3:15 on a Friday afternoon. I've done my release to UAT, in time for the weekend so that my business user can test it on the weekend (hey, I tell him not to work weekends but he chooses to anyways). Havin' trouble concentrating on code, switching to Weekend Mode.
Gah, all that's to be done on the weekend is six ice times. I guess I could do some cleaning. Half the family's off to a ringette tournament, so it's just me and two kids.
I'm BORED!
Hopefully everyone else is feeling more productive / less bored than me.
Weekends bore me to no end.
LAN party this weekend. Week of night shifts. So all prepped :P
Just finalizing my stuff for the pack up and then I'm off. Going to be a great weekend I think!
First I was bored, then I was really busy, then I was bored again...
I just finished watching an anime show I started before I left for tams place. I even brought it with me, but didn't have a chance to watch it while I was down there :(
Quote from: Tom on March 19, 2010, 09:46:31 PM
I just finished watching an anime show I started before I left for tams place. I even brought it with me, but didn't have a chance to watch it while I was down there :(
Oh yeah? What show?
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 20, 2010, 12:16:18 AM
Quote from: Tom on March 19, 2010, 09:46:31 PM
I just finished watching an anime show I started before I left for tams place. I even brought it with me, but didn't have a chance to watch it while I was down there :(
Oh yeah? What show?
You're Under Arrest S2
Just started S3 now :D
Quote from: Tom on March 20, 2010, 12:18:29 AM
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 20, 2010, 12:16:18 AM
Quote from: Tom on March 19, 2010, 09:46:31 PM
I just finished watching an anime show I started before I left for tams place. I even brought it with me, but didn't have a chance to watch it while I was down there :(
Oh yeah? What show?
You're Under Arrest S2
Just started S3 now :D
Hehe, that was a fun series, I only watched the first season, let me know what S2&3 are like.
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 20, 2010, 01:12:49 PM
Quote from: Tom on March 20, 2010, 12:18:29 AM
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 20, 2010, 12:16:18 AM
Quote from: Tom on March 19, 2010, 09:46:31 PM
I just finished watching an anime show I started before I left for tams place. I even brought it with me, but didn't have a chance to watch it while I was down there :(
Oh yeah? What show?
You're Under Arrest S2
Just started S3 now :D
Hehe, that was a fun series, I only watched the first season, let me know what S2&3 are like.
S3 starts with an epic car chase :D
Funny thing happened, I saw an ad for a show I really liked, aparently Funimation will release the full set of DVDs for it soon. And they happened to have a stream of it on their site, so I started watching it.. Now I might have to watch it again. For the 4th time. Ouran High is hilarious.
Quote from: Tom on March 20, 2010, 04:25:52 PM
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 20, 2010, 01:12:49 PM
Quote from: Tom on March 20, 2010, 12:18:29 AM
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 20, 2010, 12:16:18 AM
Quote from: Tom on March 19, 2010, 09:46:31 PM
I just finished watching an anime show I started before I left for tams place. I even brought it with me, but didn't have a chance to watch it while I was down there :(
Oh yeah? What show?
You're Under Arrest S2
Just started S3 now :D
Hehe, that was a fun series, I only watched the first season, let me know what S2&3 are like.
S3 starts with an epic car chase :D
Hehe, maybe I'll have to watch the series again :)
Quote from: Tom on March 20, 2010, 04:55:11 PM
Funny thing happened, I saw an ad for a show I really liked, aparently Funimation will release the full set of DVDs for it soon. And they happened to have a stream of it on their site, so I started watching it.. Now I might have to watch it again. For the 4th time. Ouran High is hilarious.
Sounds pretty good, Funimation is a pretty good company when it comes to releasing stuff, at least that's what I remember.
Quote from: Tom on March 19, 2010, 03:22:14 PM
Weekends bore me to no end.
more addicitve than Wikipedia and IMDB put together...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TropesOfLegendhttp://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FridgeBrilliance
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Flanderization
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ButtMonkey
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CursedWithAwesome
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ParanoiaFuel
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AccidentalInnuendo example (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReOw_2f4lpY)
etc.
enjoy your CTRL+clicking...
I think I'm going to subscribe to a couple SciFi and/or Fantasy magazines. That'll give me something to do on weekends ;D
append: Just ordered a subscription to Asimov's SciFi magazine :)
Quote from: Thorin on March 19, 2010, 03:19:35 PM
3:15 on a Friday afternoon. I've done my release to UAT, in time for the weekend so that my business user can test it on the weekend (hey, I tell him not to work weekends but he chooses to anyways). Havin' trouble concentrating on code, switching to Weekend Mode.
