tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18862674.post643801181623877042..comments2024-01-12T00:24:35.544+01:00Comments on St Bloggie de Riviere: Why Flow?Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13195684182481935384noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18862674.post-32558777844478868082009-11-14T08:28:46.827+01:002009-11-14T08:28:46.827+01:00Nick, you're absolutely right about the fundam...Nick, you're absolutely right about the fundamental use of flow charts. <br /><br />And thank you for pointing out the difference between flowcharts and decision trees which are a variety but not the same. You can see how much I have to do with them on a regular basis...<br /><br />Actually, I was just having a bit of fun re nerdy assistant managers, because I have an over-active imagination and a deep suspicion of management fads.<br /><br />I didn't know about the shuttle disaster - amazing!<br /><br />Thanks for commenting!Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13195684182481935384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18862674.post-52464277848496139492009-11-14T03:09:55.894+01:002009-11-14T03:09:55.894+01:00Technically I'm not sure that either of your e...Technically I'm not sure that either of your examples are really flow charts. Not that it really matters. The second I would call a decision tree.<br /><br />Now I know that some management types like these kind of things, just like they like PowerPoint. Did you know that the Columbia Shuttle disaster can be partially blamed on the culture at NASA of using PowerPoint presentations: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/29/AR2005082901444.html" rel="nofollow">PowerPoint: Killer App?</a> or here for a more detailed account: <a href="http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0001yB" rel="nofollow"> <br />PowerPoint Does Rocket Science--and Better Techniques for Technical Reports</a><br /><br />In a decision making process, unless the choices are trivial, you need a wall to represent the complexity.<br /><br />I strongly suspect that many of the stupidities of legeslation in the UK are because they are framed in words and not as decision trees where at a glance one could see the missed and edge cases.<br /><br />Anyway that's enough huffing and puffing for one night.<br /><br />NickNick Kotarskihttp://kotarski.co.uknoreply@blogger.com