Well Hell imagine That...There IS a reason

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JustMe

THI IS why I have often wondered WHY MVPs are asking a question as to WHY
someone wants or needs to do someting a certian way. Sometomes ther IS a
reason. MVPs Please don't assume no one knows why they need to do someting a
certian way. Sometimes it better just answering the question ask in the
first place.


---<Answer from person asking Orig question>-----

Well it is because some of the fields I am using is to be
transferred to an old inventory system - and this system
only accepts upper case.... and somehow I just found it
easie just to have it in upper case so I dont have to
worry about converting before transfering data
 
JustMe,

If a person asks a question which leads me to suspect that they are
doing something based on some sort of misapprehension, I feel it would
be irresponsible of me to answer the question without checking that they
are on the right track.
 
JustMe said:
THI IS why I have often wondered WHY MVPs are asking a question as to WHY
someone wants or needs to do someting a certian way. Sometomes ther IS a
reason. MVPs Please don't assume no one knows why they need to do someting a
certian way. Sometimes it better just answering the question ask in the
first place.
Click to expand...

And immediately impune the considerable knowledge and experience of the MVPs that selflessly donate their
considerable knowledge and experience to the benefit of others not so self centered as "JustMe".

Your sig speaks volumes...
 
Well now, remember that in Access there are often many ways to skin a cat.
Especially if you are new to it, there may be very useful and elegant
solutions to what you are trying to do.

If a person who is very experienced and creative with Access solutions asks
you why you want to do something, they may have a good reason. They may have
already invented the wheel many times over, and possibly could save you time
and complexity.

GC
 
Yes, Point taken. But there are times when the MVP will Not answer the
question after implying the person asking knows nothing anyway.
I have seen this happen time and again.
 
I would suggest doing your best to state your questions clearly, and answer
their questions as clearly as you can, and with manners. Try not to be too
sensitive and assume that a comment or question is invalidating you.

If they can't understand your questions or explanations, they may skip to
people who's questions they can understand.

You see many posts where the person can barely spell, or possibly write in
english, their questions are hard to understand, yet there are MVPs and
others doing their best to clarify and answer the questions.

GC
 
THI IS why I have often wondered WHY MVPs are asking a question as to WHY
someone wants or needs to do someting a certian way. Sometomes ther IS a
reason. MVPs Please don't assume no one knows why they need to do someting a
certian way. Sometimes it better just answering the question ask in the
first place.
Click to expand...

A huge proportion of questioners have not explained their actual need. They
explain what they THINK the solution to their need should be - but they
can't get that solution to work!

A fundamental skill of answering questions in any field of expertise, is to
distinguish those two cases. When an experienced answerer asks the
questioner for more information, that is what (s)he is trying to do.

For example, say someone asks: "How can I create a new table to hold all my
duplicate records?". Would you really respond with information on how to
create a new table? Or would you realize that the concept of a "duplicate
record" is a warning flag in any relational database, so you should ask him
for more information about what he is actually trying to do?

TC

(snip)
 
If I, as a newbe ask a Q to someone I hope knows more than me, which is the
reason to wy I ask at all, I´ll try to get them as much information as I
think they need. But since I´m new to this (farly anyway) I don´t always
give them the information they need to be able to help me out. And that´s
something I have to live with and accept.

So if they ask me a Q instead of giving me some answere that I would have
hoped for I might suspect that I have missed some ifnormation which is
neccesary. OR I´m asking a Q which is, in there eyes suspect.

I´m sure that no one is asking Q just for fun or to make you/me feel bad.
But instead it´s for trying to help me/you out the best way!

My 2 cents!

// Niklas
 
JustMe said:
Yes, Point taken. But there are times when the MVP will Not answer the
question after implying the person asking knows nothing anyway.
I have seen this happen time and again.
Click to expand...

The above is possible...however, more often then not the reason is one of
having some integrity,and trying to provide a good answer.

