May 14, 2008 at 10:15 am
It's a round trip of 170 miles and quite expensive for a day trip but its just about possible.
I guess the roads are much different than in the US. That's about 90 minutes out and 90 back around here.
Sometimes software development makes as much sense as putting an Interstate Highway in Hawaii. Oh wait. There are two!
ATBCharles Kincaid
May 14, 2008 at 11:15 am
I enjoyed this when David sent it in and hoped it would be received well.
Perhaps all this attention will get Mr Poole writing a bit more. He's good at it and I'd urge you to view his other articles, which are technically very well done as well as written with style.
May 14, 2008 at 12:03 pm
If you arrived at the end of this story and did not have at least a smile on your face, you are not truly in the software developoment business. I am in the midst of my own escapade and found this tale a most delightful interruption. If only we took more time to really analyze our craft and enjoy it for the organized chaos it truly is.
Uh oh. Gotta go. I just heard one of my users flush...
May 14, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Charles Kincaid (5/14/2008)
It's a round trip of 170 miles and quite expensive for a day trip but its just about possible.
I guess the roads are much different than in the US. That's about 90 minutes out and 90 back around here.
Sometimes software development makes as much sense as putting an Interstate Highway in Hawaii. Oh wait. There are two!
Of course - according to Einstein, time is relative. In this case, realtive to whether you're IN the car (with the "are we there yet" ad infinitum) or not. So - 90 minutes might turn into an eternity...:):hehe:
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Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?
May 14, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Glad you all enjoyed it.
I forgot to mention that the museum curator told me that he has to replace the "turd" at frequent intervals because kids keep pinching it.
For all you parents out there take note, it is not that many shopping days until Christmas and you don't want to blow your hard earned cash on something expensive they don't want if a foam rubber turd is going to keep them amused:D
May 14, 2008 at 1:42 pm
David.Poole (5/14/2008)
I forgot to mention that the museum curator told me that he has to replace the "turd" at frequent intervals because kids keep pinching it.For all you parents out there take note, it is not that many shopping days until Christmas and you don't want to blow your hard earned cash on something expensive they don't want if a foam rubber turd is going to keep them amused:D
Ah the linguistic differences again. Took me a bit to remember that "pinching" is slang for "stealing". Like the fact that a nickname is the name they gave you when you were in the Nick.
I think that it was watching "Top Gear" that clued me in to what a "ring road" is.
ATBCharles Kincaid
May 14, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Kudos David - Outstanding! Made my day.
May 14, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Ah the linguistic differences again. Took me a bit to remember that "pinching" is slang for "stealing". Like the fact that a nickname is the name they gave you when you were in the Nick.
The comment that Great Britain and America are countries divided by a foreign language rings true.
I used to work for the UK branch of New England Business Stationery and we had some truly wonderful misunderstandings.
The American director(vice president) who told a belligerent scouse girl not to run in the factory or else she would fall on her fanny. He was lucky to get out of there with his life:w00t: Imagine shouting BOO in a battery chicken shed and you've got the reaction, only with more ruffled feathers.
The look on said American gentleman's face when the factory foreman who asked if he had been for a fag in the bushes (fag = cigarette in Great Britain).
Its even better when you start talking with South Africans. I heard one describe sandals as "Australian Wedding Shoes".
Australian phraseology should be required reading in schools. There appears to be a colourful phrase for just about every annoyance in life.
It gets even better if you start to look at other languages. There is a Punjabi phrase for saying that someone is a bit of a Romeo. If you've never heard Punjabi in your life it is one of those sayings that is instantly understandable and truly cross-cultural.
For all the efforts that the powers that be make to try and get people from different cultures to mix they could do a lot worse than get the best comedians from each culture to put on a huge comedy store show.
May 14, 2008 at 3:01 pm
My boss stuck her head up over her cube wall and looked around after I laughed out loud at this post....very well done! I'm sending this to the team....
May 14, 2008 at 3:02 pm
David.Poole (5/14/2008)...Australian phraseology should be required reading in schools....
Once upon a time I had two copies of a wonderful book: The Complete Guide to Australian Profanity and Vulgarity. Wonderful stuff! My brother read part of it, and whenever he went out for an evening of darts, whenever someone flubbed a throw he'd shout out "Good goin', ace!" No, he didn't get into any fights.
('ace' = the portion of one's anatomy that one sits upon for those who don't know)
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[font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font]
May 14, 2008 at 3:15 pm
What a riot! I laughed out loud especially at the end. Well done, David!
In the same vein, someone needs to write an article on how to be politically correct at work (I am not...).
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
May 14, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Australian phraseology should be required reading in schools
As an Aussie, fresh from the homeland, I got a job with an international company in Amsterdam. During my 3 month pay review, they failed me at English - no one at the company could understand me! So then I learnt to talk proper, and all my friends back in Oz thought I sounded like a Pom. Sigh.
Loved the article - great portrayal of the development process; which appears to be a constant in any land or language!
May 14, 2008 at 7:42 pm
:blush:I'm a first time rater, and after enjoying your clever analogy,
I reckoned I'd give it 5 stars. Of course, like any dumb user, I started with the "first" star, and so managed to give you a 1-star rating. Life does indeed imitate software development.
:crazy:
May 14, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Even it made my 'boring boss' laugh. Thanks David, please give me 2-3 same type of articles to make him laugh, Appraisal coming ;):hehe::w00t:
May 15, 2008 at 3:51 am
Hi,
I'm Dave's wife, I can recommend an earlier article " users from hell", I am fairly computer illiterate but still managed to split my sides over that one myself!.
Another good bet for yourself is "users from hell 2" - but don't show it to the boss - he'll think your having a pop at him!!!
Good luck with the appraisal!
All the best
Kate Poole
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