Category Archives: Change

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July 31, 2011

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Orlando Coding Dojo 2011.07.30

After a bit of discussion the dojo group decided on the Python language – there are many others the group has used by in my experience it’s only been Python and Ruby, neither are easy to use for me.  Once the choice for language has been established the problem for this dojo was a Euler problem 7.

Ketema, the host of the dojo had setup TMUX to run the session.  Usually we have one PC that drives the coding through a projector that everyone can see.  With TMUX everyone got a session and could pilot and co-pilot their five minutes of coding on their own machines.  I’ve not seen this before, so this was one thing I took away wanting to figure out.

Once everyone got started it was about helping everyone else out that had not seen or used Python (myself included) or written a program before.  In some ways Python reminded me of my Ruby experience I had at the dojo last year.  The SMEs in the room were quick to help us understand why Python did it certain things, and how it can do things differently than Ruby.  This is where the dojo begins to add lots of value quickly.

If you’ve never written a program using a test first approach (aka TDD), this is something that will help you make sense of it all.  If you’re used to the term baby-steps and fire-engine-steps, these are baby-step coding sessions.  The group coding for roughly two hours and only put up about (excluding whitespace) 30 lines of code.  The best part about this was that almost every function and code block was discussed at length so all (I think) 11 of us understood why something had been coded the way it was – very cool!

This being my second dojo to attend, it was a another great experience and encouraged me to try a few things I haven’t done and to do the some of the things I currently do, better.

My favorite quotes came from one of Caike’s friends he had brought all the way from Brazil.  We (geeks) have heard the notion that we should keep functions/methods to ~10 lines of code.  The statement someone made enforce this tenet, but also my own idea that the third time you write (or refactor) it will be close to it best state whether it is 10 lines or not.

“When we try to keep our functions to 10 lines sometimes it causes us to write [poorer] code to achieve this.”  A few minutes later he stated this, “[In Rio] we use red, green, and blue.  Blue being the refactor step that gets us closer having better code.”  To paraphrase something else he mentioned code should be correct first, testable second, and elegant (readable/maintainable) third – in that order.

Again, just a great session of learning and sharing, stuff you can’t really get from a book and only from a community that wants to share and strive to become better developers than we were yesterday.

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June 13, 2011

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Know the rules, before you buy the tools

resharperI met Scott over three years ago and this was one of the quotes that stuck with me; not to mention he’s a very smart developer.

So over the last six months I turned off ReSharper and just used the refactoring tools in Visual Studio 2010.

I reached the place where I ‘m most annoyed at creating code that (ReSharper) short-cuts and macros can provide more quickly.

I did have a friend one time who shall remain nameless (you know who you are) that could type faster than Intellisense could on a wickedly fast machine; ReSharper literally slowed him down, yes, he was that fast of a typist.  If you’re that fast, don’t bother; if you’re one of the normal folks that can use some (non-Mavis Beacon) typing support, check it out.

As a PSA, I did try to upgrade a 4.x license I had purchased a few years ago; but the folks that were handling my order let me know that I had already purchased the upgrade and arranged for a full refund.  Hopefully you buy your tools from the same type of shop.

-ofc

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February 12, 2011

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It Could Be Much Worse

I’ve never been a physio-nerd at all; like following what my body is doing as I get older and if or when I should start worrying about stuff.  I decided to dive into a book and find out what’s in my near future for my age.  After 30, stuff happens, after 40 more and different stuff happens and so on, and so on.  I work with guys who are younger than me so I see what they are up against right now and kind of compare that to what my “physio-whatevers” were doing back then.  that has been a bit  of a white elephant but did convince me that everyone, yes Virginia, everyone is created differently.

I had someone recommend (can’t remember who, but I’m told that more exercise will increase short-term memory) a book about 40-something guys’ health stuff.  So I took their advice and decided to figure what’s going on b/c I can’t figure out what I think should be happening, and what I think shouldn’t be happening – that made no sense, but maybe exercise will help preventing making statements like that too.

