The benefits of complaining...

Music: Holy Fuck - Bontempi Latin

Because I'm being viewed as such a whiner here at work, I've become rewarded. I've been constantly complaining about the processes involved in the installation of the updates and Service Packs for the software we distribute. A new version would come out, I'd test it, tell them that it sucks and give them a list of things that were wrong.

If they were lucky, I would tell them how to fix it as well.

But with any bureaucratic process there are hangups. The hangup for this instance is documentation, there is a lot of paper work that goes along with the creation and update of the software. For instance, to produce the update there are meetings to be had, five or six documents to write and have approved. Then you get to write the code, all the while documenting what changed.

Some of the problems I've found have been minor that require a simple one line change in a configuration file somewhere. But, because of the process thats involved in getting the software ready they'd have to redo the entire process just for these changes. They do not want to.

To make matters worse, the people who create the installation break stuff by making changes to the program forget what they changed and then do not know how to get it back to a point where it works. I just want to kill people now. Who does this? Seriously? Why don't they have the same process to follow than everyone else?

Because of all this, I've been rewarded. For the next release I get to manage, document and plan the *ENTIRE* installation process so that it will work (here are the key words) how *I* want it to work. Hell yeah! Thats what I'm talkin about.

**

I was just interrupted for 15 minutes by the project coordinator for the Brunei project that I'm involved with. Have you ever met someone who just talks for the sake of talking? You ask them a question and they continue talking like you never opened your mouth? How continually interrupts their own sentences to talk about something completely separate to what they were mentioning to begin with?

I asked him, what do you want me to do with the paper you handed me?

He looks at me puzzled, well, here is how the training is going to break down and attempts to explain the training sessions which are on the paper.

I look at him and laugh to myself while he continues to talk. I interrupt, what is this? Pointing to an item on the paper.

Well, the guy before you had set this up as a training session.

Whats the point of it? Is it necessary?

He put it there so I'm keeping it there? I don't know what it is but he said it would be useful?

Without showing frustration or annoyance, I ask again, What do you want me to do with this paper? Approve, modify the training days?

Yeah, that sounds good. You can do that as well as doing this...

I begin to tune him out because he begins to ramble on how the training flights will be and condensing training that we do not provide to make it faster with fewer flights.

Some people just don't get it.

Testing can be fun

Music: Ministry - LiesLiesLies (Cognitive Dissonance Mix) & Abby Travis - Wink

Boy, I'm really starting to suck at updating this. Who would have thought that being at work would hinder my ability to write and contribute to my existence on the web.

Although, I'm not really sure that anyone is complaining or noticing my missing venture on the web.

I've spent the better part of a week ticking off the product manager (PM) for the software that I support here at work. When I was working here before the PM would tell me when there was a new release or update coming out so that I could test the bejesus out of it before any of the clients seen it. The new PM that they hired since I vacated my position back in September seems to enjoy testing things himself.

There is not really a problem with this, under normal circumstances. But the word normal does not apply to this situation. When testing new functions, its generally a good idea to test out the new items to make sure that they work, and then test some of the major fuctions to see if they got broken. He didn't do the second thing.

*Background* I work for a software company that specializes in mapping software. We create the software that the people at Google Maps use to create the maps that you see. We have our own online mapping software which I deal with that allows users to better interact with the data on the map, you can search the map for certain feature (like road names, city names) and you can also click on different areas of the map and get information about the area.

You see, the last two items I mention, the search and select, are very important components of the software.

It turns out that they released the new upgrade without seeing if those items actually worked. Within 6 hours of releasing it to the public, there was a problem. BOTH of those functions didn't work and weren't tested to begin with.

*Moving forward* I arrive back at work, and see that the upgrade was released. I start to test it and discovered no less than 14 or 15 items in the installation of the upgrade that are broken which could potentially cripple the software when its used.

After resolving most of the issues with the PM, there was another build of the upgrade today to be tested. I found two more problems.

The PM told me jokingly to go home for the day so that they can release the upgrade, albeit 20 days late.

Its not my fault they used the words: "We'll release the Service Pack when Albert has finished testing it."

Those are fateful words if you ask me.

P.S. - At the rate they are building replacement installations, this is going to be 22 days late before I am finally happy.