the second work rant.

let me give a background on my story. we are currently involved in a high-priority project that needs to be finished by June. we programmers have to finish integration testing by thursday. integration testing means a test connected to all external hosts/servers that we need.

so here's what happens today.

we couldn't connect to our database, both through our servers and our personal workstations. we inquire from database team to look on the issue and resolve, so that we can resume our testing.

database team tells us that our server is being used for a POC (Proof-of-Concept) Presentation and that the database will be available once the POC finishes, which would've been in the evening (a few hours earlier).

OH SHOOT. how can we do our testing without a database??? our whole day will be wasted!!

i go compose a fired-up email to complain about our non-notification of this event and how our timelines will be affected.

an hour later we are notified that the server we were using is being used for POC's and that we were just borrowing the machine. new database will be ready by 5pm. perhaps by now, setup of the database is done. and HOPEFULLY, we can test tomorrow.

BUT, i will not forget this unfortunate day.

my major gripe and FRUSTRATION about this is that:

WE WERE NEVER TOLD OF THE IMPENDING UNAVAILABILITY OF THE DATABASE, and NO CONTINGENCY MEASURES OR BACKUP PLANS were in place to make sure that our work will not be disrupted.

this is a high-priority project, and delays and disruptions should be kept to a minimum to ensure speedy completion!!

sana man lang eh sinabihan kaming mga dev na may gagamit ng database para nakapaghanda kami, at nasabihan ang mga kinauukulan kung paano kami magkakaroon ng backup o bagong database na gagamitin para sa aming testing. nakakainis talaga na walang abiso tungkol dito at bigla na lang kaming tatanggalan ng server. naiintindihan kong hindi namin ito server, ngunit mahirap bang alamin muna kung may ibang gumagamit nito, gayong alam naman na PINAHIRAM ito?? hindi ko gustong ipagdamot ang hindi namin kagamitan ngunit sana'y huwag babawiin kagad ang hiniram namin.

mas nakakalungkot at nakakainis na walang mga hakbang na ginawa ang kumpanya para magkaroon ng backup o standby na server/database na maaaring gamitin kung may mga pangyayaring ganito. hindi ko naiintindihan bakit, gayong napakahalaga ng proyektong ito at dahil maaring mangyari ang mga delay na tulad nito.

hindi na dapat magturuan kung sino ang may kasalanan dahil wala ring saysay. ang magagawa na lang natin ay pilitin maabot ang deadline.

i cannot shake off my anger and disappointment at events like this. it is things like this that make me categorize my workplace as chaotic and disorganized. walang sistema, ang gulo, kaya mahirap ma-track down ang mga bagay-bagay, at hindi inaalam ang mga maaring kahinatnan ng mga desisyon, gaano man kaliit o laki. walang sistema, kaya ang tagal maayos ang mga gusot at nasasayang ang oras ng mga tao.

can you blame programmers for being demoralized in working in an environment such as this??

it's not only programmers who get affected. testers also are affected because they cannot test, and their schedules might get pushed back. sys-ads' timelines for installation of packages are also affected, because we cannot give them the packages without testing them properly.

i forgot the most frustrating thing about this: IT COULD'VE BEEN AVOIDED. pero hindi!! dahil sa mga problemang nabanggit ko kanina, nasayang ang isang araw. it was a lost day. lost productivity, lost efficiency. tapos pagoovertime-in kami at papagurin.

sino bang gustong mag-overtime dahil hindi niya magawa ang trabaho niya ng office hours, pero hindi naman niya kasalanan?! it's not our fault but we are the ones who bear the brunt of the consequences. kami ang pinipilit na matapos. kami ang kukulitin ng mga testers. kami ang papagalitan kapag hindi natapos ang development and testing. kahit ano pang sabihin, sa huli, sa amin pa rin babagsak ang responsibilidad. kaya sana, tulungan kami ng ibang mga grupo na tugunan ang responsibilidad namin.

