We are beginning to realize that the computer makes no decisions; it only carries out orders. It's a total moron, and therein lies its strength. It forces us to think, to set the criteria. The stupider the tool, the brighter the master has to be... (the emphasis is mine)
The problems we have with computers, even to this day, have this concept at their core.
Our programming languages have improved in their abilities to structure operations, our data representations have become self-describing, and our operating systems have gained fancy GUI interfaces. Yet the fundamental problem is this: the computer is only as good as its instructions, and the quality of those instructions depends on the people writing the programs, their understanding of the technology, and their understanding of the business needs. People who don't understand the technology will produce programs that operate inconsistently and poorly. People who don't understand the business need (whether it be a general ledger, a database, a word processor, or a web search engine) will produce a program that at best solves the wrong need.
The quality of our people define the quality of the solution. Good programmers (and GUI designers, and database architects) will be able to create good solutions. A good solution is not guaranteed, only allowed. On the other hand, poor programmers (or GUI designers, or database architects) will yield a poor program -- there is no possibility of a good result.
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