Tuesday, 7 October 2008

Random thoughts for the day

When we people stop telling me what we can't do and start telling me how we *can* do it!

How did such a plodder get to be the ILMS systems guru?  And why did he get so shirty at me when I picked up the ideas, went off on lateral thinking and suggested ways to improve his processes - all in under an hour?

Why when an anemic twit without an ounce of body fat on her complains of being cold, everyone else in the office has to check their air vents when the place is a really nice 23 degrees ....

Finally - when will somebody tell Jack Frost that its time to move to the Northern Hemisphere?  Either that or Melbourne is Hell - because it has certainly frozen over in the last couple of days.

42 comments:

Claire EJ said...

Nooo, it's too early for frost...a good month or so too early down south here.
Sorry it's icky for you there, weather is so hit and miss these days...

The tech guy....typical tech guy....sighs

Melissa Hicks said...

Oh I am going to rant and vent sooo much about this tech guy !!!

Only question is - do I rant here on my blog - or do I ring Stephen tonight and vent at him personally because being a tech guy he would understand ????

Claire EJ said...

Both...

Stephen Silk said...

Way to generalise dear heart :-)

Melissa Hicks said...

What ???? I'm good at generalizing ......

Anyway its db admin stuff - you *would* understand!

Know a good website that teaches how to query Access databases via SQL commands in three easy steps?

Stephen Silk said...

This may be true, but... :-)

I'll look up what I have and email you.

Melissa Hicks said...

I noticed you still haven't answered the question - do you want a rant tonight so you can help me understand the tech guys point of view - or just want me to rant here where you can ignore it :) :) :) :)

Stephen Silk said...

I'll call you so you can rant :-)

Melissa Hicks said...

Awwww - LOVE YOU !!!!!

Melissa Hicks said...

Even if you do make me listen to country music with lyrics like:

As a thunderstorm rehearses
I can hear you humming verses
of Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov.

Trish Froggatt said...

Hang in there. If it's any consolation, it's -2C this morning here, and YES, there is frost. Might even have to scrape the windshield unless the sun comes out soon.

Jim Westlake said...

We have wall to wall rain at the moment. As for techie guy, just tell him there is a world outside of his own little myopic part of it. I discovered that a few years ago, now I just want to stop being a tech!

Claire EJ said...

It's dry here Jim...grey and windy but no wet stuff as yet...watch me eat my words in 5mins time.

Rosanne Derrett said...

It's piddling with rain here and blowing. Sat warm and snuggled on the sofa having had a lovely bath.
I'm an ex-pat techie - I dug an escape tunnel and found something maginally less geeky to do!
Don't moan about the music Mel - mine is into Elvis, Tammy Wynette and Bob Marley at the momen with a bit of Enya thrown in.

Mariann Mäder said...

Bears the question whether you want to unload all that shit on your beloved? If Stephen can take it I'd say, go ahead, or do both even, LOL!

On the other hand, if you rant here on your blog he can still pick it up :-))

Mariann Mäder said...

EEEEK! Luckily we're not there yet! Snowed down to 1000m altitude, but we're still around 10 to 15 degrees and they said it would get to almost 20°C in the afternoon today...

Golden October takes place right now

Paula Hubert said...

It was frosty here this morning - I think Jack's doing double time at the moment!

As for the tech stuff - well - it does seem to be a universal trait! (Sorry Stephen!) Just have done a bit of battle with one of ours as well...

Karen R said...

Hey, I resemble one of those people, kinda - but at least I have the courtesy to just turn my heater on and/or put my sweater on. regardless of how much insulation I add, I'm just cold. That's why I'm trying to get to the desert Southwest - loves my dry heat!

*Some* tech guys spend so much time inside the box, they can't see the box anymore. And then you have tech guys like mine, who spends so much time telling you about all the cool stuff he can do, but never actually does anything - and what he does do, ends up needing to be fixed by another tech guy, who's first question is always "Who worked on this machine?" And that's just the hardware guys; don't even get me started on the sw guys - 6 years of Oracle and we're still coming up with work-arounds, and no one can figure out the C++ error I have when I have Agile & Oracle open at the same time - since it followed me to my new machine that was built fresh, not copied from my old one... The TECH is out to GET ME!!!!

Claire EJ said...

Sounds entirely logical to me.

Karen R said...

