The concept of value is often something IT professionals chase. IT is less than it is understood, and more that sometimes people forget. I started as an IT professional in the real down of true IT. The IT department was managing and moving the information of the entire organization. Before that time, many companies operated as independent units. Local units may be a better way to describe that. The telephone was the primary mode of conversation. IM and Email were possible, but well email existed then. It, email was just starting in the early 1990’s to be more than a hodgepodge system. In fact, I started my second IT career as a mail system consolidator in the mid-90’s as companies realized the value of eMail.
Not, what you think they realized by the way. Many companies had grown their email system organically. Some companies I worked with had created their email system, Many companies I worked with had multiple email systems deployed. The result of this was an inability to send one email to everyone in the company. It also produced other interesting problems that I remember thinking about, but that would be a couple of years later. The driver for the initial email consolidation was the explosion of internet email that became real around the beginning of the 1995 middle of the decade. Companies began to consider this SMTP email thing, as something of value. When is the last time you thought about @ something?
When I look back, I also at times evaluate where I was to see where things could be. The reason I bring up email is that of its relevance arc. Once, (1980 to roughly 1988) email was possible but not relevant. You, other than to a CompuServ or AOL user, could expect 2, 3 or 4 days between sending an email and the person responding to you. IT truly, compared to today, was snail mail. Now, it is normally seconds between sending and delivery. Then depending on how long the reply is, as little as seconds to get a message back. Even if that person is in Singapore and you are in Alberta Canada. Email though isn’t as relevant now as it was then. It rose to prominence as the primary way to communicate through the mid-90’s. By the early 2000’s we were introduced widely to the concept of IM or instant messages. From there the explosion of SMS, IM and the ability via Signal and Whatsapp to communicate with anyone for virtually free in real time changed the world we were in. The evolution and devolution of email are interesting because SMS and IM is going to evolve as well slowly. What lies beyond the horizon in the messaging world?
I never use instant messaging except on Facebook. I don’t like it. I much prefer email. I miss the days of Eudora — my all time favorite email program. It broke my heart when it disappeared I’d much rather keep my email on my own computer than online.
I wonder if there isn’t a bit of that in all of us. I have copies of all my emails on my computer, and some still on the server (duplicates). I like being able to search emails people send me offline.
I never used Eudora, it sounds like I missed something.
It was so easy to make lists there and group people you wanted to send to at once. What I liked best was that you could keep drafts to use over and over again as needed. A draft was almost like a template if you wanted it to be.
I can think of 10 or more email programs that can do that today. Gsuite from Google, the Outlook client from MSFT and so on.
there are also mail packages that let you save repeated templates…
tech evolution is bizarre- unnatural selection means we don’t always get survival of the fittest. Profit margins have perverted the process…
But in fairness can you not say that about every aspect of our world today? The art world has few who survive, and many who struggle. The world of education the same. The reality of where we are is the system is in a state of flux. Systems built for innovation and discovery in the 80’s and 90’s are struggling now. They don’t get the same level of interest now that the did. Let’s make it through this period and see what we have on the other side!
if we make it through at all, we will have all manner of unhealthy coping mechanisms to show for it; that which does not kill us only makes us stranger…
I do hear that argument Alex. But I can’t agree with it. My twins, would not be on this earth if not for medical technology. The value of technology is that it can change lives. The reality of humans is we don’t listen. Technology is and of itself is neither good or bad.
Technology and science are amoral; they don’t care how they are used. It is up to humanity to decide the best implementation, but humanity is obsessed with avarice and makes the stupidest possible choices
The river runs deep in you Alex. I agree that avarice drives far too much behavior. If I hear one more VP tell me that they got into Technology to help people I am going to throw a shoe at them.
:0*
or just ask them “what happened?” or “when did you decide to just make money instead?”
It is an interesting problem, I suspect the easy answer is the day the market started pushing for year over year results from CEO’s. It changed the culture of business radically.
short term thinking, I don’t know why that business model doesn’t fail much sooner than it does
Great review about the messaging world, Doc. I follow this thing as a user while you are as an expert! So it is reasonable if I say that you add my knowledge so much about IT with all your articles.
Thanks, Albert. I try to help people understand that the reality of problems is that they are at best complex. Your kind words made my morning!
Your intention to help is very valuable and useful.
It isn’t always well received I can tell you. People don’t like that they may bear some responsibility for issues and problems!
I think that is the tendency of humans in general, reluctant to admit mistakes, let alone to be responsible. That is the reason why we are difficult to become free as a person.
I struggle with that often. I worked at a place with a group of developers. We were building a new system for the company. I wanted to do a post-mortem on a failure we had.
Four managers asked if they could attend and I asked why.
They replied, “it is going to be part of their reviews.”
I smiled and said, “No, you cannot attend.”
Are they actually part of the cause of failure?
No they simply manage the team.
Because the team is responsible for the project, the team leader and manager are the responsible parties.
You are 100000% correct. Had they approached me with, I want to be there to ensure my team isn’t blamed, or that we are able to resolve any issues caused by my team, I would have said, rock on, please be there!
They were there to push blame down to their team.
Anyone who is not willing or unable to be responsible is a party who fails to learn and tends to repeat or make the next mistakes.
Albert, what you’ve said is amazing. My grandfather always said something similar (if someone is willing to help you, do everything to make sure they can!) He also said just because you think you know, doesn’t mean you really know!
What your grandfather said is very true. But I am embarrassed if you put me on a par with your very wise grandfather.
No living human can ever achieve the memory of someone gone. It is impossible to be 12 feet tall and on a statue while living. Too many pigeons!
Hmmm… You are perfectly right, Doc.