Who Needs a Cadillac?
-
The symbol of a luxurious American car used to be a Cadillac. When you could afford one and wanted the best, you'd buy one of those. I only mention that because the title of the editorial probably doesn't make sense to many people that are much younger than I or haven't grown up with US culture.
I was reading in Baseline about some lessons learned with regards to corporations' IT staffs. In this case, Chesapeake Energy is part of a case study and explains a little about their compliance with Sarbannes-Oxley using internal systems and resources instead of spending big dollars with outside consultants as many companies have done.
The quote for the title comes from their CTO who was explaining that people tend to over-engineer and over-analyzer and sometimes you just need to make a decision and move fast. And keep things simple. I know that has worked well for me and the simpler and quicker I can make something happen, the better the results.
Even if I sometimes have to go back and redo part of it later as things change.
One of the interesting things mentioned in the article, which I rarely see, was a reference to SQL Server. Most of the time non-Microsoft sponsored items focus on some *nix based systems. Apparently in this case, in looking to build process controls, Access was used by auditors and then once things were set, the applications were translated to SQL Server.
And this from a company that has 150 terabytes of data to manage!! Very cool for SQL Server to be featured here. Especially with 4 other companies in later profiles, including Amazon.com!
The best part of the case studies might be the quotes from Amazon.com on their project management strategy. They are a huge organization with many, many projects, but they handle them all with small technology teams. The teams are limited by the two-pizza rule. What's that?
(from the article) "teams working on a given project typically can be fed by no more than two pizzas"
Steve Jones
-
I didn't read it, but I could venture a guess that any team requiring more than two pizzas to feed for any given meal is too large. That sounds about right, as my experience is 5-6 man efforts are the max size for efficiency.
However, in my case, the two pizza rule would only cover me and one other.
-
Were those large pizzas?
But again there is the school of thought that if you pay $6.00/hour you get six dollars of effort / skill / quality per hour.
The example of that energy company making a huge profit during a time of soaring prices, is a little weak.
I guess its easy say your making great strides when your product is in high demand (artificially some have suggested, Enron, and etc are being brought infront of congress soon).
I wish i had the time to prototype twice before going into production.
They make it sound like SQL Server is some kind of mammoth expense, i do not see developing cost that high with that software in mind.
I personally would have used visio to show the business logic and some table lists in word or excel, then built the tables, asp(or aspx if the overhead didn't bother you), dts the back ups and finish off with the extended stored procedures. Then I would have expected steak, 'well done' if you don't mind.
Save the pizza for kids.
-
I still don't understand the Cadillac reference. Is he referring to a company that used to have a reputation for putting out luxury cars and now just put out hideous junk for wannabe rappers and clueless upper class? Or is he making reference to a company that can do whatever it wants cause profits are high?
Live to Throw
Throw to Live
Will Summers -
Well done!?!?!!
Might as well eat charcoal.
Slap it on the rear and singe it with a brand on the way through the kitchen, please.
-
Nevermind. I read the 'lessons learned' link. Cadillacs are still junk built for the clueless consumer.
Live to Throw
Throw to Live
Will Summers -
I like caddies btw. Will sounds like he turns them down on a regular basis.
Well were PASS up here, in Canada, maybe I would be able to show you a good steak.
And the 'well done' was supposed to a be a play on words.
-
I have just heard nothing but bad things from friends who have owned them. I won't own anything but Japanese from now on. I have a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder that I drive like all hell and it runs great. It has over 111,000 miles on it and still strong! If I drove a Cadillac the same way it would be in a junkyard right now!
(I'm not a fan of american automobiles, if you haven't guessed. I've owned several and they have all been in the shop more than on the road, it seemed)
Live to Throw
Throw to Live
Will Summers -
Used to be a German car guy, I've owned a couple VWs, a Mercedes, and now a Porsche 914. Still want a Thing and am looking
But we have had quite a few Dodge's in between some Jap cars and I like the Dodges. They're like me. Simple, ergonomic, not lots of luxury or frills, but they get the job done and they have run very well.
-
I have not owned any of the 'new' dodges. My sister has a durango and really likes it. It seems nice, but there are things in it that don't make sense. There's no handle for the driver to get up in the vehicle, the GPS doesn't have touch screen, the rear DVD player is too far back for the 2nd row of seats to view the screen comfortablly. Just little things that you wouldn't see wrong in a japanese car.
I am biased, so I may just be looking for things wrong. It is a very nice vehicle. I'll wait on my decision till they put over 50,000 on the vehicle. I do really like the new chargers and actually like the station wagon that they have like the charger.
I've owned German(928 Porshce), American(pontiac, ford, chevy), British(MG, Triumph) and Japanese(300zx, Pathfinder). Japanese is BY FAR the best vehicle that I have owned.
Live to Throw
Throw to Live
Will Summers
Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply