Getting brainwashed

[RantyDave]

On the subject of brainwashing, why don't more IT people take time to explore the intricacies of applications and what's possible, rather then retiring to the safe comfort zone provided by the so-called "suite" of Microsoft products and what they're told isn't possible?

Because most IT people come to work to have a job and get paid - the actual quality of the outcome is a secondary concern at best. A generic admin/fixer type will always be able to get work supporting big MS rigs because there's loads of them, they always shit themselves, and MS replace the whole thing every three years (almost) regular as clockwork. They have no incentive to do anything else.

This is why "cloud computing" can and probably will work - because MS and internal IT have worked together to prevent an organisation's IT infrastructure from doing what it's users actually want .... hence "google groups" being used at work because you don't need to ask anyone's fucking permission, don't get told that people from outside the organisation aren't in the 'secure group' or whatever, can have the damn thing up and going in two minutes flat and don't need to fill out any TPS reports. The value proposition for "don't even use our hugely expensive but ultimately shit internal IT department" is that strong that ultimately, over time (and lots of it) corporate IT will morph into a bunch of off the shelf boxes (iPhones, netbooks, whatever), some extremely generic net access and administration in the hands of the users themselves.

It's not the IT bods fault, we just set up the incentives such that "continue to have a job" was a better incentive than "do something amazing for your users".

Dave

[p.dath]

On the subject of brainwashing, why don't more IT people take time to explore the intricacies of applications and what's possible, rather then retiring to the safe comfort zone provided by the so-called "suite" of Microsoft products and what they're told isn't possible?

Why should the role of IT innovation be left to users?

To be fair, there are a lot of products. You can be average in a lot of them, or really good in a few.

[p.dath]

I'm totally over windows... all my computers (except the 3 of them at work) are linux or mac, i've never been so stress free!!!

Also, the newest installment of openoffice is actually very cool, the older ones seemed to be trying to me MS office and thus quite inferior but openoffice does a nice job

And its free.... somehow.....

I gave Ubuntu+Open Office a try earlier this year. I find OO frustrating to use. Obviously I don't have much training with it, but I did not find it intuitive.

And the other big kicker is that I couldn't save Office 2007 documents, which is what all of my colleagues use.

[CookMySock]

This is why "cloud computing" can and probably will work - because MS and internal IT have worked together to prevent an organisation's IT infrastructure from doing what it's users actually want .... hence "google groups"

I have no idea how MS thinks it's going to survive over the next 25 years.

But then it amazes me that even with all the advocacy, just how many have absolutely no inkling that there is an alternative.

Steve

[mister.koz]

I have no idea how MS thinks it's going to survive over the next 25 years.

But then it amazes me that even with all the advocacy, just how many have absolutely no inkling that there is an alternative.

Steve

I really wish they would put the time and development into making their software better rather than splattering gradients and overlaying complicated shit onto their software.

Lack of knowledge is why microsoft have succeeded this far.

Mac is giving them a run for their money, it used to be 5% of computers sold in the US were mac, now its up around the 15-20% market. I just bought one and i really can see why

[Delerium]

Used vista, it was a bit slow to start up but didnt have any problems. Got windows 7 free from uni and its the schniz. starts up waaaaay faster. just waiting for more drivers to be put out.

[mister.koz]

I hear that vista is to ME as windows 7 is to 2000..

Regardless, i am over it, i have been waiting for a good version since 95 and they almost had it with xp...

Jeez they can't even get DRI right.

[Hitcher]

To be fair, there are a lot of products. You can be average in a lot of them, or really good in a few.

Indeed, but I expect more from IT "professionals". Their role shouldn't be locking down user functionality so that it makes their life easier. Users are the ones who should be playing Halo, not the geeks.

And the other big kicker is that I couldn't save Office 2007 documents, which is what all of my colleagues use.

Erm, try the settings "save file as" command.

Functionally there's not a huge amount of difference between OO and Office. OO is faster (once it loads up) and understands language and page set-up settings way better than Office. It does everything Office does, it just does it differently at times. Indeed the OO version of PowerPoint is, IMO, a superior product. The flowcharter/drawing tool works well too.

