The first snowfall of this winter in Ipswich landed as expected today. As I stepped out office today (yes, we were working though it is a Saturday), I noticed with pleasure the signs of snow - a whitened bed of lawn, glistening with the recently melted drops of water. The orange glow of the street lights added to the beauty of the scene, while the barren trees, laden with a thin layer of ice, completed my mental picture of the onset of winter in these latitudes. Yes, I suppose the English will probably have a White Christmas, though it's still early days.
Well, the "other things" that I'd like to talk about in this post are concerning, not surprisingly, human nature; more specifically, the sort of human nature that sees slovenliness as something that's less than disagreeable. What sort of person likes to leave used cups and dishes lying all around the house? Which category of IT professional sees nothing wrong in producing programs that are not only not in keeping with widely accepted good principles, but are also riddled with errors? Why do people settle for quick and dirty solutions when a few more minutes of reflection would readily lead them on to products that are closer to perfection? I suppose answers to these questions are difficult to arrive at, but I shall at least make an attempt.
The person who thinks nothing of keeping a sloppy house is probably of the opinion that it's quite all right to do so, even if he is sharing the house with a few others. Such a person is less likely to be considerate of others' wishes in this regard. He thinks - and maybe hopes - that those others would clean up after him. and if the others are sticklers for cleanliness, he would probably be right too. Convenient!
The IT professional who thinks it's beneath him to spend a few more minutes perfecting a program that he's been charged with writing, is usually the same one who does many things with a lack of thoroughness. He's more concerned about finishing his work than about finishing it right. More often than not, you wouldn't dare to dream of trusting him to turn out well-written code, and would probably insist on getting it reviewed it a couple of times, assuming you don't belong in the same category yourself! And I daresay you'll find a few major bugs waiting to creep up on you too.
What is it that people lack which fails to impel them towards doing something in a less than perfect manner? Shouldn't they at least make an attempt to improve their work? What failing in their nature is responsible for sabotaging the general human endeavour towards betterment? Is that attribute of human nature that has helped mankind make massive strides towards its material improvement no longer prized? Is it no longer important to take pride in your work, and consider your job as something that merely pays the bills? I don't know...
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