Raining on my parade

It's cleaning day at home, so I am at the library again researching the world of business.
The latest Computerworld (March 29) has an article about a $510M lawsuit that Cleveland State University is slapping on PeopleSoft. Wow. This sounds very familiar. The charge stems from 1997, when the University began their project to implement Student Admin, Financial Aid, etc. They charge that PeopleSoft's offerings were nothing but "vaporware" and that subsequent versions were "woefully deficient." They are also suing the implementation partner for other crimes and misdemeanors.

Hmmn. I recall being associated with a similar project at the Diploma Factory where I worked at that time. If they decide to sue PSoft, I hope I get a piece of the award. I deserve it because the deficiencies in the software used-up a shitload of my time, and caused me many sleepless afternoons. (Now that I think of it, I never got credit for all the great things I did there at the Diploma Factory. Another environment that failed to recognize my genius. Yet, the guy who insisted that we replace cheap, effective Outlook with expensive, memory hogging, woefully deficient Lotus Notes is still there, making more money than ever! Where's the justice?)

It just shows that the real problem with work life in America is that nobody gets fired for making bad decisions. Executives in government, universities, companies seem to be bulletproof. In Japan when the decision maker screws up, they expiate their shame by plunging a sharp knife into their own chest. You gotta respect that. Yet, most of the working stiffs at ground level work in the shadow of fear - of layoffs, demotions, pay cuts - and are told to be glad they have a job.

Speaking of genius, I got a thing in my email box the other day, that reported research on presidential IQ's. According to the list, Bill Clinton has an IQ over 180 and George W. Bush's IQ is slightly above room temperature (91). I know my liberal friends want to believe the verity of the story but in fact it is an April Fool's Day joke. It first appeared in 2001.

Another article in the above-mentioned Computerworld said the 8 out of 10 CEOs are ready to start spending big bucks on IT again. The author predicts a big demand in Business Intelligence skills in 2004. Great, where do I send my resume? Not so fast, Sparky, says today's Globe. The piece in the Business section declares that 40 % of the people working today are dissatisfied and want to move. Cripes, just what I need: more competition.

This never-ending rain is getting me down.