in reply to OT: Getting people to use tools

In my experience people don't use time-saving tools like this because:
  1. They don't like them (e.g. the user interface)
  2. They don't trust them
  3. They don't like the tool writer, personally ("I wouldn't use anything Joe wrote")
  4. They feel that if they use the tool, they'll have more time to do more real work instead of mindless simple stuff.
A correlary to number 4 is job security: if you are so busy doing stuff (even stuff a tool could do), you must be very important to the success of the company.

It seems that number 4 might be an issue there. I have seen people resist CVS for reason 4...

HTH, --traveler

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Re: Re: OT: Getting people to use tools
by TrekNoid (Pilgrim) on Apr 30, 2003 at 21:48 UTC
    There is another possibility... One trap that I admit freely I fall into occasionally.

    It's the "I'm afraid I'll forget what I don't use" mentality.

    I know, intellectually, that there are lots of time-saving shortcuts out there, but I often reject using them out of some fear I might forget how to use the old-fashion, long way...

    Because one day, I'll be on some *other* Unix box that doesn't have the shortcuts installed, and I'll find myself looking like an idiot because I don't remember the address of a box I have to ssh to...

    If I *always* do it the long way, then if I'm on another box, I can count on being able to do it correctly there as well...

    I didn't say it was a *good* answer :)

    TrekNoid
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Re: Re: OT: Getting people to use tools
by logan (Curate) on Apr 30, 2003 at 21:18 UTC
    I have seen people resist CVS for reason 4

    Funny you should mention CVS. I can't get them to use that either.

    -Logan
    "What do I want? I'm an American. I want more."

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Re: OT: Getting people to use tools
by crenz (Priest) on Apr 30, 2003 at 21:46 UTC

    I'm astonished you don't mention inertia and laziness. These are the top two reasons for me, and almost the only ones :)

[reply]
      For me, tools often overcome laziness by making things easier unless I need to learn a lot to use them. Inertia can be a factor for me, too, but time saving can overcome that pretty easily if I can see the saving.

      --traveler

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