Too often, the snappy and simple quip is snappily and simply bollocks.

[catsidhe]

Thesis: A bad workman blames his tools.

Response: That's all well and good, but when that workman is mandated by management to put away his hammer, and nail things together with a steam engine, is he still a bad workman when he points out how fucking stupid that is? Do you understand the concept of a ‘tool fit for purpose’? Hello?

Comments

[araquel.livejournal.com]

I believe the "tool" in this case refers to management, therefore the thesis remains valid.

[omnot.livejournal.com]

Sometimes it is the tools, but sometimes the tools are misused. Not to call you a tool in a bad way, but if management are unhappy with your performance, you could do worse than (mis?)quote Paul of Krae Glas; "Sometimes I feel like a tool being used for the wrong purpose, like trying to chisel wood with a saw."

[catsidhe.livejournal.com]

“Here, we're being charged for this steam engine, whether we use it or not, so you must use it. It's got a reporting tool in there somewhere, so we can tell if you're using it or not, and your performance will be based on how much you use it, rather than whether or not you're actually doing a good job. Or in other words, it is more important that you use this steam engine for your work than that you achieve anything with your work. It is a very powerful steam engine, with large amounts of horsepower, and massive torque, and the possibility of using it to drive all sorts of other useful tools, which don't exist yet, and probably won't do what you want them to do when they do because they won't be written for you to use, but once they've been written (on the badly formed and useless specs of people who have different needs than you), it will be compulsory to use them, for all purposes. We have it on good authority that it can do everything you need it to do, even if we have demonstrated little sign that we have the slightest idea what it is you actually do.”

“But I just want to hammer nails. Please, can I have my hammer back?”




Fuckers.

[celsa.livejournal.com]

Wow.

Say, I do have a 16 pound sledge hammer here which, while it may not be the tool you need to do the job, might be adequate for pounding a clue into your bosses. Maybe.