Re: my supervisor won't let me make my website in .net

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Nick,

I used probably to much words.

If he can get it, that he will be called a *WebDeveloper* instead of a
*WebDesigner*, than he is probably closer to his goal.

If he is *the* WebDeveloper, than nobody can tell him (or it should be a
webdeveloper as well) what should be the tools he wants to use. It would be
the same as telling a carpenter that he is not allowed to use a hammer.

That was the meaning of my message. It did obviously not show up between the
lines.

:-)

Cor

"Nick Malik [Microsoft]" <nickmalik@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> schreef in bericht
news:CsOdnfc4tPCHSorZnZ2dnUVZ_vmdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hello again, Cor. I hope that you are having a nice springtime.

I agree that there is a fairly sizable difference between a web designer
and a web developer. Stubbie noted that the government agency that he
works for already uses .Net, so they have no issue with a web "developer"
using the tool.

Yet, his supervisor asks him to stop. Stubbie says, "My supervisor states
that since I am just a web designer that I cannot include .net programming
to make the website." Ask yourself why? What obstacle does Stubbie need
to overcome? What shared goals does he and his supervisor share? Do they
both want a useful site? Do they both want the same features? Who gets
to decide what the features of the site should be? These are important
questions.

If Stubbie starts with the shared goals of the entire team, he can
illustrate that his position is really very close to that of his
supervisor. He can also show how the support of the CEO will not cause his
supervisor to lose face.

At the end of the day, an issue like this is usually either one of
"control" or "money." Either the supervisor wants to control him, and he
doesn't want to be controlled (problem a) or the supervisor fears that
Stubbie is doing something that will cost money (problem b). My response
goes after problem (b). If the problem is really (a), then Stubbie needs
to find another job.

However, I disagree with the notion: "Than nobody can in my opinion state
anything against him to use Net than personal preference."
My experience with politics leads me to respond a bit more delicately.
Supervisors can say anything they want without a good reason. There is
always a reason... it is not always a good one. The person who asks
Stubbie not to use .Net has a reason. It would be foolish to simply state
"I'm right" without first stating "He is not wrong, and more information
can show that we are both right."

At the end of the day, the boss is right. Even when he is wrong.
--
--- Nick Malik [Microsoft]
MCSD, CFPS, Certified Scrummaster
http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmalik

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this forum are my own, and not
representative of my employer.
I do not answer questions on behalf of my employer. I'm just a
programmer helping programmers.
--
"Cor Ligthert [MVP]" <notmyfirstname@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23RsFitASGHA.5736@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nick,

As mostly we don't disagree, however.

There is in my opinion a difference between a webdesigner and a
webdeveloper.

I am by instance not such a well webdesigner. I try it however I am
seldom satisfied, I know to few of using the right colours, fonts etc in
the right way.

Therefore as stubbie says he is a designer, he can be a lousy
webdeveloper. Than it is better to use a real designer tool as Macro
Media have or even better work together with a webdeveloper.

If he has the opinion that he is a webdeveloper, however. Than nobody can
in my opinion state anything against him to use Net than personal
preference.

This is of course an indirect answer to Stubbie, however adding it to
yours made it me easier to explain what I mean, because the rest is
written by you.

Just my thought,

Cor


"Nick Malik [Microsoft]" <nickmalik@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> schreef in
bericht news:cKKdna-rDcMQUYrZnZ2dnUVZ_tWdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hello 'stubbsie'

