Mon, 31 Aug 2009
Look for the people that everyone mocks
Pay very close attention to them. Nothing marks a trouble spot in quite
the same way. Either they're being picked on and something needs to be done
or they are the first people you should be helping to pursue new
opportunities. Very far away. Either way you need to know.
Leaving incompetent people in place destroys morale for the good staff and encourages them to look elsewhere. When there's a bad apple or two lowering the teams value, and the quality of their output, pure professional pride only gets you so far. At some point you need to have a culture that rewards effort and punishes wastes of space.
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Posted: 2009/08/31 20:58 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Mon, 12 Jan 2009
Prague - It's cold out there...
... but the beer is very cheap. Which I know is an important thing for my
readers. I can also agree with their choice of food, lots of pork and
goulash with stodgy dumplings and thick sauce. Pig knuckle is much nicer
than it sounds. I spent a long weekend in Prague, it was -10 for most of
it but luckily the city isn't very big and you can reach all the usual
tourist spots by foot if you've got a day or two.
Most of the actual tourist spots are a little... underwhelming but the highlight for me was a concert we attended at the Narodni Muzeum (National Museum). We walked in and were pointed to our seats; which were cushions on the staircases. Ten minutes later the Czech String Chamber Orchestra walked in and were amazing for just over an hour. It felt very private and was worth every penny (it cost just over 20 quid). On the other hand the Prague Astronomical Clock and Wenceslas Square are on every list of the cities "top 10 locations" and both were disappointing.
Oh,and just in case anyone else is as dumb as me - Prague does not use Euros... Fortunately they have cash machines in the airport lobby.
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Posted: 2009/01/12 22:18 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Sun, 05 Oct 2008
Spooks Code 9 - Making Torchwood look Good
When it comes to spinoffs the BBC isn't doing too well. After two, very,
very bad series of Torchwood we're now 'blessed' with Spooks: Code 9. It's got
nothing to do with the main Spooks series (a series I do like), has
very... inexperienced acting and dull plots.
What's good about it? A lot of the cast are very pretty and it's only 6 episodes long. Luckily it's been panned by nearly everyone who's posted a review of it (I like to be on the bandwagon every now and again) and with a little luck it'll be canned after just one season. Consistently bad. Let's hope this one stays dead.
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Posted: 2008/10/05 21:47 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Wed, 27 Feb 2008
Earthquakes in the UK?
I've just been woken up by the flat moving. Cups rattling, shelves
wobbling and my ceiling light clinking against itself. Felt very much
like the aftershocks of the earthquake we had a couple of years ago.
Here's hoping no one's hurt.
Update: BBC coverage. So I wasn't the only one to notice then.
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Posted: 2008/02/27 01:14 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Fri, 04 Jan 2008
The Empty Envelope
This is a weird one (and a bit of a long shot) but someone kindly sent me a
letter this week, well I assume they did, as I only got an envelope.
If it was you then please drop me an email. I'm not ignoring, you I just don't know who you are or what you wanted. Not knowing is going to bug me now.
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Posted: 2008/01/04 23:38 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Sun, 24 Jun 2007
Have Card Will Travel
It's been a long week that began with half the systems team coming down
with colds and ended with no water at home and dealing with plumbers. A
number of little road blocks cropped up and late Friday
night I decided to do the adult thing - and ran away.
I've not really had a non-tech break since January so about 10 Friday night I grabbed my "conference kit" (I've learned to pack for short trips both quickly and lightly - and with only cheap items) I went and bought a ticket to the coast, used the wireless in the train station to find a small "hotel" (that's a glamourous term for where I ended up staying) and buggered off to enjoy the beach for two days.
So I'm sitting here alone on a beach, on a Sunday, enjoying the sound of the waves, using the free wireless and fiddling about on my laptop in the remarkably warm sun.
And you know what? It's not the worst way to end a week.
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Posted: 2007/06/24 10:47 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Fri, 06 Apr 2007
Bad Virus, Bad!
I've had a cold / flu for the last month or so that I've not been able to
fully shake off. I took a weeks holiday from work to relax and kill the
damn thing only to be told by the doctor it's not a cold or the flu, it's a
viral infection. Which will shift on its own, just not for a while. I was
told the usual (give it time and lots of rest) and so I'm posting this as a
quick and dirty way of explaining why I've not responded to your $FOO
Back to bed for me.
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Posted: 2007/04/06 12:48 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Mon, 15 Jan 2007
Public Transport and Getting Lost at the Beach
I was about ten minutes late for the start of the Tuesday opening talk,
although I'm finding it hard to feel guilty about it. I got on the wrong
bus and ended up on a sunny beach where I had a nice bacon roll and a
cold diet coke while I waited for the right bus. I've been commuting
pretty much every work day for my entire adult life and I've got to say
this is the first time I've ended up on a beach. Doesn't suck.
