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
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