On Sun, 23 Jul 1995 15:39:14 -0400 MoyerScott said:
>In article <[log in to unmask]>, D Chappe <[log in to unmask]>
>writes:
 
>>PROGRAMMER/ANALYST
>>     Analyzes, designs, maintains, modifies, codes, documents, tests,
>>trains and installs business application computer programs of medium to
>>high complexity from self-prepared specifications, test and installation
>>plans.
 
>Hope this God-like being is at least a Trininty.  [...snip...]
>I am not flaming this post.  I only make these comments because companies
>like mine seem to view technology as magic.  Programmers are defining and
>controlling people's lives at work.  We are not miracle workers.  We need
>support and input from many other parties in the work environment.  Also,
>we need immediate and constructive correction from those that are experts
>in the business.
 
>Am I a nut, or are there others out there who feel that technology
>positions are requiring too much knowledge and ability from one human
>being?
 
I concur.  There has been so much overlap and integration over the past
5-10 years (networking, PCs, inter-networking, client/server, database
servers, print servers, gopher, WWW, 4GLs, ODBC, etc) that it would be
a rare bird indeed that can be expected to code the client and server
sides of an application and the associated interplay involved therein.
Such people exist, but I wouldn't call them a "programmer/analyst".
 
There is a new sort of position evolving, that of a "Systems Integrator"
for lack of a better word.  A programmer/analyst will by and large have
an extensive knowledge of a given product(s) and/or language(s) on one
or more platforms; the integrator must posess a thorough knowledge of
many different products, languages, and platforms to an adequate degree
to direct/advise/consult the programmer/analyst(s); while the end-user
possess a little knowledge about a lot of things.
 
The primary example of the latter is the resume's so often seen that list
every language, machine, device, package, or program they have ever so much
as had a passing contact with; yet they really don't have much knowledge of
any of them.  If they list "Windows" for example, does this mean that they
designed Windows, wrote Windows, wrote Windows applications, used Windows
applications, have Windows on their PC, or just heard about Windows?
 
[\] Jeff Kell <[log in to unmask]>