Crash test dummy site
Relates to article from Silicon.com
While I was working on anti spam projects this was a question that came up all the time. The challenge of spam is that the definition of it is a kind of continuum, with email that you want and value at one end and crappy porno, and scam related junk mail at the other end. In between though there is a grey are that generates a lot of passion from people.
It is now nearly Christmas, and a longtime since I “shared” with the world. The most noticeable trend here is that while I am happy there is no (or at least less) need to tell my tales of woe to the world. I was reminded of my lack of worldly communication at a recent Xmas party. This is why I have dedicated this post to Bretto. (note if you don’t understand the relevance of the tittle link don’t worry, it’s an “in” joke.)
Since leaving my old job in June I have felt a weight lift from my shoulders. The work I am doing now has been exciting and full of new experiences. The best thing though is the sense that the business respects what I bring to the organization and wants to keep me around. I never had that sense at my old job.
Fast forward?.
I started this post on the 20th of December but I have only just made the time to try and get back into the swing of things here. It is now New Year 2005. The holiday break was good to have but as always I almost feel that I need to really get away now.
To any one who is still checking this ole thing from time to time – thanks. I?ll be working harder to keep up with it this year.
Well it is about time I updated the new job story. It has been a frantic three weeks so far. I can’t describe how good it feels to work on a new project that has the backing of the whole business and for a business that seems to actually want to work together.
This week I have been running customer focus groups looking at a few of the options for the new development that I have signed on to deliver. As the “business” rep in these sessions it does feel a bit weird being the ‘subject matter expert’ when I can still count the day’s that I’ve been there. Thankfully I have been able to come up with enough answers without just making up crap.
It is a good thing that I like doing these focus groups, because it is eating up days and nights. They finish at around nine at night and there will be four this week. That makes the days long. I had hoped to kick off some serious running training this week, but the long days are killing that, but more of that in a different post.
On Friday, after leaving my old job for the last time, I bought a book that I had been eyeing off for a while. ‘Re-imagine!’, by Tom Peters. After reading through the first few chapters I felt the same brain rush that I had the first time I saw ‘The Matrix’ in 1999 and wished like hell I had bought it when I had first seen it months ago.
It was a rush, not because I was suddenly learning new things, but because the ideas that the book starts throwing at you are exactly the same ones that I was failing to get across in the Old Place.
In short it has helped me to believe in myself again with a passion that I haven?t felt in over 2 ? years and that is the feeling that Keanu gave me as he snarled ‘My name is Neo’ and catapulted himself out of the path of the incoming train. He believed.
Tomorrow I start a new job with this new invigorated feeling. There is a lot about the job that I have no idea about, like the team structure, and other corporate logistic issues but one thing that I am certain of is that I am going to have a great time succeeding at it.
I left work with a bad taste this afternoon, which given that I an counting down the days before my new job should not be entirely surprising. When I arrived home all I wanted to do (aside from setting up afore mentioned wireless network) was to vent to the blog.
However, as you may noticed, some hours of time have passed and with a cooler head I have been able to consider “venting” more carefully. I have become aware that there are more people reading the murmurings of this idle mind than I might even have expected, not that that makes it a lot since my expectations were close to negligible to begin with. But even with a few disparate souls reading what I think, there are some types of thoughts best unshared.
So even if I just write this post as a reminder to myself, then fine. What this has led me to think about is what I want to express here. What I think I have come up with is that the posts must be about me, about my thoughts, my opinions and my dreams.
What I will not write about will be mean or angry thoughts about others, no matter what, because although the feelings may be real and the hurt painful, these words will last longer and that is not the purpose of this place.
So now with a clear conscience I will sleep tonight.