theory. According to the theory, the merchant and the customer, as members of society, have tacitly agreed to obey societal rules, which the government can administer. Interview anybody you know about his or her expectations after purchasing hardware from Best Buy. If they preorder a new tablet at their local Best Buy, the customer will expect the device to be available for pick-up at the store on the release date. Delaying the tablet release date because of procrastinating developers will frustrate customers. If the hardware is faulty and does not work as advertised, the customer will probably expect a refund. Because of government regulation and protection of the companyr's public relations, Best Buy offers warranties for all of its products. When a software developer procrastinates, the likelihood of bugs in their software increases.

The consequences of selling buggy software are damaging customer relations, and forcing the government to enforce stricter regulations. Most companies will support their customers with free software updates, but ideally, computer professionals will proactively prevent these issues before the releasing commercial software. Practicing punctuality reduces the number of bugs in a product and ensures that the product will be finished on time. A merchant guaranteeing customer satisfaction is mutually beneficial for both parties.

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