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Is this too much to ask?

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  • Sander RosselS Sander Rossel

    Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter wrote:

    2. Brains for the management

    But then they wouldn't be management... ;)

    Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.

    Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra

    Regards, Sander

    Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
    Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
    Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter
    wrote on last edited by
    #44

    And that would improve the place like nothing else...

    Skipper: We'll fix it. Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this? Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.

    "It never ceases to amaze me that a spacecraft launched in 1977 can be fixed remotely from Earth." ― Brian Cox

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    • C chriselst

      What would be the one, reasonable, change that could be made to your place of work to make it better? Particularly looking forward to Griff's response to this? I've asked the question, but don't have a ready answer for myself.

      Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.

      C Offline
      C Offline
      CPallini
      wrote on last edited by
      #45

      Money for nothing and chicks for free. I see in other answers the downfall of the open space trend. I am glad my company was old fashioned when open spaces were considered 'cool'.

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      • C chriselst

        What would be the one, reasonable, change that could be made to your place of work to make it better? Particularly looking forward to Griff's response to this? I've asked the question, but don't have a ready answer for myself.

        Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.

        Sander RosselS Offline
        Sander RosselS Offline
        Sander Rossel
        wrote on last edited by
        #46

        I think I've got it pretty good... Laptop, car, study budget, phone, any study book I need for free, free coffee, tea, water, soda, juices, a pretty good €1 lunch on Wednesday and snacks on Friday (I usually don't join either lunch though, I prefer to bring my own lunch), free fruit, free snacks, two big-ass monitors (since today), five minute drive from home (we moved last week, it was a 15 minute drive) and a decent salary. I can work from home whenever I want, but I don't because I can get along with my coworkers pretty well. So is there really NOTHING that could make it better? Yeah, stop sending ALL mail to my entire team. I get about 50 mails a day (on average) that I have nothing to do with, but that are directed to someone in my team X| I complained about it, but my team lead (very nice guy by the way) told me it was nice to get all those mails to keep up to date with other projects... I already created a rule to move all those mails to another folder to keep my inbox clean, if 1/50 mails is directed at me there's a good change I'll miss it X|

        Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.

        Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra

        Regards, Sander

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        • C CPallini

          Money for nothing and chicks for free. I see in other answers the downfall of the open space trend. I am glad my company was old fashioned when open spaces were considered 'cool'.

          P Offline
          P Offline
          PIEBALDconsult
          wrote on last edited by
          #47

          CPallini wrote:

          downfall of the open space trend

          My employer is still in the process of converting offices from tall cubes to short (and smaller) cubes. X| My building hasn't been converted yet, but probably within a few years. :sigh: I think they are actively trying to get more workers to work from home so they can then reduce square footage. I also think it was a "long term" decision that was made years ago, and now they don't want to change course regardless of any reviews of success or failure so far.

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          • C chriselst

            What would be the one, reasonable, change that could be made to your place of work to make it better? Particularly looking forward to Griff's response to this? I've asked the question, but don't have a ready answer for myself.

            Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.

            V Offline
            V Offline
            virang_21
            wrote on last edited by
            #48

            chriselst wrote:

            What would be the one, reasonable, change that could be made to your place of work to make it better?

            Friday Beer !!! Reasonable ??? :-D

            Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

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            • G Gary Wheeler

              Realistic: Move my desk from its current location (middle of a 60-cube farm) to a lab, along with the rest of my group. It would be nice to have peace and quiet. Purchasing is next to our current location in the middle 40 acres, and they're always on the phone. Idealistic: Having software engineering concerns and priorities given the same credence as mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering. When you work for a hardware company, software is always free, quick, and easy. "Can't you just add a popup?" is everyone's favorite solution to every problem :mad:. It comes down to a simple matter of respect, which we don't get.

              Software Zen: delete this;

              D Offline
              D Offline
              den2k88
              wrote on last edited by
              #49

              Like you but no cubes. Also the tech support often has to speak out VERY loud because the technicina on the other side is in a production environment with 100-130 dB of noise. Doing serious assembler stuff while two techs are shouting on the phone and three administratives are loudly speaking about soccer or how much of a moron is means headache, violence and general dissatisfaction.

              GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver "When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey

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              • P PIEBALDconsult

                CPallini wrote:

                downfall of the open space trend

                My employer is still in the process of converting offices from tall cubes to short (and smaller) cubes. X| My building hasn't been converted yet, but probably within a few years. :sigh: I think they are actively trying to get more workers to work from home so they can then reduce square footage. I also think it was a "long term" decision that was made years ago, and now they don't want to change course regardless of any reviews of success or failure so far.

                D Offline
                D Offline
                den2k88
                wrote on last edited by
                #50

                PIEBALDconsult wrote:

                I think they are actively trying to get more workers to work from home

                I wish we could, I'd save 110 km each day of commuting. Our open space is designed so that the overseer can watch each monitor at a moment's notice and any people enterning the office can see every monitor. Guess if they would be prone to let us work from where nobody can keep us under surveillance... Extracts from the work regulations include: prohibition of talking from desk to desk, prohibition of getting up and walking to colleauges, prohibition of speaking to colleagues over the internal phone line. E-mails between coworkers are prohibited, for every communication should include the overseer. I think they missed the big writing "ARBEIT MACHT FREI"... Luckily my boss doesn't give a flock about all of this but the other departments of the company are terrible.

                GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver "When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey

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                • P PIEBALDconsult

                  CPallini wrote:

                  downfall of the open space trend

                  My employer is still in the process of converting offices from tall cubes to short (and smaller) cubes. X| My building hasn't been converted yet, but probably within a few years. :sigh: I think they are actively trying to get more workers to work from home so they can then reduce square footage. I also think it was a "long term" decision that was made years ago, and now they don't want to change course regardless of any reviews of success or failure so far.

                  C Offline
                  C Offline
                  CPallini
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #51

                  Quote:

                  I think they are actively trying to get more workers to work from home

                  Like den2k88 that would be good news for me.

                  Quote:

                  I also think it was a "long term" decision

                  I know, such long term decisions are really bad.

                  Quote:

                  they don't want to change course regardless of any reviews of success or failure so far

                  And that's even worse, my sympathy.

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                  • C CPallini

                    C'mon Nagy, resignation is not expected from bright minds.

                    N Offline
                    N Offline
                    Nagy Vilmos
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #52

                    I have a face-to-face coming up, you never know.

                    veni bibi saltavi

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                    • C chriselst

                      Walls was what I was thinking too. Although not because of Soccer. Currently trying not to listen to a conversation two pods of desks over about potatoes.

                      Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.

                      G Offline
                      G Offline
                      Graham Lemon UK
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #53

                      Likewise. Open plan office and the guy directly behind me spends most of his day in "motor-mouth" mode, either telling anyone who will listen how to do their job and why his way is better, or on the phone doing the same, plus he has the annoying habit of laughing at his own (so-called) jokes. Thank God our boss allows us to have headphones :-D

                      Sometimes, it just is, OK!

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                      • C chriselst

                        What would be the one, reasonable, change that could be made to your place of work to make it better? Particularly looking forward to Griff's response to this? I've asked the question, but don't have a ready answer for myself.

                        Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.

                        C Offline
                        C Offline
                        charlieg
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #54

                        Windows <-- as in holes in the wall... :) Our s/w group works in the center of a rather large building. We might as well BE the tornado shelter, but in the event of bad weather they make us move to a less secure hallway. Shoot, I'd settle for a large hi-def screen on the wall connected to an outside camera. Of course, I'd lose the air flow. Sent from my home office with two windows (one open) and the golden retriever trying to commit suicide by snuggling up behind my office chair....

                        Charlie Gilley Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape... "Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783 “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759

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                        • C chriselst

                          What would be the one, reasonable, change that could be made to your place of work to make it better? Particularly looking forward to Griff's response to this? I've asked the question, but don't have a ready answer for myself.

                          Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.

                          Y Offline
                          Y Offline
                          Ygnaiih
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #55

                          A development group run by developers. There should be no BAs, meetings should never have more than 4 people (three is better and two ideal), and forget Agile which might have worked if it had been done by the original rules.

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                          • P PIEBALDconsult

                            European potatoes or African potatoes? :-D

                            M Offline
                            M Offline
                            MKJCP
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #56

                            What? Well, I don't kno....aaaaaaaaaaargh.

