Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
anger through tone, although the words may be polite and neutral. The
difficulty is to how to deal with it. To take an example, if a specification
is being discussed, the customer's body language should not matter much.
Many technical persons assume that, after all, if there is a concern about
any aspect of the specification, it will be pointed out directly. That is not
always so. The point to note is that software development is as much a
techno-political or techno-economic activity as any other, and not all
messages are explicitly spelled out. It would be foolhardy not to pay
attention to nonverbal communication. This is obviously most important
in demos and walk-throughs.
Words versus Diagrams
Diagrams are better at representing the essence of systems and programs.
Software is primarily logic and flow. Both can be well represented through
diagrams. This makes diagrammatic representation highly suitable for
software. However, a good description of a system in words still has
considerable value. What can be better expressed in words than in
diagrams? Although diagrams up-level, isolate, and draw out the essentials
very effectively, there is a certain clarifying power in well-chosen words.
Analysis, prethinking, and details need words. A design that finally gets
selected is actually one of various other design options and threads of
thought that the designer created, but rejected. These discussions and
thoughts can be better addressed in a written document.
Communication Tools
The Map Is Not the Territory
It is not surprising that many professions have tried to evolve a vocabulary
and set of conventions to communicate effectively. Engineering drawings,
E-R (entity-relationship) diagrams, flowcharts, and other methods of rep-
resentation provide tools for communication. Such solutions try to address,
invariably, representation of content. Many of these representational tech-
niques are pictorial or diagrammatic. The content can, at times, be incor-
rect: one can draw a flowchart that has the wrong logic or does not take
care of many conditions. The technique or tool may not be sufficient to
reflect the various angles and viewpoints required for proper understand-
ing. We have to keep reminding ourselves of the military dictum: the map
is not the territory.
