[Sigia-l] TMI - and expert-level knowledge

[Lada Gorlenko]

>> First of all, it's not exactly true. While those mentioned may not
>> build desktop apps for individual consumers, they (for instance, IBM
>> Global Services) build them for corporate ones, including governments.
>> That's a huge, although specialised, market.

L> Yes, but that's not the same market that Microsoft and Apple serve. There's
L> a huge difference. It'd be difficult to get away with some of the corporate
L> crap that I get to see in the mass market.

Let's just say that markets of individual and corporate consumers are
very different. Corporates do not necessarily want the best, the
cheapest, the most usable, and the most useful solution. Oh yes, they
want it when they invite you to fix my crap design. But they didn't
want it when I had to build the system in the first instance. And if
a client wants me to build a crap system, I'll have build it or leave.
Unfortunately, even if I leave, it won't change anything, because
someone else will do it anyway.


>> Then, there is a tendency (at least, in the corporate consumer market)
>> to hire suppliers that can provide everything in one box. Research
>> seemingly unrelated to the core business easily becomes a competitive
>> differentiator. 

L> I'll take your word for it. I haven't seen it myself. :-)
 
You won't. Too many corporate clients love it when they hear about it
(that's where we get the job) and oppose to it when it's time to build
the system (that's where we are forced to do crap designs).


>> Also, research itself is as much a commodity as anything else. It
>> sells, if you sell it right.

L> You're trying to get me to say: IBM sells complexity. :-)

No, I'm trying to say that IBM sells research-in-progress to those
who wants to buy it.


L> I'm always ready to bet against IBM, Oracle, Sun, etc when it comes to
L> issues of usability. It's just not in their genes.

I would check clients' heads first, before making this assumption :-)

Lada