by Dwayne Phillips Regardless of what Excel tells us, significant digits (remember that?) tells us otherwise. Recall something called significant digits from high school math? Consider calculating something with two numbers. One number has two digits while the other number has three digits. The answer can only have two digits. For example, 23 x 123 […]
Significant Digits: Another Forgotten Fundamental
June 9th, 2016 · No Comments
Tags: Analysis · Clarity · Computing · Estimation · General Systems Thinking
The Folly of Stack Programming and Developing
April 7th, 2016 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips When you rely upon things from other people, you are sometimes greatly disappointed. This holds for programming computers. Are you a “full-stack developer?” Do you argue about what a full-stack developer is? Have you been asked, “Given this problem, what stack would you use?” Sigh. Since the pre-historic times of computer programming, […]
Tags: Analysis · Programming · Risk · Systems
Systems Analysis or “How’s Your Analytical Skills?”
December 28th, 2015 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Questioned if I noticed little patterns in the data, I asked back about little tools. Several decades ago, I interviewed for a job in some sort of computer center that processed some sort of data. The descriptions were intentionally vague because the person speaking to me felt that it was all too […]
Tags: Analysis · Communication · General Systems Thinking · Systems
Systems Analysis or “What’s the Problem Here?”
December 17th, 2015 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Systems analysis is merely a few basic skills in what a person notices. From time to time I analyze systems. I analyze all types of systems, and most of those systems are usually not recognized as systems. I suppose I have a broad idea of what comprises a system. A fundamental skill […]
Tags: Analysis · General Systems Thinking · Systems