Work!
I started my new job about three weeks ago. The pay isn't great but the work is hard...
In all seriousness, it is possibly the dullest, most frustrating, most tedious job I've ever had. My job is to:
- receive an email
- save the Excel (or occasionally .pdf) attachments
- open up an access database whose frontend has been coded by the three worst UI designers on the face of the planet (and I'm comparing them to whoever came up with the original Xbox dashboard! [note to younger readers: that's the -original- xbox, not the original xbox 360 dashboard])
- copy/paste and in some cases re-type the information in the attachment into the database
Considering I could (and may well do just to prove this point) design a system that does the same job in a quarter of the time with a quarter of the clunkiness and umpteen times the user-friendliness; I'm really quite frustrated!
So my job sucks, but whose doesn't these days? I guess I'll have to live with it for the time being, but there's not much chance I'll take a permanent in that place unless...
I had this idea the other day, that could prove to be quite ingenius (or could just become yet another abandoned idea); basically, I want to head up a new bespoke IT unit called the Alternative Operating Systems Unit, whose remit would be to:
- Promote and support the use of non-Microsoft operating systems within the civil service
- Provide services for the more technical users, such as IRC servers, forums, internal blogging, etc. [optional]
- Create and maintain bespoke software designed to integrate alternative operating systems into the (currently primarily if not wholly Microsoft) network
- Offer training to all users of computer systems for technical challenges such as basic programming, scripting and system administration.
I haven't worked out figures yet, but since a hell of a lot of it would actually be simpler to manage than standard FLITS work, I don't imagine it would cost money (in fact it may well save a lot of money in licensing fees and so on).
I shall post more on this topic later, including a link to a website that I shall start work on soon. Watch this space!
[EDIT: I didn't finish that sentence about figures... oops!]
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September 2nd, 2009 - 20:29
The only reason Microsoft is so prolific is because they are brilliant at ulterior market monopoly. Other than that, they more or less suck. If you manage to make this work it needs to be shown to a broader audience, and therein lies the key to combating the ridiculous prices we pay for crap like Vista.
September 2nd, 2009 - 20:32
Ahh Bert, bless your Microsoft-hating socks. But this is my point, people don’t like Microsoft, but they are unaware or ignorant of the alternative. All I want is for people to start looking at alternatives to what they already accept is crap. If anybody likes Microsoft Windows, they’re welcome to it. I’d rather them than me to be honest.
December 7th, 2009 - 22:14
Have you tried Windows 7? It makes the computer go faaaaast! Also it comes with great features like aero that mkaes it so pretty to look at which is great when arranging my family pictures. My dog is so cute.
I heard Linux is very limited in what you can do so I tell all my friends not to bother with that and get Vista.
December 7th, 2009 - 22:28
Yes, I have tried Windows 7. I tested a laptop with Windows 7 on versus Ubuntu 9.04. Ubuntu 9.04 booted up in 29 seconds, 7 took 2 minutes and 21 seconds.
If Windows works for you, that’s fantastic, use Windows. For me, I find Windows frustrating, slow, extremely limited and counter-intuitive. I would just suggest that you try Linux before completely writing it off, though, as you may find that the stories you’ve heard are untrue. Then again, you may not, in which case you can just carry on using Windows and nobody has lost anything.
Take care,
Chris
December 8th, 2009 - 01:06
Can you arrange the tiles in a family photo album to make pretty patterns on Linux? My kids love that in Windows 7
It really is an amazingly in-depth operating system!
December 8th, 2009 - 01:11
Personally I haven’t tried what you’re asking, so I couldn’t tell you. If you want to know about Linux, try it yourself – the popular GNU/Linux distribution “ubuntu” is free to download on ubuntu.com and you can try it without affecting your system by running it from the CD.
I’m sure you’re very impressed with Windows 7 and I’m glad you’ve found an operating system that you like, but if you’re only here to sing Windows’ praises, then you might ask Microsoft for a cut of their marketting budget. Linux doesn’t have a marketting budget as it is not-for-profit, so I promote it as an alternative voluntarily. Microsoft are a profit-making organisation, and don’t really need you to voluntarily market their product as they already hold a monopoly on the Operating System market.
Good day to you, sir.