> -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Rick Fochtman > Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 11:09 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Just another example of mainframe costs. > /snip/ > I used to keep "System Message" and "System Codes" in large three-ring > binders on my desk. I also made sure that other groups had multiple > copies of both manual sets in their areas for reference. When a > programmer came to me the first time with a message, we'd look it up > together. The second time he came to me with the same message, I'd hand > him the binder; the third time I dropped it on his feet. Not "at", but > "ON" his feet. My point was that he should at least look it up and make > some attempt at understanding what it meant. If the message wasn't > understood after looking it up, then I'd work with him/her. But they had > to at least make the attempt. Is that an unreasonable approach? Some of > the organizations I've worked with have gone so far as to establish a > "HelpDesk", manned by Systems people in rotation, just to deal with > these types of issues. For some shops, it's worked out well; for others, > it was a dismal failure. YMMV. /snip/
In a past life, I was stuck on the help desk, and every programmer knew where it was. Everytime they brought me a steaming hot dump fresh off the printer and plopped it on my desk, I picked it up and handed it back to them. I explained, "I don't see any pencil marks on this dump and no attempt by you to figure out what happened to YOUR program. Until I see a serious effort on your part, don't expect me or any other help desk person to assist you on debugging YOUR program." Then I point them at the appropriate manuals, messages, codes, etc. and wish them the best of luck. A few complaints tried to work up the political food chain, but they were always quashed when the salient points of the dispute were explained. It's not the responsibility of help desk personnel to debug the programs of the application programmers. Glad those days are long gone...sigh. Jeffrey D. Smith Principal Product Architect Farsight Systems Corporation 700 KEN PRATT BLVD. #204-159 LONGMONT, CO 80501-6452 303-774-9381 direct 303-484-6170 FAX http://www.farsight-systems.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
