RE: ?Computerworld? article (an extreme example of thread shift)

midrange-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>   7. Re: ?Computerworld? article (an extreme example of thread shift) 
> (Michael Naughton)

> It doesn't seem to be uncommon to run into managers who think
>that some new report, or program, or computer system will  magically show
>them how to take a failing process or business and turn it around.

It can be worse than that. A couple of jobs ago, part of why I was hired was to 
help with the aftermath of a project spawned from a high-level attitude that's 
summed up in this direct quote: "It's just another computer."

Computer #1 was a Wang VS programmed in the PACE environment. New computer #2 
was a AS/400 B70. The task was to convert all applications and data _AND_ 
change no user interfaces to those applications. According to the big bosses, 
it ought to be easy. "It's just another computer."

Of course, the only computer experience outside of the Wang VS that those 
higher-ups had at that time was with Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 after an upgrade.

And yes, I'm serious that there were to be no changes to the users' 
applications interfaces. Anybody who used Wang VS databases in PACE remembers 
the nice query-by-example facility -- try creating the same on OS/400 V2R1. 
Believe it or not, I think it's still running quite a few years later, but 
performance never quite reached Wang VS capabilities.

Sigh. Such people pay for expertise, then refuse to listen to conclusions 
because there's too much background to learn.

Tom Liotta

-- 
Tom Liotta
The PowerTech Group, Inc.
19426 68th Avenue South
Kent, WA 98032
Phone  253-872-7788 x313
Fax    253-872-7904
http://www.powertech.com


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