October 2004 - Posts
I have not been here for a while, due to a number of reasons. One being, that if I had to read one more gloating blog entry of a certain Mr Rudolf Henning about t – how ever many seconds before he rocked off to tech – ed, I might have done something rather irresponsible. Ok, so I was jealous, still is that I couldn’t go… I am human ok? The photos look great though! Good to see that you at least had a good time Rudolf ;o)!
Another reason for my absence was my yearly Bronchitis episode. I even had the Dr worried this year. I’m still not quite myself. Prefer not talking at all, or else I start a coughing fit that scares anything that breathes around me. After I read about 3 fictional titles, I finally picked up my Writing Secure Code 2nd Edition. Mmmmm… This is a read and a half. I spent some of my Sunday afternoon on the first chapter. Luckily my folks dropped by and saved me from a certain security suicide.
This security thing, is some serious sh*t. From the first chapter, I’ve learned that I am basically f*cked:
1. I am a defender, therefore I have to defend all points and the weasel of an attacker can choose any point to come in and attack.
2. As a defender, I can only defend what I know about, the wart of an attacker can try and test all vulnerabilities.
3. As a defender, I have to be awake at all times, the lazy-ass-do-what-he-likes attacker can go to bed, have a rest, and then when he is bored decide to attack me. And last but not least
4. I as the defender have to play by the rules, where the vigilante of an attacker can do what ever he likes (like the Australian rugby team).
There are 700 more pages to go. I sure hope that there will be some sort of consolation prize somewhere there to help me out!
WARNING: Please consult your karma counselor before reading. It is wrist cutting, mind mucking kind of stuff.
In my stay of just over 25 years on this planet, I’ve had many turning points. Not major ones, but bringing forth enough karma that there is change. And to be honest, most of this has occurred since I left home at 18. I’ve never lived in one place more than 18 months and never worked at one company for more than 18 months (I am a contractor).
I’ve had two deep soul searching events happening: My godmother’s death, and (don’t laugh) 18 months later, a close friends death at the age of 25. I miss my godmother’s wisdom, her funny little sayings … her love. I miss my friend’s philosophies, his company and … I miss the feeling of being immortal. There was a time in my life where I could sit and stare out at the horizon, wondering what would appear there. And I’d sit and watch it, because may be something might appear from beyond it. Or I’d sit and look at the sky and wonder where it stops and what breathes behind the stars. But all of that changes when you realize: You are immortal and you are going to die. You won’t be here forever and watch the sky, or the horizon. There are way too much to be done, and just so little time.
I’m the kind of girl that would pack her all her belongings on a trailer, leave the lovely West Coast and drive 1100km to be with the man of her life in Kuruman. Just to get in my car 5 weeks later drive 1100km back to Cape Town, because he felt it would be better to live down here. I’m the kind of girl that would move from the excitement of London, to a small West Coast town – where the entire town’s population is more or less the same as that of the street I lived on in the UK.
I’ve been lucky. I’ve had a couple of brilliant opportunities and chances in my life – and I’ve fucked them up beautifully! But its ok, I survived and I’ve at least learned a hell of a lot from it. And if I look deep inside myself, I am a happy person. I have an amazing soul mate that wonders earth with me, and that is probably the best thing in this universe to have (and don’t worry, I’ll try not to muck that up, but he is such a saint, I doubt it that I would).
I’m at a turning point again, one with great opportunities attached to it. This whole year ahead is filled with them. Sometimes I am too afraid to close my eyes and sleep, because I’m afraid I’d miss something.
Mortality does have plusses though, if you fuck things up really bad, its not forever. And may be, there will be a next life time where you can do it better. Only thing is – I think I’ve been here a couple of times before, and I still manage to make really k@k choices! J
While cleaning my microwave this morning (I attempted one of my explosive dishes again, needless to give details on the outcome), I was thinking: The mind is an interesting thing. Ok, so may be my mind is interesting to me. It surprises and frustrates me equally.
I attended Ruari’s Western Cape OOP session at Shoprite yesterday. Now, I explained to Rudolf, that I get lost going home, and what was his response? Phone me if you get lost, but it’s so easy, you can’t possibly do that!
The interesting part of my mind is that I was looking for a big bright red Shoprite sign. Do you know how many of those go around? Obviously Shoprite’s head office is not in a shopping center. Their programmers don’t sit in aisles next to the tinned food and code, but that doesn’t mean, my mind wasn’t looking for big bright red:
And in the end, re-reading the directions to get there… it was pretty damn easy, if I just followed the instructions on paper! Believe it or not, my mind and its nuances is not the topic of this mind fart. I still actually don’t know what is, but I’m sure it will come to me along the way.
