How to talk like a programmer
in [Cobol]
|
Prev: Suppressing Cobol print messages
Next: Cobol today
From: Howard Brazee on 27 May 2010 12:40 On Thu, 27 May 2010 12:38:42 +0000 (UTC), docdwarf(a)panix.com () wrote: >>I suppose there is a direct relationship between how much mowing is >>done offshore and how much lawn is offshore, headquarters or retail or >>branch offices, or whatever. >> >>By the time the company no longer exists on-shore then it should have >>a different definition of "off-shore". > >Binary thinking, Mr Brazee... an Occupational Hazard of those who program, >perhaps, but not always the Way the World can Work. For example: a >company needs building-space (offices, bathrooms, cafeterias, >parking-lots... and lawns) for 2,000 people, 1,000 of which are involved >in Computer Operations (finding out what users want, developing specs, >writing code, reviewing code, re-writing code, implementing into Prod, >maintaining code for new laws/regulations/needs, running the hardware so >the code can do what the users want... granted the numbers I chose are >arbirtary but such things can be quantified.) > >Management determines that Great Savings can be made if the Computer >Operations work is done in Eastern Lithuania. 1,000 jobs vanish... and >along with them the need for the offices, bathrooms, cafeterias, >parking-lots and lawns. The company still exists onshore but the need to >have lawns mowed for 1,000 people no longer exists. Interesting, I was thinking that your argument showed binary thinking. Most companies are in the business of selling more than just data. When the data processing moves off shore, there still are lots of employees and customers left. And still have lawns (and bathrooms and floors and cafeterias). CEOs decide that data processing might be profitably moved off shore, but not the cleaning of their offices. -- "In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found, than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department." - James Madison
From: Howard Brazee on 27 May 2010 12:41 On Thu, 27 May 2010 14:05:23 +0000 (UTC), docdwarf(a)panix.com () wrote: >>I'm now working from home, but the lawn still needs mowing... :-) > >Has the lawn communicated that need, Mr Dashwood, or have you interpreted >the lawn's condition as generating that necessity? The question here is "who is the boss"? -- "In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found, than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department." - James Madison
From: Howard Brazee on 27 May 2010 12:43 On Thu, 27 May 2010 12:41:41 +0000 (UTC), docdwarf(a)panix.com () wrote: >>>Just the other day I mentioned William Edwards Deming to a project >>>leader... who had never heard of the fellow, of course. >> >>Sad that you can put "of course" in that above sentence. > >Sad is an emotional state... 'had never heard of the fellow' is a matter >of fact; it, to me, is no more sad that pure water boils at 100C at >sea-level. It doesn't matter if *you* have heard of him - unless you are a manager who should know about his lessons. I want project leaders to be better educated in their field. What they do matters to grunts such as myself. -- "In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found, than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department." - James Madison
From: Anonymous on 27 May 2010 13:02 In article <ks7tv5pbdjl788nvsbl5u2gfjqis7vnund(a)4ax.com>, Howard Brazee <howard(a)brazee.net> wrote: >On Thu, 27 May 2010 12:38:42 +0000 (UTC), docdwarf(a)panix.com () wrote: > >>>I suppose there is a direct relationship between how much mowing is >>>done offshore and how much lawn is offshore, headquarters or retail or >>>branch offices, or whatever. >>> >>>By the time the company no longer exists on-shore then it should have >>>a different definition of "off-shore". [snip] >>Management determines that Great Savings can be made if the Computer >>Operations work is done in Eastern Lithuania. 1,000 jobs vanish... and >>along with them the need for the offices, bathrooms, cafeterias, >>parking-lots and lawns. The company still exists onshore but the need to >>have lawns mowed for 1,000 people no longer exists. > >Interesting, I was thinking that your argument showed binary thinking. >Most companies are in the business of selling more than just data. >When the data processing moves off shore, there still are lots of >employees and customers left. And still have lawns (and bathrooms >and floors and cafeterias). > >CEOs decide that data processing might be profitably moved off shore, >but not the cleaning of their offices. In moving the offices of others offshore, Mr Brazee, the CEOs - unless they want to pay some interesting transportations costs - almost guarantee that there will be fewer offices they'll need to have cleaned. DD
From: Anonymous on 27 May 2010 13:08
In article <778tv5h0ls9c99rou5ghrdu19gaioldam9(a)4ax.com>, Howard Brazee <howard(a)brazee.net> wrote: >On Thu, 27 May 2010 12:41:41 +0000 (UTC), docdwarf(a)panix.com () wrote: > >>>>Just the other day I mentioned William Edwards Deming to a project >>>>leader... who had never heard of the fellow, of course. >>> >>>Sad that you can put "of course" in that above sentence. >> >>Sad is an emotional state... 'had never heard of the fellow' is a matter >>of fact; it, to me, is no more sad that pure water boils at 100C at >>sea-level. > >It doesn't matter if *you* have heard of him - unless you are a >manager who should know about his lessons. What the lessons of a manager are, or should be, has been the topic of much discourse in this forum. In strictly social terms the lesson of a manager is to learn to behave in such a fashion so that those who determine behavior as worthy of reward reward the manager. If that works out to knowing of the works of Deming, well and good. If that works out to knowing how to play golf in such a fashion that one's superior wins by the slimmest of margins, well and good. If that works out to... well, I hope I've sketched the picture broadly enough, Mr Brazee. Just as it is the job of a politician to get re-elected so is it the job of a manager to get bonuses, promotions, stock-options and suchlike. >I want project leaders to be better educated in their field. What >they do matters to grunts such as myself. I want a variety of things, Mr Brazee... but until I am in a position of authority, responsibility and remuneration to set such plans into motion I consent myself as best I can. DD |