I don’t feel bad that I didn’t attend BloggerCon. The only session I read about that stuck in my mind was the one called “users in charge” that set users against developers. As though developers are all of one mind, of one temperament, of one type. As though developers aren’t themselves users.
The idea that only a certain type of person is interested in or capable of building software is flat-out wrong. And it’s a pernicious idea, too, because it keeps people who don’t look like the stereotype (male, young or youngish, of European or Asian descent, lacking social skills–you get the picture) from trying out computer science or other technically-oriented subjects.
When I first started working as a software engineer, I had this idea that most programmers weren’t good at communicating. I was so wrong. You can’t be a good programmer and not know how to communicate, because as a programmer, you’re constantly translating from one language and one abstraction to another. You have to speak many languages, even the language of… the users.
So yes, sometimes it’s useful to distinguish users from developers. But it’s a mistake to think that classifying people as users or developers is some forever binding forever meaningful categorization. It’s not.
It seems especially wrong to promote the divide between users and developers when one of the key trends in the next-generation web is users as developers. See Ning and Dabble DB.
5 Comments
It seems especially wrong to promote the divide between users and developers when one of the key trends in the next-generation web is users as developers.
I like this line.
I think, for a programmer (developer) is a must to have comunication skill.
And I add, that a developer, must be a blogger, in order to be “web 2.0″ like you Anne
Gianluca
I think there are certainly a handful of developers in any group that are tool crazy and don’t communicate well, but they shouldn’t be allowed to poison the well.
Most developers ultimately want their work to be useful and be used. We have had great success achieving this goal using Agile techniques and putting developers in contact with users (borrowing the role divide for a moment).
“Communication skills” doesn’t need to mean that you can deliver a speech or a PPT - just get the people-building-something together frequently and casually with the people-who-will-be-using-something, and usually things work out for the best.
Anne
I consider myself a user of technology not a techie.
When I look at new software or tools in general, I assess if it can be useful to me, If I can understand how it works, If it add anything to what is already there or improves on existing solutions.
The first website for my concierge business was designed by a ’specialist’. It took forever and I had no control over it.
I ended up severing my ties and redoing it myself using Contribute.
I will consider working with someone else in the future but with someone who can translate my ideas-concepts into a design I like. After the ’shell’ is created, I will take care of the content.
This is why I like the ‘blog’ platforms as they offer more flexible solutions.
Have a nice holiday
Serge
Biz:
http://www.njconcierges.com
Blog:
http://www.sergetheconcierge.com
“it keeps people who don