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I'm an IT manager and part-time educator who has seen the arrogance of some IT professionals ruin their careers and taint the careers of others. I recently had to fight guilt by association when I accepted a new job previously held by a universally hated IT guy who was by all definitions a jerk. In my teaching, I harp on the importance of having a customer focus, being personable, not placing blame, educating users and simply being a nice person. Some so-called IT professionals have done more to destroy the field through their insensitivity and hubris than they have done to build it.

How many of us would continue to see a doctor who blames us when we get sick, or a mechanic who openly criticizes our driving? Yet many of us expect our "customers" to put up with similar treatment daily. It's time to stop this behavior and grow up. There is much we can learn from our fellow employees and much we have to offer. We shouldn't blow our chances by exhibiting our insecurities through haughtiness.

Garland Kitts, IT Manager
Classic Dyestuffs
garland.kitts@classicdye.com

Although the statements in Rob Preston's column "Get Your Priorities Straight" are true, there is another side to the argument. The business partners and end users IT organizations deal with often lack the inclination to attain even a rudimentary understanding of what they are requesting. Many end users are unable to articulate their needs and expect the business processes to be determined by the IT work. There is nothing more frustrating than spending months developing a solution for an end user only to spend the following months undoing the work solely because the user did not spend the time necessary to gain an understanding and appreciation for his or her request.

IT departments have indeed created barriers, not to be elitist or inflexible but to protect themselves from end users who haven't critically assessed their needs. IT folks within these barriers challenge end users to accurately identify their expectations.

Disparaging your users and talking down to them is wrong. At the same time, IT should not lower its standards to communicate with business users. I challenge business users to use their valuable commodity time to educate themselves so they can communicate with their IT resources.

Grant Thibdeau, Web Developer
sensoo@aol.com

Beans and Nerds
A lot of independent groups certify people in common business practices. We call them schools of business, and almost every college and university has one. They also have computer science departments. The two don't talk (see Mike Lee's "Business Certification for IT," June 13, 2003).

When I was teaching at my local community college, I attempted to develop a computer information systems curriculum that included both "nerd" and "bean counter" classes. There is no doubt in my mind that anyone who wants to develop any kind of database program is crippled without some accounting, business law and management courses. But these courses are not in the computer sciences programs. As a result, many enterprises suffer from the constant bickering between IT and CFO. Bean counters don't understand why things are done a certain way in the database world, and nerds don't understand why certain procedures must be enforced.

The solution is simple: Nerds take business courses, and bean counters take database courses. Then they will speak the same languages. More to the point, both should be required to take systems analysis and design courses together. This is where the business expertise can most easily be integrated into the IT course progression. It will also help nerds understand the concept of a "transaction" and all the requirements a transaction engenders. The bean counters will also come to understand the complexities of database design and implementation.

Sorry, fellow nerds. It's time to bite the bullet and go back to school: business school.

Richard Radcliffe, Owner
Kondor Waffenamt
richkwam@gte.net

The Next Office
I agree with Lori MacVittie that Office J2EE functionality should be given to developers to exploit and even bundle for some products, such as portals (see "IBM's Office Suite Should Be for Developers," May 1, 2003). For example, it would be ideal if when I go to a Web site a Word document would open in the server and only the "display" would travel to my browser--not the whole document. This kind of thing would increase productivity in business environments as more information would be deployed in intranets.

With respect to a server-based Office suite, I disagree with MacVittie; I look forward to seeing it. Furthermore, I would welcome a future in which everything can be run from a Web browser so that users need only a thin client, and network admins can be relieved of PC installation and maintenance. IBM's approach may not be a S100 bill, but it could push Microsoft to offer a server-based Office suite--possibly with .Net technology.

Saul Rodriguez, Business System Consultant Baxter Healthcare Corp.

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