Yesterday I was working on a problem at work and was stuck. Rather than continue to spin in circles, I decided to post my issue to an online forum and see if I couldn't get some help from the experts. Immediately I got a response asking for more information. In the process of providing the information, I figured out what my problem was and was able to get it fixed without any additional help.
When originally posting my problem to the forum, I was asked to provide my e-mail address. This was helpful because as soon as someone asked me a question, I was sent a message. Unfortunately there are a lot of programs on the Internet looking for valid e-mail addresses.
I woke up this morning and checked my e-mail. So far I have only gotten one Spam message promoting Viagra, but I imagine there are more to follow. In the future I need to remember to use a throw-away-e-mail account for such postings.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
I Got It on Video
This last weekend my two kids had a ski race at Jackson Hole in Wyoming. I enjoy skiing there but it isn't the best place to hold a ski race. It is tough to stand on the side of a wonderful mountain waiting for kids to flash by you when you could be sampling one of the greatest mountains in North America.
This weekend it was unseasonably warm and instead of being freezing, we had to contend with rain. We also had to deal with constantly changing conditions. One minute it would be sunny and the next it would be raining or snowing.
On the last day of the race, it looked like we would have good weather and be able to get all the racers down the hill safely. Then there was an issue with the timing computer. The person that normally runs timing wasn't there and the new one kept having problems. When it came time for my son to ski down the mountain, there was a course hold because of timing issues. We waited for him to come skiing down for quite a while. During this time a series of clouds rolled in and visibility went to zero. At the worst time of the day, my son was sent down the mountain. Not only was it snowing sideways but a cloud descended on the course and you could barely see the next gate in front of you.
I stood there on the side of the mountain wondering who would let a bunch of 14-year olds race in white-out conditions at 40 to 50 miles per hour. It was a miracle nobody got hurt. I tried to get my son's run on video, but the camera kept trying to focus on the flying snow. All I got was a white screen with the conversation I had with my daughter as my son skied past us.
My son finished his run safely and we packed up to head home. Luckily somebody saw the foolishness of the race and they cancelled it for the rest of the racers. I think it was only a matter of time before someone got hurt and so that was the wise thing to do.
The moral of the story is that proper computer training is important even in ski racing. My kids' race was plagued with timing issues that should have been worked out long before the competition even started. Trying to figure out computer problems at the same time you are holding an event is impossible. If my son hadn't been held at the start for 45 minutes waiting for these issues to be resolved, they could have gotten all of the boys to the finish long before the storm rolled in. Then everyone would have gotten a fair shot at doing well and that is what racing is all about.
This weekend it was unseasonably warm and instead of being freezing, we had to contend with rain. We also had to deal with constantly changing conditions. One minute it would be sunny and the next it would be raining or snowing.
On the last day of the race, it looked like we would have good weather and be able to get all the racers down the hill safely. Then there was an issue with the timing computer. The person that normally runs timing wasn't there and the new one kept having problems. When it came time for my son to ski down the mountain, there was a course hold because of timing issues. We waited for him to come skiing down for quite a while. During this time a series of clouds rolled in and visibility went to zero. At the worst time of the day, my son was sent down the mountain. Not only was it snowing sideways but a cloud descended on the course and you could barely see the next gate in front of you.
I stood there on the side of the mountain wondering who would let a bunch of 14-year olds race in white-out conditions at 40 to 50 miles per hour. It was a miracle nobody got hurt. I tried to get my son's run on video, but the camera kept trying to focus on the flying snow. All I got was a white screen with the conversation I had with my daughter as my son skied past us.
My son finished his run safely and we packed up to head home. Luckily somebody saw the foolishness of the race and they cancelled it for the rest of the racers. I think it was only a matter of time before someone got hurt and so that was the wise thing to do.
