Beginner Level Material

 “We need more beginner-level material, more Basic-knowledge topics”

This was the cry from a conference routinier and organizer(m/f)

My replies to this remark are multiple:

1. Agree: I see many app/dev/ops/archs make basic (known-)mistakes.
2. Beginner-level topics are not sexy, the don't draw crowds.
3. Basic topics don't promote/sell products.
4. Beginners are not at conferences, they are on stack-overflow.
5. I first want to Talk to their managers and “architects”.

And of course, in Covid-19 days, there are hardly any conferences anymore, just web-video-youtube-streaming-meetings. The remark comes from meeting ppl at POUG and from a weekly zoom call with some friends.

I will say that whatever goes wrong in IT (and a lot goes sub-optimal or plain wrong), it is not the fault of the "beginner" or even of the Dev.

The "root cause" of most wrongs is with the lead, the architect of said "Dev". 

Mistakes I seem to see are (in +/- random order)

 - No basic Design.

 - Chasing interesting technology, rather than building a useful system.

 - No database-design: you don't know what your data looks like!! 

 - Use of object-store (hierarchical datamodel) rather than a well-designed (table/relational) model.

 - No (data-)life-cycle, and unlimited growth.

 - Inefficient data-access (e.g. no indexes, or very poor datamodel)

 - Use of technology (RDBMS or any other) without much experience or knowledge.

 - No testing, no “verification” (despite good intention of automated "pipeline")

So, in all my "Senior Arrogance" I stated that, rather than "more beginner level material", we need some sort of "curriculum for IT-professionals". 

Currently I'm thinking of “how can I help on this ?” 

Expect a few blog-posts on t his topic soon. Probably starting with pointers to the likes of HeliH, ToonK, JeffS, TimH etc.. 

And we know: You can lead a horse to water, but it still needs to drink...

Suggestions welcome (in comments or on twitter…)

note: I find it better to put extensive ramblings on a blogpost rather than to string a set of tweets together. But reactions on Twitter tend to start better and more accessible discussions.

How To... Meet for Coffee with a motorcycle rider.

 If we decide to meet for coffee during one of my (motorcycle)trips, here are some tips.

In Short: Keep it Simple. 

Meet at some easy-to-find place where we can talk and have coffee.

The more elaborate version...

The Goal:

To meet and to listen to eachother.

Hence we optimise "coffee time" and face-2-face time.

I don't want to have to search too much, or have to go through hoops to park the moto in some vague-underground-payable parking, nor do I want to walk for >1km in motorcycle-gear.

Requirements, in order of priority:

- A place to sit, quietly, to have coffee and a snack.

- Easy to get to for both of us: near your office/home, easy to find via GPS. 

- Ideally, a moto-parking where I can keep an eye on the bike. 80% of my life is loaded onto that motorcycle when I travel.

With the above, Simple, instructions, we should be able to arrange a good meeting.

Bad Examples, things to avoid...

1. Sightseeing and showoff are not a priority. 

You don't  need to Show-Off your landmarks and there is no urgent need to show me around your city. E.g. don't ask me to meet under the Eiffel tower or in front of Sagrada Familia. I already have those pictures, and getting there can be complicated for both of us during normal daytime hours. Talk-time is more important than sightseeing. (I might make an exception for Red Square and Kremlin, or for for the statue of Genghis Khan, I don't have selfies there yet... ).

2. No Office. 

There is no need to "check me into your office". It is often easier to meet outside, much less hassle and less parking+security complications. I'll make an exception for Abakus.si: I have really enjoyed working from their offices, occasionally, for about 6 years now.

3. Not too much food.  

Quality of Coffee + Snacks is not crucial. I don't eat much when travelling. Even MacD will do if not too busy with kids. Exchange of Ideas is the main aim, and that can be done almost anywhere.

4. No pages of instructions. 

Don't worry about "detailed directions". Just give me the GPS-coordinates or a clear address. My GPS, combined with google-maps, can find most places. Parking for a moto is not a problem in most cities (some French and Dutch cities have special regulations for motorcycles though).

Let me now if the above is too Pedantic... 

whoami

If you came here to find out who I am: read on, and then Google a bit more...

I work in IT, I help people with data and databases.

And I try to speak about my work in various places around Europe, places I can visit by motorcycle so as to combine work and fun.

In some earlier jobs, I did a lot of travel by air as well, but I got tired of that and switched to Motorcycle. I can recommend it!

When Covid-19 had reduced a lot of travel-opportunities, I felt a little confined. But life was not too bad for me (as long as I have customers, I am ok...).

And I Did manage a few small trips in 2020 and some Good Ones in 2021. 

There are a few on the agenda for 2022 already. Dont give up Hope! 

Want to meet up, drop me a line.

And keep this in mind: How to meet up with a motorcycle-rider.