Complaining about Frameworks

Don't get me wrong, I like frameworks. I use them everyday to get things done ... mostly in Java and Python.

I've begun to notice something, there seems to be more innovation on the field of frameworks than there is in actual software development. Most developers are so busy obsessing over frameworks and methodologies that they don't produce any new innovative software.

Fall in Alberta as seen by an unemployed person.

DSC_0037, originally uploaded by mburchil.

I was resentful of my work because they took away my summer. You see I'd known I was being laid off for some time, and just wanted to get it over with so I could move on to my summer.

Well I missed out, summer wasn't all that nice and I ended up working on all those nice days. That is until the layoff came. On September 4th I was let go, and since that day the weather has been fantastic. In fact it is on the verge of being the hottest September on record here in Alberta.

So for now I can only sit back, look for new employment and enjoy the nice weather.

Where are the talented IT professionals?

Where are the talented IT professionals?

I've worked with many systems in my life. I've been a Windows Network Administrator, Software Developer and a Systems Analyst. These experiences have equipped me with the ability to function well in most technical environments, even ones that are new to me.

Recently however it seems that my experience has been doing me a great disservice. While I was out working the industry changed. After the Y2K bubble burst there were so many people working in so many countries that I.T. could now take the 1000 Monkey approach. We no longer needed experts when we could have many people performing discrete tasks for less money. This would insure that no one technical employee would become too critical.

If you've worked in I.T. you've probably heard the expression "What if you get hit by a bus tomorrow?". Well management no longer has to worry about that, what we have now is an environment where assembly line I.T. is the standard. Where once you had people who cared about their server rooms and applications, you now have 9 to 5'ers who have a "Job in computers".

Is there a solution?

Django 1.1 is released

Wow, I am super excited to have Django 1.1 ... Wow! Ok, not so much but it's cool and I am going to check it out right away. I'm just getting started anyway, so I might as well start out with the latest major release. Should I be using the SVN builds?

Learning DJANGO

I've been coding for years now. Mostly in Java, C++ and C#; recently however I have been doing lots and lots of work with Python. I really like python, it's a great language and I find using it has made me more productive.

After playing with Python for a few weeks, I've decided to try and create a site using Django. I have to say, this is something I am very new to. My previous development attempts used JSP, PHP and ASP.NET, none of these were as hands off as Django. There is a lot I am going to have to learn to work with this system, and the documentation is a little annoying. I fell in love with Java Docs a long time ago.

I also find it hard to believe that there are no good development IDE's with Django support. I mean Dreamweaver, Aptana, Coda ... None of these apps have the level of support for Django that you would get from InteliJ, Netbeans, Eclipse or Visual Studio when using Java or .Net. I can code without an IDE, but I do find them helpful when I am working with a big framework and the learning curve is still steep.

Django is a totally cool tool set, and I can't wait to really be able to use it. In the meantime I will be here, fighting to have that breakthrough, after which things will make sense. Oh and I don't know about Rails but Kudos to the Django developers for making config files that make sense. After spending years working with Spring and JSF I really appreciate the configuration files and setup in Django.

If you don't know what Django is and want to find out please go to http://www.djangoproject.org.

Change is in the air.

Once again change is in the Air. I am certain it's for the best, although I am afraid that it will bring some pain. Is this how it works for all of us? Do people at some point in their lives just give up improving and growing because the change is so painful? I can definitely see it, I mean I know that throughout my life times such as these have always led to me being better and more content, but I also know I have it pretty good now and I have only had to sell out a little bit.

If by some chance you manage to stumble onto this blog, please let me know what you think? Resist the change and stagnate or embrace it and enjoy the ride?

The back story:

I used to tell myself I would see the word. I wouldn't end up as one of the many nameless, faceless, thoughtless consuming consumers. I was determined to be the best that I could be in all regards. I told myself I wouldn't live life fearing death or failure, that I would take what came and use it to my advantage and that most of all I would not be boring.