The moral of the story is that proper computer training is important even in ski racing. My kids' race was plagued with timing issues that should have been worked out long before the competition even started. Trying to figure out computer problems at the same time you are holding an event is impossible. If my son hadn't been held at the start for 45 minutes waiting for these issues to be resolved, they could have gotten all of the boys to the finish long before the storm rolled in. Then everyone would have gotten a fair shot at doing well and that is what racing is all about.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Holy Cow, It Worked!
Yesterday I wrote about constructive procrastination and how I was thinking about solving a problem while I was writing the blog. As soon as I posted the entry, I went to work using some of the ideas I formulated. Ten minutes later my problem was solved and I was moving on to my next project. I should procrastinate more often.
Today there were no problems with my new project. I am reworking something I did a few months ago and took such good notes the first time that I had everything working quickly. I really like having good notes handy.
This brings up the topic of how to best keep notes. Usually I keep a paper notebook. Lately I have found that it is much easier to cut and paste information into an electronic document. It saves a lot of time over writing things down. I can also cut and paste out of the document and into the programs I am using, which saves even more time. Then to make things really easy, I just store all of my notes in a directory called . . . you guessed it, "notes." The name of the file is what the note is about. It really helps to streamline things.
My Tomcat problem took longer than expected to solve. My notes helped me finish my next task quicker than expected. Now I find myself on schedule and ready to begin the next project. I wonder if I can really claim procrastination as a tool that helped me solve a problem?
Today there were no problems with my new project. I am reworking something I did a few months ago and took such good notes the first time that I had everything working quickly. I really like having good notes handy.
This brings up the topic of how to best keep notes. Usually I keep a paper notebook. Lately I have found that it is much easier to cut and paste information into an electronic document. It saves a lot of time over writing things down. I can also cut and paste out of the document and into the programs I am using, which saves even more time. Then to make things really easy, I just store all of my notes in a directory called . . . you guessed it, "notes." The name of the file is what the note is about. It really helps to streamline things.
My Tomcat problem took longer than expected to solve. My notes helped me finish my next task quicker than expected. Now I find myself on schedule and ready to begin the next project. I wonder if I can really claim procrastination as a tool that helped me solve a problem?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Constructive Procrastinating
There is an item on my list of things to do that is causing me problems. I have been working on it for the past two days and am not making any progress. It is a problem with Tomcat and while there is a lot of documentation for the software, the information is mostly worthless. Faced with pouring through more online manuals or playing video games, I am leaning towards the video games.
I really should be working right now but am taking a break because I am procrastinating. My hope is that making this blog entry will give me some insight into the problem at hand and that I will be able to figure out what is going wrong and make it right. So far it seems to be working. I am already making a mental list of the next steps to try. The trick is to write the list down and go attack the problem.
When I find myself working on a problem for too long, I stop being productive. At that point it is nice to take a step back, do something useful, and then go back to the problem. If that doesn't work then it is time to ask one of my coworkers. Hopefully I get this solved before then.
I really should be working right now but am taking a break because I am procrastinating. My hope is that making this blog entry will give me some insight into the problem at hand and that I will be able to figure out what is going wrong and make it right. So far it seems to be working. I am already making a mental list of the next steps to try. The trick is to write the list down and go attack the problem.
When I find myself working on a problem for too long, I stop being productive. At that point it is nice to take a step back, do something useful, and then go back to the problem. If that doesn't work then it is time to ask one of my coworkers. Hopefully I get this solved before then.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Scout Troop Websites
Last night I attended the monthly Roundtable for the Boy Scouts of America in the Pacific Skyline Council. The focus of the meeting was websites for scout troops. It was well done and I learned a lot.
The first presenter came up and showed his Troop's website. It was done using Adobe's Dreamweaver several years ago and looked pretty good. Unfortunately it was very technical and none of the Scouts even wanted to learn how to modify the information. That means that it is a task for Scoutmasters, assistant Scoutmasters, or technical parents.
