Nope, my point is exactly the opposite. I agree with your basic premise that if your not at a certain level, you will have great difficultly providing accurate work in a given area.

I guess I didn't spell it out enough, but I've worked with many programmers thru the years that amaze me as to how they've reached the level they're at without an understanding of basic Accounting principles.

I defended my teacher to classmates because I had seen the results of programmers mucking up the works. At the time, I was working with people who could barely create mailing labels, let alone apply cash payments on account, create credit memos, etc.

Also, I think with the Internet, we are at a paradym shift in computers. You can see the results of these type of shifts when you look at the old guy in the corner, who is there because he's the only one who knows the mainframe system.

I think we'll see an IS shop with lots of folks running around passing SQL Server or some such data back and forth in various formats with tools such as VB, and they'll be 1 or 2 people in the corner maintaining the Monolithic Foxpro app.

PF


>So, is the point of your story is that while you may not be a domain expert in a particular area of business, you could still write applications for that business domain...???
>
>I would agree, but it still takes a domain expert to certify whether the programmer did a satisfactory job in meeting the requirements of the problem domain...
>
>
>>John,
>>
>>Time for me to bring up a story from my past. One that I think you'll find quite humorous.
>>
>>A long time ago, in galaxy far, far away....I had received my BS in Accounting from Albany St. (NY), yet wasn't too enamoured of the Accounting profession. I enjoyed my computer classes. But at the time, early 80s, at Albany and many other schools, they were pretty much thru the school of math. I moved to Colorado and found a college in Denver that offered computer classes thru the school of business. So I went back to get another BS, working as a computer operator at nite, while going to school during the day.
>>
>>One of the teachers at the college, Joe something or other, was a hard core cajun from Louisiana. He was pretty much laid back, but lost it one day. It was a class in Cobol, and he asked a question that was a basic question about Credits and Debits on the Balance Sheet. I knew the answer, from my Accounting days, but also from working with Accounting data.
>>
>>I didn't feel like answering that particular question, and no one else in the class knew the answer. He started ranting and raving that if you didn't know the basic difference between a Debit and Credit, you really shouldn't be in an advanced Cobol class.
>>
>>After class, I got into a heated discussion with some classmates. I firmly supported the teachers comments. Since I was now working in IS, I could see the results of someone trying to program without basic Accounting knowledge.
>>
>>Anyways, to the point. You may be ranting and raving a little too much on your points. But, I think you are opening up some wounds with some folk who refuse to get their heads out of the sand. There's a lot to learn out there. And you better be ready to expand you knowledgebase, or get lost quickly.
>>
>>PF
>>
>>>It is about 60 today. Wearing shorts and loving it...
>>>
>>>I thought it was interesting that Payette's or Nelson's name was not mentioned.
>>>
>>>It was an amusing post...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>A few points..
>>>>>
>>>>>1. It is Petersen, not Peterson..
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>You'd think if he wanted us booted, he'd at least get the names right!
>>>>
>>>>I didn't notice a misspelling in Walter's name, but I'm not the TE on this contribution.
>>>>
>>>>...and a fine spring morning we're having up here in CT...the sun is shining, crocuses are in bloom and the first fear-maddened onrush of villagers has just charged up towards the castle gates, looking to burn the monsters out. Pity the nametags don't match up right!
>>>>
>>>>How's the weather down in Paoli?