You can go to the doctor and ask for some pain killers. The doctor can:

Give you some pain killers
or
Ask, or ascertain why you have some pain (in this case you stepped on a
nail..and the rusty nail is still in your foot).

So, if you get pain killers..you will go home happy...but likely a day later
you either die, or your foot will have to be cut off. The end result is that
you will think that the doctor is HORRIBLE, and is not really a doctor..but
a butcher, or a stupid paper writing prescription hack that NEVER should be
been involved in the medical professions.


The same goes us highly trained and skilled professionals that answer
questions. They very well know that giving a solution to a simple problem is
OFTEN MUCH worse then finding out the cause of the problem. This whole
issues and processes of discovering the problem and offering a solution is
a is what we call a professional.

Lets take the example the of Uppercase and export to that accounting
package:
and somehow I just found it
Click to expand...
easie just to have it in upper case so I dont have to
worry about converting before transfering data

That means any time a developer designs, or makes a new form, he will either

a) make sure the users KNOW to always enter data in upper case (my
gosh..so easy to make a mistake, and WAY TOO much training for each user
that will enter data)

b) Every new form, or piece of code that allows data to be modified, or
relies you to work with that data will mean that some code, or the control
box will need code/formatting to force the text to upper case. That means
all forms, code etc. MAY have to be modified.

c) The existing data in the system will have to be modified, this means
a large amount of processing must be done on the EXISTING DATA, and the
EXISTING data will have to be modified. Further, a large en-masse data
modifying is VERY dangerous..and if you make a mistake...you will be going
back to the pervious backup. So, this is a dangerous operation.

Why in the world would someone re-write code, modify forms to make input
upper case, and also have to ensure that future development of forms always
conforms to upper case, and also have to run a risk involved update to
modify the existing data?

Virtually ALL of the above problems, cost of coding etc can be ELIMINATED by
simply using a query for the export of data with a ucase() command on those
fields that you need. In other words...make a simple query that converts
those 3, or 4 fields to upper case in a query..and then export on that
query. This is very simple..and will same cost, time, reduce the possibly of
damage to data, and is a far cheaper solution.

The end result of this advice is:

No exiting data must be changed
No forms, or re-training of users to input data in upper case is needed.
Users will not have to know, or worry about if a field data is in upper
case, or lower case.

In fact, I sure I could extend the above list..but don't you think it is
totally dishonest of a consultant to give the wrong advice that will result
in large amounts of consulting dollars being spent? If someone gave the
advice that for a simple export that needs a few fields formatted as upper
case to starting modifying code, forms, and even run updates to existing
data...that to me is close to grounds for dismissal, or at leat a re-fund of
any dollars spent to archive this goal.

So, it is bad if a doctor simple gives out pain killers without regards to
the problem at hand, and any good consultant in the IT industry will also
not give out solutions blindly at the expense of the clients good fortune.

This whole issue is really one of professional conduct....

So, when you ask me for a solution...I am most certainly going to find out
why you need that solution....because with my professional experience I am
likely to give a much better solution. In fact, my professional reputation
could not stay in-tact if I did not take this approach. I would suggest that
any endeavour you happen to take on in life..that you adopt the same high
ideals and try to do the best possible job IN THE INTEREST of the
client..and not you own gain..or the quick and easy way out.
 
In this case the MVP did in fact answer that a query could
be used to accomplish what was apparently needed, with no
need to modify existing data. If the person asking the
question knew enough to realize that converting existing
data into uppercase is unusual, he or she would have
specified that there was a good reason for needing to do
so. The absence of such a disclaimer points clearly to
the need for some basic advice. If free information is
not to your liking, you always have the option of paying
for it. But even a paid consultant can't be expected to
simply follow your course without question, any more than
an ethical carpenter would build a house or even a
staircase according to a plan that cannot work. In my
days as a contractor I sometimes refused jobs because the
person trying to hire me specified a method of work that
could not succeed. A few jobs like that and my reputation
would have been shot. Same for database consultants. But
if you look long enough, you will eventually find somebody
to take your money.
 
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