I used to develop advanced computer systems. Now I don't.

chasbeen

I'm quite an old guy and used to write quite good computer systems. They always worked were delivered on time and had little or no bugs. Now I'm semi-retired and just have to use software that big companies have delivered. This software works infrequently and is full of bugs. My employer bought it because of the name of the company on the box. Another thing he has to keep paying for upgrades and fixes and after every upgrade parts of the old system that used to work stops working or another bit works but becomes very slow. Then he gets annoyed with me. Says i've installed it wrong or he says why haven't you installed it yet. He does not believe me when I tell him I need the support of the big companies help desk to install it.

It's a funny world out there. All my bosses (I got more than one now) are in more senior positions to me but don't really understand software. There are advantages to this and I take pleasure in handling their misconceptions to my advantage. I have to otherwise I would get annoyed about it. Anyone out there know what i'm talking about?: Very Happy

standready

Yep, been there, done that.

Canned corporate software sucks. Always buggie and overpriced for what you get in an upgrade. You would think for the price they charge, the software would jump out of it's package and install itself totally bugger free.

chasbeen

Thats amazing Standready as the very next version of the software IS called "JUMPYOUTERTHEBOXANDIWILLINSTALLMYSELF". Thats amazing. how did you know that Question

My boss and his bosses are very excited about it, I only wish I could share their enthusiaism Rolling Eyes

The_Gamer294

theres microsoft for you.

Get Linux.

Bluedoll

Think I have some idea of what you mean. Do understand that for software to work properly there are some requirements that must be met.

I am amazed really how one piece of software will work on one system but not on another. There is a fix for it of course somewhere on the internet, another driver or upgrade. The fact that someone has installed a previous piece of software that installed different files dll's or whatever and that changes the original configuration which then causes some enomomilies with the software being installed may be a factor. Did I spell that correctly? Sorry if I didn't maybe a download will fix it lol.

Anyway, this new software works but when you have this other software running at the same time you may experience this - sorry was that an exception or is this error message trying to tell us something.

The universal fix of course is to uninstall and reinstall twelve times, go into the registry and delete every entery, then get an old copy of the registry that you used twelve years ago, and by all means reset all defaults everywhere before you reboot again. If that doesn't work start over and reinstall everything completely.

Maybe writing your own software would be easier and better however your boss doesn't have to know that. Happy computing. The reason it doesn't work sir? It must be another user error, otherwise we would be all programers. I admire your determination to keep the boat a float, you are so needed.

Smile

Vrythramax

I work for the phone company in the IT dept. and it's been my experience that they promote everyone to thier own level of incompetance.

chasbeen

Thanks for the contributions. Its a fact life is stranger than fiction. I think most of you are younger than me and I remember thinking how privilidged I felt when I got a new job when I had just started my own career. So I can associate with some of your remarks. Particularly those that show loyalty to your cuurent employer. Or even a young consultant who has a misconception about how his "client" sees him.

However putting software systems into the work place has been really interesting and I really have seen many strange things.

If your not board and your still listening some of you will also be familiar with the repeat and repeat and repeat of trying bits of software in the hope that they might work! Theres a lady above talking about messing about with the registry in a previous comment and keeping her fingers crossed that the software will work.

The reason this happens (and this IS related to the original subject I started here) is that the big box companies have tried to remove the need to understand the low level "ins" and "outs" of the software.

This of course was a market mans dream. Remove all those hard to find and expensive individuals who used to really understand software and make it really easy for anyone with half a brain to install the software and keep it running.

The trouble is now the big box companies are getting really bad reputations as all their lumpy bloated software stops working and no-one can fix it. The only think you can do invariably is phone up the big box companies help department.

Here is a message for those hard working individuals doing repeated efforts to get the big box companies software working.

Dont bother repeating the same or similar effort 12 times over. Simply do it a couple of times and tell your boss you did it 12 times. As you know thats what the result will almost certainly be.

In the spare time you now have. Develop your own skills. Maybe start a little project of your own.
Example: write a set of utility programs and/or study for some certification.

This might seem like your cheating your employer. However if you continually go to work trying to get the stalled Big Box software working you will (sooner rather than later) experience something called "burn out" and your perception of your "good job" will be well and truely gone.

Good luck and take it easy. Cool