[LINK] Re: What is IT journalism anyway?

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

"Chirgwin, Richard" raised the topic of IT journalism:

Information Technology, the IT industry, IT politics, Application
Development etc. are horrendously complex. The amount of mis-information is
enormous; some, from certain vendors, deliberately wrong, much, because of
a narrow perspective, in error due to ignorance.

I consider myself to be a professional electronic engineer working in the
IT industry, responsible for the IT architecture of a midsize Federal
Government department.

I work with many people who are experts in various aspects of the
department's IT environment, but I know of no one who understands all
aspects of the all the systems. In fact most people have a breadth and
depth of knowledge that is less than 5% (a gut feeling estimate) of the
whole. My job is to understand workings of the whole of the system, but not
at great depth. Others have great depth but very little breadth.

Given that observation, I think Richard is being a little optimistic to
expect that an IT journalist, even one who has worked in the IT industry,
to be across all the issues. It is unrealistic to expect IT journalists to
be better than the rest of us, and we are not so great either.

An IT journalist can only report what others say and do. They can be
sceptical and have their own opinions and knowledge but they will be no
more right than anyone else.

Added value comes from others (like on Link) adding their opinions and
perspectives to a debate. Facts are added and conclusions can be drawn.

-- 
I am not a seeker after truth, just evidence.
I will draw my own conclusions.
-- brd

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd@austarmetro.com.au