Spreadsheets Postscript

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Just a little addition to the two spreadsheet articles [October 9th & 10th] I posted. The Dilbert cartoon above very succinctly encapsulates the issue of spreadsheet error; but as an article in The Register points out, the problem is as much to do with the capabilities of the person or persons involved in the setting up of systems as it is the type of system itself; and neither is it exclusive to spreadsheets. The Reg article references a fairly typical commercial scenario, echoed in the Dilbert cartoon below. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Couple it with stubborn egotism and you're in for a rough ride. A self-diagnosing system at least lets the operator know they're writing garbage before it's too late and the cover-ups start.

 



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