personal blog related to technology, coding and publishing.
rant
Separation of Work and Personal
Aug 3rd
I posted a tweet today where I comment on how I try my hardest to separate my work from my personal life.
I don’t talk about my place of employment, the work that I do (beyond sharing some code questions from time to time), and try my best not to rant about a specific industry.
From time to time, even with my best efforts, I have pissed off a few people by what I’ve written or said in public, off work hours, away from my buildings.
In my tweet, I said that I feel I do a better job of separating the workday from personal life than our government does in separating church from State. I hope my efforts are enough, as I certainly don’t intend to piss anyone off by my technical reviews, code sharing (never trade secrets), or other rants.
I am extremely passionate about the work I do – more than that, the industry for which I’ve made my career focus. Some shifts in how business is done or public misinformation about my industry breaks my heart, but I carry on. I do my best to educate without mixing the paycheck-generating business with my own opinions.
I hope you all enjoy reading my posts; I hope some are valuable in educating my audience, entertaining some and purposefully annoying my detractors.
At the end of the day, I simply want to remain productive and proactive in the industry that feeds my brain and my family.
Something that chaps my ass
May 17th
I appreciate when a client hires a new developer to enhance their Web site. I appreciate when a new designer makes adjustments, further enhancing a design. Without those changes, a launched Web site will soon become stale, not adapting to market and user changes, etc.
What chaps my ass is when a designer/developer takes credit for a design that was not theirs – one that they have made adjustments to, while leaving the core design in-place. Further, when the core code lives on, with some adjustments, I also get a rash.
The case here is Muumuu Heaven, a Web site that a buddy of mine were hired to develop by an employer of ours. It was a rough time in our development lives – with difficulties in communication, slipping deadlines, design changes, underbidding, etc. A lot of the hardships were my fault, but in the end I was happy with the result. Not the best development in the world, but I applaud the designer I worked with for his color choices, images, etc.
It’s been a few years, the Web site has gone through some updates and changes – both in design elements and code, but much of my designer’s look/feel remain (meaning: the exact images he designed are still in-play; the scaffolding is the same); the code for navigating the site is the same.
On the footer of the Web site is a link for “Site Credits.” I had no supposition that Muumuu Heaven would credit the designer or myself, but I was surprised when the new designer and developer took credit for work that was (at best) half theirs.
This continued on the developer’s own Web site (which is where the following screenshot came from).
I’m not asking Muumuu Heaven to give us credit now, I’m just ranting about the ass-rash that things like this give me. I’ve contributed on many projects and do my best not to boast about being “the man.” If you’re going to claim ownership of a design or development, then make sure it really is YOUR design/development.
(end rant)
Just Watched: “World’s Greatest Dad”
Feb 10th
I just finished watching “ World’s Greatest Dad,” written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and starring Robin Williams.
I was surprised to see some Seattle landmarks (most notably the Guild Theater), and it turned out to be a pretty good film.
True, the son is a total douchebag (as quoted from Robin Williams who plays the father), but that’s on purpose to the level of ridiculousness.
From time to time I get to watch movies at work while I’m coding away, and I’ve found that my productivity doesn’t get interrupted with a movie on my second screen – if anything, it helps me keep “in the moment” of my programming.
I’ve got to say, Bobcat did a dynamite job directing (great soundtrack, too), even getting a cameo in, but the “ghost” scene wasn’t my favorite. Can’t win ‘em all, right?
Wanted: Personal Puppetmaster
Jan 28th
Wanted: Personal Puppetmaster
I need assistance with my life. Obviously the choices I’ve made over the years have not had positive results.
Yes, I’m married, but things could be better. Yes I have a fantastic job, but my work/life balance is non-existent.
Are you in your mid-thirties? Have you had success with you romance, employment, finances – enough so that you feel comfortable guiding me through my headaches?
Come join me as a personal puppetmaster; make my decisions for me, in love, finances, employment, time, hobbies.
Coordinate with my darling wife as to what’s best for me, using your experience as a base.
Salary to be discussed based on my ability to put my life in your hands, and how responsible you perform.
This is an ongoing project, hopefully self-terminating (meaning: I’d love to get to a point where I can manage my life on my own, without your help).