Retweet April 2009

From time to time I just blast tweets about software development, project planning, team dynamics, or whatever else comes to mind. Here is a synopsis of recent tweets and rants. If you want to follow the conversation follow me at techknow and I’ll be sure to follow back.

Programming

  • The way recent Ruby conference have been shaping up, I think RailsConf 2009 will have strippers giving presentations on cache girth and performance.
  • What is it that you enjoy about programming? Is it the language, the libraries, the framework, the tools, or the community?
  • What is your favorite code editor? On Windows I use Eclipse and NetBeans. On OS X I use Aptana and Komodo Edit.
  • There are many self proclaimed programming laws, my law states: Any hack that can name a law after himself should be arrested under that law.
  • I just heard a new variation to the infamous developer excuse ‘It works on my computer.’ Just heard, ‘I’ve never tried it on that computer.’
  • I think software bugs like wild animals can smell fear!
  • Herding bugs and bytecode!
  • I would like to use a Eclipse plugin that is a Twitter client.
  • JavaScript + jQuery UI + Google Gears + Twitter API = Yet Another Twitter Client! Juixe Tweetbox
  • I don’t have a golden hammer, I have a golden jackhammer and when that is not enough I bring out the golden bulldozer!
  • Alas, hacks make the world turn.
  • Hacking away at a hack. I that like a compound hack?
  • Is Scala the new Ruby? Is Scala the new Scheme?
  • Some people like texting, others sexting, I like hexting.


Business

  • Just as possesion is nine-tenths of the law, bullshit is nine-tenths of confidence.
  • Many companies don’t easily see past their bottom line to see new markets.
  • Ideas are like stocks, there are those that pay dividends ideas, blue chip ideas, and high risk/big return ideas. Foster idea market…
  • People mistake success/fail as binary, on/off or 0/1. I think of it more like analog, a continuum, or gradient.
  • (idea + passion + work + network + hustle + creativity + design + timing + market + … + luck – drama) * C^2 = probability of success.
  • It is a good idea to file chapter 11 bankruptcy on your assumptions every few years!
  • Even though you may be heads down on a task, keep your ears to the ground and your eyes on the ball.
  • It seems that the more you spend the more you want, worst is when you just want to spend more even when you don’t want.
  • Don’t re-invent the wheel, just streamline the manufacturing process, develop new distribution channel, outsource production, and trim cost.
  • There is no such thing as money making, just money earning, business ideas.
  • Those looking to make a quick buck are those that are mist likely willing to buy into ‘money making’ businesses.
  • Your current job is where you go to get training, experience, and references for your next job.
  • Why is it that when people say ‘save over time’ they really mean ‘pay now’ or ‘pay up front?’
  • First we had static URLs, then URLs with database IDs, then SEO URLs, now every service wants to provide short/tiny URLs.
  • It is not enough to see an opportunity, you need to feel it and believe in it to make the most out of it.
  • Everybody has certain opportunities, some take advantage of them, others extend them to others, what about opportunity arbitrage?

Team

  • Rough day, we had to let go 10% of our workforce, which for a small team feels like 20%.
  • Don’t throw anyone under the bus just so you can ride the money train.
  • The first sign of a failing project is when intimidation is used as motivation.
  • Give your team the platform to step up!
  • We may not always agree on the right solution but it would help if we agree on the problem at hand.
  • Being your own cheerleader is better than being someone else’s cheer follower!
  • It hard work being your own cheerleader BUT IF CAN’T DO IT NO ONE CAN!!!! FTW!!!
  • I think there is a Murphy’s Law related to that. The more you slog for a release the more it will be delayed.
  • There is so much in team projects than could go wrong that having unrealistic expectations only contributes to likelihood of failure.
  • A happy team is more likely to succeed than a depressed, grumpy, and tired team.
  • When someone tries to shut you down with an argument that starts "When I was at …" your reply should start "And you left because …"
  • Sometimes team meetings are not FTW.
  • A question I ask myself every workday, am I filling a gap or adding value?
  • Being in your comfort zone is not the same thing as bing ‘in the zone.’

Smart and Gets it Done

  • The problem with ‘smart and gets it done’ engineers is that they often are too smart and what they get done is too technical.
  • It is not just about getting more done, it is about getting more done right!
  • What you want is ‘smart, fosters communication to find the correct solution for the target audience, and gets it done’ sort of engineer.
  • When you hire smart people that get things done the following equation holds true: respect + responsibility = results!
  • What are the active ingredients in a dynamic team? Respect and responsibility!

Product Placement

  • If Apple ported iTunes and Safari to Windows, why don’t they just port all their iWork and iLife software?
  • When Apple changed their name from Apple Computers to Apple, they should have called themselves iApple.
  • Just got 97 Things Every Software Architect Should Know for the Kindle.
  • My favorite free iPhone apps are: Kindle for iPhone, TwitterFon, Skype, Bloomberg, iTalk, MiniPiano.
  • iPhone apps I am going to have try out: TED, CameraBag, Galcon, iFighter.
  • Who would have thought that the Craigslist Killer was not the newspaper biz or competitive social media web services but a actual killer.
  • Vista froze up on me like a deer stuck in the headlights of the blue screen of death.
  • When Windows 7 comes out there will be this many Windows versions in use: Windows 7 (6 editions) + Vista (6 editions) + xp (5 editions) + …
  • If Windows gives ou a rash, then the cure is Ubuntu, or if your health insurance covers it OS X.
  • Ever noticed how only large multinational conglomerates are the only ones that sponsor Sunday morning political shows?
  • If AMD, UBS, GE, Chevron, Boeing sponsor and lobby to Sunday morning political talk shows who else do these companies lobby to?
  • Google should release Google Gears on the iPhone.
  • Okay, I just managed to sign up to try Google App Engine for Java.
  • Booya! My Google App Engine for Java account has been activated! Okay, now what do I do?
  • Having theraflu, it taste like vaporub.
  • Peeps taste like sea foam covered in knockoff splenda!

DiggBar

  • It is nice that Digg has those short URLs but it should send you to the actual page without the DiggBar hanging around like a third wheel.
  • Anybody like the DiggBar? Are they link hijacking producers content?
  • It seems like the DiggBar is just a way for Digg to inject their own adds in other peoples content.
  • If you add up the browser location, bookmark, and tab bars, plus site banner, and now DiggBar wants to steal precious real estate.
  • Has the DiggBar become Digg’s Second Intifada?
  • I can’t keep up with all these fails. First there was #failwhale then #failbook then #DiggBarSucks aka #DoucheBar and now #amazonfail
  • If you unfollow someone because they post a URL using Digg, is that discrimination of there social network preference?
  • The Inconvenient Truth About Digg’s DiggBar: http://tinyurl.com/dneg9e
  • The fail revolution will not be televised, it will go viral on the interwebz: The DiggBar Uprising: http://tinyurl.com/djb2jp
  • Not really a scientific poll or survey but 19 out of 20 tweets hate the DiggBar