● Observe that for the programmer, as for the chef, the urgency of the patron （顾客） may govern the scheduled completion of the task, but it cannot govern the actualcompletion. An omelette（煎鸡蛋）, promised in two minutes, may appear to be progressing nicely. But when it has not set in two minutes, the customer has twochoices—waits or eats it raw. Software customers have had  （71）  choices.    Now I do not think software  （72）  have less inherent courage and firmness thanchefs, nor than other engineering managers. But false  （73）  to match the patron'sdesired date is much more common in our discipline than elsewhere in engineering. It isvery （74）  to make a vigorous, plausible, and job risking defense of an estimate that isderived by no quantitative method, supported by little data, and certified chiefly by thehunches of the managers.    Clearly two solutions are needed. We need to develop and publicize productivityfigures, bug-incidence figures, estimating rules, and so on. The whole profession can onlyprofit from  （75） such dat