Jeff

new design

So I redesigned the site, if you can’t already tell. I also have migrated from my moldy old Django backend to a static site generator that I started using because of it’s integration with GitHub (where I store most of my side coding). I have made a number of changes with this (and done a few things that I had always lied to myself that I would get around to doing). I am now using flickr to hold all of my pictures, this then crawls that every so often and generates a gallery page for that. I have added disqus comments to select posts (I can dictate this on a post by post basis).

In regards to the design, I stuck with my usual philosophy of minimalism. I don’t like incorporating images or crazy lining up of things to achieve a crazy effect. In this, the major design piece is the “word wall” that sits behind everything. This gets generated on every page load from a set of ‘categories’ that I have defined in the javascript file, these words are randomly added to each row and are set to highlight when the corresponding link on the left is hovered over. (Go ahead, try it, hover over any of them, watch the background). I am still tweaking the whole system, trying to get the effect to be pleasing without overbearing or being missed. I also want to cover the text itself so you can’t accidently highlight it.

I want to have this work on various devices too. I have tried it before with my programming log and have mixed success. I also have basically forgotten tweaking that since I got it up. As always, though, I will continue to use this as an experimenting ground for stuff I want to try. Ideally, I will get this working with one of my side projects to have it update on demand.

annual resolution post

So every year, I try to come up with some big resolutions for the new year. Every time after that I begin to fail at most of the resolutions, but the key here is most of them. This past year, Kim and I decided to try to overhaul our diet by limiting our intake of beef to once a week. This was a mix of both diversifying our diet and decreasing our red meat intake. We stopped paying attention around September, but overall (I, at least) have continued to eat red meat only once a week. My efforts of reading became secondary as I have spent more of my train rides coding, but I continue to read to some degree. I got married, which pretty much blew everything else that happened this year out of the water. I will probably write a 2012 wrap up post in the next day or so… I really need to write on this more. I have a recoded version of the admin side which should make it easier for me write more (since it is a pain to auth with the current system).

So anyways, onto the resolutions for next year. Every time I begin to think about the next year’s resolutions, I often put some through a sort of trial. In toying with some of the ideas, I think I have ironed out a few to stick with (for now). They are:

  • Keep a “lab notebook” This is something I have been trying for the past month, I am keeping an electronic journal of notes and daily work done in my professional field (both for work and for fun). I have been noting information related to various projects or technologies and keeping a daily summary of what I have accomplished and various thoughts on what I am working on. I hope to continue keeping this going, to track my progress and document my thoughts on stuff.
  • Take care of my photography I have written and worked on gallery uploads and taken pictures, yet none of the pictures have made it onto my site. I am debating switching from self hosting to something like flickr, but am not sure (they have a free 3 month trial of their pro service). I will probably take that for a spin and decide whether to trash or modify my current gallery code.
  • Finish some projects I have a good deal written for two of my projects (tamari and cimera) but have yet to finish them to a point where they are feasible. I also have a project related to work that is fairly far along, yet I have all but abandoned at this point. I really need to bite down and get these to a state where I can call them something other than alpha. I also need to put my admin page code up (it has been done for months and I have yet to stamp it down and start using it). I may also try to rewrite the site code at some point, as it has become more and more bloated and I have become more and more unsatisfied with messing with it.
  • Diversify my technology stack I have become fairly complacent in the languages and technologies I use. I could use for a change in window manager, major language(s), try to improve various application set ups, etc. I am becoming lazy when it comes to trying to improve the tools that I use, it makes me more and more dependent on a single application and not the knowledge I have in doing the task (example: I have been trying to write an application using pure JS, i.e. no jQuery, and it has been very tough).
  • Read I need to push the habit of reading more fiction and emphasize reading non fiction. I spend more time dicking around on my computer or watching TV when I get home, there is definitely room to improve that. (Maybe we will cancel our cable subscription ?)

So overall, a bunch of random efforts, most will probably not see the light of day. But my main goal is really just for me to adopt 1 or 2 of these and make them real habits I continue to follow for years to come (previously: giving up soda, diversifying my diet, switching to Linux, or giving up fast food). Maybe I will even write about my progress (and other things going on in my life.)

positivity

I was thinking about how difficult it is going through a tough day at work (today was really not my day) and how so much of that comes from a generally negative and hostile attitude towards my own work there. When something goes wrong with something I have worked on, I become instantly defensive. When someone brings up a point I don’t agree with, I feel like I must defend my opinion on it.

This usually stems from the need to control the amount of work generated by optimists outside of the department (this is a constant struggle for software people). Marketing people love to promise features and due dates to make sales, but then developers are the ones who need to work through a weekend to make the promised date. Developers are also very attached to their tools and work environments. I am not really sure why this is so, but it probably stems from the amount of individuality it incorporates and the personal tweaks everyone makes for their own tastes. But when developers begin debating editors, operating systems, languages, even syntax conventions, things get really heated. All of these strong opinions increase the hostility of the environment and make any criticism or comment a bit more heated.

After my first job, I was incredibly quick to become defensive of my work. This is mostly due to the culture at that office. Every mistake was brought forward and usually got you chewed out or ridiculed publicly and every decision was picked apart and analyzed, forcing you to either defend your opinion or be treated like an idiot. Going to my current job, the team is a lot more constructive and supportive (but still plenty of hostility, especially for those of us who use Linux).

I am going to begin trying to bring more positivity to the workplace. I feel like I already do a good job of this in most of the other areas of my life. I think that being more positive can begin to break down some of the natural tension and hostility in the department. I hope that, as I get used to it, I can begin to dull some of the swords that everyone begins to brandish when a topic comes up. I am beginning to believe that having a positive mindset is probably the greatest skill for a programmer on a team. I am not sure how this will go, I will probably slowly begin to change my outlook and attitude professionally. Hopefully in a year, I will be a lot closer to ridding the hostility of the programming community.