Hello.  My name is Scott McCall.  This is my first-ever weblog posting.  Ironically, I was an early adopter of the Internet and Web 1.0, creating my own Nintendo 64 website way back in 1995.  (If you think about it, when did you actually get Internet access at home?  Doesn’t it seem much longer ago?)  Now it’s 2008, and I’m just starting to make sure of Web 2.0 features.

As much as I’d love to create a blog about Nintendo’s latest system, Wii, there are plenty of other easy-to-find, trustworthy resources.  For reference, I created my N64 website in April 1995 to clear up misconceptions and to provide facts.  That’s because Nintendo 64 did not come out until September 1996.  Eventually, my later goal was to provide a one-stop-shop of information.

For my newest Internet endeavor, however, I’ve decided to write about a topic I do for a living: requirements. 

See, my title is Business Analyst, which is a job that may also be known as Application Systems Analyst, Business-Process Analyst, Business Systems Analyst, Data Analyst, IT Analyst, Requirements Analyst, Systems Analyst, Business Designer, Requirements Lead, Product Manager, Business Modeler, Business Systems Specialist, Requirements Specifier, and so on.  Regardless of a person’s title, if he or she is primarily responsible for eliciting needs from a customer and turning those needs into specifications for a technical team, then he or she works with requirements.

So what makes me an expert to create my own blog about requirements?  Nothing in particular.

However, just as I tried to accomplish 12-13 years ago with my N64 website, my goal is to become a useful resource that can exist in perpetuity.  Somewhere along the way, as I indirectly force myself to understand and communicate topics clearly, I reckon I’ll establish expertise.

In my own Business Analyst (BA) journey, I went from struggling junior analyst to my company’s in-house expert.  And, let me tell you, it would have been much easier in the beginning if my Google searches returned relevant, useful results for my questions and comments.

Ultimately, the whole point of this blog is what I just expressed: to provide others with useful information and tidbits from my own real-world experience and research.  I look forward to exceeding your expectations in the future.

- Scott