RE: Time to get serious

Hello Loyd

If you mean "just a person who codes" and nothing else, I'd be inclined to
let it pass. But are you talking about programmer/analysts and business
systems analysts?

I am an Analyst/Programmer, I was taken on, whilst contracting, by a very 
enlightened manager who ran the IT department for a large chain of Video/Music 
stores in the UK. All I knew of their industry was that you took a round shiny 
thing put it in a machine and music came out of a couple of boxes. It did not 
stop me from doing the job I was contracted to do. And it was not only 
programming. I also worked for a software house who specialised in packages for 
the motor trade, they seemed to think that all their staff chose to work for 
them because they loved motor cars and motor racing, this was not the case but 
they insisted in filling up your mailbox with this stuff. 

In my view, technical skills are important, but the business knowledge is
just as, if not more, important. Would you trust "a programmer with no
business experience" program a MRP generation? Inventory control? GL/AP/AR?
Trucking route calculator? Trailer volume-fitting algorithms? 

Yes I would, GL/AP/AR just numbers, inventory is inventory, whether that be 
CD's, whisky, trucks, tyres, steel, processed foods, plastic, paper, whatever. 
ALL of these industries I have worked in, straight away, hit the ground running 
whatever buzz words you want to use, and I DID MY JOB!

Unless very detailed flowcharts 

Flowcharts??

and specs

Specs??  

 are given to him (or her), that programmer
with no business experience will flounder. Why is as important as what and
how.

Yes I agree why CAN be as important as how, but not necessarily is, and I am 
sorry and do not wish to start an argument here but that is a very demeaning 
statement about thousands of talented freelance staff throughout the world. 
Specs would be nice and are the way things should be done but in the real world 
are not always given. Flowcharts? Haven't seen those in years, even on big 
projects. And yet thousands of AP's around the world can still do the job and 
not necessarily have an ounce of business knowledge to start with.

Steve