Re: By The Dawn's Normal Light

From: Gene Wirchenko <genew_at_mail.ocis.net>
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 2004 19:34:38 -0700
Message-ID: <p04mn0t9pa5ggst3c1h0d3788oen8safgn_at_4ax.com>


"Laconic2" <laconic2_at_comcast.net> wrote:

[snip]

>There is one thing that comes through clear as a bell, in the descriptions
>you have given previously. And it isn't in the above list. It's the fact
>that the Pick people in your favorable experiences started with a thorough
>understanding of the subject matter, and of the real needs of the people
>that would end up being users.

     Having an SME (Subject Matter Expert) is great, but there is more than one subject here.

>They then learned enough IT to implement what their understanding told them
>was the "right thing".

>By contrast, most "IT professionals" spend years learning implementation, a
>few months learning modeling and design, and a few weeks learning the
>subject matter. As a consequence, their analysis is terribly superficial,
>their design is somewhat stronger, and their implementation is truly
>impressive. But that's like the foolish man who built his house on a
>foundation of sand, in the parable. It doesn't matter how well built the
>house is, if the foundation is weak.

     Apply this to the paragraph before. What if they did not learn enough, period? I have had occasion to examine the code of people who are not professional programmers. Most of the time, it is horrid. Errors that could occur are not trapped, there are arbitrary limits, etc. It is not that professional programmers can not do similarly, but that the non-PP often are not even slightly aware of the problems. And they want you to improve the code so it <does more>. Often, a rewrite is the only sensible option.

     If you are going to program, you need a programming SME.

>The foundation of a successful application is the subject matter.

     The subject matter of a program is both the area that the program deals with and programming. You need a subject area SME and a programming SME.

>I can't prove it to you, (of course!), but I deeply believe that, at the
>end of the day, that's the conclusion you'll come to.

     I like this. I say it, too.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

Computerese Irregular Verb Conjugation:

     I have preferences.
     You have biases.
     He/She has prejudices.
Received on Sun Oct 24 2004 - 04:34:38 CEST

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