Anyway, it’s go a lot of interesting facts backed up by this or that PhD or institute of something or other; it is interesting reading and it make sense when my brain tries to decipher each chapter.  Bottom line, I’m going to live; the other part of my findings so far is that I can live longer if I do and don’t do certain things.   Of course every single syllable sounds like common sense – but we know common is sense isn’t common; so I’m learning which is good and like I said just from what I learned so far, it could (totally) be much worse.

This month my first endeavor will be to join a Couch To 5K group at my company’s health center.  That should be fun, and rewarding according to this book.  I’ll let you know how it works out.

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January 22, 2011

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Moving On, Finally

I’ve been working with a team who will take over system support for a system my team has been building.  My team worried that we didn’t “deliver to the audience” while we delivered what we believe the customer wanted.

“Delivering to the audience” means, did we build something that developers (seasoned or not) could learn to understand, pick-up, and eventually own.  The big brass ring is always, can folks learn how to be more efficient or learn what not to do, with what we created – either case is still a valuable lesson.

 

This week we had three sessions.  Covered most everything we needed that exposed the patterns we used, and the ones we chose not to use.  Most of the dialog that came across the table led me to believe that they were going to get it, and it was going to sink in.  Our team who uses an unused executives office as a work room literally has an open door policy.  We stay available in IM and email contexts as well since most folks, developers in general, would rather communicate electronically.  The folks I met with this week seem to be more face-to-face and ready to get this stuff on them.  All good indicators that I can move off of this system with little or no ties to this system post-go-live.

So the goal here is to move back into what my team initially did, which I’m being told may change a bit in the future.  It sounds exciting and a bit spooky as well.  However, we enjoy being part of a larger strategy team that  helps folks learn how to be more efficient or learn what not to do, with what other folks (large and small software shops outside of our own shop) created by kicking tires and test-driving software in a real(our)world context.

I’ve always hated moving, but now I realize that not all moving is bad.  Sometime we have to move on, other times we’re asked or forced to move on; at least this time there are no boxes to unpack.

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January 20, 2011

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Hey, is this thing plugged in?

Well, I will admit I did give the PostADay challenge a good go, but I’ve come to realize I can make myself stare at my phone or pop open a “flash-post” in WP.  I just see myself moving farther away from sitting in front of my blog each day.  This has been a season the comes and goes for me, and I’ve seen my peers, near and far, just strike this balance of being plugged and unplugged.

So, I’ll keep the challenge going but only for a PostAWeek.  Hopefully, the ones I do post won’t read like their strained or distilled out of vague idea or thought.  Besides, what’s the sense in blogging if it’s going to be crap?  None.

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January 17, 2011

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And Now A Quote from Iago

 

"Iago"“When are we ever gonna get our hands on that stupid lamp!” This weekend was a great long weekend to sort more leftover baggage from 2010. Feels like I’ve dropped an easy 2 tons this weekend.

The whole “lamp” analogy is just about letting go of what I can’t reach, and honestly don’t want to. The idea right now is to just focus on “reach” – as in what I can reach, not “rich” which always seems to be much too expensive for me. Not in the sense of money, but mental currency.

Just this weekend I’ve had a very educational experience working on things that are within reach, and not the things that are so rich. Looking forward to rest of the week now.  Besides, I’m seeing that the rich stuff isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and ends up being very high maintenance, like that “stupid lamp”.

Happy Monday!

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January 12, 2011

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What about all this free time?

A friend of mine stopped in my office one day and he started a conversation about trying to help our division build or create free time in their week.  Free time so folks can work on a personal blue sky project for a whole or half day.  He told me something that blew the sweetener out of my coffee ( I like my coffee black), he said “of all the people I’ve spoken to, they have no idea nor are they interested in having free time at work to blue sky something”.

