Development, Usability, and Experience

The ever expanding world of the mind

January 14th, 2008 10:45 pm —  148 views

top_of_parking_garage.jpg

Today was more exciting than most Mondays. Discussion and dialog at work was focused, interesting, and terribly nerdy. I won’t go into it but the fact that we are bastardizing terms from the Lord of the Rings to describe our architecture should tell you something.

Another night spent reading and studying. One of my classes involves a semester long group project and like always, I’m a little worried. Group dynamics are so hard to predict and coordinating effort and schedules is enough to make a grown man punch something hard enough to hurt his hand (but not enough to make him admit it). So I remind myself to be patient and not to expect too much. I’ll do what I can, stay focused, and be prepared as much as I can be.

One of my cats has been keeping me company while I study. Sometimes he gets a little impatient and decides to knock around my highlighters and pencils. Here he is caught in the act…notice the blurred paw that is in the process of hurtling my pencil across the room. He’s a big help. My other cat has come down to visit. Probably wondering when I’m going to bed1.

The stuff I’m studying is very interesting and keeps me thinking all day. Though my work is very engaging, I can’t help but think about why we aren’t employing some of the strategies I’m learning about that are geared toward building better systems. I continue to ponder how I might leverage this valuable information but am stymied by a certain close-minded thinking and corporate culture that isn’t ready to embrace such engaged development practices. The atypical programmer role doesn’t allow for such involvement. Maybe, in time. We’ll see. Maybe my destiny is not that of a programmer2.

Image: I took this picture from the 8th floor (yes…this was the roof) of a parking garage last Friday. I haven’t had to park at the top before but my new schedule has things timed such that I’m lucky to get a spot at all. The view was pretty cool…chain linked fence and all, so I snapped a couple pics.

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  1. I always give him a few bits of kibble before I crash. He’s conditioned you might say. And he loves his kibble [↩]
  2. Not that I believe in destiny, at least in the classic sense as in a future predetermined. I do think that our past experiences play a part in our future and in that sense, might foretell a certain destination. [↩]

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One Response to “The ever expanding world of the mind”

  1. Laiane on January 18th, 2008 8:44 pm

    I love the cat pictures. I’m well aware of how nothing can be done in this household without Cat Supervision. I don’t know how I got things done pre-cats.

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