| Grand Magus |
| DanQnA |
This article is cast in the world of finance-jobs, but it is much more applicable.
Thought I would pass it on:
I like his empirical data and unquestionable research...no wait, he doesn't have any! At least his references were unquestionable...um, hang on, oh yeah none of those either. Well at least Captain Obvious agrees with him!
Charlie Bell
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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I like his empirical data and unquestionable research...no wait, he doesn't have any! At least his references were unquestionable...um, hang on, oh yeah none of those either. Well at least Captain Obvious agrees with him!
Dude, it's an op-ed type piece, not a peer-reviewed academic journal article. Sometimes people post opinions on the Internet.
| DanQnA |
Dude, it's an op-ed type piece, not a peer-reviewed academic journal article. Sometimes people post opinions on the Internet.
Yeah, you're right. I got the impression from the website that it was an investors source of information and so had academic standards but I'm willing to accept I was wrong. It might not have helped that I'm an accountant and have seen and worked for CEO's of companies that fit well on his list of "Finance Failures".
| Grand Magus |
I'm not sure I'd want to work in a field where Excel proficiency is apparently more important than having the foggiest idea what you're actually doing. If that makes me a "nerd/doormat," so be it.
I found the inclusion the category Excel proficiency very interesting. We live in a world in which being able "to do computations" is becoming a required skill set.
In the world of finance, the main app for this is Excel, so in this context it makes sense to me the author singled that app out above all others. And I have seen first hand how low excel skills makes the task at hand so much harder for the person trying to do the work.
My point is, I think the author is trying to capture the concept of 'computational skill' and calling it Excel proficiency because he does not know what else to call it.
Everybody should take an algorithms class, even Business Majors.
Quite frankly, something as straight forward as typing formulas into cells is a practical application of Algebra. Yep, from High School. The people who did not quite figure Algebra out in High School are going to have even worse times in the future.
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These days the "thing" that does the computations is called a computational agent. sigh... whatever happened to the word computer.
There is now a real science of "Computational Thinking". Here is a quote from its progenitor:
Computational Thinking is the thought processes involved in formulating problems and their solutions so that the solutions are represented in a form that can be effectively carried out by an information-processing agent."
Cuny, Snyder, Wing
> Jennette Wing's View Point <
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Getting back to the 7 Failures, if I have to work with somebody who can not use excel dexterously and efficiently, I have them transferred.
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Charlie Bell
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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For the military, it isn't Excel, it's Powerpoint. If you're an officer, you had better be able to do Powerpoint (except at LTC and above, at which point you have minions to do it for you). Same if you're a staff NCO E6 or above. I get real irritated when I have somebody that should know better sending me jacked up slides that I have to fix or else me, my boss, and his boss all look jacked up in front of a full bird colonel or general officer.
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny
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For the military, it isn't Excel, it's Powerpoint. If you're an officer, you had better be able to do Powerpoint (except at LTC and above, at which point you have minions to do it for you). Same if you're a staff NCO E6 or above. I get real irritated when I have somebody that should know better sending me jacked up slides that I have to fix or else me, my boss, and his boss all look jacked up in front of a full bird colonel or general officer.
I've heard this a lot from people in the military, usually attached to the term "Power Point Ranger."
Charlie Bell
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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Charlie Bell wrote:For the military, it isn't Excel, it's Powerpoint. If you're an officer, you had better be able to do Powerpoint (except at LTC and above, at which point you have minions to do it for you). Same if you're a staff NCO E6 or above. I get real irritated when I have somebody that should know better sending me jacked up slides that I have to fix or else me, my boss, and his boss all look jacked up in front of a full bird colonel or general officer.I've heard this a lot from people in the military, usually attached to the term "Power Point Ranger."
We all hate it, but we all have to do it. Although GEN Dempsey, the new Army Chief of Staff, has said that he hates Powerpoint. Who knows? Maybe organizational change will trickle down.
| Curious |
When I had to do my class presentation at WLC, I opened with 'I have not qualified on the Powerpoint weapon system, so I hope I will not kill too many of you with my presentation.' :)
Did it look something like this:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/08/u-s-officer-in-afghanistan-mows-dow n-powerpoint-rangers/?intcid=postnav
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny
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TriOmegaZero wrote:When I had to do my class presentation at WLC, I opened with 'I have not qualified on the Powerpoint weapon system, so I hope I will not kill too many of you with my presentation.' :)Did it look something like this:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/08/u-s-officer-in-afghanistan-mows-dow n-powerpoint-rangers/?intcid=postnav
| Bitter Thorn |
TriOmegaZero wrote:When I had to do my class presentation at WLC, I opened with 'I have not qualified on the Powerpoint weapon system, so I hope I will not kill too many of you with my presentation.' :)Did it look something like this:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/08/u-s-officer-in-afghanistan-mows-dow n-powerpoint-rangers/?intcid=postnav
Sweet!
David Fryer
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For the military, it isn't Excel, it's Powerpoint. If you're an officer, you had better be able to do Powerpoint (except at LTC and above, at which point you have minions to do it for you). Same if you're a staff NCO E6 or above. I get real irritated when I have somebody that should know better sending me jacked up slides that I have to fix or else me, my boss, and his boss all look jacked up in front of a full bird colonel or general officer.
Power Point is also an essential skill among educators, to the point that at least at the college I attended there are classes in how to make a power point as part of the educational curriculum. And while it is not a mandatory skill yet, I have sat on many a jury in mock trial since getting to law school and we always end up being subjected to some sort of power point the reduce either the defense's claim, the prosecution's claim, or both, to easily remembered bullet points. Some people in the legal profession are concerned about the CSI effect, I am worried about the power point effect.
GeraintElberion
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Charlie Bell wrote:For the military, it isn't Excel, it's Powerpoint. If you're an officer, you had better be able to do Powerpoint (except at LTC and above, at which point you have minions to do it for you). Same if you're a staff NCO E6 or above. I get real irritated when I have somebody that should know better sending me jacked up slides that I have to fix or else me, my boss, and his boss all look jacked up in front of a full bird colonel or general officer.Power Point is also an essential skill among educators, to the point that at least at the college I attended there are classes in how to make a power point as part of the educational curriculum. And while it is not a mandatory skill yet, I have sat on many a jury in mock trial since getting to law school and we always end up being subjected to some sort of power point the reduce either the defense's claim, the prosecution's claim, or both, to easily remembered bullet points. Some people in the legal profession are concerned about the CSI effect, I am worried about the power point effect.
Powerpoints are really handy for teachers, Save space on the board for improvised/student work and make sure that the kid who didn't hear that last instruction because he zoned out for a few seconds can check on the board and then get on with his work. Also good for exploring lots of different writing styles without piles of paper.
It also helps with teaching the same lesson next year (go over the slides to refresh your memory and then start tweaking things for the new students).
Aubrey the Malformed
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Charlie Bell wrote:Dude, it's an op-ed type piece, not a peer-reviewed academic journal article. Sometimes people post opinions on the Internet.Yeah, you're right. I got the impression from the website that it was an investors source of information and so had academic standards but I'm willing to accept I was wrong. It might not have helped that I'm an accountant and have seen and worked for CEO's of companies that fit well on his list of "Finance Failures".
Quite - the article was largely garbage. While some of the things were reasonably true (though also bloody obvious: don't procastinate if you want work to get done on time - well, that's kind of the definition of procrastination) I know lots of people (including myself) who have traits like these who are perfectly successful in finance.
Anyway, if the guy had any imagination, the article would be called The Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective People.