[thelist] Discussing XHTML and ROI with your "boss"

Tom Dell'Aringa pixelmech at yahoo.com
Fri Aug 16 11:10:01 CDT 2002


--- { schaapy } <list01 at theparagon.org> wrote:

> My first question is what type of company is this and how big is
> it? This
> would play a big role on what type of argument a person would
> create.

Yes, true. I work for a startup, about 100 employees. Its definitely
a corporate feel type place. Lots of people with lots of prior
experience and the like, and we have big money backers who expect
results.

That's why, just like you say below - I can't just saunter in there
and say, hey - I'm the front end guy who knows this stuff, this is
the way to go so we are going this way. Like you said, I'll get
handed my walking papers.

Everything that is done here has to be justified in some way, I
imagine many of you deal with the same thing. I'm not saying I have
to check with my boss everytime I'm doing something - I'm saying I
have to have good reasons for doing things, because when an issue or
a bug comes up and somebody asks you why you are doing something such
and such a way - you better have a good answer!

> My other question is for Frank? What is the size of your company?
> If you
> aren't in a big corporate setting with over 200-500 people you'll
> probably
> have a much different perspective on things.
>
> I used to work for smaller firms as well as ALOT of freelance (haha
> still do
> freelance) and thought like you - once I came over to the corporate
> side
> things change and cocky, little programmers that liked to act like
> everyone
> should know what the best thing is - gets thrown out the window.
>
>
> Anyway - I'm also working on this same problem. My boss however
> wants to use
> the newest and best technology but still needs me to create a damn
> good
> argument for doing so. I need to get things done - not learn and
> play around
> with new toys.
>
> One thing I look at is how things are usually done in the past and
> how
> things filter down from what our government is doing. Right now the
> government is requiring their sites to be accessible to people with
> disabilities. I see that filtering down into the common everyday
> business in
> the next 5 years. (probably less)
>
> HTML isn't able to support these type of requests - at least not
> very well.

I agree, this is one of the better arguments. I like the analogy.
Especially if the company wants to work with government contracts,
which we do.

Interesting, I asked this very question at the last big meeting we
had, and apparently we are already in some government contracts. (The
software I work on is essentially facilities management.) Now,
neither our nor our competitors software is compliant. But my boss
made the point that the government understands to a point that it
takes time for change like this to occur so they bend quite a bit
right now when it comes to this.

But I imagine the bending will only last so long before either the
government or lobbyists really start making it an issue.


> My argument along with that would be the same as someone wanting to
> install
> a handicap ramp or bathroom. They can't really debate on if they
> want to do
> that or not. However, they can debate the issue of a websites
> compatibly  -
> for now at least.
>
> I would try to bring these up and let them know that it doesn't
> need to be
> done right now but what you would hate to see if something almost
> like Y2K -
> where something comes about and then millions of dollars are spent
> to change
> this problem all at once. Where as if it was discussed about before
> - you
> could have started working on things and then been ready for when
> it came
> about.

Yeah, thats a good one too, the Y2K thing..not heard anyone mention
that before.

> Another advantage of that is your company will now be ready while
> your
> competition is scrambling around. At that time you'll be able to
> work harder
> on selling potential clients your products while other companies
> have to
> split their focus.

So your saying it could be a competitive advantage at some point. I
can see that as a possibility - every little edge counts.

Tom

=====
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http://www.pixelmech.com/
http://www.maccaws.com/
[Making A Commercial Case for Adopting Web Standards]

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