04.30.07
Posted in Software Development, Thoughtworks at 2:55 pm by BestFriendChris
This last weekend I attended CITCON in Dallas. Awesome. I had some amazing conversations, watched Bret Pettichord blow me away with customizing RSpec, actually met Elisabeth Hendrickson (and received a sweet green wristband that says, “test obsessed”), joined in a great conversation about what we are looking for in a testing language, and was surprised to discover there are people out there that actually like ant (to be fair, though, he does work on AnthillPro). The only downside was there were 2 topics at the same time that I wanted to go to, so I attended a talk on code metrics and missed out on the CI server cage match (There were like 6 different CI Servers represented at the conference, and they all got in a room to compare features and benefits of each).
If you’ve never been to a conference in an OpenSpace format, you’re really missing out. The short (-ish) version is that there are no preassigned speakers for the conference. On Friday, we all sat in a circle and people could write ideas down on a 3×5 card stating what they want to talk about. It might be some tool you want to show off, some concept you want to tell people, or, just as likely, something you know nothing about and what to learn. The only requirement is if you suggest the topic, you have to facilitate it and help get the conversation going.
After we had about 30 topics, we set them up on a board showing the rooms and time slots. Then, we go to the next room to drink and chat. As the night moved on, people we encouraged to wander back over to the schedule and rearrange topics, vote on what they want to see, and combine topics together. If you see two topics at the same time you really want to see, you just swap one of the topics with a different one so you can see them both. While you would think this would cause all sorts of problems, it turns out that, in general, people aren’t jerks, so you don’t get a constantly shifting schedule as much as a gradually improving one. A key element of OpenSpaces is the rule of 2 feet. If you don’t feel you’re getting the most out of a session, it’s up to you to walk to a better session. If you suggest a topic and nobody shows up (Actually happened for one of them), feel free to move to a different one. This puts the onus on you to get something from the conference. There are plenty of smart people attending, so if you don’t learn anything, you must have been actively avoiding conversations.
One of the interesting things is that the conference is free and takes place from Friday night to all day Saturday. The effect of this is the people that attend are doing so from a very real desire to learn. They are spending their free time to improve their craft and learn from their peers. It really raises the bar of the attendees. It’s amazing how much a difference actually caring about what you do can make.
Well, I guess that’s about it. There are 2 more CITCONs this year: CITCON Asia/Pacific 2007 in Sydney, July 27 & 28, 2007 and CITCON Europe 2007 in Brussels, October 19 & 20, 2007. I’m pretty sure I’m going to go to the one in Brussels, (London 06 was just as awesome as this last one). If you’re in the area, I can safely recommend attending.
Final thoughts: When I first heard about CITCON, I focused on the “Continuous Integration” part of the name (which I didn’t have much passion around). I think it’s important, however, to understand that Testing, Agile, TDD and other xp-ish stuff are just as represented (if not more so). I’m glad I decided to go.
Permalink
02.19.06
Posted in Thoughtworks at 7:27 am by BestFriendChris
Today I saw my very first cricket match, and so I’ve decided to inform all of my friends and family from the states what the rules are:
- Start with baseball
- Puff the Diamond out into a circle
- Move the bases in the center of the circle
- Remove the outfield wall
- Remove the 1st and 3rd bases
- Move the pitcher behind 2nd base
- Put a runner on 2nd base, next to the pitcher
- Take the remaining bases and replace them with sticks in the ground
- Replace the baseball with a ball that will hurt more when you catch it
- Remove any sort of gloves that will make catching the ball not hurt
- Add as many outfielders as you can
- Remove the concepts foul ball, strike, infield-fly rule, 3 outs to an inning
- Force the pitcher to take a running start when pitching
- If the pitcher hits the stick, the batter is out
- If the batter hits the ball, he can run if he wants to
- If the batter runs, the person on 2nd base is forced to run as well
- When the person on 2nd base gets home, he can run back to 2nd base again to get another point
- The two runners can do this as many times as possible
- If a runner is not on the base, they are out if the ball knocks over the stick representing the base they were last on
- Tagging a runner with the ball does nothing
- If the batter knocks the ball out of the park, he only scores 6 runs
- If the ball bounces out of the park, he scores 4 runs
- Each inning is a certain number of pitches (12 in our case, 50 in a normal game)
- If a pitcher throws a ball, 1 point is given, and the pitch doesn’t count (for purposes of ending the inning)
For the most part, much like in baseball, the best part of cricket is watching a game and drinking with your friends.
