> if we build it, and it doesn't work, then the director has to take the blame. If IBM build it, and it doesn't work, then ...the guy who decided to outsource

> if we build it, and it doesn't work, then the director has to take the blame. If IBM build it, and it doesn't work, then ...the guy who decided to outsource it to IBM has to take the blame. No? Oh, right, "there is no way he reasonably could have known that it could fail". Then again, the same argument could have been used with the in-house development as well?.. I guess it basically boils down to what is and is not a "socially" acceptable way to deflect blame from yourself and those things, as all things social/customary, don't have to really be consistent.