RE: Should users have a say in the software development

Mark, Walden,

I'm not wanting to start a discussion but, as I see it, you both are
right in establishing that is our job to determine a user needs? and
determine the best way to solve their problems. 

Nevertheless, users get involved in the design process because sometimes
IT professionals don't even listen to their problems.  So the users try
to find the solutions for themselves and, yes, sometimes with disastrous
consequences. Just akin to the patient who goes several times to the
doctor, does not get heard, and decides to get the latest ?alternative?
treatment.

My .02 cents :-) 

Best Regards,

Luis Rodriguez 
> 
> message: 8
> date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 17:09:53 +0000
> from: mark.s.waterbury@xxxxxxx
> subject: 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
> 
----------------
  Luis Rodriguez