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Code of Ethics |
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Databases (warehouses and datamarts) and specialized applications (financial, ERP and others) are essential in todays enterprises and computer specialists like Programmers will always remain the most suited to insure the effectiveness of these systems. Programmers play three different roles in the information environment. A first group of Programmers (machine/machine) often work in a closed environment (C++, Java and other specialized languages), they develop procedures that talk to other procedures within the MACHINE. The user is not a real concern to them and it is normal. A second group of Programmers (user/machine) have to create modules that collect information from a human being and organize the input so that the machine understands it. These Programmers work for the machine and the machine is the top priority. Still, interfaces have to be designed to minimize human errors and render the human part of the transaction as friendly as possible because unhappy human beings make more mistakes, involuntarily or voluntarily. There used to be a third group of Programmers (machine/user) who had to create reports to extract data from the machine and organize them so that a human being could USE them. These Programmers worked for the USERS and the USERS had to be their top priority. To do this job, the Programmer had be a good listener, had to be service oriented and had to possess a good understanding of the data and of the intuitive patterns of the users. With the event of today's powerful PCs, of the networks and the improvement of desk top applications like Excel and its programming language (VBA) users have started to develop their own reports. But users don't necessarily have the time for development or they don't master Excel enough to develop powerful applications. So a new breed of professional is appearing on the market, the Excel-VBA Developers. They work downstream from all databases and ERP systems. They are Accountants, Financial Analysts, specialists in Manufacturing, MRP or HR, they are Engineers and they assist colleagues developing simple and complex applications to analyze data and generate reports to feed the decision making processes. The Excel-VBA Developer often have to empower the users so that they develop the expertise to maintain the reports, to modify them and even to create some other reports by themselves. For the Excel-VBA Developer, sharing his expertise also insures that the planning process of these future projects is optimal, it insures that the users know the power of Excel-VBA. One of the important role of the Excel-VBA Developer is to create knowledge pools. Needless to say that an Excel-VBA Developer must have a Code of Ethics. But first and foremost, an Excel-VBA Developer MUST master Excel and its functions. Without the knowledge of SUMPRODUCT and INDEX/MATCH formulas, the Excel-VBA Developer will spend a lot of time and money programming in VBA trying to re-invent the wheel. Here is the Code of Ethics that I have developed over the years. Good luck. |
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Article 1 : |
The well informed user is always right. |
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Article 2 : |
If the user is not well informed, I haven't done my job. |
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Article 3 : |
My applications answer to the needs of the users. |
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Article 4 : |
I don't do "miracles" and I know when to say "no". |
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Article 5 : |
I haven't been hired to prove that I am smart but to be useful. |
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Article 6 : |
My applications allow the user to master the computer, not the other way around. |
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Article 7 : |
If the user feels stupid or thinks that I am a "God" there is something very wrong going on. |
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Article 8 : |
What I do, the user could do if he had the time and the training. |
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Article 9 : |
My applications are public and I have no secrets. |
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Article 10 : |
When I leave, the user who is interested can maintain or modify my applications, he is EMPOWERED. |
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