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paul sutton wrote: > Somehow I think it's going to take a big change to make anything > happen, but we are getting there slowly. I am trying to figure out > what exactly SAP is , is it a windows program Unix program etc, and > what it's for, apart form some sort of business application. > I have found a website but I just want a simple explanation, of course > if conveyed via the lug then it would be of interst to anyone else who > wants to know, in the meantime I will carry on googling, before > heading off to this evenings lug meet, > > > > Paul > > > Ben Goodger wrote: > > >> On 16/10/06, *Neil Williams* <linux@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx >> <mailto:linux@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote: >> >> On 16/10/06 23:28:08, Eion MacDonald wrote: >> > Dear Folks, 20061016 >> >> (Welcome to the list, BTW) >> >> > One major problem if trained only in MS office/Windows, is total >> > inability to work with major organisations who use other >> software as >> > the backbone of all systems,e.g.SAP >> > I work in office of a 46,000 odd desktop worldwide company and all >> > info is done through SAP. >> > >> > Schools training in "IT" is abysmal. >> > We mainly have to tell newcomers how to forget their school >> training, >> > do it our way >> >> Reminds me of previous discussions on how IT should be taught >> using the >> Universal Computer - not the computer that happens to be on the desk >> today. The little 'experience' I had of computers at school was >> looking >> at the back of a Commodore Pet from a distance of about 20 feet (no >> pupils were allowed in the same room as 'it'), a BBC micro (excellent >> machine) that my mother obtained on loan as a teacher and the wonders >> of a ZX81. Variety, that's part of the answer. >> :-) >> >> I despair when I hear of IT being taught as "how to use Excel" not >> "how >> to use a spreadsheet". >> >> It's absolutely no use instructing people in solving problems with M$ >> machines, there needs to be an awareness of other systems, other >> solutions. >> >> The "easy" methods of teaching people to follow pictures in tutorials >> like robots who get confused as soon as the icon theme is tweaked are >> the stuff of nightmares. It's pointless teaching people how to use XP >> or Vista, teach them how to use a computer so that when something >> replaces Vista they are still able to use the thing! >> >> Same principle applies to technicians. >> >> >> One day, I'm going to produce a LaTeX-typeset version of all your >> wonderfully concise summings-up of the entire industry's problems, >> such as this one. I think it'd make a good "holy book" for certain >> groups of people, and at least doing this as opposed to Stallman's >> works removes the almost 100% certainty that in 1300 years someone >> will blow themselves up over a depiction of the GNU as a >> marijuana-smoking cow (as opposed to a recorder-playing gnu.) >> >> (The above is, for once, completely unsarcastic, and I utterly agree. >> I am incredibly frustrated to hear the librarians at College piping >> Hotmail as not only apparently The Webmail Provider(tm) (gmail, yahoo >> etc don't exist as they don't have a butterfly, adverts or IE-only >> user agent checkers) but also The Way To Get Rid Of Virii And Spam(tm) >> (emails are, self-evidently, the only way to get virii, and Hotmail's >> virus scanner is infallible - never mind any of those standalone ones, >> LOL!!), and it's annoying to be unable to actually program because our >> Computing "coursework" is actually just copying some buggy VB from the >> board - we never actually learn, and invariably the programs don't >> work because of incorrect capitalisation of _keywords_, or VB crashes. >> I'm not even permitted to run a Python executable on the college >> network in the name of security (IE6 is also the only available >> browser) which is even more annoying as I can't ignore the MS >> advertising and just get on with the work.) >> >> FROM: /dev/socialism >> >> -- >> Ben Goodger >> #391382 >> --------------------- >> >> Mi admiras religiajn; ili estas fine ebliĝinta solvi la maljunegan >> demandon "kiel oni povas vivi sencerbe?". >> It is well-known that I am blunt and unsophisticated. It's largely >> your fault if you object to this. >> > > > SAP > SAP is a monster of a database, with all reported items or events in business life recorded, including all possible contacts, emails,documents, conversations, reports, mileage run, materials purchased and every stage of manufacture and process recorded, so that 'any event' of trivia or major happening is recorded and can be financially and statistically analysed and reports generated to 'enhance the business'. Even a worker reporting an outside damage to car is recorded to ensure statistical probability of safety can be obtained. Once used all persons and events are locked into the SAP database. It does not allow of variation, and enabling 'new things' like a form of payment used for 200 years but outside the SAP writer's ken is a major problem to do. It enables 'accountability' to be seen at all levels and this German tool (developed by ex IBM Germany staffers, whose staff felt IBM was not good enough in Business/Analysis recording) is a most useful for USA to control UK events under the Sarbanes Oxley financial reporting. Stifles 'new thinking', but once using, then in for all time, or usefulness of recorded database is useless. All work takes place within the database for recorded purposes and document creation and transmission. Think of it as a much glorified spreadsheet, where only some cells are visible to any person except BIG Brother. Best paid job is SAP analyst from accountancy firms who can interpret and modify SAP to achieve ends. I.e. a word processed document is only one cell in the table. -- Regards Eion MacDonald (eionmac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) Tel. +44 (0) 1925762873 -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html