Totally agreed. IT is really a rough and tough job.

For intellectual property, I include the related links below.

http://www.ipd.gov.hk/eng/intellectual_property/study_aids/software_mgt/software_mgt_c.htm

http://www.ipd.gov.hk/eng/intellectual_property/study_aids/software_piracy_law/software_piracy_law_c.htm

http://www.ipd.gov.hk/eng/intellectual_property/study_aids/software_piracy_fact/software_piracy_fact_c.htm

How difficult? I show an example below to illustrate how difficult it is, and also this example is related to Bayesian probability for your calculation if you are interested in.

IT implemented a new system or performed a system modification due to business needs.

There will be 2 scenarios, 1st is implemented the system successfully in view of meeting the user requirements, project timeframe and budget, or another scenario is project failure including not fit to user requirement, overbudget, project delay. We simply put the probability for each scenario as 50%.

And also there will be another 2 scenarios for business using or not using the system, Business performed good and met the target or Business performed poorly due to not meeting the target or even suffering a loss. Again we simply put the probability of each scenario as 50%.

For good system and good business, Business users may have the responses of (1) appreciating IT's work or, (2) ignoring IT's work or, (3) complaining IT. For each response, the probability is 33% for simplicity.

For good system and bad business, Business users may have the responses of (1) ignoring IT's work or, (2) complaining IT. For each response, the probability is 50% for simplicity.

For bad system and good business, Business users may have the responses of (1) ignoring IT's work or, (2) complaining IT. For each response, the probability is 50% for simplicity.

For bad system and bad business, Business users may have the responses of (1) ignoring IT's work or, (2) complaining IT. For each response, the probability is 50% for simplicity.

Now the questions are:
What is the probability of IT's work being appreciated?
What is the probability of IT's work being ignored?
What is the probability of IT's work being blamed or complained?

See if the example can be more visible

[ 本帖最後由 有性格 於 2006-9-8 06:26 PM 編輯 ]

引用:

原帖由 rtsang88 於 2006-9-10 11:32 發表
I work for the IT dept in HK and then Canada.
I think if you are working in the PC and network area, it's pretty hard to catch up with the new technology.  You need to keep on upgrade your knowled ...

Technology keeps changing so fast that it is difficult not just for IT guys to catch up, but also for any companies, which invested hardware and software in previous years. For example, the speed of LAN is changed from 100Mb to Gigabit, and for WAN, the technology changed from T1 to Frame Relay and now Metro-Ethernet. If you want to upgrade, then you need to change and re-invest all the network equipment.

The same thing also applies for RS6000, the AIX of RS6000 changed from AIX4.3, to 5.1, to 5.2 and now 5.3 within these 6 years.

Besides I agree with you that users think we are 萬能, my additional opinion is that users think it is '老馮' for IT to do.

I always have a dream that there are pretty girls as my users in a lengthy process of user requirement collection and UAT. But the reality is always cruel.

Basically it is the reality.

For IT support, we usually need to support systems in 7x24 basis, particularly if the systems are running 24 hours per day, 7 day per week. Even we are not really working 7x24, we are still in standby mode.

For application system projects, we need to understand the needs from business users and develop or modify a system to support business users. That means simply IT knowledge is not adequate, but Business knowledge is also essential.

I think this phenomenon applies for not just IT, but also other industries since people are prone to remember the bad things no matter how many good things were done before.

太陽出來了, 好似雪人溶化了!!

Also sunrise since Information Technology becomes essentials of any business and even our lives today.

Working in IT field, we are suffering fierce competitions since there are over million IT guys in the market. There must be someone who can substitute us.

we are also suffering tons of pressure from technological advancement in the market which push us to learn more in order to maintain our competitiveness.

we are also confronting hard and rough times with users and Management who always demand and question but never appreciate.

But throughout this journey of IT, you would be trained up as a tough guy with tons of knowledge and skills in different aspects including technical and business knowledge, interpersonal skills.

Therefore, sunrise if we don't lose our confidence and do continue to improve ourselves.

IT had become an essential part of any business – just think that if the email server is down for 5 minutes, it would be the end of the world!

==> Agree!, but not just email, but also internet access


If it is that important, why your boss didn’t want to pay for that hardware upgrade? Or upgrade from the low end MS Mail to Exchange? Or any "mission critical" thing that you request before? Boss would say blah, blah, blah, we will do it in next FY la…

==> Because Bosses never want to face the reality of "IT=Money + Time + People"

IT is bad and a un-appreciate job.

==>IT is a job good for training of our EQ

Not really aware, but of coz I do not dare to say not possible.
If working in software development, then the possible path can be from system analyst to business analyst and then other positions, since business knowledge can be earned during user requirement collection process.
If working in hardware and network side, then it may not be easy to change to other businesses.
Another possible path can be to establish our own business in order to get rid of IT.