these are the consequences that can happen from such a simple decision as using a server for another purpose without checking that it's being used, and that a backup plan is implemented in case someone is using it.

matagal na. matagal na kong nagtitimpi at nakakapansin ng mga d kanais-nais na pangyayaring ito sa opisina. nakakainis talaga at nakakawalang-gana. malapit na. malapit na kong mapuno. o baka puno na.

at kapag puno na ang salop, dapat itong kalusin.

hopefully, this won't violate any rules in the code of corporate governance.

as the title says, i'll be writing about my work. and i'll get straight to the point: i am not liking my work now.

no, it's not because the work is hard. and no, it's not because it's stressful and puts a lot of pressure. those are unavoidable.

i'm largely disappointed and un-motivated about work because it seems like there is no direction, no clarity about where the project is going. i say this because in general, we programmers are confused about the requirements which are either changed or added to the project. worse, the timelines are not adjusted, putting even more pressure on us.

it appears as if management, having been handed this project and agreeing to it, have depended on the supervisors and staff to figure out the more intricate, technical details of the project. they didn't at least take a stab at figuring out those details before briefing us about it.

what's wrong with this? it is them who fixes the timelines, and not us. and then when we discover new requirements that have to be fulfilled, it is additional work. why didn't they see this?! we expect them to know this because they're the ones who gave the work.

makalat eh. parang pinasahan kami ng trabaho na dapat din ay ginawa nila. gumugulo dahil ngayon may mga mababago sa trabaho ngunit hindi namin alam papaano gawin nang tama, at hindi rin nila alam. hindi ba dapat sila ang nakakaalam?

i firmly believe that management should know as much detail as possible regarding the project. it is because it is them who make the decisions, and the negotiations with other parties. how can they make the best decisions if they don't have the best and intimate knowledge about the project??

now, because the requirements are vague and confusing, programmers are confused. confusion leads to wasted time, which results in inefficiency. and hence the need to render overtime. which will lead to unmotivated programmers.

i will stress that what's disheartening and tiring is the "need" to render unnecessary overtime. by "unnecessary" i mean it could have been avoided, if dependencies were promptly satisfied, questions properly answered, technical conflicts duly resolved.

sa totoo lang, nakakawalang-gana kung hindi mo maintindihan kung anong gustong ipagawa sayo. at lalo na kung ang mga tanong mo ay hindi rin masagot nang maayos.

also, decisions have been made without consulting the technical staff first, but then it is unfeasible from a technical standpoint. and again, because of the disagreement and concern, more time and effort is wasted. again, avoidable only if management was aware of the technical capabilities, limitations and requirements.

it would be alright if we can accomodate these changes reasonably. but then again there are instances where we don't have the luxury of time. then stress will set in on the programmers. avoidable, if we were consulted first. and avoidable if the technical details were intimately known.

to be honest, i didn't feel this way when i started my work. i used to like working because i felt productive and that my efforts were being put to good use. i always had a clear-cut picture and direction of what my work was supposed to do. in addition, when i had questions, they were properly answered and clarified. i sincerely miss those days.

of course, being unproductive at work is wrong and should be corrected. but can you fault us if one of the causes comes from the top? how can we be motivated if we see that our superiors can't accomplish their tasks properly?

there are lots of processes and rules and documentations for us to follow so that affairs will be orderly, but they are useless if the people who use and creat them are disorderly. i feel as if they are useless because there is a fair chance that they will be inaccurate, due to some oversight in the part of the higher-ups.

i don't know if it is because the organization has gotten bigger and unwieldy. or if we are simply not using our resources efficiently. or if it is the people. but i am sure, it will lead to people feeling demotivated and useless and confused.

what i'm asking may be unreasonable in some respects. but then, more is expected of people who are higher up the ladder. it seems as if these leaders, having ascended to the top, have taken on their new tasks, but lamentably forgotten on the tasks that they used to have.

hindi nangangahulugan na ang pagiging pinuno ay pagpapalit ng mga tungkulin. ito'y nangangahulugan ng pagdagdag ng tungkulin.