Ruari’s session was very good. I remember something on OOP while studying at Tech. But whether the OOP had to do with Programming is another question. I was not really what you’d call an exemplary student! I managed to win a book off Ruari, by answering 2/3’s of a question. Thanks to the girl sitting next to me helping with the other 1/3 (Thank you by the way! Never got your name, but mine is Isolet. Please to meet you). It’s not that I forgot, it was just one of those lovely tricks my mind plays on me – it’s the same as getting lost, just this time all by itself within the neuron framework of my body (This is the frustrating part of my mind). You should have heard the question she answered (all by herself!). She should have gotten more than a book. Something like an honoree doctorate would be fitting.
I got Writing Secure Code 2nd Edition. Apparently it’s a required read at Microsoft. I attempt to blog on what I’ve learned, if I don’t, it means I have not been reading… so haunt me for it! Thanks Ruari!
Now, possibly the real reason for blogging:
It was a big week for me. I managed to get an IIS on my Win XP Home PC, I got a whole new set of MSDE toys to explore with and… I wrote an equivalent for excel’s IRR function in SQL. Actually all I had to do was write a Yield to Market Function in SQL, but got so excited, I did the whole IRR function as well. I’ve got the YTM SP down to 2 seconds! Not bad in my world, where waking up takes me at least 4 hours each day! This will become an article, but I am still recovering from all the hard work this week.
My point is, although on my little quest in this day and age, I’ve done quite a bit. This whole week, I’ve accomplished more than I did in the whole month of September. But it is still not enough. Do you know how much time people spend each day bitching and moaning about other people? That is valuable time spent on some really worthless conversation! Ok, so I have a stunning boss, dear co-workers and a not to bad company I am contracting for. I suppose I don’t have that much to bitch about. But I do bitch!!! When we don’t agree with someone, we spend our time bitching to someone else about just that.
There is so much to be learned, there are so many other cool conversations to be had and its summer – there are way too many sundowners to be had. I still don’t have a real point...
I think I have to go now. After Ruari’s session yesterday, most of my pet project has gone through the shredder. Back to the drawing board… the OOP drawing board that is.
Do you think if I pay cash for one of these before I die, I would be able to get one on discount?
It's been a real hard day today. I've learned so much! I've at least climbed over a small hill. Yes, I know, looking at the map crossing the IT Age, there is still loads to conquer. I've barely left my doorstep, and worked around the block, but at least I've open the front door and put my foot out. Ok, and I managed to piss my husband off for no clear reaons... but that is a different story.
I've been using a tool from www.msde.biz to manage my MSDE db's. Not very user friendly at all if you ask me. And so I've been struggeling along. Untill this morning where I've just about had enough of struggeling and writing SQL scripts, and asked the question on saDev - about 3rd party apps for MSDE. And guess what - I had to look no furhter than MS's doorstep (Thank you Ernst!). Microsoft SQL Web Data Administration. What a joy! I would have manage to do sooooooooo much work tonight if I hadn't decided that my Windows XP Home Edition had to run IIS. The tool doesn't have all the cool stuff EM has, but then again it is only a MSDE and it comes for free. It will do nicely.
Now, my knowledge of all things web stretches to surfing, and making little HTML thingies that would ensure I have bold or italic captions. Why did I want IIS installed? Well, I wanted to install VAULT, and that requires IIS... So, I stuck my pride in my pocket, and asked the question on SaDev. But even before RacerX aka Armand burst my bubble, I did a bit of google. This had me screaming and swearing... little pink ponytail tantrum, which also saw my husband leaving the house. What did I do? But Armand came to the rescue and suggested three sites:
1. http://www.15seconds.com/issue/020118.htm
2. http://www.webthang.co.uk/tuts/tuts_server/iis_xph/pippo_xp.asp
3. http://www.theeldergeek.com/running_iis_on_xp_home_edition.htm
The solution on 1. did not quite work, but the one on 2. is more descriptive and alot better work. My installation was successful, and I needn't try any further. (Thanks Armand!). Just to let you wonder if my hair colour is really pink, or if I am not a blond in disguise... This installation requires allot of hopping between Win2k Prof and WinXP home CD's. During one of the browsing sessions to browse to a different cd, I managed to click cancel... F***. I had to start all over. But, its there now. I'll attempt VAULT tomorrow night.
My husband is back home now. I think I should try and find what exactly it was I did wrong. I mean, he should know, I do love my pc more than most things in life. Is that so wrong?
Jonathan Goodyear has some really strong feellings about VSS.
VSS is the only source control application that I've ever dealt with, and I suppose I've been lucky enough that so far, it has done what I wanted it to do. I've never worked in really big shops (I prefer not to, for reasons we can talk about over a glass of wine).
