[crispyambulance]

So?

Many great projects start out as excel spreadsheets: someone has a problem, solves it with excel, then goes on to solve other problems with that spreadsheet. People use it and become dependent on it, but over time the thing becomes intractable.

At that point in time, the functionality of the spreadsheet gets implemented by actual developers into some "engineered application."

If you are suggesting to NOT start with excel, then propose another solution-- but good luck getting anyone to use it. The key thing is, no one wants to engage "software engineers $$$" to solve a problem that lands on their desk which they handle by themselves.

[osullivj]

And once some devs turn it into an "engineered application" the change cycle jumps from minutes or hours to days, weeks or even months.

[TheLogothete]

Shh! Your logic and practical experience is not welcomed. We like to scream with self-righteousness from our software engineering high horses here. Software engineers know best and everybody else is wrong because he doesn't know any better, since he has a limited perspective.

[cm2187]

or years.

I often have the fantasy to write "Powered by COBOL" below the logo of my company.