how can you expect your staff to understand you when you can't understand them?

if it sounds like i'm whining, i am. i've put up with the dysfunction long enough, and i haven't seen any point in trying to put up with them, or trying to talk to the higher ups about them.

i don't like them. i don't like them because they are mean and want to give us a hard time, but i don't like them because i feel they misunderstand us and that they don't seem to do a good job.

let the flaming begin.

hahaha!! after almost a year of hibernation, i've decided to blog again. =)

a lot has happened in between my last post and now. i really can't remember everything and it would be such a task to write intensively about them, so i'll just touch on some things that i remember briefly.

• in a week, the borqui will be celebrating their 11th month :) i'd just like to thank you Jacqui for loving and taking care of and accepting and understanding me all this time, our friendship and love is something i am truly thankful for and can't imagine living without. =) i hope there will be lots more time and opportunities to share and show our love and concern for each other. we've had our share of heartaches, problems, sweet nothings, lovely moments and everything else, and i am thankful for each of them, knowing that made me understand and know you better. there are times that i haven't been a very agreeable or likable person to you and i am sorry for hurting you. i assure you that i have learned my lessons and will continue to do so, hopefully without hurting you all the time. thank you again for your love. :) looking forward to the 12th! :)
• we also welcomed two dear friends who pursued their dreams in another part of the world but have now come back home. welcome back cams and apol! see you on the 18th! :)
• i've recently started playing basketball every sundays at my alma mater, but i haven't played for 3 sundays already because of damn F1 races. must get back in shape.
• please remind me to buy a pair of jeans before april 18. :)
• work? so far it's been tolerable. i'm glad to be informed that i'm a candidate for upgrade to a senior position. let's hope that pans out well. :) my fellow officemates are a blast, i thoroughly enjoy working with them. :)
• i should start learning the dishes that my grandmother cook.
• also thankful for new friends that i have made in the past and present year :) some of them: officemates (tomee, trina, etc), jacqui's friends (abby, thet, of course cams, apol, anna, jam). putek puro babae. hahha. also thankful for old friends from high school and celadon! we must catch up :)
• vanity break here, i'm extremely satisfied of my Nokia E63 :D i never thought i'd like nokia again after that n70 disaster but i must say in terms of value for money, nothing can beat Nokia. QWERTY phones i think are the direction of the future. touch screen technology will never replace the tactile feeling of physical keyboards. i'm certainly looking forward to better techonological convergence in the mobile devices segment. ok enough geeky stuff!
• been addicted so much to Settlers of Catan!!
• lastly, would just like to say that don't be afraid to pursue your dreams. alam mo kung sino ka!! :P

ok, i guess that's it for now! :) do drop by a word if you want to. :) take care everyone!

I'm getting lazier to update my blog but i will try to fight it back for today.

Recently I was offered by another insurance company a life insurance proposal. It was good but in the end, I held off buying it. My reason is that i would like to look at similar proposal from other insurance firms before settling on one. i do think that affordability will not be a major issue, but i would like to take the best overall package offered and i'll examine other plans. Sigh, why am i already talking about this?! Makes me feel old.

Also, last friday i had my second accident, it was more serious than the first, but thankfully the car is still drivable. I just brushed heavily against a concrete post driving out of the carpark. Result? the left side headlight was even more dislodged (it had been loose already), and the front left-side turn indicator was torn off, but fortunately not smashed. It disturbed me a lot and I'll offer to pay for the damages and bring the car to the shop. I need to ask my dad about this. Still, there were just scratches on the bumper. No dents, whew!

I'm also very happy to say that I have finally found the love of my life (well, the previous post says it all!). Jacqui is my first significant other and hopefully, the last :) How sweet it is to be loved by you! :) I guess this was a long time coming but eventually things fell into place. I'm lucky and blessed because we almost lost each other, but the past didn't matter and we still ended up together. Really looking forward to sharing my life with you from this point on! I've never had a girlfriend before so I'll try to treat you the best I can :) We might be able to see each other at weekends only but I'm confident that given our strong friendship, we can adjust :) Thank you very much for waiting for me and loving me! I love you! :)

and i promise to love you all the days of my life. =)

(this entry is a bit technical and winding; technology-allergic people, i advise you to avoid reading this piece.)

