Re: Best idea of the week, make that year. Yeah, yeah, I know the year just started

Subject: Re: Best idea of the week, make that year. Yeah, yeah, I know the year just started
From: k k <turnleftatnowhere -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 08:47:16 -0800 (PST)


Yeesh. Apparently I messed up my post so the meat of
it didn't come through the first time. Let's see if I
can get it across this time...


> >
> > But that's exactly part of the UI designer's job:
> to
> > make sure users get the
> > information they need, when they need it. If the
> > business rules don't
> > currently accommmodate that, then change the
> > business rules.
> >
> > The thing is, it's so easy to defend bad
> practices.
> > "The file doens't have
> > that information." Well why the heck not? Far too
> >

First, I wanted to make clear that I am not "defending
bad practices." I was offering information about why
the situation is the way it is. If anyone will reread
my last post on this thread, I'm pretty sure it will
be easy to discern that I neither advocated nor
defended anything. I just said "this is why" and I
certainly did not say "this is the way I think it
should be."

As for the idea of changing the business rules that
cause the situation: it may be a good idea but it
cannot possibly be done by a UI designer. Any changes
to how the monthly statements are done would have to
be directed by some corporate executive. Any changes
to the data in the files that are exchanged between
processors, credit card companies and selling
companies would have to be coordinated between all of
them or nothing would work. (It may even require
coordination with the Federal Reserve and the banks.)
It would be pointless for the selling company to
include the name of its products in the data it sends
to the processor, if the processor does not pass that
data to the credit card company. It would be pointless
to include *any* data that the credit card company
just lets fall into the bit bucket and doesn't use in
any way. Making such changes would require widespread
changes in business practices, database management,
data interfaces, financial management procedures, and
CRM policies. These are not in the job description of
the UI designer or even within his realm of
possibility. I can't think of any company where a UI
designer could have a reasonable expectation that he
would be listened to if he sent the executives
messages about how they need to make such changes.

I agree that it would be nice if the monthly credit
card statements told people everything they want to
know. But it is not likely because making it happen
would be more trouble than it is worth to the
companies involved, and it could be done only at a
very high level. I hope this clarifies my meaning on
this thread. This is my assessment of the situation,
not a defense of it.

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Re: Best idea of the week, make that year. Yeah, yeah, I know the year just started: From: k k

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