IP: WORTH THINKING ABOUT: THE COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
>
>
> WORTH THINKING ABOUT: THE COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS
>
>       In the new book "The Invisible Future: The Seamless Integration of
> Technology Into Everyday Life" (prepared under the auspices of the
> Association for Computing Machinery), computer scientist Peter J. Denning
> calls for a rethinking of the IT profession:
>       "To most of the hundred millions of computer users around the world,
> the inner workings of a computer are an utter mystery. Opening the box
> holds as much attraction as lifting the hood of a modern car. Users expect
> information technology (IT) professionals to help them with their needs for
> designing, locating, retrieving, using, configuring, programming,
> maintaining, and understanding computers, network, applications and digital
> objects. Students expect IT curricula to provide comprehensive coverage of
> all technical, research, and leadership principles and practices needed to
> make them effective professionals; they rely especially on the faculty for
> a comprehensive view of a fast-changing, fragmented world, for assistance
> in framing and answering important questions, and for training in standard
> professional practices. Professionals expect their professional societies
> to support their identities as professionals, to advocate life-long
> continuing education, and to speak out on public policy issues affecting
> IT. In short, everyone has greater expectations of IT professionals than of
> the information technologies themselves.
>       "But the reality of what users, students, and professionals find
> differs markedly from what they expect. They find poorly designed software,
> complex and confusing systems, crash-prone systems, software without
> warranties, begrudging technical support, surly customer service,
> intervendor finger-pointing, disregard for privacy, and even poorly
> managed, investment-squandering dot-com companies. Businesspeople find it
> difficult to find qualified IT workers and then keep them current with a
> fast-changing body of knowledge. Students find IT curricula that focus more
> on programming than on systems, on theory more than experimentation, and on
> concepts more than practice. Professionals find little help for lifelong
> learning or career advancement and a cacophony of conflicting voices from
> professional groups. Users--by far the largest group--are growing
> increasingly intolerant of these problems. They expect IT professionals to
> organize themselves more effectively in order to address the problems and
> serve their customers. Why is this not happening?"
>
> See http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071382240/newsscancom/ for the
> new book "The Invisible Future: The Seamless Integration of Technology into
> Everyday Life" -- edited by Peter J. Denning.


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