At present, my two mobile phones are smartphone devices. but perhaps ironically, what i always wanted before was a simple phone that was fast, efficient, and intuitive. Now, these are not adjectives commonly associated with smartphones, which are seen as slow, unresponsive and hard to use. I've often wondered what swayed me to the "dark side", if i must call it that. I think I've got the answer.

First, I would like to postulate my own interpretation of the term "smartphone". There is no official or standard definition of what differentiates it from an ordinary phone (which i will call "feature phone" from hereon), however one description from All About Symbian has stuck to me: the ability to install additional native applications. This has allowed users to extend their smartphone's functionalities beyond what's out of the box. But you might argue that there are many feature phones that support this too, via Java. Unfortunately, this is not universal, and the Java installed on feature phones cannot take advantage of all the built-in features of the phone. In contrast, native smartphone applications can.

I have a Sony Ericsson P1, and while it already packs an impressive arsenal of features (like wi-fi, PIM applications, etc), i've also installed some applications from outside parties that extends the usefulness of my phone. For example, I have installed a memory manager, a screenshot application, a message backup application, an alternative web browser, and an instant messaging application. These programs have been very helpful, and have given a whole new dimension on how i use my phone. An excellent example is how i can chat over the internet using my IM program together with the built-in wifi functionality of the phone. I appreciate now more than ever how technological and mobile convergence is significant. The ability to pack more and more uses into a single device for all our everyday needs has huge potential, whether in a financial or productive or whatever aspect.

What about the aforementioned complaints about usability and intuitiveness? I must admit that the ease of use of many smartphones is yet to reach the level of feature phones as of present. I am confident though that the gap will be closed in the upcoming models. Also, I suspect this is also tied to hardware speed and performance. Let us not forget though the pace of technology in this field. Smartphones with 500MHz processors are coming into sale soon, and with the already sufficient amounts of memory (which promotes stability) present in today's devices, These powerhouses will surely make our mobile phone experience faster and more responsive. To put that into perspective, the desktop computers of 10 yrs ago ran on roughly the same speed, and no one really complained about them being slow. This is all important because as mobile devices get packed with more functionalities, more juice will be needed to keep up in running them, concurrently if possible.

Currently though, I believe that smartphones belong in the power-user territory, for they have not been made user-friendly enough. Admittedly I belong to this classification. Although I also desire a simple to use phone for the simplest, most essential tasks, the promise of extended usefulness is just too much resist. Besides, intuitiveness is relative and variable from person to person. It may be that i have a high tolerance for hard to use devices.

In other words, it's not efficiency that has persuaded me to smartphone-land. It's creativity. And I hope with creativity, efficiency will follow, and productivity will increase.

Are those your eyes, is that your smile
I've been lookin' at you forever
But I never saw you before
Are these your hands holdin' mine
Now I wonder how I could of been so blind

For the first time I am looking in your eyes
For the first time I'm seein' who you are
I can't believe how much I see
When you're lookin' back at me
Now I understand why love is...
Love is... for the first time...

Can this be real, can this be true
Am I the person I was this morning
And are you the same you
It's all so strange how can it be
All along this love was right in front of me

For the first time I am looking in your eyes
For the first time I'm seein' who you are
I can't believe how much I see
When you're lookin' back at me
Now I understand why love is...
Love is... for the first time...

Such a long time ago
I had given up on findin' this emotion...
Ever again
But you live with me now
Yes I've found you some how
And I've never been so sure

And for the first time I am looking in your eyes
For the first time I'm seein' who you are
Can't believe how much I see
When you're lookin' back at me
Now I understand why love is...
Love is... for the first time...