Permalink
02.07.06
Posted in General, Thoughtworks at 10:54 am by BestFriendChris
So, I recently (as in, an hour ago) noticed that my website looks like crap on windows machines… (For the record, it was only looked slightly better on Safari on my Mac, but that had more to do with my minimal website design experience than render and layout issues) So, I decided to choose a professionally designed layout for now.
I’m in the middle of posting some pictures from my trip to Shedd Aquarium with Sarah on Saturday. It’s taking a bit, since the internet here seems to be capped, but I’ve already got several up. The website for my pictures (which I’m also going to add to the links on the left) is lookat.bestfriendchris.com.
In other news, I had my first day of work yesterday. It was a little overwhelming, but I am looking forward to working here. I received my laptop (a Dell Latitude D610) which I’m using at the moment to type this post. Plus, most importantly, I learned how to submit my expenses. 
Well, I’m off! See you in India!
Permalink
01.28.06
Posted in Thoughtworks at 10:50 am by BestFriendChris
Just a few updates on my life at the moment:
- I’m leaving for Chicago in exactly one week, to not see my apartment (nor family) for 2 months
- I have my visa for India all taken care of. I had them leave it at their office so it doesn’t get lost again (see below for the story)
- I started taking my Malaria pills, so… That’s fun.
- My last day at my current job is Tuesday, Jan 31st. They have already, several times, mentioned that if I ever decide I want to settle down in the Waterloo area, I’m welcome to return. Also, if there are any computer parts I ever need, to let them know and they’ll get me a deal. (That sounds dangerous…)
The story with my passport, which I just now realized I hadn’t mentioned on the site, goes as such: Three weeks ago I sent, via FedEx, my passport and some paperwork to ThoughtWorks in order for them to get me a visa to enter India. One week later, on the 16th, I got an email from my friendly neighborhood Immigration Team Member Andra that he still hadn’t received my passport.
*Entering DefCon 4*
So, I shoot him the tracking number and check it out myself. The package was listed as going out on delivery, but that’s the last entry. Nothing about it returning to the Distribution Center. Nothing about it being delivered. In short, nothing.
*Entering DefCon 3*
The next day, the package still hadn’t arrived. Keep in mind, that if FedEx loses this package, there is not enough time for me to get a new Passport, get it to ThoughtWorks, and get a Visa to go to India. I call FedEx and finally get a hold of somebody, after a couple of false starts, of course. (For the record, if a company puts you on hold so long that it dumps you out of hold to the receptionist, and they aren’t at their desk so you get their voice mail, that’s bad customer service.) The person I got ahold of started a “Trace” on the package and they would call me back with what they found. The next morning I get a call, “We can’t find the package”.
*Entering DefCon 2*
After I get that call, I call FedEx back again and get somebody new. She decides that the best way to help me would be to get me in touch with the manager of the Distribution Center where it was last seen (Manny). While initially our talk seemed headed towards me yelling and generally being in a bad mood, he started to come around and help me. Manny put me on hold and talked with the driver that would have taken the package, and he had no idea. (At this point in the story, I found out that if a package is lost in FedEx land and a person submits a claim, it is the responsibility of the driver who last scanned the package out to pay for it. That would suck, although I have to say it’d be a pretty good way to keep packages from being lost…) The driver was going to look around and see what he could find.
