On the list of ways to generate a guaranteed negative knee-jerk reaction from an engineer, I offer a single word: process. Folks, in order to make sure that we hit our ship date, we have a new bug triage… process. You’ve heard the groans and you’ve seen the rolling eyeballs and made the fair assumption… more
The Editor and I don’t argue, we discuss. We’re arguing… discussing over a glass of red wine my concern over our collective attention spans. Not just she and I, but everyone. The whole damned planet. I say, “Information just keeps getting smaller. We’re sharing our bright ideas in 140 characters now and no one is… more
Everyone is an adjustment. When you’re interacting with anyone, you leave the core you and become slightly them. This is not a betrayal of who you are, this is the middle ground we define between any two people. It’s a place of compromise so we can communicate. There are those people with whom this is… more
“Can I work remote?” I cringe. It’s Ian and Ian is a senior engineer. He’s a rock. He gets it done. I never have to ask him twice and, after six years, Ian has every right to ask to work remote. But I’m still freaked because my first thought when anyone asks to work remote… more
They played bridge every Wednesday at Netscape. In the middle of the cafeteria. Like clockwork. The players were a collection of ex-SGI guys and they worked for a variety of different groups at the company, but as I learned a few months later, this core group of men quietly defined the engineering culture of the… more
Max was a mess. We were on our third mojito at The Basin in Saratoga when it just came pouring out of him. The last 72 hours involved: Two days in Los Angeles babysitting a customer’s data center Four hours of sleep Two huge arguments with his wife on the cell phone A marathon conference… more
I’ve started watching advertising again AND I own a TIVO. “Rands,” you say, “isn’t the whole point of owning a DVR to get rid of those pesky commercials?” “No,” I respond, “it’s about watching what I want, when I want to. I like commercials.” “Rands,” you reply, “Did you say you LIKE COMMERCIALS?” This all… more
