Re: [Caml-list] OCaml for Industry

[skaller <skaller@users.sourceforge.net>]

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On Tue, 2005-08-09 at 13:18 +1000, Erik de Castro Lopo wrote:
> skaller wrote:
> 
> > The question is .. why did you ask management?
> 
> I didn't really ask. It came up in conversation and I suggested
> Ocaml which was immediately shot down.
> 
> > This should be your decision not theirs. They're paying you because
> > YOU are the expert in software development.
> 
> I agree, but he pays my salary and if wants to make those decisions
> thats his call.

Well for me that would be an ethical problem leading to
my resignation. 

I mean, if someone says "Write a function
to calculate this in C" its disappointing that they
want to waste their money and some of my time --
I'd be looking for a better job, but its their money.

But if they say "We need to solve this problem" and then
they say "And you have to use these tools" .. I'm out
the door because they're simultaneously asking you
to take responsibility -- and then denying the freedom
of choice that is required to actually be responsible.

I've worked with technically aware bosses, but generally
its a discussion leading to a reasonable division of
responsibility -- eg I can say "Ocaml has these advantages
and disadvantages" and the boss can say "Well, this could
be pretty serious for us" and it is his job to weight
technical factors in a business context. 

But it is mine, exclusively, to make the final technical decision 
about how to achieve the outcome required. I have hardly ever
written C/C++ code by hand in the last 2 decades: invariably
I write a code generator to help meet requirements effectively.
Hehe .. some people got suspicious in one job at the perfectly
formatted code i was producing  .. :)

-- 
John Skaller <skaller at users dot sourceforge dot net>


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