Software Developers vs. Users - No Love

I have been a computer programmer for 10 years now. I can hardly believe that. I have learned a few things over the years about the relationships between the software developers and the users. Sometimes there are periods of time when those relationships are great but there is always the loom of doom out there. This week I was reminded of the doom! Here are a few reasons why:

• Users don't like change. It doesn't matter how little the change is, if you change something they won't like it at first.
• If there is a new button out there, the users will push it. They more than likely will have no idea what it will do but the temptation to click it is just too high.
• Users don't always use the systems we write the way we think they will. If it is programmed to work in a certain order, programmers have to remember that the users won't always follow that.
• Cosmetics are much more important to the user than the business logic. Even if the logic took 3 months to build, there is an assumption that it will work. By design, computer programmers are not great at aesthetics. We try really hard but we miss the boat quite often.
• Users assume that if one error message pops up, the whole thing must be crap.
• Computer programmers love when things are new and exciting. We like to make things work. We get really jazzed about the new enhancements that we do and when we get resistance to them we get disappointed.
• The software that computer programmers develop can become a sort of "baby" to us. We put our hardest effort into making sure things work and we really love our end results. Criticism hurts.

Obviously from the tone of this list, I am the computer programmer. I rolled out a bunch of new changes this week. Things didn't go 100% as planned. It was a rough 2 days. But that was it. It's over. The dust has settled and the users are getting used to the changes. They will become complacent with these changes and go back to being happy. Little do they know, I've moved on to the next set of changes that will come their way!

The Above and Beyond

Everyone knows the expression "Going Postal". Ryan has often said that he would like to work at the Post Office. Yesterday he changed his mind and said that if he worked there he would certainly go Postal.

We are going to Jamaica in the end of July for Taylor and Jenny's wedding. Going to Jamaica now requires a passport, even if you are just 1 year old. Ryan has his passport, mine is expired, and Ainsley needs hers. I did my homework before just going to the post office to get mine renewed and one for Ainsley. I read all the requirements, filled out all the forms, got our pictures taken, and even called for an appointment. Being that Ainsley is a minor, it requires both parents to be there.

I had my appointment scheduled for 3:45 on Monday afternoon. It required Ryan and me taking off from work a little early but we had to do it because we were running out of time. We showed up 10 minutes early and signed in. After waiting for 20 minutes without even an acknowledgment they finally asked us for our names, couldn't look at the list we had signed of course. The "nice" government employee informed me that we were not on the list and that we would need to come back. I tried to explain that I had made an appointment and we had both taken off from work. It turns out we had an appointment at another facility.

She did not care. Her attitude reflected one thing...She is paid to do the minimum. There is no above and beyond. There is no friendly smile. There is no extra effort to move a tad quicker to squeeze us in.

As I thought about that, I thought about how we are called to do our best. We are to do our best in everything. Our best should always include the above and beyond. The minimum should never be enough. We are to do everything as unto the Lord. If our job is cleaning a dirty diaper, it unto the Lord. If our job is being a bank teller, it is unto the Lord. If our job is on the phones all day, it is unto the Lord. If our job is computer programming, it is unto the Lord. If our job is taking passport applications, it is unto the Lord.

I pray my work reflects that attitude. Does yours?

D-Day Approaches

I am a computer programmer by trade. I work part time for a local insurance company. I have already written a part of the software that our company uses to underwrite business. I am in the process of writing another portion of this software that will handle a second aspect of our business.

This project is a year in the making. I started on it before I went out on maternity leave. We are going live on March 1st (actually the 2nd since the 1st is a Sunday). My boss has actually stated that we are not going to miss the deadline no matter what.

I can't help but be nervous. As with anything you do, you want it to be your best. It is scriptural to do your best in everything. As we near the deadline I can only wonder if my best is going to be good enough. I know that I can fix anything that comes up, but I really worry that everyone's first impressions of the system will set the tone going forward.

So I am frantically going about fixing last minute details. I am thinking of things in the middle of the night. I am logging on to work during my afternoons to check on little things.

I'm off to program some more! My best is on the line.

TGIF

I am back in the world where Friday makes a difference. Through my maternity leave, I didn't ever know what day it was. Today it mattered. I made it through my first week of work.

