There's no reason programmers work can't be measured or evaluated. Managers just don't make any attempt to do so. They don't check up on you, and THEIR managers don't check up on them, and the chain goes all the way up.
At least that was my experience in 8 IT depts at big & small financial firms, and one publishing company. I did one job at the State Dept of Health, and those guys kicked ass! They had to be efficient because they were low on cash. It was the only time I actually had expectations for results placed on me.
-Zack
-----Original Message----- From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Michael Perelman Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2000 1:47 PM To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com Subject: Re: Y2-nuthin'?
Zack's description sounds like late 19th C. industry where the "steel makers" did not know how to make steel. They were dependent on the expertise of the puddlers. Only the end product, steel, is easier to evaluate than the product of the programmers.
Zack Exley wrote:
> I worked as a programmer in Boston's financial sector for most of 98-99.
> Everywhere there were teams of Y2K people. It was clearly a scam. They
> didn't have anything to do.
>
> 90% of their time was spent chatting in the halls or going for long coffee
> breaks--but that's true of all IT people in the financial industry.
>
> But the 10% of the time they spent working was spent make some very minor
> changes, and then setting up elaborate "tests". Whole labs were set up to
> simulate the roll over, with whole copies of the systems running on a
> different time.
>
> In non-IT companies, management has no way of overseeing IT depts. They
> just have to trust whatever IT says. And IT is in a position right now to
> demand huge amounts of cash for whatever they say is necessary. That was
> the case before Y2K and is still the case, and Y2K only improved their
> position in that regard.
>
> These programmers in general are the most arrogant people--and mostly very
> conservative libertarian types. Even those with very low skill levels
(like
> me) make up to $100,000 a year, after just one or two years of work
> experience. And they are just as sure they deserve it all as they are
that
> the Starbucks slaves serving their coffee deserve $7/hr.
>
> I've always thought it would be fun to start a HR consulting firm that
would
> steer companies through the process of firing 90% of their IT staffs.
> Things would actually work better if they did that and just make the
> remaining 10% actually do some work. That's not wrong is it? Nothing
wrong
> with firing arogant programmers, right? Anyone game?
>
> -Zack
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Boff Tagstumper
> Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2000 11:41 AM
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Re: Y2-nuthin'?
>
> I don't think the date rollover was a non-event, but
> one that at least some organizations did prepare
> adequately for. I think the Fed required that the
> market makers in government debt had to make sure that
> their systems were Y2K-OK several months ago and would
> actually go in and audit systems to confirm this.
>
> On the other hand, (I'm just rumor mongering, mind
> you, so take this with a clump of salt) I've heard the
> Department of Agriculture Y2K preparedness was
> absolutely wretched, so folks who take an interest in
> the stats they produce might want to cast a cold eye
> on them in the coming months.
>
> Oh, and ADP screwed up my employer's payroll on 12/31.
> Rent's gonna be late...
> --
> Curtiss Leung
> (subscribed from a new, siller address)
>
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--
Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University michael at ecst.csuchico.edu Chico, CA 95929 530-898-5321 fax 530-898-5901