85 sales@aardva “Quality Packers Y Mechanical Inflatable Environmental Geotechnica Packer Parts 55-546-6488 arkpackers com You Can Count On” Wireline Straddle al Mining Grout Packers Custom Design s aardvarkpackers.com sales@aardvarkpackers.com 10 JULY 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Computer Programmer vs. Computer Babysitter by Britt Storkson Owner, P2FlowLLC Several years ago, I took a job as a facilities technician with a well-known tech company that had many computers on-site. While I don’t know this, I suspect a major reason I got the job was because I could develop computer controls from the printed circuit board up to the final product. Several months later, I realized this company did not want someone who could independently build computer controls. They wanted a computer babysitter. What’s the difference between a computer controls developer and a computer babysitter? There is a huge difference. Computer Programmer A computer controls developer starts with a blank sheet of paper and defines everything the device is going to do - usually as directed by the business owner or product manager. Then, the computer controls developer selects the components that will best deliver the expected performance and writes the specifications for a printed circuit board on which most or all of these components will be mounted because in electronics, almost everything happens on a printed circuit board. The computer controls developer then writes the software that controls the microprocessor functions. And last, but certainly not least, the computer controls developer tests the final product under all conditions to make certain it performs satisfactorily and reliably. This requires the computer controls developer write code that will test each of the functions to ensure they work correctly. Often, this code will never make it into the final product, but this is an essential step to ensure product integrity. With computers, everything is definable. What I mean by this is everything the computer does must be defined in code. If the computer has a keypad or switches, the computer controls developer must define how quickly it reacts to the switch inputs. Often, different switch inputs require different reaction times. This means if there’s something not working right, fixing the code will fix the product. There are exceptions, but that’s nearly always the case. The computer controls developer then writes, or at least supervises, the product manuals and teaching materials to describe how the product is intended to function and instruct the end user how to use the equipment he/she developed. Computer Babysitter In contrast, a computer babysitter is none of this. A computer babysitter gets a platform which has been developed by someone else . . . usually a “canned” program because using prewritten code and off-the-shelf equipment greatly decreases the development costs . . . meaning it is cheaper to make and more profitable for the vendor to sell. This machine is given to an operator who is tasked with “making it work.” Most of the time the platform works, but it doesn’t work very well. So the computer babysitter has this machine he/she did not have any part in the development process. He/she hasn’t the foggiest idea of how it works or what to do to “fix” anything. Nor is he/she able to do anything that will fix anything on this machine. And it’s not because the computer babysitter is dumb. Most of the people I’ve met in the tech sector were really smart and very well-informed on a lot of things. They just haven’t learned these skills. So the operator is reduced to babysitting this machine. And if this machine does something wrong or doesn’t do what it is supposed to do, the operator is tasked with filling out a work order or contacting the vendor to see what they can do about the problem. The process varies from site to site and from manager to manager, but the basic procedure is the same. Management is usually reluctant to contact the equipment vendor because of the huge costs involved, but sometimes it is the only option. I’ve seen some very bright people buffaloed by some very simple computer controls functions because they didn’t understand how it worked and were reluctant to make any changes because they didn’t want to void the warranty (yet another construct favoring the vendor). These people did not understand the “how” and “why” aspects of this equipment. Like, how does this thing actually work internally and why do I do (or don’t do) certain things to make it work the way it is supposed to? Britt Britt Storkson may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com
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