Wow, a clean database - what a concept!!!! This is my fight daily, though I'm battling with a host of engineers in 4 different locations throughout the country, and every division has different "interpretations" of how to put the data in and what it really means. And a couple of the pinheads in our corporate office got a big promotion to database admin out of it, and don't have any clue how it really works or how Agile & Oracle have to work together in order to build & ship product - it just freakin' kills me! But, me & the boss just got moved under the corporate umbrella, so maybe that promotion is in my future, too, if the people on the left coast are paying attention....

Good for you - go get 'em!! I don't know how the 1s and 0s line up, either, but I know when it's broken (hear me whinge more in the coming weeks as we prepare for the next upgrade - being a superuser, I'm also a tester, and one of only 2 that tests the interface between our two systems - I hate testing, though it is kinda mindless and a nice break from gotta-have-it-now).

Melissa Hicks said...

Yeah a clean database - its a concept that boggles the mind!

How about trying to fix 11,000 records: His "automated" fix only fixes 6000 and actually adds another 5000 dodgy records to the system which will need to be removed by hand and reentered manually by members of *my* team. This will takes weeks of work.

Can we say epic fail!

Melissa Hicks said...

Oooh cross fingers for you especially if it means more money and less stress :) :) :)

Claire EJ said...

Please tell me he's not called "Kev".

Melissa Hicks said...

Worse - Richard - hence the phrase DICK head ....

Mariann Mäder said...

I once had the chance to work together with a programmer to build up a whole new Access database, which we used on one side for our clients' addresses and on the other side for these clients' ships, aeroplanes or fixed radio stations. We had more than 3000 clients' addresses, sometimes with several addresses to one person, and several thousand radio stations. My colleagues at the station were using the database to collect the records of all the calls. They entered the call signs of the radio stations and all the needed rest came up for them if the respective call sign was already there, added the new details if it wasn't. I only had to look through the list for the new call signs every day and add those to the database when necessary. I could bar them (we've had a good number of frauds to deal with!) and once a month I could collect the whole caboodle and print out reports as invoices. So over all a pretty complex thing.

I have to say that I *loved* the ride and that the programmer was not only helpful, he really taught me a lot about the technical sides, too. I've actually always had a good chemistry with the techies, understand *them* way better than the managers!!!

I can understand your hassle, Mel! Nothing as annoying as someone who just wants to do his thing, because he can't look beyond his own (limited) knowledge when you could get to the real problem and solve it together. I know it's sharing the glamour, but what's so wrong with that? Working in a team means working together and taking glory as well as blame together.

How someone can be so limited is beyond my understanding.

Jim Westlake said...

Note to self, don't talk techie with Mel next year.

Melissa Hicks said...

Well if Stephen turns up for the UK leg of the trip - you may not be able to help yourself - or you will all talk photography at him and I'll be in the poor house as he buys all the photography gadgets you and Steve have :):)

Jim Westlake said...

Could that explain why I have no money I wonder?

Melissa Hicks said...

LOL - name me one person that you are friends with that doesn't have a hobby that keeps them broke :) :) :)

Jim Westlake said...

Sadly I can, he's called Colin. Colin has engineered his life such that he has as many toy's and holiday's as he can whilst at the same time doing (on the face of it) as little as possible to pay for it. That paints a picture of an indollent wastrel which he's not at, just worked hard for a good number of years and now does not need to work so much, if at all in fact.

Stephen Silk said...

Serial killing's cheap. Can be done with everyday household items. And they don't even have to be yours! :->

Melissa Hicks said...

Yes Jim - this is the exact same guy that sends me Cute Overload pics at every opportunity!

Stephen Silk said...

There's more ways to kill a cat than choking it with cream.

Melissa Hicks said...

I'm telling Trubs on you !!!!

Stephen Silk said...

So? She loves me :-)

Melissa Hicks said...

Yeah alright rub it in !!!!!!!

Next time you visit you'd better not leave - she's a pain after you go - pining for you! Its embarrassing !!!!

Stephen Silk said...

Even after only one night too :-)

Melissa Hicks said...

So just imagine what you're going to put her through at Christmas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stephen Silk said...

We're not projecting on the cat are we?? ;-p

Melissa Hicks said...

Unfortunately no .....

You know *I* miss you - but good grief - my cat has has no shame !!!!

Stephen Silk said...

I'm going to bite my lip here :-D

Jim Westlake said...

Steady on there, we'll have to give due consideration to withdrawing his man privileges. lol

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