Dave's case is special - his company won't let him have their customer
number. I really don't think that's the case in most shops, including
yours. My question was directed specifically at YOU, Aaron - why don't YOU
use the DCR process?
While I don't think Dave's case is anywhere near unique, but rather
represents a fair percent (i.e. 30% to 40%) of shops, I will tell you my
experiences. Note that most of my frustrations stem from the "FRED"
system/era (is that what it was called?) vs. DCR.
#1) Now that I am in a smaller shop I have so many stinkin numbers for IBM
that I don't know which to use when and why they work sometimes and other
times they don't. For example, I have multiple ID's just based on the fact
that we have two facilities in MN. I must admit that this can be summed up
to disorganization on my part, but I point back to the fact of simplicity
and how others have done it (i.e. myeclipseide.com). I would much rather
use my IBM user profile/id to sign into a bulletin board type software where
discussion can happen in a more modern fashion.
#2) Knowing what else has already been requested in the community and not
"duplicating efforts". Even though there is a lot of opines here, it is a
great place to hone what one should really request. Honing a request is
absolutely necessary so IBM doesn't put it into the stack of "couldn't
understand what was meant so I threw it somewhere in the stack of low
priority".
#3) Access to the site and automated follow-up. I simply got so frustrated
with trying to find updates to my requests (and others updates) that I quit
trying to submit new requests (mostly for FRED). This is partly based on
being spoiled by status delivery vs. polling (I hate polling for updates and
prefer email updates like I get through IBM VLP). In previous jobs I wasn't
allowed to initiate a call to IBM nor did I have the profile/password to get
into the DCR history to get the status - instead I had to go down to the sys
admin, taking time out of his day, to see where a particular request was at.
The sys admin was probably receiving email updates to my requests as he was
the main point of contact, but is he supposed to keep track of who made the
request out of 30 programmers? Again, kludgey.
#4) I know for a fact that IBM takes things said on this forum into
consideration even though it isn't technically a PMR/DCR they are required
to act on. I also know that many on the WDSC team are in tune with modern
communications methods (i.e.
http://wdsc.wordpress.com/). Given those facts
it is easy to want to post declarations/requests/issues here and know they
are definitely heard. As it relates to WDSC-L, I am guessing IBM throws out
the bad and keeps the good as any organization/team with wisdom would do.
I know I mixed DCR's and PMR's together above which wasn't your original
question, but the lines blur on that with a tool like WDSC. For example,
one of my recent posts (in the last month) centered around losing my Local
Folder capability in RSE. I would have liked to submit a DCR to be able to
"reset" all filter pools and settings to the original without creating a new
workspace, or I could have submitted a PMR stating my Local Folders are no
longer working.
Most RPG shops would consider requesting new WDSC/RDi features frivolous, so
the easier IBM can make it the better.
What's your approach to DCR's and PMR's?
Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com
midrange.com