Now I’m no workaholic by any stretch, but I’ll pitch in if the dam is about to break, or if management says “go and do”.  There are things work related that I want to devote time to but can’t during the normal 9-10 stretch each day.  But after thinking more about this, maybe folks just want time to  think about nothing; For example, no mental challenges,  interacting with stuff we can’t ignore; not like turning off your smartphone, but more like turn off that TV inside your head that plays on some UHF channel static and all.

I’m actually rethinking my free time as well.  What would you do if you had a free 1/2 or whole day on the clock to work on a personal project at your shop?

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January 11, 2011

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Cabin On The Lake

Cabin On The Lake

My folks had an awesome idea recently.  They want to gather the family together and meet at a campsite with cabins for some fishing, hiking, and unplugging from todas las cosas!  How does that sound?  Umm, in a word awesome.  I will probably back date a few posts and get them to post over the week.  But, I’m sure I’ll keep my analog journal buzzing with stuff.

Over the years I hear about and know folks that are just in no big hurry to head back for some family get-together, and a (very) few others do and look forward to it over the holidays, but part of me thinks some genuine reconnecting  seems built-in; as in we want to (re)connect at least once a year with the folks that made us.

I took a week off and spent it working on house projects with my Dad and having long talks in the kitchen with my Mom about food, family, God, crime, radio, computers, weather; everything is on the table with my Mom; visiting sisters and nephews, and having lunch with my grand-daughter for the first time.

What a great week – my Dad’s mind is so sharp and building stuff with him is just a blast.  We laugh so hard at ourselves some times we couldn’t even swing a hammer and pound a nail in straight.  And my Mom really makes me laugh too – really good times.

But a week on a lake with a cabin; wake up and walk out on the end of a dock two minutes later and cast a line out onto a glass covered lake – that sounds great to me right now, well great anytime actually.

I really hope this trip works out, it will be a blast.  We stayed in cabins when I was seven and we all really just froze b/c there wasn’t any heat – and that was fun too. That cabin on a lake view and experience is blistered into my memory like it happened yesterday. I guess I like being outside, that probably helps, but I love being around my family, outside, more.

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January 9, 2011

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It’s farther than you think

Lake Apopka Loop

Lake Apopka Loop

Today we went to a local trail that was converted from unused railroad tracks.  It’s a loop that is farther than I’m sure, but it’s called the Lake Apopka Loop.  We started down the trail and really didn’t set out to do a full 20 miles, it was the first time we had all four bikes on the carrier (which was a bit of a Rubik’s cube) and on this particular trail.  20 miles it is.

Three hours later, and at almost complete exhaustion, we returned to the trail head where we started out.  If you look at the map to the right, we did the yellow line, back and forth 10-miles each way.

At the 1/2 way point cramps had already set in, by the time we reached the last incline before the trail head none of us had any drive left.  Hopefully the next time I take on a twenty-mile trek it won’t be so far.

What a great day for a ride, kind of chilly, definitely not hot however it felt like we rode into the wind going in both ways.

Great day, great ride.

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January 8, 2011

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Going Bald

On Monday I shaved my head.  The responses I received were very interesting, indeed.  Most folks I’ve worked with for years at my shop didn’t even recognize me while I was standing next to them in lunch lines or waiting for my turn at the drinking fountain.  Those closer to me had no response at all, just a “Oh, you shaved your head.” – that’s it.

So not to read too much into those responses, I think it’s just another type of measuring stick.  I’m glad I took the leap, so much seems so different now: the way the back of my head feels on the headrest in my car – the leather is actually much colder than I realized; the way my hoodie creates the sensation of a squirrel or mocking-bird (I’m in FL)  landing on my head or that they’ve dropped something on my head during a morning run.

Shaving is quite interesting as well – you have to go really slow or the morning gets weird really quick.  Remember the feeling of pizza mouth, you get a bit of really hot pizza stuck to the roof of your mouth?  The feeling in the roof of your mouth an hour later is what your head feels like if you rush.  I think everyone’s hides are different so YMMV.

The consensus from other head-shaved guys say they have “no intention of growing any hair back”, I’m there too.

Happy New Me.