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Over recent years there has developed a bewildering variety of new high-tech products. Their extensive ultra-modern capabilities and relatively small size are really quite amazing. Things like compact disks, pocket computer games, fancy video recorders with special effects and fully automatic cameras. And computer systems are no exception.
Just for starters, things like: Pentium MMX processors, EISA and PCI bus architectures, cache, zero wait-state, interleaving factor, VGA, SVGA, PostScript, 200MHz, RS-232C, LAN, routers, WAN, Internet, WWW and multitasking. What about the endless list of software product names that appears in computer magazine advertisements? What on earth do they all do, and how do we pick one for our own use?
All these things hint at some of the tell-tale signs of The "RITS!" - the Rampant Information Technology Syndrome ! It sounds a bit funny, and it would be if it wasn't so serious!
This web page is a brief extract from the text of "Merlin's Techno-Guide", where the "RITS!" is more fully explained. (It is updated frequently, and printed in very small batch runs. The copy that you buy is very up-to-date.)
There are fifteen "RITS!" symptoms described below under four major headings. These headings, and the fifteen symptoms are summarised as:
The basis of the material here was first written in 1989, and is updated to mid/late-90s relevance. If anything it is now even more relevant and prevalent than before!
The "RITS!" is to do with information technology which itself refers to the use of computers to gather,
classify, store, retrieve, manipulate and evaluate information.
This Rampant Information Technology Syndrome is literally the problems resulting from the rampant development of
information technology. Or if you like:
If you think you are afraid or concerned because you don't understand a lot about information technology and you can not keep up with all of the developments, then don't be afraid! just join the queue with all the rest of us.
Having decided that it's time to get some computer equipment there are several things to watch out for, especially when searching for the right equipment to do the right job. The following material is not a definitive guide to choosing equipment, but highlights some of the pitfalls.
In order to buy the best possible equipment available, then wait until tomorrow! Today's equipment will be updated by then. Today's equipment probably will not be out of date tomorrow, but simply updated tomorrow with some improvements.
In order to remain competitive some manufacturers of computer hardware and/or software sometimes initiate rumours, or make public announcements of new products that are currently on the drawing board. Sometimes these products are either late in getting to the market, or they never appear at all. These products are known as vapourware.
There are many different products available that are all quite similar. So many, in fact, that there is probably a lot more than just one product that will almost completely suit anybody's specific requirements.
If you only want to drive around town then why buy a turbocharged, high performance racing car, or a luxury four-wheel drive complete with heavy-duty tow bar, bull bar and winch?
In some industries there are established standards that can be relied upon. In the information technology industry, however, there are some de facto standards, there are some established standards and there are some instances where there are several so-called standards.
Having purchased or leased some equipment there are still many more pitfalls to watch out for. If the implementation and initial training is not carried out well then the foundations that are being built on may be very unstable.
Just handing a person a scalpel does not automatically and instantly make them a good surgeon. If investing money in equipment then it is important to make sure that the users are taught what it can do, all that it is capable of, and how to use it!
Computers are basically a tool to help do a job quicker, better and smarter. They can't be expected to do your thinking for you. They actually rely on unambiguous instructions from people.
If anyone thinks that they are getting a raw deal from their equipment supplier, then they shouldn't get upset about it, because they are probably not the only one. Whilst there are many good suppliers of equipment, there are also some terrible ones.
Having successfully implemented some computer equipment does not mean that the hard work is all over. Some people would argue that the hard work has just begun. There are still many pitfalls to watch out for, and only some of them are mentioned here.
Giving someone some paint, brushes, an easel and some art training will not automatically make them a good artist. So when implementing computer equipment it is important to not overestimate the inherent skills and abilities of the people involved.
Now that computers are here it is very easy to get carried away with minor adjustments to the wording in a document, the appearance of a graph or graphics image, the layout of a drawing or the details of a spreadsheet.
For many years, in fact as long as computer systems have been around, many programmers and analysts have always tried to avoid writing documentation. Some form of documentation is needed to help the user learn how to drive a system or program and to help someone else make changes to it later. But documenting is often considered a chore.
Unfortunately, for many people it is a struggle to acquire a computer system and successfully implement it. The system is often intended for a particular use, and that is what it does. The user gains some experience with the system and becomes competent in using it.
Whether it was a marathon effort or not, many people who have successfully implemented a computer system do
feel a degree of satisfaction and achievement. Many of them are then happy to become comfortable with using the
system that they have, rather than continually strive to improve it.
However, that is not the end of it because after a time there is on-going pressure to upgrade the system to something
better - either the hardware or the software.
There are basically two ways that catastrophic failure can strike a computer system, and they can both be guarded
against. Unfortunately, many people don't adequately guard against them until the failure occurs the first time.
For some people it is not too late to learn at this stage, but for others there is no possible way of recovering
and they have learnt their lesson the hard way.
The first basic failure is a loss of stored data.
The second basic failure is a physical loss of part or all of the computer system.
Provided the backups have been diligently performed, and a recent backup copy of the software and data is stored
off-site, then the system can be readily restored to a recent condition.
There are a number of pitfalls awaiting the unwary. Be cautious, ask questions, and try to understand some things about technology, and you might be able to avoid many of them. If in doubt, then try to find a reliable source of advice and assistance.
By being aware of The "RITS!" and its symptoms, you will be better placed to avoid the traps and pitfalls of Information Technology.
The "RITS!" is more fully explained in "Merlin's Techno-Guide". (It is updated frequently, and printed in very small batch runs. The copy that you buy is very up-to-date.)
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