Re: [Linux-aus] Utter tripe in CIO magazine

["Kristy A. Bennett" <kristy@kristy.id.au>]

Stepping out of the marketing machine....

Hey everyone, sorry I am late in on this topic but I am known for having 
a lot to say and it is certainly easier to just let others say some of 
it for me :)  I agree with the albatross analogy BTW

Granted, I think that it is worth a formal response from LA.  However, I 
don't think it is worth taking so seriously that there are 13 responses 
in less than 24 hours (in marketing speak that would equate to another 
338 unhappy people also).  Lets get some context:

   "He has held sales and marketing positions with companies such as
   NCR, Sigma Data and Unisys and has been involved with leading edge
   technologies such as open systems, office automation, parallel
   processing, imaging and workflow management."[0, 1]

Think glorified Business Analyst (apologies to anyone offended by 
this).  I personally studied and applied office automation and work flow 
management as part of Certificate IV in First Line Management years ago 
so no offense but I don't see it as a bragging point (or at least hadn't 
considered it till now).

In addition to this it doesn't say in his spiel that he was in 
management or IT for any of the lists businesses (NCR, Sigma Data & 
Unisys). He was actually in sales and marketing so in terms of *real* 
experience of being a CIO he has none.[2] 

His nearest experience is in a *facilitation* role for the InTEP 
management forum which is just that - a forum.  Ironically, he doesn't 
even do that anymore.  It is a place where management from different 
businesses bang their heads together until they resolve nagging issues 
for their companies.

   "Members include senior IT executives from organsations across
   Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) and New Zealand (Auckland and
   Wellington) thus under local business, economic, fiscal and
   infrastructure conditions. Therefore an experience relating to IT
   costs, benefits, skills and technology useage can be meaningfully
   compared between member organisations."[3]

So really his article is really a gap filler and easily replaced with 
something else.  So, I suggest if you or someone you know plays an 
advisory role to a/several CIO(s) or better still currently are a CIO 
then consider this a  prod to approach the magazine an article of your 
own.  (Anything about successful Linux roll outs, either front or back 
of house, would probably be welcomed). 

From a marketing stance sometimes it is easier to drown the competition 
than actually fight it (or waste time bagging it).  Think of this 
article as a renewed VB ad - the beer still tastes like crap but the 
renewed ads drowned out the ones put on by the competition so all you 
need to do is make a better beer ad so to speak.  (Yeah, mouse and the 
mousetrap).

From a marketing perspective if I put my employer hat on < 
employer-hat="on"> I wouldn't touch him as he has sold his soul to 
Saxton </employer-hat>.

--
[0] http://www.idc.com.au/analysts/detail.asp?analyst_id=phind
[1]http://www.saxton.com.au/default.asp?sd8=2279
[2]http://www.acs.org.au/nsw/meetings/200006.pdf
[3]http://www.idc.com.au/intep/default.asp

Just my POV

KrisB
 *****
Another Linux Hacker Production Unit
http://www.kristy.id.au
      *****