What an easy request. Right? Just change the CSS to display:inline. An easy fix. In fact what could be easier?
Well maybe not so easy. What if that button does nothing until certain criteria are met (which is why it was hidden)? Often users do not understand that cosmetic changes have functional implications. Worse than that, changes are often made to design without asking about the functional implications.
For example, "What does it mean that this button is visible?","What now happens if someone clicks on a button which shouldn't be clicked under these cirsumstances?", "Should we throw an alert error?","How about an inline error?"
Why should you show a button which cannot by definition of the current spec even do anything at this point in time?
It is getting to the point where I just say "Yes".
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Creating solutions to non-existent problems
People love Excel. People hate Excel.
People want a solution which is not Excel. Let's face it, there is very little color aside from green. It is a pain to format cells. It gets boring. We had hoped to move on by using Powerpoint for everything, but we can't expect a painter to do the job of an engineer. So what do we do?
We ask for a custom applications to be built. AHA! We will escape the doldrums of empty cells. We will have buttons, and color, and, and...well what do you have?
If your business process is to manipulate large swaths of data, data that can be altered by a large group of people seldom at the same time, perhaps Excel isn't so bad.
"Time to get to the point," you say? It is simply this: If there is a problem with a business process, creating custom applications is not going to help. If you are tied down by the randomness of excel manipulations and want to have some structure to your process, you can't then demand the ability to use Excel. Excel solves certain types of issues. If it is inadequate, that's fine. It often is. But the alternative is not to complicate the randomness of Excel with the restrictions of a custom application. Applications are built according to processes and workflows, something that is inherently missing from Excel.
In those cases where custom Excel addons are created or custom workbook templates are created, the business process is well defined before development begins. Specs change, features grow, but the over reaching arc should remain consistent.
Most users do not understand this. But if the converse were true well, you wouldn't have any users. A simple example would be selling someone an application in development that would cure cancer, but when you actually delivered the product it ended up making ice cream. It is the same project, but through lack of thoroughness and direction, the outcome varied vastly from the initial proposal.
Since user have little idea of the process of software development it is hard for them to see their little changes as having big impacts. Even in non-coupled, highly modularized code this is an issue if now the separate components are logically contradictory.
People want a solution which is not Excel. Let's face it, there is very little color aside from green. It is a pain to format cells. It gets boring. We had hoped to move on by using Powerpoint for everything, but we can't expect a painter to do the job of an engineer. So what do we do?
We ask for a custom applications to be built. AHA! We will escape the doldrums of empty cells. We will have buttons, and color, and, and...well what do you have?
If your business process is to manipulate large swaths of data, data that can be altered by a large group of people seldom at the same time, perhaps Excel isn't so bad.
"Time to get to the point," you say? It is simply this: If there is a problem with a business process, creating custom applications is not going to help. If you are tied down by the randomness of excel manipulations and want to have some structure to your process, you can't then demand the ability to use Excel. Excel solves certain types of issues. If it is inadequate, that's fine. It often is. But the alternative is not to complicate the randomness of Excel with the restrictions of a custom application. Applications are built according to processes and workflows, something that is inherently missing from Excel.
In those cases where custom Excel addons are created or custom workbook templates are created, the business process is well defined before development begins. Specs change, features grow, but the over reaching arc should remain consistent.
Most users do not understand this. But if the converse were true well, you wouldn't have any users. A simple example would be selling someone an application in development that would cure cancer, but when you actually delivered the product it ended up making ice cream. It is the same project, but through lack of thoroughness and direction, the outcome varied vastly from the initial proposal.
Since user have little idea of the process of software development it is hard for them to see their little changes as having big impacts. Even in non-coupled, highly modularized code this is an issue if now the separate components are logically contradictory.
Outsourcing interpretation
You would think spending two weeks in india would really fill me with the desire to blog aoubt my experiences. Both here and my non-work related blog. Surprisingly, two weeks in a foreign country didn't have the impact one might think. But since my return one constant thought has been stuck with me.
As much as software development cannot be compared to assembly line production, outsourcing development cannot be compared to manufacturing outsourcing.
Maybe more on this. I don't know.
As much as software development cannot be compared to assembly line production, outsourcing development cannot be compared to manufacturing outsourcing.
Maybe more on this. I don't know.
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