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I love how Excel has become a de facto database - even though it absolutely shouldn’t be.

• shadowgovt 6y ago
  The first rule of software is "If it works, it'll get used." This is why people's email inboxes double as their TODO lists.
  • gpmcadam 6y ago
    It doesn't even necessarily have to "work" (as in, work well) it just has to feel like it's the path least resistance. You can work in a department using Excel for this type of data collection and reporting, and you can continuously suggest to your superior that something more mature could be used. They would probably agree. As would the entire team! But if the team of analysts are only properly trained in this system and it's all they know coupled with a huge backlog of cases and time pressures, then they're going to keep using the thing that causes least headaches in the short term. And that might be objectively worse to everyone involved but they just keep ploughing through. Toxic culture, bad management, poor working practises and external pressures can force even the most sane of people to choose the worst technology on the basis that they perceive it as "saving time" in the short term, even when they know full well they're borrowing Peter to pay Paul, they still do it.