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Politics

Entrenchment of bad technology: the London Metropolitan Police Department

September 2, 2013 0 Comments
Entrenchment of bad technology: the London Metropolitan Police Department

Vernor Vinge, in several of his science fiction novels (such as A Fire upon the Deep), posits the existence of  “zones of thought” within the inner portion of our galaxy that place inherent limits on intelligence and technology — the further you get from the galaxy’s center, the greater intelligence and technology is possible. The […]

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Pushing the right IT solution

August 22, 2008 0 Comments
Pushing the right IT solution

Yes, it’s my latest Baseline column: Last week, I talked about some of the reasons why large organizations often reject the best solutions for a troubled IT project: fear, pride, budget, and the ever-present internal politics. This week, as promised, I will talk about what it takes to champion the right solution. I can’t guarantee […]

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Pitfall: Picking the wrong horse

May 21, 2008 0 Comments
Pitfall: Picking the wrong horse

[From Pitfalls of Modern Software Engineering by Bruce F. Webster (forthcoming)] Categories: political Face it: technology adoption is a gamble, and one often made at gunpoint. External market forces lead internal political forces to demand advances — often unrealistic ones — in information technology. Those who adopt too soon come to understand the cliché “bleeding […]

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Pitfall: Underestimating the resistance

May 16, 2008 0 Comments
Pitfall: Underestimating the resistance

[From Pitfalls of Modern Software Engineering by Bruce F. Webster (forthcoming)] Categories: political A particular technology or methodology (the “TOM”) is wonderful. At least, you think it is, based on anything from a breathless magazine article to years of experience with solid, successful software development using this TOM. Or you may not think it’s wonderful, […]

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Pitfall: Not educating and enlisting management before the fact

May 14, 2008 0 Comments
Pitfall: Not educating and enlisting management before the fact

[From Pitfalls of Modern Software Engineering by Bruce F. Webster (forthcoming)] Categories: political There is an oft-cited dictum in technology development groups: “It is easier to ask forgiveness than permission.” It is often true and sometimes crucial to circumvent bureaucratic foot-dragging and politics. But it is not always the best course, and the danger of […]

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