R.I.P. MIchael Jackson

Well it has been a sad day for the world….we lost a great talent, all side business aside……but the one thing that strikes me is that every so often there will be an event that will kill the internet. This is not such a bad thing, it merely reflects the influence of the person or the event. I don’t think there is anyone that can contest the fact that Michael Jackson changed the world of pop music forever, and the fact that he can bring the internet to a standstill merely reflects that maybe his star had not waned as much as people thought. He was and will remain an extremely talented man who changed the world of music like few before or after him.

So the question is what can be done to prepare….nothing. These things happen in the blink of an eye and when they do there is no time to prepare. The times being bandied around in reports are that it took anything down to 30 seconds after the news that twitter broke down (I guess you have made it when you break down before the news agencies). The need for news now and when it happens is here…how do the news providers and the web respond….is this really the end of traditional news broadcast services? I don’t think so, there will always be a role, just what that role is they will have to find it.

From the point of view of someone viewing english television and the memorial shows that have been rolled out tonight….hats off to Channel 4. No controversy or  digging up dirt, just respect for the man and his music, good show old chap. As for the others….ITV chose to show a program that had been shot before he died, BBC carried on as if nothing had happened except for a brief late night chat show about him, and satellite?? I don’t know….I only watch the free channels.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson….a legacy of music, dance, and innovation that will live forever. Few before have changed things in the way you did and few ever will…..we’ll miss your imagination

moving on

A couple of days ago I got the news that most tech people don’t want to be hearing at this time…”we are terminating your contract”….stunned and shocked, I was pretty much in a daze for the next couple of hours. Then followed the joyous part of having to break the news to my wife, not something to look forward to. Strangely enough though we were both a little amazed by the reaction to the news, we both had a feeling of relief and optimism. I have to be pretty honest in that the year and a half I had spent with the company I had struggled to settle in, however the last couple of months had been pretty good.

So the big question was what to do next? We had moved countries to take up the opportunity in the first place, our daughter was settled into school and making freinds (not to mention being fluent in the language), and we had gotten into the lifestyle. After talking things through we decided that we didn’t want to return to England and that I need to find something here that would make this work. So with that I move from out of a job to a feeling of optimism and looking forward to finding the next step toward being really happy.

This brought up another question….what would I really be happy doing? Well the one thing I have been on about for quite a while now is to go it alone and work for myself, no longer putting in the long hours, nights spent coding, and stressing about delivery deadlines for someone elses benefit. Now is the perfect time to set myself up and free myself from the office.

So this is my plan…..Like any good job hunt it starts with making sure you have an up to date CV. Then it’s on to recreating my ‘personal brand’, cue LinkedIn, Twitter, blogging, and checking google search results for my name. This last part is not something I have ever done much of, something a bit vain about it really, but when it comes to hunting for work in the IT spectrum people are going to be looking at my online profile for hints as to what sort of person I am. Thankfully everything looks good, partly due to another person with a very similar name and a much higher profile than mine.

So after a couple of days where am I? The CV is up to date….LinkedIn is done and a bit more complete than what it was…I now have an up to date profile on Elance….and with this post I am getting back into blogging.

Unfortunately blogging is something I have always struggled to perservere with, guess it has a lot to do with having a busy job and a life away from work. This hasn’t really left me with a lot of time to blog about what I am up to or my observations. However now that can all change, with my new incarnation as a freelancer I am able to make a solemn vow to anyone who might happen to find this blog….I will provide relevant and interesting content on a regular basis that will not waste people’s valuable time.

So I am now actually looking forward to doing the next post and hopefully some positive info on feedback and potential work that my new ‘personal brand’ has helped me procure…..

For anyone in a similar situation keep your chin up and a positive outlook on life…you now have the opportunity to do something special.

great idea…how quick can you go from idea to live???

Ran into this article over on Techcrunch about a small company in the UK that set out to build a web app in four days (32 hours). Meet Matt.

The result was Matt and the article outlines some great reasons why you should do it this way and how to keep the creativity an enthusiasm overflowing. Nice to see them encouraging people to take lunch, something I remember seeing in an article about working for Jason Calacanis is that developers away from their pc is not something he wants, Carsonified on the other hand see the need for taking a break. Mind you I gues Calacanis is allowed to lay down the rules his way given his success.

It is probably a little bit of licence to say that the app took 32 hours, given that the team of people ran to 9 people so it wouldn’t be considered 32 man hours. The other thing it doesn’t lay out is the actual hours people worked to achieve this. Still the concept and the lessons are true enough and we can now all look forward to taking a few days off the real job to create our own Jane, Bob, or Peter.