"stubbsie" <stubbsie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:B5DF3BA3-8A67-419E-85F9-171EC62095D9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,
I have redesigned our official public government website in .net and it
has
taken me a few months to redo. I have been the sole designer of the
website
from its humble beginnning a few years ago when no one wanted to even
mess
with it. Since then I have been steadily maintaining it and improving
it. I
am about halfway done, and all of a sudden my supervisor won't let me
make
the website in .net. Our programmers use .net to make web applications,
and
there are no policies or limitations in what language we choose. All
our
servers are microsoft, and our corporate network is all with microsoft
windows users. I have newly redesigned website already working as a
test site
on our public web server. My supervisor states that since I am just a
web
designer that I cannot include .net programming to make the website. I
have
taken 3 official microsoft asp.net and vb.net programming classes, of
which I
learned to make my site dynamic with some asp.net technology. The
classes are
freely provided with a work contract, to improve our work skills and
productivity. I use visual studio.net and dreamweaver mostly with
designing
the site, and I have incorporated a bit of ajax in it for a couple of
pages.
What main points can I provide in my defense? I have a meeting tomorrow
with
the CEO, and need to provide information.
My redesigned site is very nice, and I am working on making the pages
as
accessible as possible, to try to conform to WAI guidelines, which is
of my
choosing, since I believe the website needs to be. It is a local
government
website.
I am deeply hurt that I have been told I cannot use .net. I feel it is
a
personal assault against me. Is there any defense? Like discrimination
or
something? Like I stated before, there was no indication, nor any
policy
against, how I am to design the website.


After doing this kind of stuff (coding, that is) for over 25 years, I've
noticed that more bad decisions are made because of personality
conflicts or politics than any other single source. That may be your
supervisor's decision to stop you from deploying in a technology he
doesn't like, or your decision to use .Net without first clearing it
with your supervisor. It is hard for me to tell who is playing the
"right" game and who is playing the "wrong" one.

I disagree, respectfully, with Clinton's advice. Do not go in simply
explaining how you took training and no one told you that it was wrong
to write code in .Net. That will ignore the elephant in the room...
that your supervisor has the right to tell you what to do. For some
reason, he (or she?) believes that he has a good reason for telling you
to stop. You (and everyone above you) has to recognize that your
supervisor may have a good point.

You will get nowhere until you recognize the obstacles in your path and
overcome them. Perhaps your supervisor has an honest reason for
believing that the introduction of .Net technology in your application
would be wrong. Address it. Is he afraid that, were you to leave, that
he would have to pay for a highly paid "Senior Web Developer" to fix it,
whereas you have a lesser (cheaper) title? It's a valid concern. If
that is the case, what is your recourse?

Well, you can point out that the web app that you have written makes
only elementary use of .Net capabilities, such that an expensive
programmer would not be needed to maintain it. You can point out that
Microsoft has been working for years to make it easy for non-geeks to
write small amounts of useful code, and that maintaining the app would
not require geeks, but rather normal people. You can point out that, in
fact, only a web designer would be qualified to modify your site because
of the keen and well-placed graphical (macromedia) and usability
elements you've inserted. You can point out that the training that the
local government has invested in you is not wildly expensive, and that,
therefore, the cost of replacing you is no more than the cost that the
local government would ordinarily spend on building and maintaining the
skills of any web developer.

In other words, do NOT show off how you've written code. Show off how
you've designed a web site that happens to use code in small and
necessary ways to do useful things. You are, after all, a web designer.
The site you created is no more and no less than the excellence that
YOUR SUPERVISOR has instilled in you and the rest of his team. (Always
flatter the person you are trying to prove wrong).

Tell your supervisor's boss what a great job he has done in providing
you with the educational support that is needed for the position. Point
out that any web designer would need these skills and that many web
designers have them. Point out that your supervisor has simply brought
out the behavior that your local government requires to get their job
done.

Point out that deploying the site with .Net will not increase the costs
to the organization, and is the best way to meet the needs because it is
so easy to find web designers, both internally and externally, that are
familiar with the Microsoft .Net platform (as opposed to doing things in
popular languages that may require skills not typically found in your
organization, like Perl, TCL, or Java).

Then ask for the support of your CEO. Say, literally, "I am seeking
your support to continue to perform my duties in the excellent manner
that my supervisor has enabled and empowered me."

The end of every sales pitch is to ask for the sale. Don't forget to
ask. "I seek your support" is sufficient. Do not ask for a technical
decision. Do not ask for retribution against anyone, especially your
supervisor.

Remember, if he loses face in front of your CEO, you will lose
eventually, even if you win tomorrow.

--
--- Nick Malik [Microsoft]
MCSD, CFPS, Certified Scrummaster
http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmalik

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this forum are my own, and not
representative of my employer.
I do not answer questions on behalf of my employer. I'm just a
programmer helping programmers.
--








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