Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ukma!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!mybest!bigtex!pmafire!mike From: mike@pmafire.UUCP (mike caldwell) Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: Re: One large critter or a thousand little critters? Message-ID: <485@pmafire.UUCP> Date: 2 Dec 88 16:19:34 GMT References: <8812012204.AA09769@multimax.encore.com> Reply-To: mike@pmafire.UUCP (mike caldwell) Organization: WINCO, INEL, Idaho Lines: 57 In article <8812012204.AA09769@multimax.encore.com> JAMES1@NUHUB.ACS.NORTHEASTERN.EDU ("James E. Jones") writes: >Barry Shein mentions a Computerworld article on the perils of downsizing >for MIS types: > > > 3) Politics. The VP/MIS either knows or has people > that knows what is the best software/hardware to > buy for the money. But how do they get the rest > company to fall in line? Answer: they usually > get mixed up in a turf war that they lose. Then What I observe is that MIS can't agree amount themselves what is the best hardware/software to buy. When this happens how can they convince the rest of the company. When it comes to computer hardware some of us wouldn't touch anything that had three initials (and the software is looked upon with greater disdain). Others won't buy anthing that doesn't have three initials. > 5) Personnel. We are witnessing this problem at my job. > People who really know what they are doing are expensive. > .... > wait for the learning curve to rise to a useful point, > then hope that the person doesn't leave for a new, > higher paying job too soon... This is a really simple problem to solve. If the person is worth keeping, pay him what it takes to keep him. If he isn't worth keeping, let the other poor company pay him what he isn't worth. Since what we are saying here is that I trained, I shouldn't have to pay him anymore, the questions that begs being answered is who learned the stuff. That is a skill that companies often underrate. If it was easy to train someone you wouldn't complain about training them. >There is a problem, though. The Macintosh/NeXT user interface revolution (A revolution with three letters, what heresy {:)}) > >> So they replace >> you with the boss's pimply 17-year old kid and productivity really >> goes up (for everyone but you.) > >That's why they better keep hopping! The kid may know more about PCs than >the 20 year IBM MVS/CMS/etc,etc. programmer. And he can sling the jargon with >the best of MIS types (not to mention the rest of us -- let's not >discriminate :-) ). Here, Here. If the kid can handle the job, let him have it and if not, you really don't want to be working for that company anyway. >James E. Jones, Jr. -- Mike Caldwell Paths: ...uunet!bigtex!pmafire!mike | ...!ucdavis!egg-id!pma386!mike