Some "process" alternatives

The waterfall process is the traditional view of software engineering, where the stages of development proceed sequentially. In recent years, a number of alternative methods have been formalized and studied. Of these IBM's "RUP" (Rational Unified Process) and Agile XP ( Extreme Programming) methods stand out. Both of these methods emphasize the importance of communication and iteration. In general, RUP is best suited to larger groups or sparse teams, i.e. best for groups that can't always work closely together. Agile methods emphasise tight group collaboration, this is especially true for extreme programing approaches. These alternative methods offer important strategies for accomplishing complex system developments with tight time constraints.

Here is a link to a more descriptive coverage of Agile Software Development.

cute /. discussion on requirements and specs...

Slashdot has a cute discussion on gathering software specifications from *uncooperative* clients.