But, I have to admit. I have been challenged. I am downloading Vault as we speak. I'm very comfortable in my little MS products world... May be its time I brake free and explore the rest of the world. Wish me luck.
I want to brake free... (Animate Freddy from Queen fame)
Butterflies from Hemant Suthar's Portfolio.
Stuart posted this article on SaDeveloper. Jannie commented that he hopes Management reads it. But I hope as many programmers read it.
There is one line that the Oricale tells Neo in The Matrix. Know yourself. I have questioned my career choice since my first year at Tech. And this article made me reflect... yet again: I am a girl. With pink ponytails and I'm afraid of spiders. I had dolls and my dad's old XT to play with and growing up in a coastal town, I had a lot of outdoor freedom. Most of my friends were boys. We rode our bicycles, scraped our knees, climbed trees and played cricket till the street lights came on.
How did I end up in this industry? I ask that myself that everytime I notice more gray hair appearing from my scalp. I love gadgets and I love problem solving ... and ... I love the stress and excitement that goes with working on a system. And I am good at that. I am not stupid, but I am lazy... and that's me. I know I am not a brilliant programmer. I won't deny that. At the best of times, I feel lost in this industry. I sit at SaDev or MS Sessions sometimes and I ask myself: what de f***? But I am a good systems person. I am good with dealing with users. I am good at report writing. I am good at solving data issues. I am good at reading a program and making sure that it does what its suppose to do or find the bug in the code and solving it... and I am good at having ideas. But that unfortunately still doesn't make me a good programmer.
Something very true in Robin's words is the part where he is talking about putting a good programmer in the Investment Industry. This is the industry I work in. This is also the industry that I started out in, where I was under mentorship of really great programmers. But that is what they were, great programmers. I am back at that site, 5 years down the line. I sit and look at great legends' work but bad programs. Difficult to maintain. One of them which cost the company R28000 (5 years ago!). The programs have good fundamentals - a solid frame work. But bad, bad, bad code that makes f-all sense at the best of times. These are the guys that made magic in my eyes as a 20 year old. May be I was naïeve, and only thought they were good, but there are things they did and discovered that still show their brilliancy.
But the IT industry has grown at such a pace, I wonder how many developers really feel that they can keep up. And with all due respect, all the brilliant programmers I've had to deal with (and believe me, I've been blessed to know a lot) - they have a certain arrogancy and air arround them. That make them difficult to work with. (I know I am generalizing, I have a best friend that is brilliant and he is the sweetest thing that walks this earth).
I think the point I want to make is, that there is a place for brilliant programmers, and a place for balanced individuals - like myself (give me a break, I need something to stop me from jumping off the V&A's clocktower bridge). There is alot of bad programmers out there, but I think its more got to do with inexperience than anything else. The good programmers should take the inexperienced, and teach them good methodologies and good standards. The inexperienced programmers could possibly teach the good ones something in return... even if its only patience. If the inexperienced programmers don't want to learn - then they do become bad programmers, and I think it is then that the industry should start booting them out.
Couple of minutes later...
I've suddenly thought of something... ... ... is there really something as a brilliant programmer? What is the definition of a good programmer? Can you really differentiate between good and bad programmers. I just sat and made a list (in my head) of all the programmers I know, their good and bad traits...
Do you know what I'd like to ask the socalled brilliant programmers: Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone!
I'll try and remember that tomorrow when I scrutinize our jnr. programmers' code.
Courtesy of Ucomics.
You can read all about it here.
Today is just one of those many days where being in the big bad corporate world is just getting too much for me. You can read all about it here (ok, you would have been able to, if I not miraculously deleted my entire article!!!! Will try and find it tomorrow. Too tired right now.)
The send key program is finally working now - OK in test its working. I still need to get sign off on it. Allot of times I feel that the people who are in this corporate maze, loose the plot. They become in a rut and can't see the way forward. I sat in an hour meeting yesterday trying to convince them otherwise... or shall I say them trying to convince me otherwise.
We have a great new project on the cards that will solve all our problems - OK, OK, most of it then. It will take about 6 months to implement if we get down and do it. But no. They faf about this and that, and no, we can take it easy, in the mean time amend the old program that will give us a quick win. In the end the quick win will take 2 days out of our reporting project, which means that we must add another 2 days to the project. As if they have not added about 1 months worth of quick wins to the program already.
It basically boiled down to me telling the manager that he won't be able to convince me on the quick win, and he has got to choose: Either the old application, or I will have to go. Being a contractor, I suppose it was not the wisest of things to do, but hell, somewhere one has to put one's foot down for what you believe in.
