[Sigia-l] We could just use whiteboards instead.

[Listera]

"Stewart Dean" wrote:
> I think the fundamental thing that appears to be happening is you are
> finding hi-tech solutions to low tech problems - adding needless layers of
> complexity. Requiring a managing director to learn how type boxes into
> visio is not the way to communicate with that person.

First of all, I can't imagine an MD (who's got a promotion from a VP, BTW
:-) interested enough to be in the middle of such a discussion not to be
able to type on a computer keyboard (*if* that was required). Such a
computer-illiterate MD could not survive at his position in a large org that
could afford to pay me to consult with them. So that's a straw man argument,
I don't need to get into.

But the more important implication here is that somehow we are dealing with
low-tech problems. Nonsense. We are dealing with complex technological
problems and the final outcome of all our efforts is a 100% digital,
technological product. I'm not going to let you forget that.
 
> There have been some great examples that mirror my experiences  that show
> analog media provides the best and simplest route to communal group
> working. This is true for the same reasons we read books. I can load
> catcher in the rye into my smartphone but it would not be as usable.

But it would be useful to *listen* to books, as millions of people have been
doing daily. It would indeed be trivial for you dial up a certain number,
make a selection, have your smartphone start streaming and pipe that output
via wireless to your car stereo and enjoy the book while driving. Another
inappropriate example.
  
> What is wrong with using fax machines if that's going to be more effective?
> It's vital we don't become blinded by technology.

Just as it's vital to not shy away from using appropriate technologies when
more efficient, simply because that's "how we have been doing stuff in the
past." We no longer do 'radio plays' on TV. The new medium has its own logic
and language.
 
> The most important thing for us to do is to have a healthy disrespect for
> the technology we use and to keep in mind that many users just want it to
> work and do the job regardless of what is under the bonnet.

Oh, please. All we do is create stuff that's done by computers and run
entirely on computers. It's no longer 1843, we *are* in the sausage making
business.

> When I design a system that people use then I go out of my way to ensure
> they don't have to relearn what they already know. You appear to want them
> to use technology for technologies sake.

I have no idea what these platitudes refer to. Are you saying it's too much
for an information technology professional to know, say, how to add digital
annotation to a PDF doc?

> I personally have a healthy disrespect for all technology.

You might want to revisit then your decision to be working in technology and
creating 100% digital, technological artifacts.
 
> I also hold that I am not the designer of best systems that I create but
> the users are - on the best projects I just compile and edit their ideas.

Yep, and my doctor asks me to write my own prescriptions and sometimes my
surgeon just lets me operate on myself. Are you serious?
 
> . I can't expect to be an expert in something in three weeks that someone
> has done for three years.

Did you read anything that I wrote that negates this? Can we please stop
with the platitudes?

Ziya
Nullius in Verba