In some ways, software development practices have degraded since that era. It largely has to do with the need for speed which comes at the expense of careful consideration, quality, integrity and the formal standards that support it.
In fact, I believe it pretty much killed the profession of software architect. Many teams had it as a dedicated role, and this indeed would be a person documenting/designing systems using UML or otherwise. And they'd know the classics, like memorizing all design patterns. Finally, they'd use formalized architectural decision making methodologies to justify tech choices.
Nobody seems to do anything like that anymore. Everybody is half-assing design or skipping it entirely. Solutions are reinvented and tech choices made on a whim by the loudest person whom won't see the consequences of it anyway. Because we've told ourselves that shipping garbage in short cycles is the one and only way to do things.
In fact, I believe it pretty much killed the profession of software architect. Many teams had it as a dedicated role, and this indeed would be a person documenting/designing systems using UML or otherwise. And they'd know the classics, like memorizing all design patterns. Finally, they'd use formalized architectural decision making methodologies to justify tech choices.
Nobody seems to do anything like that anymore. Everybody is half-assing design or skipping it entirely. Solutions are reinvented and tech choices made on a whim by the loudest person whom won't see the consequences of it anyway. Because we've told ourselves that shipping garbage in short cycles is the one and only way to do things.