ON COMPLEX SPREADSHEETS

From: Andrew Hughes

Date: 17 Mar 2006

People don't seem to be interested in fundamentals any more. And what's worse I am starting to feel alienated when I voice reasoned objections to (fruitless) initiatives. I now understand your statements about the state of the IT industry regressing - unfortunately it seems to be spreading to the UK!

Not that you need any more evidence of the abysmal state of data management but here is a classic: The following sentence is taken from an official job advertisement posted right here in this authority last week.. Recycling Officer...MAIN DUTIES... 2) To prepare contract payment documentation for certification through the use and maintenance of complex spreadsheets. – Is it possible to top that?!

From: Fabian Pascal

Yup. Nothing surprising there. People don't even know there is something called fundamentals. Abysmal educational failure. Why should they know any better?

It is spreading everywhere.

There is poetic justice though. The west is finished, like all dominant empires. IT in general and databases in particular are a very minor problem in the scheme of things. Learn Chinese or Indian fast.

Posted 5/5/06