The now story:

Well here I am, I'm in my early 30's; I've purchased a condo and I have so many useless things and I am employed by a large oil company. Over the years I have been rationalizing this to myself, but slowly it's eaten away at me. I live a life of comfortable disconnection and the more I think of how my life used to be the more it scares me. I am afraid of change, hard work and getting hurt. I am terrified that the illusion of control I have built up over the years will come crumbling down and I will discover that I've lost my edge, my skills have withered and I will have to remain out of necessity what I have become, forever consuming and contributing nothing real, as this will have become my only means of survival.

I never wanted to be the person who spends money to find happiness. Yet here I am; in a few short years I have completely forgotten what it is like to just have fun without money. I'm missing the world because I'm worried about my mortgage. I fill out paperwork that really does nothing but help the other useless people do their pointless tasks ... Some made up rule says I'm essential, but you'll have to take my word for it when I say I'm not.

Buildings are erected, mountains are scaled, books are written, art is created, games are played, things are discovered, and I am witness to non of it.

Looking forward:

Recently things have begun to change, I may be out of work and in good circumstances. I am considering striking out on my own, to try and fulfill my dreams, see the world and create something that matters, even if it's just to me.

Or I can find another job. I am pretty good at what I do, and there is security. Experience has taught me that I will be unhappy, but maybe that is the price. Perhaps I should just buy a new product and shut up.

What do you think?

Motoko waits at the Hospital

Motoko waits at the Hospital, originally uploaded by mburchil.

Yay! Happy Canada day! Motoko and I got to spend the day celebrating by making use of our wonderful universal health care system.

Canadian health care is awesome, you get pretty good care, from good doctors and they have access to very modern equipment and training. If it weren't for the healthcare system many of us would not be so healthy and I would be missing a few family members.

On the other hand why does it take four hours to get seven stitches?


People will blame health care, and they will blame the government, but I think it has more to do with us. When we went to the hospital they had all the latest stuff and the doctor was very knowledgeable. However nothing seemed efficient, people would start something then run off and come back an hour later only to do another 30 seconds of work and run off again. The hospital staff were not slacking, they were working, they just didn't get anything done.

Working for a living.

When it comes to innovating I am finding it difficult to be a Canadian. Is this lack of innovation a by product of our culture? We used to be very creative some really important things have come from Canada in the past.

Let me just say this to start, I have no idea what kinds of research and innovation is occurring outside of information technology. That being said I am still seeing new and interesting things come out of the U.S. while Canada remains silent. I have lived in provinces where high speed Internet access has been affordable for almost 20 years. Instead of it becoming a hotbed of Canadian innovation it became a hot bed of shady Call Centers. IBM and Xerox are there, or at least their Call Centers are. No not the support one … If you are getting a technical problem resolved you are probably calling India.

One of the problems may have something to do with our resource based mentality. Recently I’d inquired about getting a small business loan from the Canadian government. The people I was dealing with were very nice, they helped me every step of the way, but in the end although they liked what my business was doing, they told me that they could not approve a loan that was going to be used to pay wages, that they would not invest in Intellectual property because it wasn’t Tangible, “Unless you can put a serial number on it we won't invest in it.” Is what I was told.

Another issue may have something to do with our closest neighbour. Why spend all your time fighting with Canadian red tape when you can just go south. Sure they don’t have health care, but the people are almost the same and the weather is better. Oh and if your company does well maybe you can put your call center in Canada some day.

Simple things

DSC01651, originally uploaded by mburchil.

I get in these terrible moods that can put me down for weeks. I honestly don’t know why. However, when I head out on my bike for a while I feel better. I’m not sure if it’s just the exercise or the sun that makes me feel better, possibly even the wind in my face. When I am biking I actually feel great. Everything looks good to me, my thoughts aren’t overwhelming and all is right with the world.

Maybe this is how other people feel when they drive on long empty stretches of highway, or when they are running in the early mornings outside of my home. It’s you and your heart; you can hear it, and for that short period of time it’s louder than your brain.

Anyway, I’m really happy that it’s summer!