Architects

[SimonMac]

Seems to be the new buzz word in IT job titles, at first everyone was a manager now it seems everyone is an Architect, be it Solutions, System, Technical, Enterprise but as far as I can tell no one does anything any different to another!

Can someone break it down for a simpleton like me as it seems they all ask me questions that their role states they should be able to answer themselves!

[Scoi]

People like a good title. Photographers have become Photo Journalists, plumbers are aquatic engineers, receptionist are directors of first impressions.

[BigTime]

Seems to be the new buzz word in IT job titles, at first everyone was a manager now it seems everyone is an Architect, be it Solutions, System, Technical, Enterprise but as far as I can tell no one does anything any different to another!

Can someone break it down for a simpleton like me as it seems they all ask me questions that their role states they should be able to answer themselves!

Before you used to be a support monkey and do everything related to your specialisation. Now they've offshored the implementation and support roles so architect is the only local work left.

[Gentile]

Seems to be the new buzz word in IT job titles, at first everyone was a manager now it seems everyone is an Architect, be it Solutions, System, Technical, Enterprise but as far as I can tell no one does anything any different to another!

Can someone break it down for a simpleton like me as it seems they all ask me questions that their role states they should be able to answer themselves!

Different people use it to mean different things. I must admit, though, it's one of those overused buzzwords that makes me pick my ears up whenever I hear it, and listen attentively for any other Bullshit Bingo that may be being bandied about. A company I was in last year had a "Chief Software Architect". He was also their one and only developer. And was coincidentally so incompetent on a personal and a technical level that he would have failed to get a job as a junior developer anywhere else I've worked.

[aussielong]

Seems to be the new buzz word in IT job titles, at first everyone was a manager now it seems everyone is an Architect, be it Solutions, System, Technical, Enterprise but as far as I can tell no one does anything any different to another!

Can someone break it down for a simpleton like me as it seems they all ask me questions that their role states they should be able to answer themselves!

An architect makes design decisions that cannot be reversed.

[BrilloPad]

Where I work has just sacked all the architecture team. "You can all do your own architecture".

Makes alot of sense - everything will run alot smoother.

[Ketchup]

To me it is just a word used to show another level of seniority. In development, the career path tends to be..

Junior Dev -->Dev-->Senior Dev --> Architect for permies

I personally dont see any need to differentiate between a semio dev and an architect as an architect should still be in the trenches or they lose touch.

[Notascooby]

Security Architect - Responsible for you not breaking security polices and doing stupid things - like sending confidential data over non-encrypted means - but can be the likes of RBAC polices and modelling and Identity Management set-up. Tells the Solution Architect "Errm I don't think so matey"

Technical Architect - what everyone who was an architect used to be called but now seems to be an Infrastrucuture architect.

Infrastrucuture architect - designs the tin, sizing and tells the Solution Architect that "no its not just as simple as that"

Network architect - specialist Infra architect, does the firewalls, load balancers and network, tells the solution Architect "look there isn't infinite bandwidth here"

Solution(s) Architect - The powerpoint jockey (my job) how do you make A talk to B that complies with the organisational polices, doesn't screw anything else up and needs to liase with the other architects and development team as well as the BA and business.

Business Architect - Process design, non-technical but handy if they understand IT - tells the Solution Architect what the business are trying to achieve.

Enterprise Architect - Can be 100% non-technical - this is architectual goverance, frameworks and policies. The only architect you can walk out of school and do successfully - needs no IT knowledge. This title is often incorrectly used by people wishing to show they are senior solution architects. Tells the Solution Architect that the design is lovely but "you're using the wrong template and haven't filled out the correct submission form"

Application Architect - this is someone resonsible for a / group of systems and is the designer or lead developer making sure that the dev team don't do anything stupid and more importantly that the solution architect isn't talking out his arse.

At least that's how it works from my SA point of view.

[Notascooby]

p.s. Brillo - My IM time is 9:28

[minestrone]

Architect is a title protected by law.