Spreadsheet Programs blamed for Economic Crisis and other Ills

[rchiu]

Haha, don't you people know how writers get their money? They write provocative and hotly contested article so their article is talked about and their name is out on the Internet. They don't care if their content reflect the truth, they just care if people read and talk about their article.

You people reading, talking about this crap and actually taking it seriously falls squarely into what Dvorak tries to accomplish.

 

[brandonbull]

I can grab a pen and post it notes to display "what ifs". I guess post it notes and pens could topple world economies.

 

[GroundedSailor]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: GroundedSailor

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: GroundedSailor
I can agree with this section:

In fact, the spreadsheet has resulted in the rise of the once-lowly accountant/bean counter to a position of influence?and often the executive suite. How often in years past?the pre-spreadsheet era, that is?did an accountant take over a company? When and why did the CFO become a title? These people, at best, were once known as comptrollers.

You think CFOs are accountants?

Comptrollers = Corporate Controller, who still exist.

Since when do accountants run the show?!?!

Yes, all those number cruncher who end up telling the rest what they can and cannot do. I remember the days when we would tell the bean counters, "This is what we intend to do. You figure out how".

I'd like to understand your faulty perspective. What do you do for a living?

My perspective comes from the years I spent as an merchant marine officer & master on board oil tankers and subsequent time spent working in the offices of shipping companies. I have seen company structures over time go from:
top level: GM
next: Commercial, Fleet (where accounts was a sub of commercial) to

GM
Commercial, Fleet & Finance with all three dept heads having equal standing

Running and maintaining a fleet of ships requires long term vision and planning and both Commercial and Fleet understood that concept. Accounts was mainly interested in seeing a good bottom line at the end of each financial year or quarter. The two views are not necessarily compatible. Once Finance got equal say we saw short term cuts in budgets to maintain profitability to the long term detriment of the ships and ultimately the companies themselves.

Once of the first companies I worked for had a reputation of well maintained ships and even operated their own ship repair business to service their own ships (not a common occurrence). The decline started after the finance dept was elevated to ' better serve the shareholders' and within 7 years the company was bankrupt.

Another good outfit (a branch of Ugland) used to buy fairly new ships which were in a run down condition, operate and gradually upgrade the vessels and sell them after a 3-5 years for a decent profit. A business model which worked well and we used to take pride in working on those ships. Once again the finance types stepped in with their veto powers and that company is no more.

Yes I know this is anecdotal but this has been my experience.

For the last 11 years I have worked for a marine construction company in management. And I am involved in the finances and so far the accountants are not the ones who hold the reins.

Whether my perspective is faulty or not is your opinion and you are entitled to it.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: GroundedSailor

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: GroundedSailor

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: GroundedSailor
I can agree with this section:

In fact, the spreadsheet has resulted in the rise of the once-lowly accountant/bean counter to a position of influence?and often the executive suite. How often in years past?the pre-spreadsheet era, that is?did an accountant take over a company? When and why did the CFO become a title? These people, at best, were once known as comptrollers.

You think CFOs are accountants?

Comptrollers = Corporate Controller, who still exist.

Since when do accountants run the show?!?!

Yes, all those number cruncher who end up telling the rest what they can and cannot do. I remember the days when we would tell the bean counters, "This is what we intend to do. You figure out how".

I'd like to understand your faulty perspective. What do you do for a living?

My perspective comes from the years I spent as an merchant marine officer & master on board oil tankers and subsequent time spent working in the offices of shipping companies. I have seen company structures over time go from:
top level: GM
next: Commercial, Fleet (where accounts was a sub of commercial) to

GM
Commercial, Fleet & Finance with all three dept heads having equal standing

Running and maintaining a fleet of ships requires long term vision and planning and both Commercial and Fleet understood that concept. Accounts was mainly interested in seeing a good bottom line at the end of each financial year or quarter. The two views are not necessarily compatible. Once Finance got equal say we saw short term cuts in budgets to maintain profitability to the long term detriment of the ships and ultimately the companies themselves.

Once of the first companies I worked for had a reputation of well maintained ships and even operated their own ship repair business to service their own ships (not a common occurrence). The decline started after the finance dept was elevated to ' better serve the shareholders' and within 7 years the company was bankrupt.

Another good outfit (a branch of Ugland) used to buy fairly new ships which were in a run down condition, operate and gradually upgrade the vessels and sell them after a 3-5 years for a decent profit. A business model which worked well and we used to take pride in working on those ships. Once again the finance types stepped in with their veto powers and that company is no more.

Yes I know this is anecdotal but this has been my experience.

For the last 11 years I have worked for a marine construction company in management. And I am involved in the finances and so far the accountants are not the ones who hold the reins.

Whether my perspective is faulty or not is your opinion and you are entitled to it.

In other words you have no fucking idea what the fuck you're fucking talking about. Thanks.

 

[JJChicken]

Originally posted by: JS80
lol wow what a fucking idiot who has no idea how anything works.

i want to believe this is a parody piece but 404 sarcasm not found.

word.

 

[JJChicken]

Originally posted by: GroundedSailor

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: GroundedSailor

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: GroundedSailor
I can agree with this section:

In fact, the spreadsheet has resulted in the rise of the once-lowly accountant/bean counter to a position of influence?and often the executive suite. How often in years past?the pre-spreadsheet era, that is?did an accountant take over a company? When and why did the CFO become a title? These people, at best, were once known as comptrollers.

You think CFOs are accountants?

Comptrollers = Corporate Controller, who still exist.

Since when do accountants run the show?!?!

Yes, all those number cruncher who end up telling the rest what they can and cannot do. I remember the days when we would tell the bean counters, "This is what we intend to do. You figure out how".

I'd like to understand your faulty perspective. What do you do for a living?

My perspective comes from the years I spent as an merchant marine officer & master on board oil tankers and subsequent time spent working in the offices of shipping companies. I have seen company structures over time go from:
top level: GM
next: Commercial, Fleet (where accounts was a sub of commercial) to

GM
Commercial, Fleet & Finance with all three dept heads having equal standing

Running and maintaining a fleet of ships requires long term vision and planning and both Commercial and Fleet understood that concept. Accounts was mainly interested in seeing a good bottom line at the end of each financial year or quarter. The two views are not necessarily compatible. Once Finance got equal say we saw short term cuts in budgets to maintain profitability to the long term detriment of the ships and ultimately the companies themselves.

Once of the first companies I worked for had a reputation of well maintained ships and even operated their own ship repair business to service their own ships (not a common occurrence). The decline started after the finance dept was elevated to ' better serve the shareholders' and within 7 years the company was bankrupt.

Another good outfit (a branch of Ugland) used to buy fairly new ships which were in a run down condition, operate and gradually upgrade the vessels and sell them after a 3-5 years for a decent profit. A business model which worked well and we used to take pride in working on those ships. Once again the finance types stepped in with their veto powers and that company is no more.

Yes I know this is anecdotal but this has been my experience.

For the last 11 years I have worked for a marine construction company in management. And I am involved in the finances and so far the accountants are not the ones who hold the reins.

Whether my perspective is faulty or not is your opinion and you are entitled to it.

Incompentence exists within every profession. It's not fair to pigeonhole accountants as bean-counters based on your personal experience, however true that it may be in your case.