Category Archives: Work

On Software Testing

July 23, 2009 – 8:29 am

Over the past several years at the University, we’ve had to hire for a variety of programming and programming-related positions. One of the interviewing practices we’ve adopted is to give candidates a programming assignment which they can complete at home, at their own pace using any resources they can muster. Because these conditions approximate the [...]

By SeanMcTex | Also posted in Computers | Comments (0)

High Ed Web 2008 Talk (or “A Cure for Insomnia”)

June 29, 2009 – 2:20 pm

Last October, a couple of my coworkers and I presented at [High Ed Web 2008]. The conference organizers have, at long last, posted the transcript and audio recording of our session. The quality of the transcript is fairly rough, and they didn’t include the visual aids (which, by the way, I put a good deal [...]

By SeanMcTex | Also posted in Computers, Travel | Comments (0)

Planning Poker

May 19, 2009 – 3:40 pm

One of the things about writing software for a living is that customers are rarely happy when you tell them “It will be done when it’s done.” Even though development is fraught with uncertainty, it’s still incumbent upon us who practice this craft to be able to give people some idea of what kind of [...]

By SeanMcTex | Also posted in Computers, Games | Comments (1)

Workplace Motivation and Game Mechanics

April 22, 2009 – 1:53 pm

I manage a crew of about 5 programmers at work. During our performance reviews this year, I asked each of them how I could do my job as a manager better. One of them, in a bit of much-appreciated candor, said that motivation was one of his biggest challenges, and that he would be grateful [...]

By SeanMcTex | Also posted in Games | Comments (8)

Twitter Status Board

December 5, 2008 – 11:54 am

Several months ago, I noticed that one of the nearby offices was using a whiteboard mounted outside their office door to keep people informed of their comings and goings. “That’s good communication!” I thought to myself, “but my team is made up of geeks. Surely we can do something nerdier!”
Thus was born an experiment with [...]

By SeanMcTex | Also posted in Computers, Curiosities | Comments (5)

I’m a Mythical Beast

October 21, 2008 – 9:51 am

And it’s not just my wife who says so.
When I’m going to take a day off from work, I email our team to let them know I’ll be out. Here’s a recent missive:
Hey y’all,
I’m planning to take Friday off as a sanity day and to strip down, don the
headdress of the fabled jackelope, and beat [...]

By SeanMcTex | Also posted in Art, Curiosities | Comments (0)

High Ed Web 2008

October 7, 2008 – 9:24 am

I’m currently at the High Ed Web 2008 conference in Springfield, MO. The conference is geared to web professionals in Higher Education, and is an interesting combination of marketers, technical folk, and the occasional vendor. There’s lots of good information to be had (as well as an immense amount of equally good food — who [...]

By SeanMcTex | Also posted in Computers, Travel | Comments (1)

QA Engineer Needed

September 22, 2008 – 3:49 pm

Hi all! Hideo, our superb QA guy up at work, is heading back to Japan at the end of this month, and we need to find someone to fill his shoes. If you’re interested in web application development and/or software quality assurance, please check out the listing I’ve posted on Craig’s List. Thanks!

By SeanMcTex | Comments (0)

IT Staff Appreciation Breakfast

May 21, 2008 – 10:04 am

Just back from the IT Staff Appreciation Breakfast. A few notable awards:

Kathy won a scholarship again this year. Huzzah! Congratulations, my dear!
My boss, Mike Farris, won an Excellent Leadership Award, which he richly deserved.
Two of the project teams I serve on, TRACS and Gato, won Collaborative Team Excellence Awards. Great job, you guys! You’ve certainly [...]

By SeanMcTex | Also posted in Family | Comments (0)

What I Want for Lunch

January 29, 2008 – 10:14 am

Feeling feisty, and not a little obnoxious, this morning, I responded thusly when asked what I thought should be on the menu for an upcoming retreat at work:
I would like the finest lobster, hand harvested by Poseidon and his entourage of mermaids and cooked to perfection by Maine’s top chefs (flown here for the occasion) [...]

By SeanMcTex | Also posted in Food | Comments (0)