http://www.itskeptic.org/some-itsm-about-someone-elses-money-some-itsm-abou Comments for "Some IT is about someone else's money. Some IT is about keeping people alive. It's different. " en http://www.itskeptic.org/some-itsm-about-someone-elses-money-some-itsm-abou#comment-5404 <p>I spent my early career at New Scotland Yard and it certainly brings things home to you when you see your systems being used at the front end, though I could have done without the drunks throwing up over me in the back of police cars.</p> <p>What really brought things home to me though was hearing Paul Williams' brilliant lectures on the London Ambulance Service disaster, and realising how out of touch people were with the realities of delivering life or death services</p> Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:16:53 +0000 JamesFinister comment 5404 at http://www.itskeptic.org http://www.itskeptic.org/some-itsm-about-someone-elses-money-some-itsm-abou#comment-5403 <p>Hmmm that wasn't quite what I meant. Most of my experiences of the public service in three countries have been less than inspiring. Lethargic cardigan wearing desk jockeys would describe half of them, system-rorting political animals would cover others, whilst a minority keep the place functioning.</p> <p>Although they are indeed public bodies (in this country at least) I don't see a hospital or a law enforcer as "public service" though they do have lesser infestations of "civil servants" as above. On the contrary, the majority are up to their elbows in blood and crims. From what I hear the NHS is not exactly a shining example of that...?</p> Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:56:00 +0000 skeptic comment 5403 at http://www.itskeptic.org http://www.itskeptic.org/some-itsm-about-someone-elses-money-some-itsm-abou#comment-5398 <p>Yes, it is different! I worked in IT in the National Health Service here in Britain for a couple of years, and I really valued that sense of working with people who were motivated by a sense of public service, that they were doing some good in the world, rather than money. Of course there are downsides - the beauracracy, the time-servers, but working with that 'public service' ethos is very inspiring.</p> Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:18:49 +0000 KJ Fowler comment 5398 at http://www.itskeptic.org