Comments on: Four Pillars: More on enterprise standards http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/06/20/four-pillars-more-on-enterprise-standards/ a blog about information Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:37:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dominic Sayers http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/06/20/four-pillars-more-on-enterprise-standards/comment-page-1/#comment-1328 Dominic Sayers Wed, 21 Jun 2006 10:02:19 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/06/20/four-pillars-more-on-enterprise-standards/#comment-1328 Mediaeval cathedrals have survived in surprisingly good condition into the 21st century. A few have burned down but I know of none that have collapsed without intervention or neglect. They were built by professional masons who provided their own tools and were trusted once they had mastered their skill. The master mason would coordinate the work, but he did not force them to use tools he supplied nor to submit their design for that flying buttress to the bishop for prior approval. We seem to have lost some of the lessons of history. Mediaeval cathedrals have survived in surprisingly good condition into the 21st century. A few have burned down but I know of none that have collapsed without intervention or neglect. They were built by professional masons who provided their own tools and were trusted once they had mastered their skill. The master mason would coordinate the work, but he did not force them to use tools he supplied nor to submit their design for that flying buttress to the bishop for prior approval.

We seem to have lost some of the lessons of history.

]]> By: Walter Underwood http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/06/20/four-pillars-more-on-enterprise-standards/comment-page-1/#comment-1277 Walter Underwood Tue, 20 Jun 2006 18:14:35 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/06/20/four-pillars-more-on-enterprise-standards/#comment-1277 Don't confuse standards with a single-sourcing decision. Deciding to build to Inernet Explorer is a single-source decision. You are completely reliant on Microsoft's upward compatability support. That used to be very good, but they have broken it seriously over the past few years. Choosing a standard is very different. XML and HTTP are standards. You can decide whether a product supports those standards. The cheapest approach is probalby to choose standards and preferred vendors, but not to lock out other vendors. If a Firefox user finds that your portal isn't legal HTML, then go ahead and fix it. It doesn't meet the standard. Don’t confuse standards with a single-sourcing decision. Deciding to build to Inernet Explorer is a single-source decision. You are completely reliant on Microsoft’s upward compatability support. That used to be very good, but they have broken it seriously over the past few years.

Choosing a standard is very different. XML and HTTP are standards. You can decide whether a product supports those standards.

The cheapest approach is probalby to choose standards and preferred vendors, but not to lock out other vendors. If a Firefox user finds that your portal isn’t legal HTML, then go ahead and fix it. It doesn’t meet the standard.

]]> By: James Dellow http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/06/20/four-pillars-more-on-enterprise-standards/comment-page-1/#comment-1232 James Dellow Tue, 20 Jun 2006 04:52:50 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/06/20/four-pillars-more-on-enterprise-standards/#comment-1232 Great follow up post. You're last two paragraphs are spot on. Also, re: employees bringing their own devices, I remember (ok, searched) for where I blogged this, also citing Gartner, around the same issue - http://chieftech.blogspot.com/2005/10/consumer-tech-seeping-into-corporate.html : According to Gartner there are five key reasons for keeping an eye on consumer technology: - Consumer technology impacts employees; - It can provide clear cost advantages over traditional corporate hardware and software; - Potential employees will know all about it; - Customers will already be using it; and - If you try to stop your employees using consumer technology for work, it will backfire. Great follow up post. You’re last two paragraphs are spot on. Also, re: employees bringing their own devices, I remember (ok, searched) for where I blogged this, also citing Gartner, around the same issue – http://chieftech.blogspot.com/2005/10/consumer-tech-seeping-into-corporate.html :

According to Gartner there are five key reasons for keeping an eye on consumer technology:

- Consumer technology impacts employees;
- It can provide clear cost advantages over traditional corporate hardware and software;
- Potential employees will know all about it;
- Customers will already be using it; and
- If you try to stop your employees using consumer technology for work, it will backfire.

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