Meatware: Difference between revisions

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{{a|tech|}}Those mortal flesh sacks sitting in front of the telescreen, weeping bitter tears and wishing things could be otherwise.
{{a|tech|}}Those mortal flesh sacks sitting in front of the telescreen, weeping bitter tears and wishing things could be otherwise. In the disparaging terminology of [[Tron]], a ''[[user]]''.


The last skirmishes of retreating [[substance]] in the face of the overwhelming firepower of [[form]].
The meatware is '''''us''''', as we desperately hold our ground in these last skirmishes of retreating [[substance]] in the face of the overwhelming firepower of [[form]].


''You'' and ''[[me]]'', brothers and sisters.
''You'' and ''[[me]]'', brothers and sisters.


The main problem with many [[Banner IT project|millenarian tech implementations]]. It's all great, in theory. But you have to deal with [[Lawyer|luddites]], [[management consultant|morons]], [[Sales|charlatans]] — and perfectly likeable, sensible people who are just used to working in a certain way, and quite like it. {{tag|Technology}} impresarios cannot control the meatware, believe it to be fundamentally flawed — {{br|Human, all too Human}}, after all, and therefore feel justified in ignoring the meatware altogether when manipulating their equations.
Which is the main problem with most [[Banner IT project|millenarian tech implementations]]. It's all great, in theory. But you have to deal with [[Lawyer|luddites]], [[management consultant|morons]], [[Sales|charlatans]] — and perfectly likeable, sensible people who are just used to working in a certain way, and quite like it. {{tag|Technology}} impresarios cannot control the meatware, believe it to be fundamentally flawed — {{br|Human, all too Human}}, after all, and therefore feel justified in ignoring the meatware altogether when manipulating their equations.


This is a tremendous mistake, for {{maxim|you can lead the meatware to the application, but you can’t make it populate the metadata}}.
This is a tremendous mistake, for {{maxim|you can lead the meatware to the application, but you can’t make it populate the metadata}}.


===On the difference between humans and machines===
===On the difference between humans and machines===
'''Role reversal''': A favourite confusing of millenarian punters and change managers is confusing the things machines do well (accurately and quickly following rules) with the things humans do well (figuring our what to do when something unexpected happens; making decisions; exercising judgment). It’s surprising how often risk management is conferred on a computer system, and the users are asked to simply enter formulaic data into it. If you don’t think your humans are up to good enough at making decisions or wise judgments, the answer isn't to buy a computer to do that for you. Computers will be worse. The answer is to hire better people.
'''Role reversal''': A favourite confusion of millennial punters and change managers is confusing ''things machines do well''  with ''things humans do well''.
*''Machines'' are good at accurately, quickly and cheaply doing what they are told. On the other hand, [[AI]] has no judgment, can exercise no discretion, and is useless when the instructions run out.
*''Humans'' are good at figuring out what to do when something unexpected happens; making decisions; exercising judgment. But  they — ''we'' — are ''lousy'' at doing repetitive tasks and following instructions.
 
But yet our [[management consultant]] overlords like to assign risk management to computers, and ask we [[user]]s are asked to simply enter formulaic data into it. If you don’t think your humans are up to good enough at making decisions or wise judgments, the answer isn’t to buy a computer to do that for you. ''Computers will be worse''. The answer is to hire better people.
:“Ahh, yes, but better people are more expensive, you see.”
:“Ahh, yes, but better people are more expensive, you see.”
:“But computers can’t figure out what do do when there are no rules.”  
:“But computers can’t figure out what do do when there are no rules.”