"Don Y" wrote in message

Aye, there's the rub. I kinda of disagree. Clients don't know the
capabilities of computers so they really can't spec out what they want
with
a true understanding of what can be done.

They don't *have* to know what the capabilities of computers or any
other technology happen to be. They can *buy* that knowledge (in the
form of a consultant).

You've just flipped the problem, not solved it. The likelihood that you or
most any other programmer is a subject matter expert in their field is not
very high. If you don't know their business intimately - as well as they
do - how can *you* determine what's best for them?

Systems analysis - make that *successful* systems analysis - is a highly
collaborative effort where the clients and their expertise meet with a
information professional well-versed with IT and what it can do. The
clients would NEVER be talking to an end programmer at the analysis stage
unless its a very small project.

By now a lot of companies big and small have learned what it means to depend
upon a lone star programmer who disappears. (See my post about WordStar.)
That often happens just because the HW moves on and the best system in the
world for Win2000 might not even load in another environment. People so
burned usually *don't* let it happen again.

--
Bobby G.