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Posted: 2007/01/15 22:57 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Sun, 14 Jan 2007
The worlds most optimistic smuggler?
I'm starting to realise that the custom agencies of the world take one look
at me as I pass through and assume that I'm possibly the worlds most naive
and optimistic smuggler. It seems to be the combination of being (sorta)
young, travelling light, and alone, to a country for only a couple of days
that triggers every flag they've got. I can imagine the conversation "He's
only got one bag." "Come on, he's too obvious..." "It's as if he tempting
us... Sod it, get the gloves."
I travel light because I travel a lot, and I've learned exactly what I do and don't need. Most people over estimate how much clothing they need (it might be hot, take the T-shirt and shorts. Although that's a cloud... grab the jacket and wellington boots as well.) and misjudge how much time they'll have to spend reading etc. I'll only take the essentials (plus a day or two) and use either the hotel or local dry cleaners if anything goes wrong.
Over the course of the many stop and searches (the Australian customs official was possibly the friendliest I've met. Although he did mention the cricket...) one of the things I've noticed they like is hard copy proof of what you're doing in the country. A printed confirmation of the hotel booking, conference registration (with address) and a schedule seems to go a long way to alleviating their fears that you're there for some nefarious purpose. Especially if they "discover" it without being directed by you.
So here's to FOSDEM in Brussels and the next customs agent that takes a shine to me.
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Posted: 2007/01/14 20:34 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Sun, 15 Oct 2006
The Flu Sucks - I Ain't Dead...
...I just look like it. I've spent the last week and a bit wrapped up in
bed fighting the flu (and it won). I've been a good boy and stayed off-line
in an attempt to keep the headaches tolerable so now I have the joy
of nearly a fortnights backed up emails; and the same again in my work
accounts. I'll be (slowly) working my way through the pile from
tomorrow. I've never really suffered from the flu until I joined my
current company, where it seems to decimate a chunk of the office every
six months, and I'm willing to take a stand and say I'm against it.
It's also amusing to note that I missed the company paid flu injections my employers had done in the office on Friday because I was off with... tada! My luck is special.
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Posted: 2006/10/15 20:55 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Fri, 29 Sep 2006
Fight or Flee: TO THS HILLS!
When you meet someone you click with things are good. As things start
to progress you learn about each other, become more involved in each
others life and you discover what makes you both tick. In some cases
this is a wonderful thing and can bring you closer, in other cases this
is the last exit ramp off the road that leads to the boiling of cute
bunnies (no one ever boiled an ugly bunny - there's no point).
What I recently discovered (I'm not very quick when it comes to things like this - I have a domain name with the word Unix in it so no one should be surprised with this confession) is that sometimes you discover something else, that the person, no matter how much you like them, isn't going to work out and that if you keep getting closer they will be able to seriously rip you apart. And that they will because they have a streak they may not even consciously realise. This leaves you with a couple of options, either go along for the ride and then engage in some mutually assumed destruction or get the hell out, go to the cinema a lot and post a lot of short reviews on your sadly named blog ;)
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Posted: 2006/09/29 07:40 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Sat, 09 Sep 2006
Best Advert of 2006 - Sky
I know the title of this post might seem a little premature but it's going
to take something amazing to beat Skys skateboarding advert.
The last couple of times I've been to the cinema I've seen an advert for Sky that features some stunning skateboarding by Danny Way, the adverts footage was taken from a documentary on him, with Regina Spektor - US providing the music. Mute the skateboarding clip, hide the US window and watch along, it's very cool.
While looking for a copy of the advert to show a friend I discovered that no one seems to a copy of the full ad online. The skateboarding clip originally had a different soundtrack, which I don't like, and the music video for US is dull, but when put together (for me at least) they just work. I don't know who came up with the idea but it's stuck in my head.
And to be honest, the advert was better than the film.
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Posted: 2006/09/09 12:10 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Tue, 05 Sep 2006
Startup Success 2006 Recording
Guy Kawasaki has a link to the Startup
Success 2006 Recording on his blog. From the good humoured and funny
snipes at LinkedIns Reid Hoffman to some great tidbits of information
("Expensable not approvable" and "Convince the fewest number of people
possible to buy it") from Joe Kraus it's well worth watching, even at over
an hour long.
I was also impressed with Guy in his role as moderator, I've been to a lot of conferences over the years and he's one of the smoothest moderators I've seen. And yes, I did go back and take a lot of notes :)
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Posted: 2006/09/05 23:38 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Mon, 17 Jul 2006
As If, Sinchronicity and Star Spotting - Jemima Rooper
If you're of a certain age (the same one as me :)) then you may fondly
remember As If. It
was broadcast on T4 (when T4 was still tolerable) and was on late
enough that you were awake from the Saturday night clubbing... Compared
to most of the pap targeting the late teens / early twenties market at
the time it was well written, funny and was blessed with good
casting.
