Business Ethics, Professionalism and the Workplace: Information Systems

I just read this really interesting (slightly dated) article (thanks Megha):

The paramount question every professional asks himself or herself is "am I worth what I make?" This is always important, even though today, as Year-2000 conversions are beta-tested and implemented the demand for certain professionals appears to have exploded. There will always be cycles of varying supply and demand. Different professions have varying cultures and expectations. This sidebar will focus on issue of particular importance to professionals in information systems.

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Day 30 – Where do you see technology advancing in the next 20 years – and where will you fit in?

My old lecturer, Mr David Mason, told me that Management Information Systems (MIS) is a better career decision than Computer Science, because (paraphrased):

The technology advances so quickly that Engineers quickly become out of date.  However Managers always need reports in order to improve performance.  So they will always need Developers who can translate human requirements into machine language.

Note, he was referring to 4GL as opposed to 3GL.  The promise of technology has always been that computers will one day be able to program themselves (third generation languages), thus making low-level software engineers redundant.  But you would always need a higher-level interface between computers and the business, else the purpose for having the computer is lost.

I have no idea what the technology will look like in 20 years time.  The hype has never matched the reality (Back to the Future part 2, anyone?  We’re only 4 years away from 2015 and don’t have nuclear-fission, flying cars and hover-boards.)

I do know that my days with computers are numbered.  They are a useful tool, bringing the world into my home via search.  But when I retire from office work, I won’t miss them.  They won’t miss me.  In 20 years, I’ll be a happy grandfather: teaching Christ to heathens; sending missionary updates to my kids & home church via web; cataloguing Unreached People Groups who have yet to hear the Word of God; coordinating church field force survey data; assisting in the Completion of the Great Commission in preaching the Gospel to all the World; thus fulfilling the mandate of the Church; thus preparing the way for the Lord’s return; thus ending all suffering on the planet for all time.

That’s what I’m looking forward to.

Day 29 – Looking back (at geek life), would you have done anything differently?

I don’t believe so.  Looking back over my professional qualification and credentialing résumé, I see a natural progression:

Year	Credential
1984	School Cert
1985	University Entrance
1986	B Bursay + HSC
1988	Speed Reading
1990	BCA Degree
1996	Access 2.0
1998	Windows 95
1999	VB 5.0 + Access 95
2000	Solution Architect
2001	VB 6.0 + SQL 7.0
2002	Windows 2000 + DBA
2003	MCT
2005	VB.NET (Windows)
2006	VB.NET (Web)
2007	.NET Framework 2.0
2008	SQL 2005
2009	ITIL v3.0 Foundations + .NET Sol Architect
2010	.NET Framework 3.5

Day 28 – How many computers lying about the house?

Not as many as there used to be:

Make/Model	Room	Use
Lenovo T61	Hamish bedroom	Work PC for Remote Access work
Dell OptiPlex	Rumpus Room	Kids games
HP Mini-Note	Main Lounge	Main home PC
Sony PS-2	Rumpus Room	Kids games

I have a habit of bundling up old PCs and delivering them to the annual e-PC recycling day at Westpac Stadium.

Day 27 – Fix a bug in some open source software and commit the patch

Wouldn’t know how; not inclined to learn.

Not because I don’t have a charitable spirit.  I do my giving in a different way, in a different forum.

But because I know that I have limited time on Earth to spend with certain friends and family, I limit my programming expertise to chargeable hours.

This blog title has sparked a reaction in me I wish to explore further.  That is, how are YOU, dear reader, making the world a better place?  And I don’t mean by filling the ether with the software equivalent of better mouse-traps (technological upgrades to essentially a simple device, which doesn’t require bigger, better, bolder, except in order to perpetuate the marketing life-cycle).

What actual improvements are you making?

On a related matter, the recent (February) Christchurch earthquake.  What’s with raffles to raise funds for Christchurch?  If you wish to give, then give.  Hoping to get something out of it despoils the motive, in my opinion.  (And yes, I gave cash; and no, I don’t buy raffles, ever.  Unless my kids come home with some fundraiser from one of their various groups.  Then I try hard not to impose on friends and family by absorbing the tickets myself.  But that’s not really a donation then, is it?)

So I challenge you: rather than fix a bug in some open source software, fix a real-world issue with affirmative action such as:

• Write a submission on a legal bill e.g. my submission on Income Sharing;
• Create a blog gathering like-minded individuals, to disseminate important and interesting information e.g. my METTLE blog; or
• Sign a petition e.g. against the law to ban use of mobile phones in cars

Oh, I’m an activist from waaaay back.  I remember being at Victoria University of Wellington, marching in protest against Phil Goff bringing in Student Fees for the first time.  I’ve never forgotten nor forgiven him for it.  Must have been 1990’s.

Day 26 – Apple – friend, foe or other?

As previously answered in this series of blogs, I started with Apple, before they were trendy, before the first MacIntosh.  So, I have nothing against them.  They provide good competition for Microsoft (software), Sony (music) & Nokia (phones).

They would be a dangerous monopoly if they were the size of Microsoft in all three industries, but they’re not.

I firmly believe the only reason their O/S is not as often hacked as Microsoft’s is not because of quality but because of availability of the operating system to the hackers.  In other words, if you were a hacker intent on maximum damage, why bother with an OS that’s only 5% of the market?

Further, I am persuaded that the Apply fanboy belief that their vendor has higher quality products, is due to the fact that Apple tightly couple their hardware with their software.  In other words, Microsoft are constrained by remaining compatible with the masses, Apple is not.

Friend?  Not really.  Foe?  Not at all.  Useful competition, and ally at times.

Day 25 – Microsoft – friend, foe or other?

Asked and answered yesterday.