Eventyr

Notice

My notice is in, after a good 3.5 year run.  From January I will no longer be a Research Assistant in Algorithms and Adaptive Systems and will instead be a fully funded CASE PhD Student dedicated to nothing but communication in systems and software techniques. 

It is a wonderful feeling.

Waking

The problem with going to bed at 7pm, exhausted, is that you invariably end up waking up at 1am in the morning confused...

Or so I find.

But then it is rare that I end up so tired. 

As rare as my handing in my notice to an employer who has been nothing but wonderful for three and a half years. 

Exciting things are on the horizon (and none of them seem to involve commuting to Hertfordshire from Brighton).

Shame about the sleep though.

How I got here

As written as an introduction to the Narrative Research group E-Seminar:

I'm a PhD student and associate tutor at the University of Sussex looking at communication and group process in software development. 

I got here by a somewhat erratic path. 

I started off studying philosophy for my undergraduate degree (I was, and still am, smitten by the subject).  While studying I specifically focussed on philosophy of language and cognitive linguistics, as I realised I had a particular interest in how language related to the world.  I continued to look at language representation in computer systems and programming for my MSc (in Intelligent Systems), but I soon realised that I was more interested in how people worked with computers than in computers themselves. 

After some years working as a researcher in algorithms and adaptive systems I decided I had a particular interest I wanted to follow for PhD research - which was in relation to a recent shift in the view of how best to develop software.  The change was from a view where software development involved programmers working on their own to one where they actually needed to work together and communicate with each other to produce good work.  Verbal communication between programmers is seen as vital for developing software. This fascinated me and led to my current research.  I am particularly interested in programmer language and storytelling in this instance - where programmers are working closely together - especially in relation to programmer identity negotiation through technical and social stories.

Smiling

I want to leap whenever I see you smiling
Because its easily one of the hardest things to do
Your worries and fears become your friends
And they end up smiling at you
Put on a smiley face
-- Smiling Faces - Gnarls Barkley

Abortive XtC

So, on realising that all three people that I had arranged to meet at XtC tonight could not make it, I had a simple choice. 

I got off the train at Haywards Heath and retraced my steps.

"You went nowhere" said the lady in the ticket booth as she refunded my ticket.

Open Space

I am starting to go back and look at the data from my Open Space session at XP2006.  It was a wonderful experience, and Open Space is something I would promote to anyone. 

For anyone who has not been to an open space session here is a brief summary of how they work, which I have blatantly copied from elsewhere: 

How OpenSpace Works

OpenSpace is a small set of rules that allow groups of people to interact in a simple, productive, organized way to create valuable dialogs that address the participants' most important issues. 

The Fundamental "Rules" of the sessions that happen during OpenSpace conferences are:

• Whoever shows up is the right group    
• Whatever happens is the only thing that could have    
• Whenever it starts is the right time    
• When it's over, it's over.

To lead an OpenSpace Talk:    

• Come up with an interesting topic and title for your discussion.          
  • You don't need to develop these before the conference; most of the ideas will come to you during the event.    
• Fill out a schedule Post-It for your topic.    
• Place the topic on the schedule.    
• If you see topics that have something in common, consider combining them into a single time slot.
• If a significant number of people want to attend your discussion and another discussion in the same time slot, try to trade into another time slot to ensure maximum dialog and participation.

To attend an OpenSpace Talk:    

• Check the schedule and sign up for a talk or just drop in if you wish    
• Use the 'Law of two feet.' If you feel that you are not contributing or benefiting from a presentation, please feel free to move on to something else.    
• Allow the discussion convener to steer his or her topic.  If you have an opposing opinion that needs a full time slot you should feel free to add your own OpenSpace slot to discuss the topic.

From Programming the New Web

Evil Children

I'm greatly taken with a piece of graffiti in Preston Park kids playground spotted today at Aurora's 5th birthday party.

Evil.

Tech Meltdown

Hmm.  I am currently feeling, erm, either unlucky or dim.

At the Woodland Animal Disco last night I managed to crack my phone - destroying it forever.

Gaah.  Tech does not like me this week.

Laptop Re-death

Hmm.  I am currently feeling, erm, either unlucky or dim.

Three months ago I broke one of my laptop computers through an unfortunate pebble incident.

One fell on to my laptop.

From my collection of stones that I keep above it.

Blue screen death and a month of data retrieval and rebuilding it cost me.

Of course that was then.

Except, well...

It seems to have happened again.

Gaah.

From a Distance

I have just collected the initial paperwork for the autumn term module of my PGCert in Narrative Research (the one I am attending at the Centre for Narrative Research at UEL).  It looks very interesting so far.

This term (semester they call it) the module has been set up as a distance learning course so I should be able to mostly avoid the long journeys to the depths of the docklands (to deepest, darkest Cyprus). 

I won't forego visiting UEL completely however, as the class nicely coincides with a series [doc] (or two [doc]) of Tuesday seminars and with XtC in the evening.

I'm just hoping they won't tell me to go away and study from a distance instead.