Re: programmer productivity.

> If you are falling behind, not meeting dead lines, 
> spending a whole lot of time putting out fires, 
> then it is time to look at new blood.

I am the only staffer doing AS/400 programming, putting out AS/400 fires.  I 
believe that the rate of fires is related to non-technical application 
education & that corporate culture dictates whether user education should be 
directed towards non-computer areas with me being a safety net to clean up 
the garbage, or whether there should be an investment in greater application 
education for all users so as to have less garbage to be cleaned up.

Some modification requests take me a few days to implement & the users are 
happy.
Some queries take me an evening to perfect (multi-line columne registration 
can be a b i t c h) & the users are happy.
Some programs take me a LONG time to get working & no one is happy.

I would like to know how well I am doing in my profession compared to other 
folks in a similar role.  I would like to know if ANYONE, in the same boat, 
would have a comparable backlog.

Accountants love numbers & would love to have numbers from me estimating how 
long this or that will take.  My estimating skills are not up to keeping an 
accountant happy.  I prefer priorities & judgement calls - this is my next 
priority & something is not worth working on if it is going to take me longer 
than some reasonable amount of time.  I am happy when there is enough work to 
keep me busy for all eternity.

Alister William Macintyre 
Computer Data Janitor etc. of BPCS 405 CD Rel-02 on 400 model 170 OS4 V4R3 
(forerunner to IBM e-Server i-Series 400)  @ http://www.cen-elec.com Central 
Industries of Indiana--->Quality manufacturer of wire harnesses and 
electrical sub-assemblies

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