RE: Should users have a say in the software development Re: Shouldusers have a say in the software development

<RANT>
In my opinion, the "real" problem is that the IT industry is, and always has 
been, rife with unqualified and untrained people calling themselves 
"professionals" and they often do a poor job, or worse. (I personally know of 
several companies that have gone bankrupt as a direct result of the total 
incompetence of their IT "consultants".) This tarnishes our collective 
reputations, and may be one reason why Microsoft succeeds in selling the idea 
that users can "do it for themselves" rather than relying on an IT department 
in "the glass house" etc.

In reality, if we ever want our IT industry to be perceived as truly 
"professional", like Doctors, Lawyers or Engineers, then we as an industry need 
to require a certain level of professional education, plus some number of years 
of "on-the-job" training (apprenticeship), followed by "Certification" ... 
consider how engineers must attend 4 years of college, and graduate with a BS 
degree, then work on the job for something like 7 years, and then must pass the 
Professional Engineers (PE) exam, before becoming a fully licensed Engineer.  
Similarly, Doctors or Lawyers must go through seven years of college, plus some 
kind of internship, before becoming licensed or certified to practice.  I think 
you should have to be licensed to be practising in the field of "Software 
Engineering."

Today, most software developers, systems analysts and applications programmers 
were never formally educated in software engineering, but in some other field, 
and were trained "on-the-job" if at all. So, they build software systems the 
way the Wright brothers built airplanes -- build it, then push it off a cliff 
to see if it flies.

In the IT industry today, anyone can buy a PC and "cobble together" several 
programs using whatever tools, and sell his/her "software" or services! And, 
consider that, in many cases, software is now being used to control 
mission-critical systems or make life-or-death decisions (such as HMOs using 
software to decide whether a given patient deserves coverage for a given 
treatment procedure recommended by his/her doctor). 
</RANT>

The news is full of horror stories related to software failures that can have 
devastating consequences.  See http://www.origsoft.com/nightmares.htm for just 
a few examples.


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Walden H. Leverich" <WaldenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >Of course, if it weren't for "those darned users" "needs" our jobs
> would
> >not be needed, either   :-)
> 
> Don't confuse a user's needs with the user's ability/right to be
> involved in the design and construction of a solution to those needs. 
> 
> If not for sick patients doctors would be out of a job, but we go to a
> doctor and say "I fell out of a tree and my arm hurts." He determines
> that it is broken, what the right way to fix it is (cast, sling,
> surgery) and he implements the solution. We don't go to the doctor and
> say "I fell out of a tree, I need you to put on a 1/2 length fiberglass
> cast with pins supporting the bilateral bone plate and I need 250mg of
> Vicoden for pain." 
> 
> He's the professional, we let him do his job. Somewhere along the line
> users have forgotten (we've allowed them to forget) that we actually get
> paid because we know what we're talking about. We're the professional,
> let us do our job.
> 
> -Walden
> 
> ------------
> Walden H Leverich III
> Tech Software
> (516) 627-3800 x3051
> WaldenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.TechSoftInc.com
> 
> Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
> (Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)
> 
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