So, how was your summer? Mine was fun. Saw some fish. Went mad with hunger. Hallucinated a whole bunch.

Angel ,'Conviction (1)'


Natter 76: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Foaminess  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, butt kicking, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


-t - Jan 09, 2019 4:19:10 pm PST #3741 of 30019
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

I guess if I'm posting all eloquent and shit tomorrow night I'll be abashed.


meara - Jan 09, 2019 4:19:19 pm PST #3742 of 30019

Love scrappy's story. Boo to Facebook drama. My mom just got Facebook last week. My sister told her we won't friend her. I've told her that for years. She still friend requested us. Ugh.


-t - Jan 09, 2019 4:20:58 pm PST #3743 of 30019
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

Oh dear, meara.

That does sound like maybe the best yoga class ever.


sarameg - Jan 09, 2019 5:33:05 pm PST #3744 of 30019

2 days of agile scrum training down. 2 to go. I'm inherently skeptical of any corporate methodology TM. This isn't bad in the abstract, but as being implemented by higher mgmt(without mgmt USING it except for metrics& portions not being able to use it fully because of higher requirements) it basically leaves those in the middle in a frustrating clusterfuck, unless mgmt takes the stick out of its ass. And no good solution to that.

Anyway, it's been established & observed that I will jump in to fill any leadership void (even when I shouldn't [bossy as fuck when I'm bored with us spinning in circles ],) I'm really good at managing personalities & smoothing edges, I'm supportive despite being a total Eyeore, I'm going to always say no first but am oddly able to make things move forward & I can reduce my coworkers to helpless tears from laughter with one weird look and a snide aside.

And they like my cookies.

I don't think the trainer knows what to make of me. I've been one of his biggest knot-snarls, but embrace structure. Just not when it breaks efficiency because People Are Different. And I still think we had a better organic meeting & communication structure before that we could incorporate here (I think it was not all that different, just better suited to the culture ) if mgmt wasn't so obsessed with going by the book. I know these people.

Anyway, I've been locked in a hotel conference room for 2 days & I might be getting punchy & more opinionated, gawd help my bosses.


Gudanov - Jan 09, 2019 5:34:52 pm PST #3745 of 30019
Coding and Sleeping

Are you going to do agile poker in your process?


sarameg - Jan 09, 2019 5:55:14 pm PST #3746 of 30019

Ranking cards, flip 'em? In training, yes. We actually do this in a less formalized manner (we don't usually need blinds with most of my teams, we're a pretty transparent bunch & encourage that, as new coworkers have noted.)


Dana - Jan 09, 2019 5:59:51 pm PST #3747 of 30019
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.

My experience with Agile is that it sounds like it would be great if it worked. And maybe it does work for devs. We writers aren't loving it.


sarameg - Jan 09, 2019 6:24:41 pm PST #3748 of 30019

Yeah, we've got dev for whom many, it isn't that different from what we do already, but also firefighting & doc & the latter two don't fit well into that schema unless you just exclude them from the same rigidity. That's what is causing the most tsuris. That and the dev who just work best to be left alone. And I'm throwing down on that fight.


sarameg - Jan 09, 2019 6:37:00 pm PST #3749 of 30019

I don't have managerial authority, deliberately. I have seniority & knowledge & history with managing personalities. So my efficacy in my fight rides on those pillars whose strength is judged several levels up the food chain with a very new middle. We'll see.


Jesse - Jan 10, 2019 3:36:15 am PST #3750 of 30019
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

I love imagining what people here are like at work!