The OO user community is fantastic (as indeed are most open source user communities) and there is a huge bunch of plug ins and widgets for the various applications.

[Insanity_rules]

I had the same fun today with the expert zone. Did more teaching me to sell it rather than explaining the guts and where is my free copy?

My company ethos is to make technology more accessable, friendlier and smarter without the geek speak. I pride myself in being able to teach my users how to make the smarts of what they have work for them. It does mean that I've had to specialise a bit more than I'd like to but I think I've chosen the right products to do that in.

[Gremlin]

I had the same fun today with the expert zone. Did more teaching me to sell it rather than explaining the guts and where is my free copy?

My company ethos is to make technology more accessable, friendlier and smarter without the geek speak. I pride myself in being able to teach my users how to make the smarts of what they have work for them.

You get the copy when you attend the event and have done all 4 modules.

Yep, being contract network managers, we try to act on the clients behalf in matters with 3rd party providers (and as translators), so the client gets what they want. Easy to rattle off lots of words they don't follow, which only wastes time. Actually much harder to put it into an accurate analogy, as you have to know it back to front

[Insanity_rules]

You get the copy when you attend the event and have done all 4 modules.

Yep, being contract network managers, we try to act on the clients behalf in matters with 3rd party providers (and as translators), so the client gets what they want. Easy to rattle off lots of words they don't follow, which only wastes time. Actually much harder to put it into an accurate analogy, as you have to know it back to front

Thanks and I hear ya about 3rd party providers.

Indeed, but I expect more from IT "professionals". Their role shouldn't be locking down user functionality so that it makes their life easier. Users are the ones who should be playing Halo, not the geeks.

Amen! Pop in sometime Hitch, I"ll show ya what the coal face should look like. You remember where I am eh?

[Gremlin]

Indeed, but I expect more from IT "professionals". Their role shouldn't be locking down user functionality so that it makes their life easier.

1 counterpoint here Hitch... while the users are paying for the support etc (the bosses especially), they are biased.

I see my primary role as keeping the network (servers, computers, data within etc) safe. If that is to the detriment of the users, then so be it. It doesn't often clash, but the integrity of the network, and the priceless data is number one.

After all, without it... they're fucked.

[retro asian]

On Monday our whole office is switching from Windows 98 to Windows 7.

[retro asian]

Sorry for the generalisation, but in my short experiences as a customer of different IT services, I'd say you have to keep talking to IT people and make sure you know what they are doing at all times and why they are doing it.

If you leave them to their own devices, and do everything they recommend without questioning it can get really really expensive.

e.g.1 Last month after checking an invoice I found out $2600 of website development had been done that I had not asked for, and that did not benefit us in anyway. The developers thought what they did it was a great idea, so they just did it and charged us.

e.g.2 Asked for a quote 7 months ago on a CS4 package, they came back with $5000. Asked again last week for a better price considering a better exchange rate. They said you don't get discounts for exchange rate in software and price wouldn't go down. After pointing out that I could download the software a lot cheaper from adobe.com they came to the party with a quote of $3000 based on current exchange rate.


My relationship with IT people is getting better now that I know how they operate, and know how to deal with them. But in the beginning I was definitely tearing my hair out on a weekly basis...

[Gremlin]

Sorry for the generalisation, but in my short experiences as a customer of different IT services, I'd say you have to keep talking to IT people and make sure you know what they are doing at all times and why they are doing it.

Fair enough... it all depends how the support structure is set up etc. For our network support (end to end, excluding special 3rd party apps) we calculate a flat fee charged monthly, that covers everything other than capital expenditure. It also means that we really benefit when everything is smooth and stable, as the work is reduced to normal maintenance etc. I know others work differently.

Re the software, the exchange rate would only be a factor if more product was purchased... software isn't that affected either, and if anything, prices have been all over the place in the last year. Re the online buying, I'm not surprised. Certain laptops we configure for clients can be bought cheaper via the manufacturer website, than the main distributors in NZ...