From: david@dynamix.com (David L Jarvis)
Subject: Re: Hardware support HORROR story!
Organization:  SOFTWARE / DYNAMIX
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 92 7:17:59 EST
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> >Here's the problem, the reason, and the explanation:  there is a
> >limited supply of intelligence.  The number of computers needing
> >service has now exceeded the number of intelligent people
> >available.  So fools are sent to do service.

I agree ... but there's more problems than just this ... LOTS more ...
one is that the ppl who are getting into this business are not devoted to
the field ... I saw this when I worked at Syracuse University ... I was
surrounded by English and Art History majors ... they couldn't give a damn
about computing, it was just a job (I was the odd one there, because I had
a system at home, and because I literally lived this stuff, so to them I
was some kinda weirdo) ...
the other problem I think is not only are there ppl in
"support tech" roles who aren't real bright, but more so that there isn't
a lot of formal training for this field ...  I've not come across a 
*single* graduating student who had learned what we do in this business 
at school ... how many universities teach courses on hooking up a b'zillion
different types of terminals, printers, modems, hard drives, ram chips, and
all that other neat stuff?  

> 	I think the problem is more general than this, though I agree with
> 	your suggestions. We used to call people tasked with maintaining
> 	these high tech devices as Support or Systems Engineers, and once
> 	upon time I think many of them merited the name. To many companies,
> 	however, such services are considered a *cost* center, and they'll
> 	use such people as they can find and train (at least in the product
> 	fundamentals). It's short-sighted, but it's what we too often do in
> 	this country.

Sad, but true.  Why on earth would they do such a stupid thing, knowing
full well that the customer will suffer and eventually dump them???
Because ...

> 	Apropos, I came across an article some time back discussing the
> 	lower production levels of two nearly identical factories, one set
> 	in Japan, the other in the U.S. Why, it was wondered, was the U.S.
> 	factory "down" so much more than its Japanese counterpart, and at
> 	lower efficiency when working? It seemed the Japanese plant staffed
> 	essential positions with qualified engineers, who knew the equipment
> 	well and constantly worked to make it work better. The U.S. plant
> 	decided they could get by with technicians tasked to just keep it
> 	going.

they need to save all those dollars so the CEO can make disgusting amounts
of money for doing nothing.  Thats how american business works, and thats
the saddest part of all.


#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
#          David L. Jarvis                 SOFTWARE  /                 #
#          david@dynamix.com                       /  DYNAMIX          #
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix.sco,biz.sco.general