Something other than IT...

Just got in touch with two persons I haven't heard from in a long time. It's good to hear from both of them, although I honestly did not want to start communications with one of them.

All in all, I'm glad I did. Both have taken different paths in life (from each other and myself) but each seems happy.

Which leads me to the reason behind this snippet of thought...

If you do get the opportunity to get in touch with someone that you really want to, do it... regardless of what you have to do and any obstacles in the way...

I look forward to getting to know them both better (if I ever get the time to write them)...

A little off topic...

It's in the news a lot recently (have a look at this link to Google's news pages), but I was hoping to make a small comment about it here. The topic is SCO vs IBM (with Linux and Microsoft on the side). I don't know all the issues, but it seems to be a slow week for many technology reporters. After reading a dozen articles on the allegations made, I've come up with my own theories...

If this goes to court, it may take a long time. Think of one of the most publicized antitrust cases you can think of length. If a decision is made in court, will it later be overturned in an appeals court, or will the penalty be negotiated so that all sides can leave with their heads held high.

And finally, I don't think that many people (with the exception of the companies directly involved) are really fussed with it. From my understanding SCO issued out a letter to 1500 companies that utilized Linux, stating that they may be doing some type of illegal activity by using Linux. Since no companies were publicly named, I have not heard of any companies all of a sudden looking for alternate operating systems / environments to run their applications on.

Everyone should just get on with life.

Motivation and deadlines...

There seems to me (working in the Information Technology industry) that business customers get promised by management a delivery date, and then management want deadlines to be met. And if deadlines for delivery of code or functionality are not met, then accountability falls upon the developer / worker. But at the other end of the scale, authority and major decision making are still the domain of the management.

How is the IT worker supposed to remain motivated in the current climate of layoffs and pay cuts to meet deadlines?

My solution is simple (well it is to me I guess)...

1. Reverse the chain of command and decision making. The developer / worker makes the decisions, and management supports those decisions and MAKES THEM HAPPEN. Therefore management is the one accountable of what they promise to the business customer, and since the developer is working with the technology, they make the crucial decisions.
2. Give people work that they want to do. Most people are happy putting many hours into something they are interested in. This will lead to more motivation, and more effort placed into the product simply because that person is interested in its development.
3. Remove deadlines. Or don't over emphasis them. Some people do perform better under pressure, but most people will come up with better solutions in their own time.
4. Pay more money. If you can't delivery on point #1, #2, or #3 then pay WELL. This is most likely the motivational factor for many people in the IT industry today.

If you think this solution looks familiar, you most probably thinking of the open source development model. I think it is a good start, and I may have customized more, but these are JUST my opinions.