Cautionary Tales of Technological Slip-ups - Part Five
Ahmed Al Zarooni - Al Roeya UAE newspaper https://www.alroeya.com/article/2141927
A warning against failing to hire programmers in the organization
In Part Four we talked about the diversity of the vital specializations of information technology management, and that each specialization has a field different from the others that cannot be mixed. A dentist is not the one to perform spinal surgery, and likewise, no one anywhere in the technology department should be assigned the task of programming applications and managing the organization's software, bearing in mind that most organizations do not care about hiring programmers and wait until the mirage turns into water. The presence of a programmer or a programming team, let alone a full department of programmers depending on the size of the organization, is like quenching the thirst of the earth so that it sprouts crops and yields its fruit. With the proper use of programmers, you can advance the organization to advanced levels, innovate new connected services, and develop useful and beneficial capabilities. Do not be deceived by the availability of software in the market or from companies, for nothing scratches your skin like your own nail. Among the innovations of programmers, they transformed entities that were utterly desolate into entities providing interconnected electronic services that complement one another, and reaching such stages can only be achieved by hiring programmers, directing them, supporting them with work plans and the organization's strategy and ambitions, opening the way for them to innovate and continuously develop, providing courses in new languages and methods of programming and development, and reinforcing the team with designers from time to time to add aesthetic touches to programs and applications.
A warning against launching complex programs with many requirements
Software, applications, and websites were created to make people's affairs easier and to reduce or eliminate their need to visit organizations, which spares organizations pressure and crowds of visitors. The more complex programs and applications become, the less they are relied upon. There are examples of applications you would never wish to return to using, due to poor design and endless requirements and complexities. Some isolate themselves and stand apart from other organizations, refusing to join comprehensive applications that serve cities and everyone, and refusing to open the way for companies and individuals who wish to create dedicated service applications that spare organizations the investment and follow-up, especially if they are limited in human, technical, or financial resources. Among the major mistakes is finding applications that require entering a huge amount of data and attaching documents and papers for a simple transaction such as a renewal or an inquiry about a simple matter. Poor design and the lack of interconnected services is an extremely bad thing and reveals weakness in the management of the entity, because it is considered a façade for the entity and its management. Electronic services require using every means to make them automated, to fetch data on their own automatically, and that the procedures within them do not exceed 3 steps with the fewest possible inputs, especially after the launch of the UAEpass service.
A warning against leaving a phone or laptop in closed cars in hot weather
Smartphones, laptops, and other devices have their batteries damaged in hot weather above 45 degrees, and this may be permanent damage that shortens the battery's life or leads to malfunction or other dire consequences. Therefore, it is essential not to leave them in cars or under direct sunlight.
A warning against installing old home ceiling speakers
Some homeowners like to install speakers in rooms for one reason or another, and this is considered an old pattern that has had its day. Today, smart assistant devices such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa fulfill this role, and intelligently and with higher value. For example, with Google Home devices you can install them in rooms, and they come in several shapes and designs, some with a screen and some without. The latter you can place in the rooms of domestic helpers, calling them using any other device you have. You can also create a group among these devices and play any clip from YouTube or elsewhere on all of them at once with better sound, along with very many other uses, with more than 101 commands for these devices, starting from the weather, knowing the time and date, to recording appointments, reminders, communication, instant translation into the helpers' language or any other language, solving problems, knowing prayer times, viewing the home cameras and the smart external doorbell, and very much more.
A warning against wearing Bluetooth headsets unnecessarily
There is no doubt that Bluetooth headsets emit a thousand times less radiation than the phone, because the distance they have to cover usually does not exceed 10 meters, whereas the phone needs several kilometers to reach the nearest transmitting/receiving antenna. Therefore it is preferable to use a hands-free pattern whenever the opportunity arises, rather than using the phone for long periods against the ear and head. Likewise, although Bluetooth headsets are better than using the phone directly, they should not be worn like earrings all the time, nor should the volume ever be raised; it should be kept moderate or lower, only when needed and during use. Wired headsets are still better than them, and it is best to use the external speaker pattern for the phone or car. This does not mean there is a grave danger in all of this, for the studies are many and the results vary, but attention and caution are obligatory as much as possible, and what we have mentioned falls under preferred practices.
Previous parts
Cautionary Tales of Technological Slip-ups - Part Four
Cautionary Tales of Technological Slip-ups - Part Three
Cautionary Tales of Technological Slip-ups - Part Two
Cautionary Tales of Technological Slip-ups - Part One
