[Sigia-l] tenets, principles, standards (was AIfIA Goals 2004 Survey Result s)

[Listera]

"Hankinson, Jody" wrote:

> I wasn't talking about methodology within a corporation - that's something
> very different that an industry standard. Nor am I advocating anarchy. Why
> does it have to be one or the other?

This is a common tactic of bureaucrats and 'standard' pushers: if it weren't
for us, it'd be chaos! During the DoJ trial Microsoft actually said the
American economy would go into a tailspin if their company was broken up!!!
Today, it's a standard within our company, tomorrow it's the 'standard' for
the whole industry. Accept the 'reality' or else...chaos, anarchy,
creativity, innovation, free spirits, voodoo, chicken sacrifice, end of
civilization.

> Let's have guidelines or tenets or principles. But why have a standard,
> rule, mandate when other industries, disciplines, practices aren't
> successfully implementing similar initiatives?

What?!! There are very successful standards in the design industry: all web
pages should contain no less than 36.78 percent white space, all headlines
should be set in 14.25 pts sans serif, you cannot have yellow background
color because in a small village in Indonesia yellow signifies death on
alternate Tuesdays during the rainy season, etc. You violate one of these,
your license will be suspended and three strikes, you're out.
 
> And why should I, as an innie IA at a non-profit have to follow the same
> rules as a consultant at a financial services firm? It just doesn't make
> sense. 

No, it just doesn't make sense to *you*.:-)

It would be so much easier, you'd just dial in and download your rules and
regulations from the License &  Standards Authority (have your credit card
ready, of course) and presto! No brain cells will have been sacrificed in
the name of commoditized corporate efficiency.

You know large enterprises are very efficient, right? You have seen all
those books at amazon.com on corporate standards on marketing, management,
manufacturing, communications, risk management, recruitment, product
development, hiring, etc. I tell ya, before the arrival of these sacred
texts in them dark days it was pure chaos and anarchy, nothing worked. Now
with these standards in place, say goodbye to inefficiency, cost overruns,
waste...you name it, standards cure it. Navbar on the left: check. Links in
blue: check. Visio for sitemaps: check. Ship it.

Ziya
Nullius in Verba