[LINK] ICT Predictions 2009

[Jan Whitaker]

At 10:42 AM 9/01/2009, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
>Instead of tinkering around the edges with data centres, server
>consolidation, green IT, and producing pdfs of a few government reports
>the government should look at its own behaviour first.
>
>Unfortunately, the central departments don't understand the problem, let
>alone the solution and nobody listens to the IT professionals deep in
>the departments. They are the ones who really know what's going on but
>are powerless to do anything about it.

I was thinking, too, that unless there is a coordinating attitude, 
with the right questions and analysis, there's no way this is going 
to happen. It's all well and good to say that dept heads talk to one 
another, but about what? Do they really follow the chain of the 
information from creation to end user? I'm thinking of the discarded 
and expensive print versions of govt documents here. That one 
reminded me of an old John Cleese management film where some piece of 
paper was slaved over by some person at a desk for hours to be just 
so, was passed along the distribution list, forward forward forward, 
until it reached then end person and the thought bubble was something 
like: I wonder why people keep sending me these? And it goes straight 
in the bin.

I once had a boss when we were instituting enterprise email say in a 
meeting: I'm an email. Process me.
That simple idea has stuck with me for 20 years. And sadly, so few 
groups/organisations/offices/governments actually try it. They don't 
even stop to think about that simple idea. Either they look at some 
big picture and throw money at it, or they micromanage to the point 
of requiring a specific solution before they understand the real 
problem or goal. Consultation with most consumer groups is woeful. 
I've been in too many that just end up nowhere. Not all, sure, but I 
cringe before I go to one wondering if it's just another waste of time.

Thanks for letting me rant.

Jan



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
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Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

Writing Lesson #54:
Learn to love revision. Think of it as polishing the silver for 
guests. - JW, May, 2007
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