I am very glad to be back at work. I forgot how much I enjoy programming. I know I'm a nerd but I am who I am. Being that I am only working part time, I do feel like I need to get a ton done while I am there. I have been very tied to my desk this week (minus my pumping sessions which I already hate). My brain is taking a bit to remember how I do what I do but its getting there. I guess by mid next week, I will be going a hundred miles an hour again in a hundred different directions.

As I picked up Ainsley today, I was again overwhelmed by how good my situation is. Anne has been great this week. She took over for MaryBeth so wonderfully. I am glad that the schedule is going to be a normal one next week though. I don't want to wear Anne out.

Now I'm off to make a dessert for tonight. We are having friends over to play cards. It's some game that has a game within a game. I don't remember the name but I know its fun. What game within a game wouldn't be fun.

Here's a picture of Ainsley with Grandma Anne (as we are calling her). She did have a nicer outfit on when I dropped her off but she peed herself.

All's Well That Ends Well

My first day of work actually started yesterday afternoon. I have 2 different nannies that are watching Ainsley while I work. MaryBeth is a young mom of an 18 month old and Ann is a grandmother. Monday is a MaryBeth day. I was getting ready for small group last night when the phone rang. It was MaryBeth. She told Ryan that another child in the nursery at church that morning had come down with Hand Foot and Mouth disease. Her son Robbie was exposed. She didn't know if he had it yet but wanted to let us know. We quickly googled it before small group to realize that it is highly contagious and really nasty. Ainsley wasn't going to go over there. Time for Plan B.

I knew that we would need a Plan B at some point so I had arranged a few different options. 1. Ryan's mom who lives 2 miles away. 2. Ann 3. My friend Leah. So I started at the top. Ryan's mom was in Boone visiting my sister-in-law. Ann had to bring someone to get an MRI this morning. Leah's mom was in from out of town. That was it. My list was exhausted. Just as I was getting ready to call Ryan's mom to come home, I realized that Ryan's Dad's girlfriend, Deb, might be an option. I went out on a limb and called. Graciously, Deb agreed to help me out.

So at 7:20 this morning, Deb arrived at my house. Ainsley was awake and happy. She gave me quite a few smiles and I walked away. I cried the whole way to work. I teared up quite a few times this morning as people would ask me how I was. I called to check on her at 10 and she was screaming. She had woken up mid-nap. Deb quickly got her calmed down while I was on the phone. I called again at 12 and she was up and happy.

By the end of the day, I was helping a co-worker solve a problem with a website user. It felt good to be back.

I got home at 2:20 and Ainsley had just been put down for a nap. I went in to check on her and she wasn't quite asleep yet. She looked up at me with those beautiful eyes and gave me a big smile.

The day got off to a rough start but it sure ended well.

Back to Work

I am going to work tomorrow. I can't believe that 12 weeks flew by so fast. In honor of the day, I have decided to create 2 top five lists. One for reasons I am glad to be going back to work and one for reasons I am sad.

Reasons I am Glad to Go to Work Tomorrow
1. I love my job. I love the people I work with and I love what I do.
2. I have 2 wonderful people to watch Ainsley so I don't have to worry about her.
3. I love math and puzzles and my job is full of both of those things.
4. I was starting to get bored at home and if I was home much longer I would really have needed to start to deep clean (which I hate).
5. It gives me a reason to work on losing weight so I can fit into my clothes again

Reasons I am Sad to Go to Work Tomorrow
1. Ainsley
2. Ainsley
3. Ainsley
4. Ainsley
5. Ainsley

Off I go tomorrow morning. I will let you know in the afternoon how it goes.

Last Day

Today is my last official day of maternity leave. It's been an amazing time for me. I have enjoyed every minute of it, from the first smiles to the screaming fits. I have enjoyed holding my baby and watching her play on the floor.

I also love my job. I am ready to go back. I spent yesterday installing a light in my kitchen, painting the kitchen ceiling around the new light, updating the look of my blog, posting to my blog, going out to lunch with a great friend, and of course hanging out with Ainsley. My point is, I was bored.

I am not bored with Ainsley. I am bored with her two 3 hour naps a day. Yep, my girl knows how to sleep. I am ready to stimulate my mind again.

In honor of our last full day together (besides weekends), we are not leaving the house. We are staying in our pjs all day (actually, I showered and put yoga pants on - no need to be icky). Its pouring rain outside and we are inside just enjoying each other.