Seven weeks later, but the same basic Bored At Work feeling. Except today I read a document from a Social Media Workshop that was attended by coworkers that had the following in it:
Quote
5Ps
1. Starts with a Plan
2. Have a Process behind you (Business Processes)
3. Use Performance metrics
4. Don?t Sell, Softly Promote
5. Phish, where the Phish are?
A little further down, there's a heading for each "P". Here's the heading and the entire text for "Phish":
Quote
Phish
- Facebook has 400 million users
That's it. Nothing more. Just what we need, a Social Media Workshop that tells the boss to phish on Facebook! Maybe I should send him the definition of "phish" as found on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing).
Sounds like whoever was running that Social Media Workshop was "phishing" for dollars (with success).
What a load of crap!
It should be obvious but it might be a bad idea to trick potential customers into buying something.
Yeah, I dunno what they actually discussed. My guess is that the people running the workshop don't actually understand the meaning of "phishing". The worst part, in my mind, is that we're not in an industry where you get lots of people to buy little programs for a couple bucks each - we're selling software and hardware that costs thousands to tens of thousands of dollars at a time, and we're selling it to very non-technical customers.
Funniest tech support story so far:
We sell ruggedized touchscreen workstations that are typically installed in cattle barns. These are normally internet-connected. We were trying to get data from one, but when trying to run software remotely it kept registering a contact on one part of the screen. We called up the ranch and asked them to go check the workstation. Turns out a cat died on top of the workstation and its head was on that part of the screen!
Dumbest tech support story so far:
We support COBOL-based auction market software. A customer called up complaining that they couldn't record a particular auction item. The tech asked the customer to check the network connection by looking at the back of the machine to see if the network cable was unplugged. The machine was sitting on a desk, so he knew it should be easy to see. The customer replied that they had to get a flashlight first. The tech, somewhat surprised that a flashlight would be needed to see the back of a machine sitting on a desk in a brightly lit room, waited for the customer to get the flashlight. The customer eventually came back to the phone with a flashlight in hand and asked what color the network cable would be. The tech said the color, then asked why a flashlight was needed. The customer explained that the auction market's power had gone out because of a car that ran into the power pole outside. The tech calmly explained that computers need electricity, so until the power was restored the customer would not be able to record anything.
I can't see either of these customers keeping up with our new Facebook page to see what our latest software does.
Isn't it frightening that the longer we are in IT the more work seems like a Dilbert cartoon?
Yes, very frightening. Mostly because Scott Adams has already cornered the market on funny IT cartoons so I can't make any money there so I have to stay in IT. :P
I dunno, I think http://notinventedhe.re/ can be funny.
Quote from: Lazybones on May 09, 2010, 04:44:52 PM
Isn't it frightening that the longer we are in IT the more work seems like a Dilbert cartoon?
especially this...
Quote from: Thorin on May 09, 2010, 01:59:35 PM
asked why a flashlight was needed. The customer explained that the auction market's power had gone out because of a car that ran into the power pole outside.
"Why won't this monitor turn on, dammit! The power's out, and I need it's light to see what I'm doing!"
Quote from: Tom on May 09, 2010, 06:49:33 PM
I dunno, I think http://notinventedhe.re/ can be funny.
Funnycuzitstrue: http://notinventedhe.re/on/2010-4-20
(also from that, found a handful of gaming/coding related web comics, here: http://www.crispygamer.com/comics/ )
PS: anyone played the ST MMO? is this (http://www.crispygamer.com/comics/backward/backward-2009-11-25.aspx) basically accurate?
Thanks for that link, Tom.
Quote from: Thorin on May 10, 2010, 10:57:56 AM
Thanks for that link, Tom.
My pleasure. Its a pretty new commic. Found it via PvP iirc.
in response to the thread title, ain't a pity that at your job you can't just keeping going "back to the well (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Expy)"? ;)
Quote from: Darren Dirt on May 14, 2010, 05:26:23 PM
in response to the thread title, ain't a pity that at your job you can't just keeping going "back to the well (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Expy)"? ;)
I hate you. I hate you a lot.
Btw, found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPzxHWre4M8 through that link (sorta, been a couple hours since I clicked that first link).
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 05:02:35 AM
Quote from: Darren Dirt on May 14, 2010, 05:26:23 PM
in response to the thread title, ain't a pity that at your job you can't just keeping going "back to the well (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Expy)"? ;)
I hate you. I hate you a lot.
Btw, found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPzxHWre4M8 through that link (sorta, been a couple hours since I clicked that first link).
