Re: RPG400 SDA query?

[PaulMmn <PaulMmn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>>>
> Tim
>
> At 10:36 PM 10/23/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
> -snip-
>
> >I do not want to be a pain, but the AS400 programmer I am working with
> >likes to say "OH.. that can't really be done" entirely too often. 
>
> As far as I'm concerned, you are not a pain at all. But your fellow programmer defines the term! :^)
>
> Again, as far as I'm concerned, I don't know that anything can't be done, so I'll always look first.
>
> Keep on truckin'
>
>
> Vernon Hamberg
> Systems Software Programmer
> Old Republic National Title Insurance Company
> 400 Second Avenue South
> Minneapolis, MN 55401
> (612) 371-1111 x480




I like to reply to almost any request by saying, "It can't be done, it wouldn't work, and you couldn't afford it anyway."  They I go on and try to solve their problem.

I agree-- there's always a way to do what the user wants.  The question is how long will it take and how much will it cost (in both money and resources).

How do you let the user down gently when you know there's a solution, but you can't spare the time to implement it right now?  How do you let the user down gently and make him feel guilty for troubling you but without making him afraid to ask again when you're not under all of those guns?

I've found it's helpful to ask the user, "What problem are you trying to solve?"  Then you find out what -really- needs to be done!

--Paul E Musselman
PaulMmn@ix.netcom.com

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