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Skills: Technology vs Business by hannes

According to me one of the biggest pitfalls when getting stuck on a project is the fact that you loose out on widening your development skills by inadvertently trading it for business knowledge. As a free roaming consultant this is something that you should guard against because it’s more likely that for your next job interview, people will be more interested in your I.T. skills than your business knowledge. Let me explain. The initial project phase is inherently unstable. This is when architecture...
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Restructuring by hannes

Yesterday was a bleak Monday for our project. Due to organization restructuring it looks like we lost our project manager, two out of our four business analyst, the test manager and a tester. Next on the chopping block are the system analysts, developers and more testers. Working in IT you must realize that the financial rewards can be huge but so are the risks. Unfortunately this is easily forgotten when you get into a comfort zone. You like to tell yourself that you are good at what you do and...
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Delvera by hannes

Yesterday we had the first power outage for the winter in Cape Town so we took the opportunity to go for a drive in wine lands. Friends told us to visit Delvera , just outside Stellenbosch. We had a very nice lunch under the autumn trees at Temara's Restaurant . Afterwards we bough some plants at the nursery at very reasonable prices. A Sunday afternoon well spent. Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
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Pressure by hannes

pres·sure / pr ɛʃ ər / Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation [ presh -er ] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation noun, verb, -sured, -sur·ing. –noun 1. the exertion of force upon a surface by an object, fluid, etc., in contact with it: the pressure of earth against a wall. 2. Physics . force per unit area. Symbol: P Compare stress (def. 6) . 3. Meteorology . atmospheric pressure. 4. Electricity . electromotive force. 5. the state of being pressed or compressed. 6. harassment; oppression...
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Investment Guarentees by hannes

Yesterday I had a very interesting conversation with someone about knowledge investment. Let me explain, I work for an I.T. body shop as a System Analyst. Currently I do work in the life insurance industry but I also have experience in retail and construction. My knowledge as an IT person got two sides. On the one side I have knowledge of the business / industry in which I work and on the other side I have technical knowledge and skills to perform my job. Gaining the business knowledge is more difficult...
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Kobus, irony and Lions by hannes

On Friday last week we got a puppy, a 2 month old border collie. My wife called him Kobus, don’t ask my why. Well Kobus kept us busy most of the weekend, not that he’s naughty but because he’s a puppy. Don’t you think it’s ironic that our health minister seems to be very ill from symptoms that remind you of a virus infection that she and her government deny are a problem? Wonder if she is going to take her own advice and try and treat it with traditional medicine, not that we’ll ever know the real...

4 out of 5, IE7 and expensive toys with low ROI. by hannes

Well the past weekend was properly one of the best weekends SA rugby had in a long time in the S14. SA teams won 4 of there 5 matches, only the Bulls lost due to there own arrogance. What was exciting was the number of times that the backline players got to run with the ball. The last couple of years SA teams tended to play mostly with there forwards, neglecting the backs. During the weekend I installed IE7 and it really looks much better then IE6. There is much more richness in the pages that are...
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A mix by hannes

The big time Came across Founders at work via Joel on Software blog-post . Interesting and inspiring reading if you want to know how these guys in IT made it big. Test yourself If you are a Microsoft developer test your skills here . I did not score to well. Adventure One of my dreams is to travel across the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. To do it you would need some serious transportation. If you only want a 4 x 4 for an adventure check out Britz Africa for rentals. Hobby Now this is cool . I got...
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Flat tyres and TV by hannes

Last weekend I went to visit a friend on holiday at Wortelgat near Stanford . We had a lovely time spending the day on the lagoon and enjoying the company of friends. On the way back we had a flat wheel which is not crisis unless your car’s boot did not want to open. Well with some effort we got the wheel out through the Polo’s back seat. McCarthy VW, Parow, fixed the boot for us. Apart from the fact the boot still does not want to open with key the service that we received was pretty good for South...
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Lately by hannes

Lately a lot of my blog posts were about things that are wrong in South Africa. I don’t want to become another moaning South African and politicize what happing here. Unfortunately it’s difficult not speak about things that affect me. We kept quite to long. Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
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Standing together by hannes

According to an article the newspaper, Die Burger , the SAIRR (South African Institute for Race Relationships) are keeping an eye on the song De La Ray. The reason is that it sets an example of the search for a leader and identity among young Afrikaners. So what? I ask myself. It all right for ANC and PAC youth to sing songs about killing the Boers but nothing gets ever said or done about it. So why is it a problem that the Afrikaner is searching for leadership, are some one afraid what might happen...

De La Rey by hannes

On a mountain in the night I lie in the dark and wait In the mud and the blood As cold rain clings to my pack And my house and my farm were burnt to the ground so they could capture our land But the flame and the fire that once burned now burn profundly within my heart. De La Rey, De La Rey come lead the Boer De La Rey, De La Rey General, General united with you we shall rise or we fall. General De La Rey. Against the soldiers that laugh A handful of us against an army of them With the cliffs of...

Crime on my doorstep by hannes

In a resent interview South African president, Thabo Mbeki said that he does not think crime is such a big problem in South Africa. Well I can understand why he thinks that, if I have a small army of body guards surrounding me everywhere I go I would also think crime does not exist. I considered myself a lucky South African, living in Cape Town, statically the murder capital of South Africa I’ve been little affected by crime so far. The only notice I take of crime is what I see on TV. and read in...

Words with meaning by hannes

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting"holy ***...what a ride!" Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
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Another year almost gone by hannes

Well, work-wise 2006 is almost a thing of the past for me , just one more day to go . This month also marks the second anniversary of my blog, it’s unbelievable how time just flies bye. 2007 is just around the corner and it promises to be another exiting year, so hold on, see you next in 2007! Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it!
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