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                            • C chriselst

                              What would be the one, reasonable, change that could be made to your place of work to make it better? Particularly looking forward to Griff's response to this? I've asked the question, but don't have a ready answer for myself.

                              Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.

                              A Offline
                              A Offline
                              agolddog
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #57

                              We should start seeing in a few weeks. The HVAC system in this building was screwed up. Whenever there was a meeting in the conference room, it would cause the AC to come on in the working area--even if it was already 70F, the normal setting. Because, you know, the comfort of the 10 or so people in that room is more important than the health of the workers. Needless to say, that made winters particularly unpleasant. I hear that some adjustments have been made so we don't need to wear coats at our desks. We'll see now that the weather is cooling.

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                              • C chriselst

                                What would be the one, reasonable, change that could be made to your place of work to make it better? Particularly looking forward to Griff's response to this? I've asked the question, but don't have a ready answer for myself.

                                Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.

                                K Offline
                                K Offline
                                Kirk 10389821
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #58

                                Here are the changes that I made: 1) I labeled the coffee maker with instructions on how to make the friggin coffee! (It worked, consistent coffee, and the 2 of us who made it increased to most everyone!) 2) Dual Monitors (it was a while ago) 3) Moving 2 developers OUT of a shared office into their own "closet" offices. 4) A Herman Miller chair for my office (which I paid for myself) 5) Getting the phone system changed so programmers phones did not ring as a rollover! And I would say the first one gave me more joy, every day I found a fresh pot of coffee that someone else made! Ah... Make the changes.

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                                • C chriselst

                                  What would be the one, reasonable, change that could be made to your place of work to make it better? Particularly looking forward to Griff's response to this? I've asked the question, but don't have a ready answer for myself.

                                  Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.

                                  F Offline
                                  F Offline
                                  Fabio Franco
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #59

                                  Tools to retain good developers.

                                  To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems - Homer Simpson ---- Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction - Francis Picabia

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                                  • D den2k88

                                    You remember perfectly. No, the capo is absent almost 4 days a week :D and he has his own office... carved at the extremes of the room there are offices with glass walls. No noise passes through and he can watch each and every one of us simply turning up his head. Usually when he's "in office" he sleeps or spends 3-4 hours at the nearby cafè then takes leave.

                                    megaadam wrote:

                                    But watching the telly is fine as the capo is into sports??

                                    They don't watch the TV in office but talk about the match of the previous evening. 8 hours straight. Violent thoughts arise...

                                    GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver "When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey

                                    H Offline
                                    H Offline
                                    Herbie Mountjoy
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #60

                                    And ban the people who try to hold conversations from opposite ends of the office, by shouting. There are usually six or more of these moronic, long distance yaks going on at the same time.

                                    I may not last forever but the mess I leave behind certainly will.

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                                    • H Herbie Mountjoy

                                      And ban the people who try to hold conversations from opposite ends of the office, by shouting. There are usually six or more of these moronic, long distance yaks going on at the same time.

                                      I may not last forever but the mess I leave behind certainly will.

                                      D Offline
                                      D Offline
                                      den2k88
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #61

                                      Herbie Mountjoy wrote:

                                      And ban the people who try to hold conversations from opposite ends of the office, by shouting

                                      Ban? Yes, from the planet.

                                      GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver "When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey

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                                      • G Gary Wheeler

                                        The secret story behind our current product's code name "Delta" goes something like this: The hardware's code name was that of a certain large, well-known river in North America. Our software provides overall control of the hardware. Given the priorities and the relative importance of the hardware over the software, we're the last ones to know anything new, and the last ones to finish. Hence, the code name "Delta" for our software. It also fits because we get to deal with all of the sh!t that comes down the river.

                                        Software Zen: delete this;

                                        W Offline
                                        W Offline
                                        WildlingCoder
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #62

                                        Well, if you wanted to keep the river metaphor going but make a point, you could make the name more interesting: Swamp, Alligator Food, River Blindness, Eerie Banjo Music... ;P

                                        G 1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • P PIEBALDconsult

                                          European potatoes or African potatoes? :-D

                                          G Offline
                                          G Offline
                                          Gary Huck
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #63

                                          How much do they weigh?

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