Lost in the Details

I think that getting lost in the details is one of the easiest things for people in the IT industry to do.

There's so many strange and weird technical implementations out there. If everyone used off-the-shelf technology and configurations, then a lot of us technical professionals would be out of a job. Implementing technology is an art form, really. Each individual - be it an analyst, a programmer, a designer or even a project manager is going to leave their unique signature on an implementation.

The good artists make themselves timeless. They provide open documentation, transparent implementations, and a paper trail of explanation.

The bad artists "get it to work" and then jump on to the next thing. They leave a tangled mess held together by essentially rusting metal and hamster wheels.

I prefer to think of my line of work as a professional puzzle solver. Not all puzzles are business process related. Sometimes, they're peer related, and involve a forensics case of trying to understand the mind and methods of those who have preceded me. It's never bad - it just takes time, and sometimes, inspires me to think differently.