loving the alien.....

A response, by me, to an internal e-mail questioning why some group of people I'd never heard off weren't able to use some software I'd developed.
My responses are in bold.


Shaun and I have wasted a substantial amount of time answering several queries from Fuel Group during the last few weeks unnecessarily. I won't bother you with the details, but essentially, the cause is down to Fuel Group refering to an outdated version of the publications.

OK.

We were required some time ago to update a Data Sheet with essential aircraft operator information. This we did, in January, at publications Issue 20, but we have had to deflect >a barrage of queries from Fuel Group who had insisted that the update was still not on the publications software.

Insisted incorrectly. Apparently they are unable to recognise the words 'July 2003'.

We have only just determined that they are using an outdated version, not just recently outdated, but Issue 14.

OK. Not sure why that bit is in bold, but OK.

I supplied a list of Aircrew Publication users to the Automated Data Processing Group when the Aircrew Publication content was added to the publications suite.

No, you actually supplied it to our Software Installation Team, via the ADP group.

I have attached the Aircrew Publications Distribution List here again, so that a check can be made that the internal departments listed are indeed receiving the automatic updates via the server every month.

Interesting. And why would I be checking this? Shall I check that they've brushed their teeth as well, and done their homework?

I can only assume that the copy Fuel Group are using is from a version loaded by CD, and not by use of the automatic system via the server.

Agreed.

It begs the question, why were recipients who received early copies of the publications by CD, not advised that these would be made redundant with the automatic remote updating system.

No, it begs the question: Why wasn't "Which version of the publications are you looking at?" the first question you asked the Fuel Group?
Perhaps recipients of the CD were advised that their copies would become redundant, but true to form of luddites everywhere they ignored this advice and assumed it would update itself using The Force.

I guess we need now to establish that all named recipients on the Aircrew Pubs list are indeed receiving the latest updates automatically, and also that they inform anyone in their respective departments who are using CD loaded versions, to destroy them.

I try not to guess, I find it so unreliable. Instead I have taken the remarkable leap of assuming that senior engineers are capable of reading the front page of a publications suite and making sure that their publications are up to date.
As an aside, I advise you to at least try to understand how a server-side vs client-side installation works before criticising the ADP group and it's methods, and infering personal criticism of the way in which I have managed the distribution of the information.

I also notice that despite the fact that the only people doing anything wrong during the entire exercise you described was in fact the Fuel Group, you have neglected to actually copy this to them. As expected.

Yours, in disappointment,