*Entering DefCon 1*
About 2 minutes after finding this out, I shoot an email to Andra with an update. Apparently, as I was typing my email, he was typing one to me. He received the package! Sweet! The story is, ThoughtWorks is on the 6th floor of a particular building. The package wasn’t, however, delivered to the 6th floor. It was delivered to the diner on the 1st floor. (I’m not sure if they are in the habit of having passports FedEx’d to them or not, but my gut tells me “Not”). Anyway, once everybody figured out where it was supposed to go, it got there
*Returning to DefCon 5*
Hooray!
Permalink
01.17.06
Posted in Thoughtworks at 6:26 pm by BestFriendChris
So, I just got my flight itinerary for my trip to India. In exactly 21 days I will be on a plane in Chicago heading toward Frankfurt. I leave at 6:30pm and arrive 8 hours and 15 minutes later in Frankfurt at 9:45am (local time. That’s 2:45am me time). An hour and a half later I leave at 11:20am local, 4:20 me for an 8 hour, 30 minutes flight to Bangalore, where it will now be 12:25am local, 12:55pm me. So, basically, I’m going to be skipping lightly across wednesday, only touching ground for ~1.5 hours. Nice.
The return flight (On March 31st) is much the same, albeit traveling backward in time, where I will teach the people the wonders of the future, and they will most likely make me their god. Or something. Actually, the flight from Germany to the US will only take about 55 minutes. We’ll be making GREAT time. I hope Guiness is there when we land.
Permalink
12.04.05
Posted in Thoughtworks at 2:05 am by BestFriendChris
So, I just saw a post by a former professor of mine, talking about me! (You can read for yourself here) Who’d of thought that I’d be a milestone!
Permalink
12.02.05
Posted in Thoughtworks at 3:00 pm by BestFriendChris
I just got word that ThoughtWorks would like to offer me a job! Words really aren’t going to work right now to describe the feeling, so I’ll write more later.
I have a feeling these next two months are going to be moving s-l-l-l-o-o-o-o-ly.
Permalink
11.23.05
Posted in Thoughtworks at 1:18 pm by BestFriendChris
So, I just got an email from my “Recruiting Enabler” Tracy. Aparently, the normal “you will know within the next 5 business days” does not apply for now. It seems the higher ups would like to run several candidates through the selection process and choose from the best. Essentially, this is exactly how I thought the hiring practice was before Monday. Now they’re going to be doing interviews of other candidates until mid December, and decide by the end of the year.
I’m not very excited by this turn of events, not only because it means that I wasn’t so freaking awesome they wanted to hire me on the spot, but also because I had just finished psyching myself up to hear by next week. Now’ it’s more, next week + 1 month. I slight difference.
I’m still optimistic, just to a lesser degree than before.
Permalink
11.21.05
Posted in Thoughtworks at 3:15 pm by BestFriendChris
So, have I mentioned how much I rule? The first interview was with two developers. I rocked their socks off. They said they really liked my code exercise, so that’s good.
Next up was the interview with the system designers. It was a good interview, although interesting. Especially when they both realized this was the other person’s first interview as well. There was an uncomfortable silence here and there. It’s all good, though.
Finally, I found out that I should know if I got the job within 5 business days! 5! Holy Quickness, Batman!
Permalink
Posted in Thoughtworks at 12:45 pm by BestFriendChris
So, I just finished up the tests to see if I’m the stud we all know and love. The logic test was supposed to take an hour, but I did it in 30 minutes. That gave me plenty of time to double check every question. (7 stud points) Next was a 12 minute test to see how good you are with words, math, problem solving, etc. It wasn’t made to be finished. I got 2/3rds of the way through it. (3 stud points, making for a grand total of 10 out of 10)
All in all a good time. The only downers so far have been the aforementioned lack of sleep (although I am in the middle of a killer second wind) and that I forgot to get a receipt for the $40 cab ride, so I’m not sure if I can be reimbursed. Ouch.
Permalink
« Previous entries ·
