Most programmers would be best off to try to be engineers, but the sad fact is most are in environments that foster hacking... most programmers are hackers at best due to the enviroments they work in
But if you find a market analysis, design and plan before program environment, stick with it as that is the future of programming.
The way I see it is that there are multiple issues here. Companies that outsource, and go outside of the local (US) norm are usually in trouble. They are dysfunctional internally and outsourcing is the "politically" easy way out to address their lack of internal acumen.
It is a management issue. The average I/T shop has a "butt kiss" attitude to servicing their companies needs. Little emphasis is placed on need or benefit to the company. Often users know more than I/T. We talk of business aware I/T people, but might I suggest your average I/T person might make a better plant manager than they would a I/T tech specialist.
But the reality is tech usually do not command the power to correct such issues. It is a organizational disipline issue, and not a technical one. In the mean time the CIO/CTO are out making techical decisions over lobster and wine, they bitch about why they are in finacial trouble. Vendors often have more clout than the people who have the most to loose, the employee. Yet management refuses to change.
As an investor, I would suggest to the CEO, outsource the whole thing including the CTO/CIO. Eventually you must cut to the problem and outsource managment, and the problem.
But for companies that outsource, they should read more. Often the company you outsource to will sell your expertise to others at a discounted price. It is like playing with fire. Often the match holder gets burned.
I once worked for an employer (in Canada no less) that brought in others from other places to show how how "cheap" and most residents fell over laughing. Needless to say the company is near bankrupsy as of 23 some C++ gurus in the 80's and 90's, only one remains.
The real issue here is companies wish to surpess wages. They isnore the fact that a 12 million dollar a year CEO can afford 120 of the best programmers around. They base their value on political hype and not peoples needs of a decent wage.
In the end the I/T organisations must become more like consulting companies with a solid engineering philosophy. After all teh customer is always right, but it does not give them the excuse not to pay for it. By oursourcing, it forces engineering principles and appropriate charge backs to the customers needs. As it is is the users responsibility to know if the cost is worth the benefit.
In the end, the market will win.
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Most programmers would be best off to try to be engineers, but the sad fact is most are in environments that foster hacking... most programmers are hackers at best due to the enviroments they work in But if you find a market analysis, design and plan before program environment, stick with it as that is the future of programming.
The way I see it is that there are multiple issues here. Companies that outsource, and go outside of the local (US) norm are usually in trouble. They are dysfunctional internally and outsourcing is the "politically" easy way out to address their lack of internal acumen. It is a management issue. The average I/T shop has a "butt kiss" attitude to servicing their companies needs. Little emphasis is placed on need or benefit to the company. Often users know more than I/T. We talk of business aware I/T people, but might I suggest your average I/T person might make a better plant manager than they would a I/T tech specialist. But the reality is tech usually do not command the power to correct such issues. It is a organizational disipline issue, and not a technical one. In the mean time the CIO/CTO are out making techical decisions over lobster and wine, they bitch about why they are in finacial trouble. Vendors often have more clout than the people who have the most to loose, the employee. Yet management refuses to change. As an investor, I would suggest to the CEO, outsource the whole thing including the CTO/CIO. Eventually you must cut to the problem and outsource managment, and the problem. But for companies that outsource, they should read more. Often the company you outsource to will sell your expertise to others at a discounted price. It is like playing with fire. Often the match holder gets burned. I once worked for an employer (in Canada no less) that brought in others from other places to show how how "cheap" and most residents fell over laughing. Needless to say the company is near bankrupsy as of 23 some C++ gurus in the 80's and 90's, only one remains. The real issue here is companies wish to surpess wages. They isnore the fact that a 12 million dollar a year CEO can afford 120 of the best programmers around. They base their value on political hype and not peoples needs of a decent wage. In the end the I/T organisations must become more like consulting companies with a solid engineering philosophy. After all teh customer is always right, but it does not give them the excuse not to pay for it. By oursourcing, it forces engineering principles and appropriate charge backs to the customers needs. As it is is the users responsibility to know if the cost is worth the benefit. In the end, the market will win.