I have noticed lately that everyone is using Agile software development. I wrote about this trend at Symantec previously, and since leaving, I have noticed it in a number of other larger companies I interact with somewhat regularly. ”We use Agile, and you should too!” It is sad to watch, because the fundamental principles of […]
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Guest Post From Tyler Barstow – Apprenticeship update
Scott wanted me to write a guest post on his blog as the next update on the apprenticeship that he and I cooked up in our secret laboratory. This is that post. Things are going well. I probably should be more descriptive. When I moved down here, I wasn’t sure what was actually going to […]
Busy instead of productive
Over the last couple of weeks I have noticed a decidedly negative trend in my work habits. I have been reacting to the environment rather than trying to create the right one. I have been busy instead of productive. Busy is such a seductive temptress. If you are busy, you can tell people how busy […]
Intellectual Property – Coming soon to a fish market near you
If you pay attention to what you eat, and if you are paying attention to what is being fed to you more importantly, there is a bold new frontier about to be crossed. The USDA is considering approving genetically engineered salmon. There are a few reasons why I find this story significant. This is the […]
Work Is Social. For Some People
I spend a lot of time on my own. I work out of my basement in my house, and most of the work I do is over chat or the phone. It is rare that I have to venture out into the big bad world of the corporate office and sea of cubes. I made […]
The Right Has Rich People! The Right Has Rich People!
I read this article today by Frank Rich, the esteemed columnist from the beacon of truth, the New York Times. I was stunned to find out the following things: The latest incarnation of the conservative movement, the Tea Party thing that Beck and Palin are trotting out, has lots of rich people giving them money. […]
Firing A Client
A wise man once said “There are two kinds of people in the world. The kind of people that divide the world into two kinds of people, and the kind that don’t.” My version of that for today is that there are two kinds of companies: Companies I want to work with, and companies I […]
One Month In – The Apprenticeship Report
As I wrote about sometime back, I took on an apprentice / intern this year. I wrote about the idea of the return of apprenticeships earlier this year as a part of my Education Is Horked series. This is a continuation of that series. Since we are about a month in ( maybe a little […]
Veterinarians vs. Doctors
I was out for some early morning exercise one day this week and started thinking about the Seinfeld episode where Kramer has a mysterious cough that no one can seem to figure out. He then meets a dog named Smuckers who has ( in Kramer’s mind ) the same cough, and resolves to go see […]
Day One – Optimism Springs Eternal
As I wrote about a few weeks ago, I left Symantec Corporation after two plus years of service. My last day was this last Friday. I spent the weekend tying off a bunch of loose ends and have jumped in today with a vengeance on my new venture. I don’t have a name for this […]