Comments for Synesthesia

Comment on Case Study: Delivering a Public-Private Partnership using DSDM by Richard Lamb

Richard Lamb — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:43:44 +0000

Hi,

This case study was an informative read, with points which echo my own experiences in applying Agile disciplines to UK public sector IT delivery.

My own experience at the Coal Authority was generally positive though with a few caveats:
- Making sure that 3rd party developers are familiar with using Agile/iterative disciplines can be a headache, particular in PRINCE2-dominated IT ‘cultures’
- User education: ensuring that business reps know IT nomenclature and are engaged for the duration of the project. I found a ‘terms of reference’ session with my own business reps at then outset proved invaluable
- Using MoSCoW wisely: I’ve discovered that prioritising requirements via MoSCoW can prove irrelevant and distracting in non-iterative project approaches. Make sure everybody knows why we use it, and how MoSCoW relates to a disciplined time-boxing approach.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate! Maintaining open channels between business reps and developers proved to be a god-send when code and database dependency-related bugs surfaced, as they worked side-by-side (or phone-by-phone) to arrive at fixes.

Comment on Convalescent Workout by Julian

Julian — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:18:30 +0000

Thanks Imran. Those 30-second rests are a killer…

Comment on Convalescent Workout by imran ilahi

imran ilahi — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:16:16 +0000

Julian

well done great program, keep your rep range high(20)and rest time low(30 sec between each 4 exercise circuit). That should keep your heart and lungs going until you get back into the boxing ring.

Comment on Problem with OpenOffice and Ruby by danimata

danimata — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:16:18 +0000

Lovely. You really helped me 3 years and a half after your post. Tanks

Comment on Enterprise SaaS and Mashups by Bill Ives

Bill Ives — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:06:50 +0000

Julian

Thanks for your recognition. I like your blog and added it to my list.

Bill

Comment on Links roundup for 2008-08-01 by John

John — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:24:52 +0000

I suggest you try Eat Bytes Free Files Hosting to host your files. They have a 300Mb upload limit with no download restrictions. They are indeed better than FileDropper.com

Comment on Trying a gym class - BodyPump by Emilie

Emilie — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:49:10 +0000

best thing to do is tell your instructor that you have knee injury and they will know not to encourage you and to show you a different exercice to do while the others are doing the lunges. I love Body Pump i started it again today ( i did it for 2 years previously) and my body is aching, the results are amazing though, you will see the difference in 4 weeks if you keep at it.

Comment on Who Owns My Social Graph? by Julian

Julian — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:15:18 +0000

Thanks to both for your comments.

Jon - I think you are spot on in the trends you mention - and two things you have blogged lately support that - Charlene Li’s recent post and the news about Yahoo and OpenSocial

epredator - agree that it is increasingly impossible to divide “pure work” and “pure social” - in fact if you want employees to network effectively even within the organisation then you have to recognise the importance of social bonds of various sorts.

Comment on Who Owns My Social Graph? by Jon Husband

Jon Husband — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:55:35 +0000

It seems clear to me that, to date, if you work for a company, it will “own” your social graph by and large.

As epredator says above, the line is blurring, and I believe it will continue to do so. It hearkens back to Peter Drucker’s point in an article titled “Beyond The Information Revolution” in which he noted that increasingly the “knowledge workers own the means of production”

As they realize this more and more, or get turfed out of jobs through redundancy, or move for better opportunities, they weill carry their social graph with them.

It points to ongoing changes (notably to employment relationships and organisational structures) in a world where a significant proportion of workers will be in information and knowledge based roles.

At some point, probably as you gain experience, move through various roles and employers, and obtain a wider, deeper and more mature social graph, you as a knowledge worker start to “own” it.

Comment on Who Owns My Social Graph? by epredator

epredator — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:35:22 +0000

It is an interesting point around control. In some ways it maps to what has happened in lots of industries where a broker of some sort controls the flow. Music industry, bands and consumers and record labels, book publishers etc. In all these we have seen that unless the broker is providing some real value they will be bypassed by the conenctions people can now make directly with the rest of the world.
In a labour market, an employer provides a degree of safe haven, protection even. Increasingly though people are able to be their own companies and form their own associations. Of course this has always been the case, but now its easier to work globally in niche areas.
The attempt to control and claw in a social graph of an employee seems to be a knee jerk reaction. I really cannot see where it is possible to draw the line between pure work and pure social. Likewise I cannot see how it woudl be OK for ‘employees’ to have their network owned by a set of “bosses” who were able themselves to network freely at the golf club out in the open.
As Gaping Void’s cartoon says “All control is damage control”