The Back Room

*LOL* Those who not hear the music think the dancers are mad.  [sighist] [Agile Programming] [doxygen]

It's not the way I do business:rolleyes: Fill me with your knowledge, your wisdom, your coffee.

In one of my earliest jobs, my manager's favorite question was "How can we keep going?" and while he used it sparingly, he used it mostly when I would approach him saying that I was stuck. That wasn't terribly unusual back then, because much of what we had to process was information that we were obtaining from other people. If we didn't have all the necessary info and it didn't look like we were going to get it soon (or easily), I would report to him that I thought I was stuck. He would then reply "Okay, how can we keep going?" Time after time, in situation after situation, he encouraged in me his insight that "there was more than one way to skin a cat" and encouraged me to always look for other ways around a problem. Over the years, I have worked with many developers whom I refer to as "hip-shooters," modeled after the old western quick-draw shoot-outs. Here's a problem ... quick-draw a solution. No, that's not it, quick-draw again. Try this, try that, try something else. Shooting from the hip, quickly, not spending any time thinking, just reacting, just trying the first thing that comes to mind, just guessing. So, when you say "I spent an hour looking for a solution," I wonder if that hour was spent hip-shooting or if it was spent really thinking and trying the best you can (the generic "you", not the specific "you"), looking at different angles, considering different approaches. And of course, there are times when we just do not know the answer, so all the looking in the world wouldn't help us find what we don't know to look for. My original post indicated an apparent trend toward giving up too easily, not toward posting questions, or posting questions and continuing to look. I even do that, and when I am stuck and looking for a solution that I don't have enough information to be able to develop with what I already know, I am hoping that someone can guide me in the right direction. In fact, I like the questions where people write "Where can I find info about ...?" or "Can someone point me to a site that explains ...?" Dave "You can say that again." -- Dept. of Redundancy Dept.

Megan Forbes wrote: The Germans and French now know each other well, and have no plots between them I've been a little bit idealistic in my description :-O Most of my friends think about Germans as "Jerrys" (or the french equivalent), and I've got a lot of work trying to convince them to evolve :(( 57 years after the end of war, the souvenir is highly persistant and is globally transmitted through generations. Angels banished from heaven have no choice but to become demons Cowboy Bebop

Megan Forbes wrote: Perhaps it hits programmers early It stands to reason - what other industry has so much obsolescence ? Christian No offense, but I don't really want to encourage the creation of another VB developer. - Larry Antram 22 Oct 2002 C# will attract all comers, where VB is for IT Journalists and managers - Michael P Butler 05-12-2002 Again, you can screw up a C/C++ program just as easily as a VB program. OK, maybe not as easily, but it's certainly doable. - Jamie Nordmeyer - 15-Nov-2002

Michael Martin wrote: She was chased off and cause my father had a job and his parents funded the court case she lost custody. She fought till she ran out of money and just gave up. The child custody system in this country has always been screwed. I believe nowadays it's as equally unfair in the womans favour. Your poor mother. My sister in law is going out with a guy who claims he does not see his kids from a previous relationship because she is hiding them, but he has to pay alimony by court order via a bank account. If it was my kids, I'd be fighting to see them while I had breath in my body. I suspect he's had a restraining order put on him, I've seen enough to make it seem likely. If I were you I would have taken legal action after what the doctors did to your sister. Nothing can change what happened, but you might be able to make it so doctors in future think twice about acting that way. For what it's worth, I think you're doing pretty well for someone who has gone through so much. I'm used to people saying that to me, but I'm not even in the race. Christian No offense, but I don't really want to encourage the creation of another VB developer. - Larry Antram 22 Oct 2002 C# will attract all comers, where VB is for IT Journalists and managers - Michael P Butler 05-12-2002 Again, you can screw up a C/C++ program just as easily as a VB program. OK, maybe not as easily, but it's certainly doable. - Jamie Nordmeyer - 15-Nov-2002

I prefer mothers' milk. Young ones.:-D Nobody wants to read a diary by someone who has not seen the shadow of Bubba on the prison shower wall in front of them! Paul Watson, on BLOGS and privacy - 1/16/2003

http://www.codeproject.com/lounge.asp?df=5&forumid=1159&noise=1&app=50&select=392888#xx392888xx[^] :laugh: I'm sorry - you've got to admit that he's a comic genius :laugh: -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!

