Re: Philosophy: the Aim of Technical Comms?

[DAVID IBBETSON <ibbetson -at- IDIRECT -dot- COM>]

Chuck Blessing writes:
>Giving users just what they want rather than what they really need is a common
>trap that software development falls into when writing requirements. The
>argument for this is that "we are customer oriented." Requirements then become
>the verbatim requests of the customer.

In the dim and distant days when I was technical sales support I would
frequently write something like: "The RFQ asks for THIS, but the prospect
clearly needs THAT". Our sales staff would carefully prepare a lowish tender
for THIS, clearly specifying what was covered. When we got the contract the
difference between THIS and THAT would generate a profitable bill for extras.
David Ibbetson,    ibbetson -at- idirect -dot- com

"until the necessity of the poor and the debauchery of the rich may be
equally courted, with money for rewarding their good deeds and a halter to
recompense their bad ones, I am your very affectionate friend"
   superscription to a letter by Samuel Pepys.
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