programmers are as adverse to change as users? (was RE: Your sig...)

["Dan Bale" <dbale@xxxxxxxxx>]

>It appears that programmers are
>as adverse to change as users,

Buck, I am somewhat surprised by your statement.  Knowing you through the
list, I realize that you probably didn't mean to paint a broad stroke.
Every professional here knows someone in the ranks who left the 20th century
kicking & screaming.

In regards to the topic that Jerry finds himself "welcomed" to the list, I
would just like to say that it at least *seems* like we've had to suffer
with the inadequacies of infocenter for a long, long time.  Most of the
bi*ching and moaning we've seen on the topic of infocenter is a culmination
of InfoCenter design miscues and a long-standing expectation, promoted by
IBM, that InfoCenter would be so good that no one would ever miss
bookmanager.  I never had strong feelings for bookmanager myself, except in
the very beginnings when it replaced all of the paper manuals crowding my
desk.  But, and this is the biggie, I was always (or very darned close to
it) able to find what I was looking for in bookmanager.  As a traveling
consultant/contractor, I could never rely on a given shop having usable
documentation, so I bought the v4r4 softcopy & infocenter cd-rom a while
back when we were able to buy it for the cost of shipping.

Bottom line:  I want/desire/need/require a way to find what I'm looking for
in the fastest, easiest manner possible.  If that means I must use my v4r4
softcopy bookmanager, that certainly shouldn't label me as "adverse to
change", should it?

I think most of us think of IBM and its very able and intelligent staff as
being up to the task, given the opportunity.  But I also understand the
frustration that is now (has been?) bubbling to the surface.  Jerry and his
team should expect a cynical audience, even if they inherited someone else's
"mess".  I think that we, as a community, could do better in controlling the
emotions.  Yes, we're tired of having to explain this for the umpteenth
time.  But now we seem to have the InfoCenter's ear.  I'm willing to give it
another go if it means we have something we can use in the long run.  But, I
said this before, it ain't gonna be a bandaid fix.

Good luck to Jerry and his team.

- Dan Bale
(I am *NOT* "Dale"
http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200105/msg00281.html )
SAMSA, Inc.
989-790-0507
DBale@SAMSA.com <mailto:DBale@SAMSA.com>
  Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
  (Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)