Category: stuff

Anything else that is not rest of it.

Little update

Wow, it’s been a long time since I blogged. Didn’t had the time. I will write you what happened in last few weeks.

Let’s start with a BIGGE. So we bought the house. Not any house OUR FIRST HOUSE. That took some time. All paper work. The I seriously damaged my back during move (that was 6 weeks ago, and yes, developers should stick to comfty chairs and their computers, not hard physical labour :). After 5 weeks of physiotherapy I’m still not 100% good.

Baby is on a way. Preparing home for his (as we don’t know if that’s a boy or a girl (I mean I hope it’s a boy :)) arrival is not an easy task when you can’t lift anything of the ground without pain that feels like OH MY GOD SOMEONE STUBBED ME WITH A DAGGER IN MY SPINE. Those days are gone now. I did a lot of painting (some rooms 4 layers of paint) and I started to hate it. Bought all necessary things for our Baby. All I can do now is leave the rest to mother nature 🙂

It’s 3 months since I joined ThoughtWorks. I enjoy working for that company. I got a lot new experience and I will share.

This is it. It might not sound like a lot of work but … it was. And I’m so happy it’s almost over. I know that when Baby will arrive another responsibilities will start, but at least at the beginning it’s just feeding, changing nappies and taking out for some fresh air 🙂

I’m looking forward to all the events that are in front of us. I’m sure they are exciting. COME ON TIME, BRING IT ON! 🙂

Cheers all you beautiful people, Gregster

Ps. What you are thinking of my new Blog look?

Big rain, bad Dell and other Monday goods

FrustratedCouldn’t imagine worst morning than today (weather wise). It was almost dark as at night and it was raining really heavy. All trains were late. It is amusing in country being famous of its bad weather that trains are late when it starts to rain.

Anyway, I was on a train listening to The Beatles album, Revolver, watching three ladies around me fixing their make-up and thinking about my problems with Dell Laptop I received as company toy.

Continue reading “Big rain, bad Dell and other Monday goods” →

Is it Britain or the hole IT is going crazy

reference It’s been two weeks now when I started my great new job. It’s really amazing to work at ThoughtWorks in its London office and I’m very happy that I made through recruitment process.

Something that stroke me after just few days of work is that people are using a lot of abbreviation all the time. It is either a business stuff or IT related. Technologies or funky names. I’m usually the dummy one that is asking what the hell is that? Is it new funky trend between Brits or did IT (IT, another one:) ) world go crazy?

Master of shortcuts are in Seatle in Microsoft offices. Some of the sentences they made during sessions and talks, when I was there, contained only abbreviations. Is it a lack of a time that makes the need to speak faster. Is it assumption that everyone else know those word shortcuts?

It doesn’t matter for me, I’m terrible at remembering those, probably because I don’t care about it 🙂

Cheers, Gregster

End of an ERA

21st of August was my last day of work in Computer Cab. I’m officially unemployed now. Will be until 3rd of September, this is the time when I start job at ThoughtWorks. I need to say that ComCab was a place where I meet a lot of great people a made some cool new friends. This is also place where I got first time exposed to Agile and XP practices and converted from Java to .NET programmer. It doesn’t mean I don’t code Java now and that I’m total Microsoft fan 🙂

I learned a lot at ComCab and I’m grateful but it’s time to move on. To all the guys from the ComCab, cheers, you are great.

img_0201

Part of the Team during Friday lunch in a pub nearby.

Greg-ster

XP Ways – A saga of Pair Programming

paironPair programming is about two people having fun producing good quality code and learning one of each other. What am I saying? Isn’t pair programming two guys that are trying to show off which one is better and arguing with themselves on who’s idea should be implemented? Hmmmm….. I got some experience, so let’s take a closer look.

Continue reading “XP Ways – A saga of Pair Programming” →

Beginning of a new era

imageIt looks like I will be starting a new stage in my life. I’m changing the JOB. Seems  like just couple of days ago I have started work for my current company and I will be leaving it already. I learned a lot and I could probably learn a much more. But … it’s time for me to move on. Work was done well, people were converted into self learning masochists and XP practices and agile way is not unfamiliar to anyone. All the XP ways I have learned from Cleve and Merlyn, and I am (and will be) very grateful for that.

From 3rd September I will be starting work at ThoughtWorks in London. Great IT consultancy, based in number of countries around the world with really great work environment. Just check out their web site if you would like to know a bit more about it. ThoughtWorks have adopted Agile methodology in their entire project lifecycle. I’m looking forward to meeting all this clever guys there and start to learn and have some fun.

Recruitment and the interview process was the most toughest one I’ve ever been through (got 5 behind me now). I did:

  • phone interview
  • sent some code sample
  • then got invited for office interview and did
  • IQ test
  • personality test
  • logical test (this one killed me, exhausting)
  • did pair programming with one of TW developer
  • being interviewed by Managing Director and Sales Director

As you see it’s not easy money. If I knew how it will look like I would probably be scared like hell and fail all of that. But … turned out great.

So … here you got, TADAAA 🙂

Greg iiiiiii i i     iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Weather people, wizards or scientists?

I live in England. Everyone heard about weather in here. It’s quite famous. In the morning it’s nice and hour later it’s rain and then it’s nice again. Weather forecasters in this country have some really hard job. I’m disappointed by forecasts that say it will be nice and then it’s rubbish. But, there is a little light in the end of a tunnel, in a shape of www.metcheck.com .

I like the way they write about weather plus, it turnes out to be quite a good predictions. So, I’m sharing this site with you, all the people that are sick of bad weather forecasts. And it is important, because weather has much bigger influence on your behavior and mood then You might think.

Gregi

Go on Safari with Apple

It looks like Apple has joined a Web Browser War. They have released Beta version of Mac OS’s default web browser Safari. I need to be honest in here, I like some of Apple’s idea and Safari on PC I think it’s a very good one. I have downloaded Safari and installed it on my home PC.

First impression:

  • web browser starts fast, almost like Internet Explorer, much faster then Firefox
  • I love the interface, MAC-a-like look and feel
  • renders pages very fast
  • content looks good
  • standard (now) tab browsing
  • it looks like it using less system resources (memory, cpu) then Firefox

I’m really surprised by myself, because I thought I will stay Firefox enthusiast to it’s very or my end. But … I’ll wait for official release of Safari to have a ride on it. So far, so good. Try it yourself 🙂

Gregster

Agile, Agile A…. gile

I had to change a title of this post many time, as I was unable to give it a right sound. At the end I came back to the beginning, as it usual is when I’m doing something. Article inspiration came from a short Talk on Agile development that I have attended yesterday in London. Erik Doernenburg from company called ThoughtWorks was giving the talk. Very good talk with a number of real life examples (something everyone is keen on). He approached audience with presentation of 10 Myths about Agile Software Development. But let’s start from the beginning this time 🙂

Continue reading “Agile, Agile A…. gile” →