The next presenter had two sites: one for the Pack (Cub Scouts) and one for the Troop. The Pack's website was more mature and done using Joomla. It was very functional and looked like it meets the needs of the Pack quite nicely. He then showed us the Troop site that was doine using WordPress. While it didn't have the depth of the Joomla site, it looked much easier to administer and there was interest by the boys in being able to maintain it.
The third presenter showed us his site which was created with Troopmaster. It was impressive because it integrated with their software to keep track of the boys advancements. As everyone knows, an Eagle Scout is a big deal and anything that allows parents and leaders to streamline the process is very welcome. Of the 4 technologies shown this far in the evening, this was definitely my favorite.
The fourth presenter showed a site created with Google Sites. It lacked the Scout tracking integration found in Troopmaster, but was very easy to use. I came home and recommended that my wife might want to consider it for her small custom sewing business.
Before the meeting last night, I had heard about all of these products but hadn't really given them much thought. It was a real eye-opener to see them in action and how people are using them to send out scouting information. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.
The first presenter came up and showed his Troop's website. It was done using Adobe's Dreamweaver several years ago and looked pretty good. Unfortunately it was very technical and none of the Scouts even wanted to learn how to modify the information. That means that it is a task for Scoutmasters, assistant Scoutmasters, or technical parents.
The next presenter had two sites: one for the Pack (Cub Scouts) and one for the Troop. The Pack's website was more mature and done using Joomla. It was very functional and looked like it meets the needs of the Pack quite nicely. He then showed us the Troop site that was doine using WordPress. While it didn't have the depth of the Joomla site, it looked much easier to administer and there was interest by the boys in being able to maintain it.
The third presenter showed us his site which was created with Troopmaster. It was impressive because it integrated with their software to keep track of the boys advancements. As everyone knows, an Eagle Scout is a big deal and anything that allows parents and leaders to streamline the process is very welcome. Of the 4 technologies shown this far in the evening, this was definitely my favorite.
The fourth presenter showed a site created with Google Sites. It lacked the Scout tracking integration found in Troopmaster, but was very easy to use. I came home and recommended that my wife might want to consider it for her small custom sewing business.
Before the meeting last night, I had heard about all of these products but hadn't really given them much thought. It was a real eye-opener to see them in action and how people are using them to send out scouting information. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Volunteers and Websites
I was able to take close to two weeks off during Christmas and am just now finding time to get back to the blog. It was very nice to be at home for two weeks and not have to worry about anything but skiing. Other than a very mild case of frostbite on the end of my nose, it was a great vacation.
Next week Snowbird will be hosting its first race of the season and I am responsible for coordinating volunteers. Once I get everyone lined up, my wife takes care of them during the race to ensure everyone knows what they are doing. Last year, the Snowbird Ski Team implemented a website to enlist the help of volunteers. If you want to help with a race, just go to the team's website, click on the "Volunteer" link, pick a race, and sign up. The site sends me a message and I put your name in the appropriate place.
The website is a great idea as I have the ability to recruit volunteers long before the race happens. It does have a downside though. People will often sign up early to reserve a spot at events. Then as the deadline approaches, they discover that something else has come up and they can't make the race. Yesterday three different people canceled on me. Now I have to try to find replacements at the last minute. Anybody out there going to be at Snowbird next week and want free passes?
Next week Snowbird will be hosting its first race of the season and I am responsible for coordinating volunteers. Once I get everyone lined up, my wife takes care of them during the race to ensure everyone knows what they are doing. Last year, the Snowbird Ski Team implemented a website to enlist the help of volunteers. If you want to help with a race, just go to the team's website, click on the "Volunteer" link, pick a race, and sign up. The site sends me a message and I put your name in the appropriate place.
The website is a great idea as I have the ability to recruit volunteers long before the race happens. It does have a downside though. People will often sign up early to reserve a spot at events. Then as the deadline approaches, they discover that something else has come up and they can't make the race. Yesterday three different people canceled on me. Now I have to try to find replacements at the last minute. Anybody out there going to be at Snowbird next week and want free passes?
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