Are we our "Brother's Keeper"? 5

[BJCooperIT]

There is a thread in the Oracle forums:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1127556&page=1

in which the poster asks a how-to question. The design of the poster's system was called into question (and rightfully so) by one of the MVPs. The poster then responded that he was stuck with it because "thats apparently the way the powers that be want it". The MVP declined help due to faulty design, but I did show the poster a simple how-to.

As a consultant, I have been in the position of having to make something work even though the system was poorly designed or badly coded. I also try to offer analysis on the problem. Sometimes the analysis is appreciated, sometimes it is not. Often the resolution is financially/politically motivated and there is no alternative other than to patch it up as best as possible and walk away.

After voicing concerns, is it our responsibility to withhold technical advice if we feel that the poster is going astray?

[sup]Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.[/sup][sup] ~George Bernard Shaw[/sup]
Consultant Developer/Analyst Oracle, Forms, Reports & PL/SQL (Windows)
Author and Sole Proprietor of: Emu Products Plus

 

[CajunCenturion]

==> If a car were driving down the road with flames shooting out from under the car, would you attempt to stop the car,

The thing missing from that analogy is that we don't always see, or are given, the whole picture. Granted this is extreme, but it could be that the car is testing a new fire extinguishing system.

It is a fine line between providing what the OP actually asks for, and what we think the OP should do. If we were only in the OP's shoes ...

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[BJCooperIT]

I think this goes back to the idea about whether to give a hungry man a fish thus satisfying his needs of the moment *OR* do you teach a hungry man to fish so that he is never hungry again. My way of thinking says both. You feed him now and try to give him the skills to put food on the table forever.

I would, again, like to make this clear:
This thread was in no way a criticism of SantaMufasa's actions. After I read his post, I felt as though I might have provided the OP with the means to keep bad design afloat. I instantly felt guilty which is why I asked the question here.

[sup]Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.[/sup][sup] ~George Bernard Shaw[/sup]
Consultant Developer/Analyst Oracle, Forms, Reports & PL/SQL (Windows)
Author and Sole Proprietor of: Emu Products Plus

 

[ChrisHunt]

Hmmm.... Well I think it often happens like this:

The poster has an object to achieve, and comes up with a strategy to acheive it. The stratgey comprises a number of steps, a number of which the poster has been able to do, but (s)he has run into problems in the last one. Enter Tek-Tips stage left.

What the poster asks for is "how do I make this next step?", but what the expert can see is that the strategy is flawed in some way (there are better ways to do it/it's going to lead to other problems/it's not going to work/etc.) I think it's right to point that out, and to answer the question the poster should have asked as well as (sometimes instead of) the question they should have asked.

Sometimes the strategy can't be changed - if a database has been badly designed, for example, the poster might not have the power to change it. Working within unreasonable restraints is something we all have to put up with from time to time in our professional lives. Sometimes there are unposted reasons that make an apparenlty misguided strategy make sense. I wouldn't set my face against answering their question as asked.

In my work life, if told to do something stupid by a boss or customer, I'd be failing in my professional duty if I didn't tell them it was stupid (albeit more diplomatically!). If, having heard those concerns, they want to go ahead regardless, I'll do it. They're paying the bill, and if they want to pay for stupidity, so be it.

It's the same with (some types of) stupid questions on TT. So long as you've told them their strategy is not the best, and what a better one would be, your ethical duty's done. Then you can (if you want) answer the question they asked.

-- Chris Hunt
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