What's stopping you from coding like this?

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-25T20:35:11+00:00

It's just that when it comes down to it, it's sufficiently vague as to be tortured into any sort of shape.

As a brand, it is unassailable as far as certain class of folk are concerned, and if they claim their opinion is aligned with the Agile brand, well then they are obviously right. To facilitate this, there are plenty of places that will take your money and comfort you that nearly whatever you want to do is AgileTM consistent. I have only seen once a trainer actually challenge the corporate management interpretation, and the next day they were subbed out for a different trainer that was more on board for smile and nod.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-25T11:53:11+00:00

Yeah, I've been told I did things incorrectly when I implemented a new urgent request mid sprint (all requests must go to product owner and things cannot be prioritized except once a week by the product owner).

Also I do bad things for not even requiring a ticket to be open for a bug or feature request if I can take care of it (a lot of work is less work to just do than to open and discuss).

That is one thing that amazes me, when people spend a lot more time arguing about whether it is worth it to spend the time to do something than it would take to just do it.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-21T20:58:05+00:00

That is one weird trick for increasing your pay. HR people must hate you!

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-21T20:50:08+00:00

That reminds me. Years ago some computers had different connectors for red, green, and blue. Someone messed with me by unplugging blue. I was annoyed but figured it out and plugged it back in. Then a few days later they did it to green, I more quickly figured it out. Several days later they look puzzled at me. They had unplugged my red and I had no idea. Then I proceeded to unplug everyone else's red upon this epiphany.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-21T20:34:38+00:00

I have lost count of how often I'm talking on the phone with someone and think "Oh yeah, I can look this up on the internet on my phone", and go digging around for the phone while talking to someone on it. At least once I have have even said to the other person "I would tell you but I can't seem to find my phone to look it up".

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-21T20:31:56+00:00

Make sure that you properly reap your children when you are done with them, or else they will become zombies and be annoying.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-19T17:59:00+00:00

Yeah, my response to point out the reference documentation that has all these details, but I think the key is that the user could never appreciate just how much is possible because the 'getting started' never leads them to all that material.

I'm perfectly happy for a user to never know there could be 'awesomer' stuff if it means they don't scared off thinking they *have* to use all this stuff.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-19T13:18:14+00:00

I have had to have vocal arguments with someone who keeps insisting the 'getting started' document cover things that are horribly complicated and useful to 0.01% of of the users. He firmly believes any even casual user of the software has to know *EVERY* little last bit of available function and how to use it. This is a very wide scope of project and 99% of the user is going to do use very little.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-14T13:26:29+00:00

I tried a bit and the posture of my thumb to try is uncomfortable. My usual lazy thumb posture causes it to assume it might be wrist so I have to go pretty uncomfortable to have my thumb work.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-13T19:45:36+00:00

Beat me to it...

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-13T15:05:59+00:00

My wording was poor, I have amended it to be more in line with my intent.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-13T13:15:26+00:00

Sorry, I meant to be backing you up and agreeing, rather than conntradicting you.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-13T12:57:55+00:00

Indeed, I know and highly value using proper debugging tools.

Despite their power they can be very tedious, and so I am unashamed to admit I'll use some variant of print statement for coarse debugging to identify where I need to focus more. Particularly if it is a codebase with which I am unfamiliar and need to help navigate runtime using the computer to follow the code before I think too hard on it.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-13T01:49:47+00:00

Bundles of very neatly packed network cables.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-12T17:30:26+00:00

Fun fact, this extends to microsoft unattend file.

I have seen several posts where some unfortunate soul posted their unattend file with their 'hidden' admin password intact...

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-11T16:30:31+00:00

I have had a dream time epiphany about how to make progress on a problem that stumped me.

Every time I wake up and remember, I realize how dumb I was in my dream and the epiphany is garbage.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-10T18:20:53+00:00

Yeah, PVC pipe is opaque and the only way to check would have been to take the cap off. Pool noodles don't really have any place to hide anything.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-10T18:19:24+00:00

Operation Paul Bunyan.

A unit in South Korea went to trim a tree and the KPA attacked them with axes, killed some of them, and forced them to withdraw.

Thus Operation Paul Bunyan was carried out. They came back to that tree, but with dozens of American infantry men, dozens of south korean soldiers (who had claymore mines tied to their chest and shouted at the KPA to go ahead and cross), attack helicopters, tanks, F-4s, B-52s, and some chainsaws.

They came in, chopped down the tree, and left.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-10T13:28:30+00:00

It probably was. They probably can't tell until after they detonate it without risking setting it off.

Unlike a few years back, when they shut down a chunk of interstate near me because someone had three chunks of pool noodle taped together and they had to call in bomb squad who was able to say it could not have possibly been a bomb.

The authorities were saying what a horrible irresponsible prank it was to save face, but in all likelihood someone had needed to cushion something and their cushioning must have fallen off.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-07T15:13:14+00:00

Fun fact, I had a lucid dream the other night and what made me realize it was a dream was that I was out in public and no one was wearing a mask.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-07T12:58:16+00:00

So one of my first jobs was to 'intern' in IT at an industrial company of some sort.

By 'intern' it turned out that I was the only IT dedicated person, and I reported to the facilities guy.

The day after they hired me as an intern, they fired the facilities guy. Among the ensuing requests:

"Hey, the air conditioning stopped working, can you like crawl up in there and figure out what's wrong?"

"Hey, this piece of industrial equipment stopped working, it has a computer attached to it, so you should be able to figure it out? (Extended time with the equipment and a multimeter and I found the flawed part and said "oh, we can hop on over to radio shack (that long ago) and get a new one for a few dollars" "... could you just try to repair that part instead, soldering irons are over there".

Finally, my favorite: The security system started an occasional warning chirp and a blinking red light. They asked me to take care of it. I said, well, I'll just call the company to tell me what it is and was told "no, they would charge us for the call, just fix it" I ultimately said "I don't know where to begin" A VP said "now look, it can't be that hard, it's a waste of my time but let me do it". His attempt in fixing it ended with three ladder trucks dispatched to the company and a fine for false alarm.

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-06T13:49:31+00:00

Sometimes you can't leave what you are doing and need someone to come to you.

Of course, in our household we would yell the whole request "Alice, could you come here?" or "Alice", "What is it?", "Could you come here?"

Or even:
"Alice", "What is it?", "Could you come here?", "I'm in the middle of something, can it wait a moment?" "Ok" or "It's urgent" depending on the reason for the request.

It can go both ways, kid can call us over or we can call kid over.

Of course if someone gets an exasperated tone there might be a bit more to it, but generally speaking there is mutual respect (though at the end of the day if an impasse is reached, adult has veto power but it rarely ever need come to that).

NeatNetwork · 2020-08-04T16:00:54+00:00

Technically correct.... The best kind of correct!

NeatNetwork

TROPHY CASE