The Soul of an IT Architect

The Soul of an IT Architect

Writing technical papers and proposals can be a dull and tedious affair. Unfortunately I have to routinely churn these things out as part of my job. To make the task less of a turn-off, I try to inject "creativity" into it.

Sometimes you wonder why technical proposals are even necessary at all when most people don't even bother to read them. I haven't met anyone who can sit down and read more than ten pages in one sitting. Those that I normally write are typically a hundred pages long. The customers just want to see "bulk"--evidence that some kind of work has been done. That's all.

The essence of a technical proposal can sometimes be captured in one architectural diagram. You'll have to spend time explaining it in a presentation anyway. Why bother to write so much? Do like what everyone else does--cut and paste.

Though I cannot say that I love what I am doing that much, I try to see the positive aspect of it. To turn the writing of technical documents into a "creative" affair, I take it as an exercise and challenge in writing.

It is difficult to avoid cliches, especially when the subject is IT. In how many ways can you explain J2EE or storage area networks (SAN)? Technical subjects are dry and precise, unlike the Humanities. ("How do I love thee? Let me count the ways").

But I still try to explain such things in a fresh and interesting way, avoiding cliches. No one would appreciate or notice it but it is still OK with me--because I am grateful for the opportunity to workout my writing muscles. It is my own private writing gymnasium, if you will.

Knowing that not many people would bother to read obscure technical passages, sometimes I inject unconventional words into it and try to see its "poetic effect" on the overall argument. But so far I have not been successful in using the word "orgasm" yet. It remains my most elusive prize.

Programmers do something similar too: There are always hidden codes and comments in any piece of software--often humorous ones--known only to the developers themselves.

I never cut and paste from other proposals or white papers--and very rarely even from my own work. It is "plagiarism" to me. But I take great delight in being able to inject quotes from non-IT sources.

I am a big fan of Indonesia's founding father, Sukarno. In the last IT architectural recommendation paper that I wrote for my client, I was able to somehow squeeze in the following quote from the great Bung Karno, taken from his autobiography:

"The rhythm of a revolution is destruction and construction. Construction calls for the soul of an architect. And in the soul of an architect are the elements of feeling and artistry".

With President Megawati at helm, it is quite fashionable these days to sing praises of her father, Sukarno. Hmm, no wonder my recommendations were adopted whole-heartedly by my client.

I thought, well, if politicians like Sukarno can treat revolutions as something "artistic", why can't a bored IT professional have some "artistic" fun too with his proposals?