lol :laugh: Anything that gets up the nose of FreeNetName is fine by me...their service is awful. I received a letter from them in November informing me that as I hadn't logged onto my dial-up account in the last 30 days they were going to deactivate it (and my domain) in about 10 days time...shades of Hotmail I guess. What was even more incredible was that they wanted £47 to reactivate it! :mad: I never bothered replying, and just moved the whole site instead. I'm glad to be free of them, but if I'd known this trick I'd certainly have used it. Anna :rose: www.annasplace.me.uk "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch Trouble with resource IDs? Try the Resource ID Organiser Add-In for Visual C++

I'd have thought that the act of downloading it in the first place breaks most of those terms, anyway -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!

:laugh: Sniff...I Would like to thank my Mum and My Dad, without them I would not be here... I promissed myself not to cry, I'm sorry..but it's so much emotion Angels banished from heaven have no choice but to become demons Cowboy Bebop

Colin's posts rarely reflect his actual opinion. He presumes people know him well enough to spot the sarcasm. Christian No offense, but I don't really want to encourage the creation of another VB developer. - Larry Antram 22 Oct 2002 C# will attract all comers, where VB is for IT Journalists and managers - Michael P Butler 05-12-2002 Again, you can screw up a C/C++ program just as easily as a VB program. OK, maybe not as easily, but it's certainly doable. - Jamie Nordmeyer - 15-Nov-2002

Goldfinger rocks. I like their first album[^] the best, especially the songs "Here In Your Bedroom" and "The City With Two Faces". Brad Jennings

Ahh but wait, won't Java solve all their problems? I know it solved all of mine. Java solves everything, infact I have recently had it embedded, via Jini, into my toothbrush, thus I can now brush my teeth via RMI. Isn't Java cool? Isn't Sun brilliant? Blech..., excuse me while I rinse my mouth out with soap.... ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)!

David Wulff wrote: I was referring to the costs needed to demo the music You mean the costs needed to create a system where all you CAN do is demo it, as opposed to it being up to the consience of the person who downloaded it ? I think I get you now. My initial point was in response to your 'hang them all' comment, that some people really do download music, and go on to buy it. Christian No offense, but I don't really want to encourage the creation of another VB developer. - Larry Antram 22 Oct 2002 C# will attract all comers, where VB is for IT Journalists and managers - Michael P Butler 05-12-2002 Again, you can screw up a C/C++ program just as easily as a VB program. OK, maybe not as easily, but it's certainly doable. - Jamie Nordmeyer - 15-Nov-2002

Shog9 wrote: The Manual (How To Have A Number One - The Easy Way)[^] Open door, lift seat, relieve yourself :) Who is this miscrosoft, and what devilish plans have they for us?

Brad Jennings wrote: Death rode a white horse too. :D --- Shog9 The siren sings a lonely song - of all the wants and hungers The lust of love a brute desire - the ledge of life goes under

I agree with you Stephen. What I've heard over the years about (in particular) the US Education System is pretty awful. There's always hope though - like my eldest son Ciaran's school (he's 4 1/2) where they regularly invite members of the local church over to talk to the kids about Jesus (I've sat in once, and it's a wonderful experience). I agree with you about Common Sense. I honestly don't think there has to be a conflict between individual rights and Common Sense though...so long as the right being asked for makes sense itself. All to often though, political correctness, beaurocracy and bloody-mindedness seems to win the day. :( Anna :rose: www.annasplace.me.uk "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch Trouble with resource IDs? Try the Resource ID Organiser Add-In for Visual C++

That is very cool. I like the way he tells you how his government built the world in one day or how he is raging disease and poverty on the world... finally some truth. :rolleyes: David Wulff http://www.davidwulff.co.uk "Apart from my kids, I have no sleeping problems" - Christian Graus

Paul Watson wrote: Oh man you have the whole office sitting here singing and clapping their hands Now THERE is a mental picture. I can't wait to send it 'round the office on Monday. Christian No offense, but I don't really want to encourage the creation of another VB developer. - Larry Antram 22 Oct 2002 C# will attract all comers, where VB is for IT Journalists and managers - Michael P Butler 05-12-2002 Again, you can screw up a C/C++ program just as easily as a VB program. OK, maybe not as easily, but it's certainly doable. - Jamie Nordmeyer - 15-Nov-2002