Before you think of being a do-gooder...

[Rick Tomaschuk]

Case in point. Computer Dealer News Volume 22, Issue 7 May 12, 2006
"Canada's Channel Voice for IT since 1985"

Leafing through...
Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,
Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,
Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,
Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft,Microsoft...

...Full page advertisement page 9: 
Field Guide to the Microsoft Partner Program
Chapter No. 4
Whoever Has The Most Skills, Wins. (I'm not sure what they win likely a
cupie doll or a mini flashlight with a old style cheapie battery)

Drawing of man and woman in business clothing (tie, skirt etc.) fishing
in a stream (no word of a lie) with a net...and there are fish in the
net...

Another drawing of a man in white shirt and tie laying out survival
camping gear on a blanket seemingly in the woods...

So what do I interpret? Well I look at this based on what I know of
Microsoft's manipulation of the masses, expert financing and logistic
capability that if I don't team up with Microsoft I won't have a prayer
in succeeding without their partnership. But I know from past experience
that Microsoft is a back stabbing monopolist in the market place that
creates sub standard product (kind of like the Volkswagen was to cars
way back when). Knowing that Microsoft intends to continue to dominate
the market (we'll ignore Google since it's still more promise than
reality) what do I do? Sell Linux? To who? How? Why would a manager of
an office with 25 users want Linux? What the hell is Linux anyways?
Who supports Linux? What about that fad application (see: push
technology) will it run? What about my free time on weekends? Vista is
actually here (the toilet paper) ...seems it'll to everything including
wiping your butt. see: htt://www.TorontoNUI.ca 

While we don't have a century of programming languages we do in fact
have a significant amount of legal and marketing experience to sell
'anything to anyone' as long as the buyer has the perception the product
will titillate and/or calm insecurity. Prostitution is far older than
bricklaying or metalworking. The core issue is not certification. The
core issue is being sold a bill of goods that is a work in progress. No
guarantee. You get the perception of ease of use while the reality is
another story, clueless support, complexity in the product which is
spiraling out of control, aggressive developer which will sue you.
Imagine going to Canadian Tire and having lawyer following you out of
the store attempting to verify if that Bar B Q you just bought is being
used by more than one family...give me a break.

RickT

http://www.TorontoNUI.ca

On Sun, 2006-05-28 at 01:49 -0400, Walter Dnes wrote:
> On Sat, May 27, 2006 at 10:56:40AM -0400, Evan Leibovitch wrote
> 
> > What's pathetic is that IT design, support and maintenance isn't really 
> > a profession, it isn't even up to the level of being a "trade". Of 
> > course, many IT vendors like things this way because accountability 
> > would expose them.
> 
>   A couple of points...
> 
>   1) Unlike bricklaying, or carpentry, or metalworking, etc, there isn't
> a century or two of publications and knowledge handed down from
> generation to generation.  C and Java are two of the "oldest" languages
> currently in major use for new development.  Stuff like Python, Ruby,
> PHP is almost brand new.  How many "centuries of practice" are there for
> these languages?
> 
>   2) Be careful what you wish for.  A "profession" means that only
> "certified professionals" can practise it, e.g. medicine.  I remember
> back in the early 80's how some greybeards reacted angrily to the
> thought that snotty-nosed kids would be able to program on their "toy
> computers".  The old farts were *DEMANDING* that all programmers be
> licenced.  I don't know whether you'll laugh or cry, but take a look at
> http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/12.09.html#subj5 back in 1991.  That was
> about a bill that would require all "software engineers" in New Jersey
> to be licenced, for a *VERY WIDE* definition of "software engineer".
> The initial draft would've required every secretary or clerk who created
> a Word or Excel macro to be licenced as an engineer.  Fortunately, the
> bill was eventually laughed out of the legislature.
> 
>      Now imagine back in 1992, that it was illegal for a university
> student and a bunch of snotty-nosed kids to collaborate over the net to
> write a new OS.  And even licenced programmers who attempted to do so
> would've faced discipline for "programming malpractice", because they
> dared to use a macro-kernel, when "everybody knows" that a micro kernel
> is the holy grail.
> 
-- 


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