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I know I'm going to regret this, but......

It is NOT the users data.  It is the companys.  It is the users
responsibility to keep their data correct & up to date, but not theirs to
own.  Ownership means control.  The last thing you want is your users
controlling the data.

I worked at a charity once who's philosophy was that it was the user's
data.  this was because they used lots of Voluntary labour, and were simply
thankful when people showed up.  They had 2 ways of making money -
donations or selling goods.  Each function was controlled by a separate
department.  Because each department controlled their own data, and had
their own goals to meet, they refused to co-operate in sharing data.  If a
customer changed addresses, they would have to tell us twice (or more),
because each department would refuse to pass the data onto the other.

Now I know this is an extreme case, but we all have similar stories where
users don't consider the impacts of other's in the company when they
add/change/ remove data.  For the good of the company, IT must control the
data, and assess each request for access to it on it's own merits, to
ensure the maximum benefit for the company as a whole.  We don't (or at
least shouldn't), allowing each users to determine what PC to put at their
desk, and what programs it will run.  Similarly, we shouldn't let them
believe that it is 'their data' to do with as they choose.


This doesn't mean I'm against queries, or users accessing 'their' data on
an ad-hoc basis.  But even the most intelligent query user is going to make
common query errors at 10 times the rate of the average programmer.  Do you
have any idea how quickly an AS/400 will crumble under a misjoined query
(e.g. join the 500,000 line Order Detail History & 200,000 line Order
Detail comment files at item level, instead of Order/Item level) run
intractively.  If not, you should try it once or twice.  You'll soon decide
that query in the wrong hands is a dangerous tool, and needs to be
carefully controlled.




Rob Berendt <rob@dekko.com> on 26/02/2000 01:20:54

Please respond to RPG400-L@midrange.com

To:   RPG400-L@midrange.com
cc:    (bcc: STEVEN J RYAN/DIAU)

Subject:  Re: Query/400 to RPG program




It is still the users data.  Your statement about the shipping department
and payroll is not a good example because the payroll department are the
users of that data, not the shipping department.  You're right.  It is our
responsibility to set up the databases and security in such a way as to
make
sure the rules are enforced and such.  However there is a market out there
for Query, etc, and GUI based query packages.  Therefore the users, and the
management who authorizes these purchases, wants the users to have access.
Do we want them to blame the 400 for not being flexible enough to perform
ad hoc queries versus some PC based package, when it was really our fault?




qappdsn@attglobal.net on 02/25/2000 10:02:03 AM
Please respond to RPG400-L@midrange.com@Internet
To:  RPG400-L@midrange.com@Internet
cc:
Fax to:
Subject:  Re: Query/400 to RPG program
Rob,
I'm not picking on you, but you made a false statement that I've heard
often
enough to push my button! <g>
It is -not- the users data.
Users are employees and it is their employers data. He who foots the bill,
owns
the goods.
IMHO, the role of IT/MIS is a stewardship role answerable to the employer,
not the
user.  At the same time, it is to the best interest of the employer to have
IT/MIS
permit access to corporate data.  The tenant of the IT/MIS department is
the
keeper of the keys.
A data base should not be open for public consumption.  It's not the
shipping
departments business to inquire as to what the A/P clerk is getting paid.
So restrictions are necessary.  That's our job to enforce, it's the
employer to
decide, it's the user to live with.
J. Kilgore

Rob Berendt wrote:
> What is so bad about Query?  Is this some sort of programmers union
> uprising?  'The users are access their own data without going through
> us!  Wait, lets remove the easy maintainability of Query and put it into
RPG!'
>
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