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Question: Don't programmers know how to modify systems !?
If I wish to modify say a robot land mine detector, there might be 14 steps!.(if I'm unfamiliar with the technology there may be many many more steps)
The point is that correct change is achievable!.
I need to mod the mine detector software!.
I need to mod the test system
I need to mod the simulation of the mine detector software!.
I need to mod the simulation of the test system!.
I need to run the various systems and test systems!.
There seems to be a belief that such skills can be learnt on the job!.
But doesn't the programmer already know how to do the job!.
Isn't on-the-job training simply "lowest common denominator" training, allowing the least capable person to seize control of the organization!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
You need both!.
You need training certificated and you need training on the job, because what you learn in the textbooks and on the equipment used to train may not be exactly the same as that you trained on!. There may be slight differences in equipment/software between that trained on and that expected to use!. You cannot know everything unless you are an expert!. You will have various degrees of expertise depending on your experience!. Then that experience needs to be kept abreast of upkeeps!.
When you say 'lowest common denominator' you mean monkeys being paid peanuts!. But that's what many organisations do!.
And it's got to be said that most of these people do the job 100%!.
Just as some training doctors decide to specialise, some to be GP's and others step out and become surgeons!. But which one of them would you hope to take out your appendix if it burst!.!.!.!.!.!.the specialist in ear, nose and throat!? Sorry, didn't mean to answer with a question!.
Mine detector software on a tank I presume, a sweeper of some sort!.
No idea how to modify all of that, sorry, good luck!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
i don't know what you're getting at!.
programmers know how to program!.
technically all skills can be learnt on the job, but for some jobs there is so much to learn that it is to expensive for the company to teach you on the job!. so you gotta pay somebody somewhere else to teach you enough so a company would hire you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
You have several questions!. Let's deal with them separately!.
When a programmer is given the job of modifying a system they are supplied with a design information!. The information typically is two documents, a systems design document and a technical document!. The team lead working with the business partner may write the systems design document and the programmer may have the job of writing the technical document, which describes what modules will be changed and how testing is to be carried out once the code is modified!.
Skills certainly can be learned on the job, as On-the-Job-Training (OJT)!. It is not unusual for a programmer to have to learn a new language on their own to program in!. It is not unusual to be giving a new system to work on that is totally alien to the programmer and they have to become familiar with it quickly!.
So, no the programmer doesn't always know how to do the job when they are given an assignment!.
Your conclusion that the OJT is LCD is incorrect and it certainly would never allow the lowest LCD to "seize control" of the organization, whatever you meant by that!. And the professional attitudes of your co-workers would never allow you to even attempt it!. You would be out on your ear before you could say C++!.
The reasons are that all programming has to go through a peer group review of the code, sometimes line by line, looking for potential bugs, sloppy coding, and suggestions for how to better write the code!. This is called a walk-through!. Any attempt to insert secret code that would allow deception or fraud would be caught at this step!.
But the QA (quality assurance) is a step that follows the programming and unit testing during systems testing, where all the system is tested to see if the new or modified modules are working properly would also check to see if anything is wrong with the behavior of the system!.
There are also other ways to detect problems of any type!.
Your example of modifying a robot land mine detector is not realistic as it doesn't include live testing with real land mines!. Simulations are useful but don't complete testing!.Www@QuestionHome@Com