See if all of Naruto was like that I'd watch it more! hahaha
Quote from: Mr. Analog on May 15, 2010, 09:22:13 AM
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 05:02:35 AM
Quote from: Darren Dirt on May 14, 2010, 05:26:23 PM
in response to the thread title, ain't a pity that at your job you can't just keeping going "back to the well (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Expy)"? ;)
I hate you. I hate you a lot.
Btw, found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPzxHWre4M8 through that link (sorta, been a couple hours since I clicked that first link).
See if all of Naruto was like that I'd watch it more! hahaha
Yeah, I found the whole series of parodies hilarious.
/me is still stuck in TvTropes :(
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 09:56:29 AM
Quote from: Mr. Analog on May 15, 2010, 09:22:13 AM
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 05:02:35 AM
Quote from: Darren Dirt on May 14, 2010, 05:26:23 PM
in response to the thread title, ain't a pity that at your job you can't just keeping going "back to the well (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Expy)"? ;)
I hate you. I hate you a lot.
Btw, found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPzxHWre4M8 through that link (sorta, been a couple hours since I clicked that first link).
See if all of Naruto was like that I'd watch it more! hahaha
Yeah, I found the whole series of parodies hilarious.
/me is still stuck in TvTropes :(
TVTropes is like that :D
Quote from: Mr. Analog on May 15, 2010, 10:02:07 AM
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 09:56:29 AM
Quote from: Mr. Analog on May 15, 2010, 09:22:13 AM
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 05:02:35 AM
Quote from: Darren Dirt on May 14, 2010, 05:26:23 PM
in response to the thread title, ain't a pity that at your job you can't just keeping going "back to the well (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Expy)"? ;)
I hate you. I hate you a lot.
Btw, found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPzxHWre4M8 through that link (sorta, been a couple hours since I clicked that first link).
See if all of Naruto was like that I'd watch it more! hahaha
Yeah, I found the whole series of parodies hilarious.
/me is still stuck in TvTropes :(
TVTropes is like that :D
Yeah, well at least its giving me something to do. Been looking at it since like 3 am.
Quote from: Mr. Analog on May 15, 2010, 10:02:07 AM
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 09:56:29 AM
/me is still stuck in TvTropes :(
TVTropes is like that :D
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 05:02:35 AM
I hate you. I hate you a lot.
I know, right?
I warned you all earlier in this thread (http://forums.righteouswrath.com/index.php/topic,7334.msg47581.html#msg47581)... >:D (as did Tonnica, last year (http://forums.righteouswrath.com/index.php/topic,6942.msg44770.html#msg44770)) -- at the present time I have maybe 37* tabs open in Chrome, almost all TVTropes pages -- and I just skim the "Film" and "Live TV" sections, it STILL takes me forever to "finish" with a page! (it's like re-living the fun, simple times in my past... and us Old Farts have to do that a lot, anything we can do to reduce our Curmudgeon Level...)
*I'm not
old
Quote from: Darren Dirt on May 15, 2010, 12:54:36 PM
Quote from: Mr. Analog on May 15, 2010, 10:02:07 AM
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 09:56:29 AM
/me is still stuck in TvTropes :(
TVTropes is like that :D
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 05:02:35 AM
I hate you. I hate you a lot.
I know, right? I warned you all earlier in this thread (http://forums.righteouswrath.com/index.php/topic,7334.msg47581.html#msg47581)... >:D (as did Tonnica, last year (http://forums.righteouswrath.com/index.php/topic,6942.msg44770.html#msg44770)) -- at the present time I have maybe 37* tabs open in Chrome, almost all TVTropes pages -- and I just skim the "Film" and "Live TV" sections, it STILL takes me forever to "finish" with a page! (it's like re-living the fun, simple times in my past... and us Old Farts have to do that a lot, anything we can do to reduce our Curmudgeon Level...)
*I'm not old
Nearly 12 hours of tropeing.. Now why does that sound like I'm on something?
I've actually spent most of the time looking at anime related things. Go figure ;D Though the tropes I look at aren't specific to anime, I tend to only really be interested in the anime section of examples.
Just finished off the long long page on "Screwed by the Network", and the various links that lead from that. Now I only have 4 topes tabs open. It was over 10-20 at one point.
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 02:43:37 PM
Now I only have 4 topes tabs open. It was over 10-20 at one point.
amateur. I'd KILL for getting mine down to 10-20 ;)
Quote from: Darren Dirt on May 16, 2010, 02:30:09 AM
Quote from: Tom on May 15, 2010, 02:43:37 PM
Now I only have 4 topes tabs open. It was over 10-20 at one point.
amateur. I'd KILL for getting mine down to 10-20 ;)
I tried quite hard not to go too overboard actually. I pretty much only bothered following REALLY interesting links, and read the anime examples. If I tried to read everything, I'd be spending the next week tropesing around on that site.
