Starting Over (Again)

Posted on May 31, 2008 | Filed Under Work, Programming

Starting a new job at a new company is always a tad bit stressful. And, in my current position I’ll be working as a contractor which I’ve never done. Right now I think that it’s working just fine except for not getting the best digs within the company. (I prefer to have my own desk…but that’s just me. :-) )

Anyway, one of the things that I’ve noticed about my current and previous employer is the very strange enterprise architecture they choose. Or, maybe I should say, the architecture they stumble upon. I’m always left with the feeling that it’s all a little haphazard.

I mean, I love writing software in Perl. And I love having job security due to dozens of core, middleware services that all do similar things. But, come on, couldn’t things be designed and thought out thoroughly before plunking down tons of dollars and time to create these monstrosities? And shouldn’t different technologies be investigated before writing a many-many-thousand-line prototype? And why does everyone have to settle on XML as a message format, and then stack that on top of something else that provides its own communications format (like XML-RPC and TIBCO’s RV messaging) that also uses XML? That’s sort of like trying to do VOIP over an old-style modem connection.

Sigh. Oh, well. I guess we as software developers get to create our own job security instead of trying to do things the best way.

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Moving On

Posted on May 9, 2008 | Filed Under Work

Changing jobs is a tough thing. Even when you feel that it’s the correct move, the idea of leaving good teammates and coworkers behind has a semblance of death to it. I’m sure there’s probably an article out there that describes the psychological aspects of this. But I’ll just say that it’s a little sad even when it’s a voluntary move.

One thing that I read recently that made me feel slightly better was this article (http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Up-or-Out-Solving-the-IT-Turnover-Crisis.aspx). Until I read it I had doubts that I should leave my current employer. But thinking about the Dead Sea effect, and critically thinking about whether I had moved past my “Value Apex”, I realized that regardless of internal politics and mismanagement I needed to leave. Otherwise, I risked becoming part of the Dead Sea effect.

Something all companies should pay attention to:

This point bears repeating. Indefinite retention is impossible; employees always quit. The key part is understanding why, and how to leverage this inevitability towards everyone’s advantage.

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Working for “The Man”

Posted on May 17, 2007 | Filed Under Work

Scenario:

  1. Current employer is in the middle of a buy-out, and it decides to reorganize all of its I.T. employees.
  2. Former employer (who I was thinking of moving back toward) re-organized a few months ago, and it’s now just announced a buy-out.

What does this mean? Abso-frickin’-lutely nothing. It’s par for the course. And it’s part of working for the proverbial “man”. How did the average American worker end up working for the soulless, life-sucking thing called a “corporation”. I honestly have no idea, and sadly I think it’s the case of the means justifying the end.

<sigh>

:(

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Fidel (pt. 2)

Posted on April 30, 2007 | Filed Under Work

I was sent this link today. Someone put much more thought into the ecosystem of the corporate IT world. Although some I’ve talked with might think of the Fidel as a feces-flinging primate, I believe he’s more like the result of a barracuda and porcupine mating. And, please, don’t try to imagine that. :)

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Oh, Fidel!

Posted on March 29, 2007 | Filed Under Work

So, what should you do when you work with a Fidel?

That’s his code name because I’ve come to realize he has his own dictatorship. In the short time on my current team (and company), I’ve come to realize that he essentially has his own fiefdom. I suppose due to the ever-changing managers and personnel of our team Fidel has carved out his niche as the go-to guy in many respects. If that were his only trait, maybe his nickname would be Ghandi, Pope, or Carter (Jimmy).

Instead, though, Fidel has exploited his knowledge, and asserts his power needlessly. If someone comes up with an idea that Fidel didn’t already first consider then it can’t be a good idea. If something happens that Fidel doesn’t consider important, then it isn’t important. And if you do need info from Fidel’s infinite wisdom one must be patient–for Fidel is a busy dictator with little time for his plebes.

And today I apparently angered Fidel by placing this image from this website on our team’s wiki. We are a user-support team, and I thought everyone could appreciate it and find the humor in it. However, Fidel didn’t like this because I had usurped his power over the wiki.

Of course, Fidel didn’t order me shot, maimed, or even a corporate scolding. Instead he hid behind the facade of “management might not like it. ” Come on, Fidel! If you’re going to be a humorless ass at least have the gumption to be honest about it….or attempt an execution. :)

P.S. I did notice that I wasn’t consistent with historical social terms of plebes, dictator, and fiefdom.

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