Last night on BBC3 a new series called Sinchronicity started, it features a number of the same cast, production crew and aspects that made As If stand out. I'm mentioning this not just because it's a decent program (and those should be encouraged) but while walking through Liverpool Street on my daily fight home tonight I spotted Jemima Rooper, one of the stars of both. And went to say "Hello". She's nice to speak to, tiny - about 5' 3 - and absolutely gorgeous.
Now to find the set of As If episodes...
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Posted: 2006/07/17 18:29 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Fri, 19 May 2006
Last Minute Demands
If you say, "I need this by the end of today. At the absolute
latest!" (or some close variation) which of these do you think is
most likely outcome? I admire your spontaneous creativity and
willingness to "motivate" people in to achieving your goals or I
think you can't plan for shit and have no ability to manage your time
or projects? Want a hint?
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Posted: 2006/05/19 06:56 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Wed, 03 May 2006
Slither - 4/5
I finally got around to seeing Slither. It's (a small) part
horror, (large) part bad comedy and an enjoyable hour and a bit. The gore
isn't as bad as I thought it'd be from reading interviews with the director
and it reminded me of Eight Legged Freaks, another funny bad B-movie that I
enjoyed.
Oh, and it's got Nathan Fillion in it. It's not the role that's going to make his career but he does put on a respectable showing.
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Posted: 2006/05/03 21:41 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Thu, 09 Mar 2006
Linda Smith - Wittiest Living Person
I'm behind on actual (non-slashdot covered) news again so it came as quite
a shock to find out that Linda Smith,
who never failed to amuse, passed away in February. Whether on TV or radio
she always raised a smile. Her death is a loss to all fans of good comedy.
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Posted: 2006/03/09 18:59 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Tue, 04 Oct 2005
Friendships Should be Equal
In any friendship, hell any relationship, the most important thing is
equality. Each party has certain expectations, if they don't match those of
the other person then things will eventually come to a head.
In a relationship the same principles apply, but what they each offer may be very different and appear unbalanced on first glance. This is often the deal with "old rich guy" with "young attractive women" relationships. As long as they both understand what they're going to put in (no pun intended) and get out then they can work. Any time you see two people and think "what's he/she doing with him/her?" take another look. In most cases there's something that makes them consider each other as equals.
Every now and again you get in to a friendship or relationship where things start out as equal and gradually change. Sometimes you can even spot this happening and get an early warning that you either have to change the deal or get out of the way before it goes sour. Good luck.
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Posted: 2005/10/04 08:45 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Tue, 20 Sep 2005
Colds -- I'm Against Them
Over the last week or so I've been suffering from a cold that just won't
shake loose. It started with headaches, which stopped me from reading or
using a monitor, and has reduced back to the point where I sound funny
(yes, more than usual...) and have a sore throat. The weird thing is that
it seems to have screwed up my sleep patterns. I'm going to bed early,
waking up for a couple of hours and then drifting back off. And then
panicing to get to work on time.
One of the side effects of this is the mass of unread emails and blogs that have been steadily piling up. Today I did something very relaxing and nuked almost all of them. All my mailing lists and a chunk of the less important conversations, any blog entry over three hours old and my gmail accounts are now all (almost) clear. It's nice to be back at the starting post every now and again.
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Posted: 2005/09/20 19:23 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Sat, 17 Sep 2005
The Personal MBA
Traditionally there has always been two easily identifiable people in a
tech start-up, the beard and the suit. I'm a beard, well a shaven one...
which I guess makes me a chin... But I'm digressing. One of the great
things about the 'net is that it's so easy to stroll in to someone else's
world. With people like Seth Godin and Hugh Macleod posting their
thoughts (and a decent RSS aggregator) I can get an insight in to the
marketing world. I can even drill down in to certain markets with sites
like the Lip-Sticking blog.
One of the more interesting topics to come from these blogs (and a huge number of others) this year has been the personal MBA. The basic idea is that you can get as much information from 40 (well, 42 at the moment) top of their field books as you could from an actual MBA. While a real MBA has other values, good on the CV, social networking etc. the ability to learn all the important things without leaving your job for two years and spending huge amounts of money is one I more than welcome.
For a short summary of the books have a look at the ChangeThis Personal MBA Manifesto.
Update: It's just popped in to my head that this is a good opportunity to get some free PR for a book seller. Put the whole set in to a bundle and offer a discount. I'm sure it'd generate some good buzz among people who buy a lot of business books...
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Posted: 2005/09/17 14:37 | /nottech | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date
Copyright © 2000-2005 Dean Wilson
