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March 2010

Internet Emergency Checklist

Tue, 03/30/2010 - 16:06 | by Kris

When the power goes out, nobody asks me how to make it work again. But if the Internet goes down for three seconds, everyone in the house is yelling at me, telling me I need to MAKE IT WORK! NOW!

Most Internet problems are due to issues that have nothing to do with me. I don't have any magical Internet-fixing powers. I just calmly go through a few steps until everything works. Most often, the steps I take don't really fix anything. The Internet generally fixes itself, without any help from me, but family members yell at me less if it looks like I'm taking action. (My grouchy "leave me alone; I'm working" demeanor helps too.)

I have a dream: I would like to watch an entire episode of Lost uninterrupted. I'm going to try to empower my family to "fix" these problems themselves, and I encourage others in my shoes to do the same.

In the spirit of the xkcd Tech Support Cheat Sheet, here is the checklist that I plan to post next to each computer in the house. It's very simple; I don't expect anyone to check network settings, enter wi-fi passwords, or interpret blinking lights. It's really just a matter of turning things off and back on. Fill in the blanks as needed.

Internet Emergency Checklist

In the event that the Internet stops working, please take the following steps:

  1. Remain calm. It may seem like the end of the world, but remember that this has already happened 83 times this year, and somehow we survived.
  2. Slowly count to 100, then try whatever you were doing again.
  3. Close all the web browser windows you have open (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Mozilla). Also close any other programs you know are using the Internet (e-mail, online games, Twitter clients, etc.). Wait 30 seconds, then open your web browser to see if your home page appears.
  4. Reboot your computer, and try again.
  5. Check other computers in the house. If the Internet is working for them, but not on your computer, then turn off your computer, wait five minutes, turn it back on, wait five more minutes, and then try again.
  6. Turn off the cable modem, the router, and your computer. The cable modem is the box that says ________________ on it. The router is the box that says ________________ on it. (If you can't find an on/off switch, just unplug the power cord.) Wait 60 seconds, then turn the cable modem back on. Wait 60 seconds, then turn the router back on. Wait 60 more seconds, then turn on your computer and try to do whatever you want to do.
  7. If things still don't work, you can ask for help from the resident tech support expert. If help isn't available, call the Internet service provider's tech support at ________________. When they ask for your phone number, don't give them your mobile phone number; give them the number associated with our account, which is ________________.
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New Job, Old Job

Fri, 03/26/2010 - 08:31 | by Kris

For the last seven years, I've been working with a company that does gaming-related stuff (lotteries, casinos, race tracks). I worked for a few years as an employee, and later as a contractor. Like all jobs, it's had its ups and downs, but on the whole it was a good experience.

I would have been happy to continue it, but a few weeks ago the company announced a "strategic partnership" with a European gaming company, with the intent of selling that other company's products in the US. That's probably good news for the company and its shareholders, but it's not good news for those of us who develop the products that are to be phased out.

It was pretty clear we would eventually be laid off, but it wasn't clear when that would happen in a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. I started putting out feelers, hoping I'd be able to jump before getting pushed.

Lucky for me, a former boss was enthusiastic about re-hiring me, and so I'm now back at TransCore, my first employer. Right now, I'm working as a contractor, but the plan is to go permanent.

It's nice to see my former co-workers again. Their hair is a little grayer, but otherwise it doesn't seem much different from how it was when I left. They are still using the wiki I created. They are still using CVS (eeaagh!). The two guys who I hired are still working there. Code I wrote back in the early 1990's is still in production.

I'm looking forward to working again with a team of people I like, but another big plus to this job is that I'll be able to do most of it from home. I live in Dahlonega, GA, which is about fifty miles north of where any Atlanta-area programming jobs are, so this is a very good thing. My boss and other team members work a lot from home too, so I won't be the oddball guy who seems to never be around.

It's a Microsoft-heavy shop, so I'm having to re-learn a lot of the Windows development skills that I haven't used for a few years. Luckily (or unluckily), writing Win32 code with C++ hasn't changed much in the last decade, so I'm getting back up to speed in that area pretty quickly. I didn't do too much with .NET, but it looks like .NET has gotten a lot better during those years, so I'm looking forward to playing with that too.

I really hope this works out. I'm done with the "switch jobs every few years to get a wide range of experience" part of my career, and want to find a place where I can do good work and have influence over the company's direction. This company has smart people who care about the quality of their work, and managers who put value on experience and talent. That's exactly the kind of place where I'd like to stay.

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