3 ms·

The problem with spreadsheets is that they are a straitjacket for many of the users who don't realize that there are so often better ways of achieving their end

The problem with spreadsheets is that they are a straitjacket for many of the users who don't realize that there are so often better ways of achieving their ends.

mirntyfirty 5y ago
True. The levels of complexity taken on by spreadsheets is astounding. Couple this with how difficult it can be to own a database in a corporate context and the company ends up with hundreds of spreadsheets that must be maintained across shared drives along with buggy macros.
- Jtsummers 5y ago
  Which speaks to the problem not being with spreadsheets, but with their alternatives. You want a better database used by your employees? Don't make it a 6-month requisition process or a $10k/table/month ongoing cost for the team. Spreadsheets can be used now by the people that need to get work done, and many of the better options are barred to them by cost, accessibility, or training. Same for planning programs and workflow management. Some systems (like JIRA, actually) are quite malleable, if you're permitted to make those changes and create custom workflows. But many corporations mandate a system like that but then lock it down so that the teams aren't able to use it effectively. The same happens with many other better alternatives to spreadsheets.
robonerd 5y ago
For people with a self-perception of not being programmers (in other words, most people) spreadsheets are often the easiest and most flexible way to leverage a computer's ability to automate whatever their novel task is. Without spreadsheets, they'd either need to learn how to code or hire a programmer. Hiring a programmer to solve your special problem is a high bar to clear, and most people will never become programmers for various reasons. If you took spreadsheets away, I think most spreadsheet users would begrudgingly go back to pencils and pocket calculators.

The problem with spreadsheets is that they are a straitjacket for many of the users who don't realize that there are so often better ways of achieving their ends.

mirntyfirty 5y ago

True. The levels of complexity taken on by spreadsheets is astounding. Couple this with how difficult it can be to own a database in a corporate context and the company ends up with hundreds of spreadsheets that must be maintained across shared drives along with buggy macros.

Jtsummers 5y ago
Which speaks to the problem not being with spreadsheets, but with their alternatives. You want a better database used by your employees? Don't make it a 6-month requisition process or a $10k/table/month ongoing cost for the team. Spreadsheets can be used now by the people that need to get work done, and many of the better options are barred to them by cost, accessibility, or training. Same for planning programs and workflow management. Some systems (like JIRA, actually) are quite malleable, if you're permitted to make those changes and create custom workflows. But many corporations mandate a system like that but then lock it down so that the teams aren't able to use it effectively. The same happens with many other better alternatives to spreadsheets.

robonerd 5y ago

For people with a self-perception of not being programmers (in other words, most people) spreadsheets are often the easiest and most flexible way to leverage a computer's ability to automate whatever their novel task is. Without spreadsheets, they'd either need to learn how to code or hire a programmer. Hiring a programmer to solve your special problem is a high bar to clear, and most people will never become programmers for various reasons. If you took spreadsheets away, I think most spreadsheet users would begrudgingly go back to pencils and pocket calculators.