Good luck, worth a try.

Thoughts on testing

Image via Wikipedia

Integrating unit testing into Java development as a means to prove suitability and strength of the application. Is there any benefit to doing this or is it just a waste of time and effort?

What happens over time as the code develops and the tests do not, do they merely become a hindrance to the process of creating code?

Interesting…I wrote this a while back and never finished it….now I think I really understand what I was doing when I was writing the tests first and using them to develop the tool/application as I went along. Having just finished the first rewrite of a community contribution which involved rewriting the code in a more object oriented way I deliberately setout to ensure that this rewrite included unit testing. I also deliberately setout to write the tests first and not as a result of writing the code, in some areas I succeeded but in others I have to admit that I wrote the code first and wrote the tests around the code…unfortunately they were probably the classes that I had the most problems with.

Another area I had problems with was not understansing all the tests I needed to write to thoroughly test the application. Something that involves just as much thought as the actual design….tip no1 – think of every possible test case and write it….then write the code…you won’t get bitten in the ass when you deliver it….

Is there time for writing tests?? The real saving with writing tests comes after the fact…when there is a bug or when you need to alter the functionality, this is when you reap the rewards of putting the time and effort into creating tests in the first place…is there time?? yes, build the time into the initial estimate…if they ask why so long then tell them…I need the time to prove to the customer that it works…..

Feelings on the whole TDD process….much better and when you come back to working with the code again and having to refactor some of the code it is so much easier with tests in place that show you it works….do yourself and those that will come after you a favour and write the tests…

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The secret of Vanuatu’s happiness

The South Pacific country of Vanuatu has been voted the happiest place in the world so what makes its inhabitants such a happy lot?Jean Pierre John (photo: James Mair)Not having to worry about money – the secret of Jean Pierre’s happiness (photo: James Mair)Jean Pierre John is living the dream. That popular fantasy of owning one’s own island, complete with swaying coconut palms, coral sea and tropical forest, is his for real.

BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | The secret of Vanuatu’s happiness

I love this quote from the article….

The twin pillars of a classically happy life – strong family ties and a general absence of materialism – are common throughout this island nation.

The simple things in life, it seems, really do make you happy.

Simplicity makes life enjoyable…..and when you have to you make do…..bowls from washed up buoys!!!

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Tags: happiness, vanuatu, bbc, life, improvisation, needs, wants, materialism

Tom Peters – Definition of Leadership

Tom Peters and his “Definition of Leadership”

When you need a kick up the backside to get on with things and to bring you back to the reality that it is all very simple at the heart of it then Tom is the man. Simple ideas, fantastic results…..

more about “Tom Peters – Definition of Leadership“, posted with vodpod

Dark Roasted Blend: Extravagant Designs by Luigi Colani

Dark Roasted Blend: Extravagant Designs by Luigi Colani

This stuff is beautiful and amazing. Talk about taking a concept to the extreme and see what comes from it. The designs are so nice  they can even make a motor home look stunning……

Take it to the extreme, what if you take your product the absolute edge in concept? Where do you end up??

Tags: innovation, design, colani

20+ Ways to Learn a Language Online – ReadWriteWeb

20+ Ways to Learn a Language Online

20+ Ways to Learn a Language Online – ReadWriteWeb

Found this today on ReadWriteWeb….something that I will find particularly useful, eespecially as I try to get to grips with Spanish. The problem for me is that I don’t have time between work and family to be able to spare the extra couple of hours each day to attend a formal class.

My wife and daughter have picked things up very quickly through schooling tuition so for me it will be interesting to compare the results from the likes of these sites and Michel Thomas tapes as to how effective and useful they are for actually learning a language well……time will tell and I will let you know how I get on with them.

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Tags: translation, language, howto

Guy Kawasaki – presenting The Art of the Start

Found this while following a link to Guys blog. I love his style and the way he just cuts to the chase and keeps it very simple and obvious…..no bs!! enjoy and hope you find some insight here….

Software application vendor Openbravo secures $12m in the largest ever round for Open Source ERP

New investors Amadeus Capital, GIMV and Adara Venture Partners fund next stage of growth and vouch for Openbravo as a leader in ERP software-

Software application vendor Openbravo secures $12m in the largest ever round for Open Source ERP

As an employee here it is nice to know that when it comes time to get
serious the product is attractive to potential investors. So it looks
like we will be around for a while longer, and with more time comes the
opportunity to upset the market more, provide better functionality, and
really start to get the wagon rolling…..exciting times and glad I am
here…

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Tags: openbravo, erp, funding, vc, press-release