I suddenly have great sympathy for Hollywood marketing drones...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BetterThanItSoundsFilm
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BetterThanItSoundsLiveActionTV
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BetterThanItSounds
^ some "normal life" stuff is quite funny.
For example: "The constant repetition of an act that intakes a deadly and addictive poison on principle, can cause internal bleeding and hemmhorage if done improperly, and significantly increases the carbon footprint of every person who does it. Any attempt to stop results in painful and invariably fatal withdrawal."
= "Breathing."
A coworker of mine sent me a link to How To Deal With Distractions in the Web Worker's World (http://lifehacker.com/5593523/deal-with-distractions-in-a-web-workers-world?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+lifehacker/full+(Lifehacker)&utm_content=Google+Reader). It's a great little article, but what really caught my attention was the idea of keeping a Daily Accomplishments log.
One of the complaints I have about where I work now is that there is no recognition when you've accomplished something (see XKCD's Academia vs Business (http://xkcd.com/664/)), so keeping track of personal accomplishments has a surprisingly positive effect on my morale. Maybe that'll keep me from being so bored.
I have found that you have to do the job for self gratification. I've written numerous core pieces now that have all just worked and not heard a word about it from our clients. Our team and project lead recognize the work which is very much appreciated (and it sounds like what might be lacking from where you are?) but every time we hear from the clients it's always complaints about software no one on the team was responsible for creating...
Yeah, it's recognition from peers and immediate managers that's sorely lacking here. We're all silos, so we don't even know what the other people are working on. We used to do a daily stand-up, but that's gone by the wayside and no one else seems to miss it. Silos.
Quote from: Thorin on July 23, 2010, 04:24:25 PM
Yeah, it's recognition from peers and immediate managers that's sorely lacking here. We're all silos, so we don't even know what the other people are working on. We used to do a daily stand-up, but that's gone by the wayside and no one else seems to miss it. Silos.
Well, hopefully other opportunities present themselves. Sadly there are those out there who just want to bury themselves into a nice, dead, rut.
Quote from: Mr. Analog on July 23, 2010, 02:45:09 PM
I have found that you have to do the job for self gratification. I've written numerous core pieces now that have all just worked and not heard a word about it from our clients. Our team and project lead recognize the work which is very much appreciated (and it sounds like what might be lacking from where you are?) but every time we hear from the clients it's always complaints about software no one on the team was responsible for creating...
I personally like emailing myself (to my personal gmail) a code snippet that I'm especially proud of, and type a comment within the email body along the lines of "I rule" or something, seriously... when it's something that I know was tough "win", or just came through perfectly and I know came from being in the "Zone" for a long period of time, or was accomplished after some really tough bug eluded me for a while.
Also I'll sometimes put something self-congratulating in the comments of that code snippet, so months or years later when I'm maintaining something around it, I'll see that and smile, and remember how good it felt to gitrdun.
Seriously, I do this stuff. I never thought it was weird or abnormal. One of the few places I don't seem to see reality skewed and distorted by overwhelming, suffocating self-doubt. That and when a certain poker session just goes exactly perfectly my way and again I want to capture that feeling of awesomeness and self-pride. Life can be a downer without the occasional reminder of times in the past when our personal, direct efforts made things go right and everything just "clicked".
PS:
Quote from: Thorin on July 23, 2010, 12:00:11 PM
(see XKCD's Academia vs Business (http://xkcd.com/664/))
fyi: "0x5f375a86" = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_inverse_square_root
I started using trac for a couple of my projects. It has helped a lot with productivity and self satisfaction. Every time I tick off something big it gives me goose bumps ;D And I can look at the various different views of all the "issues", or the time line to see just what I've been doing.
Its a boost for morale if you can actually see your progress. Specially if you're working on some large component that won't be "finished" for months.
edit: wow, amazing/sad that there's a need for a site like this one: http://www.explainxkcd.com/ (the majority of the COMMENTS are clearly provided by smart folks though -- heck, half of them go over my head ;) )
http://www.explainxkcd.com/2009/11/18/academia-vs-business/ is of course there.
Wish there were more CS/programming comics; see http://www.explainxkcd.com/category/computer-science/ and http://www.explainxkcd.com/category/programming/.
PS: thx to one of the comments, found out that Google can haz sense of humour: http://www.google.com/search?q=recursion
Hah! I e-mail myself code snippets all the time. Sometimes I post them (sans context). In fact one of my favorite storage facilities for a Javascript quicksort I wrote a while back is right here.