Older blog entries for MikeGTN (starting at number 59)

A month into the new job - its going OK, but I'm drifting further and further away from the world of Free Software, and confidently predict that I'll be a penpushing deskhog for the rest of my working life.

However, still considering going to the UKUUG event at Bristol (details here too). Perhaps it would be a fitting way to bow out of the conferencing/excessive drinking circle?

Starting my new job tommorrow, which means no GUADEC for me this year. Had sort of resigned myself to this until people started disappearing left, right and centre for their flights!

Have abandoned studies for this year after all the early disruption, which means I've had time to actually work on my little projects these past couple of weeks. Slow progress, since I've barely touched a keyboard lately, but nevertheless its fun again, which is good news.

Lots of changes around here, some of which remain somewhat unresolved, but generally there seems to be a little more stability than of late.

At the end of my two-week holiday, and contemplating the last couple of weeks of work in Social Services. A reasonably relaxing and productive couple of weeks. Need to start planning some sort of leaving event I suppose.

Have sort of disappeared these past couple of weeks - aside from a little storm over a GNOME2 splashscreen which I assisted with the concoction of (no art though, I'm inept), I've stayed out of almost everything going on.

One sure thing is that I won't get to GUADEC this time. Its all down to the timing, sadly.

27 Feb 2002 (updated 9 May 2002 at 10:43 UTC) »

Much has changed, and largely for the better. On Sunday I finally got a much fixed version of Gtkdial out into the world. I sometimes wish I could consign my ancient, horrible code to history's dustbin, but people keep using it and sending patches, which is really quite wonderful of them!

Monday was job interview day - the long search for employment had left me somewhat resigned and dejected - the upside of this was that I barely cared what happened, so I was actually able to go in and be real - none of the usual "interview" games we all indulge in. Anyway - I got the job. Its still outside the realms of IT - which suits me because it means I get to participate in all this stuff for fun - but its secure, better paid, and finally away from the Department which stole my soul seven years ago.

So, a couple of weeks off work now to play catch-up in studies (seriously neglected during the doldrums).

Dropping off the net

I practically disappeared over the past week or so - for some reason my ISP and sendmail decided not to talk to each other, and then a series of abusive and threatening e-mail meant I was advised by the police and my ISP to remove my site! It was all far less dramatic than it sounds of course, but these things happen...

Employment

Still looking, naturally...

Travel

FOSDEM approaches, and it looks like Hallski will also be in Bruxelles. Should be a fun weekend...

Employment and Frustration

A long interval without posting masks a pretty turbulent time - lots of insane job stupidity culminates in me being politely asked to leave at the end of February. This results in a crazy application-frenzy, which still goes on. Somewhere during this, I managed to somehow not get my dream job - absolutely devastated by this - but the need for some kind of financial security means I'm still applying - often for stuff which I thought I'd never do again (there is a strong possibility that I will need to take up an offer of a position in a local supermarket - effectively creating a complete circle back to my evening job of 15 years ago!).

Other Stuff

...which seems less important right now, but keeps me ticking over. Have been building GNOME2 pretty regularly and attempting to provide useful feedback. My limited time means that by the time I find problems, they've been fixed or reported - so despite being relatively pointless, I feel like I'm helping.

A few patches, translations and testimonials have sparked my interest in Gtkdial - its actually tragic that a dial-up utility remains relevant in the UK in 2002, but still - it keeps me busy.

Travel

Looking forward to getting the Eurostar to Bruxelles for FOSDEM - I guess I'll always be a trainspotter at heart. Otherwise, wondering if I will have the means to get to GUADEC this year?

I'm trying hard to resist 'review of the year' type posts here, and indeed everywhere. Life goes on much as usual. Porting Gtkdial to GNOME 2 has proved stupidly hard. So a rewrite seems more appropriate/fun/simple (delete as appropriate). Work is silly - lots of duplication of effort is frustrating and silly. Otherwise, I'm ending the year much as I started it.

I'm going to FOSDEM.

Work

Awaiting exciting work news in mid-Jan, but until then the full force of local government politics seems aimed in the direction of our team right now. Reorganisation, cost-cutting, yet the ever-present pressure to maintain services. Its always a strange time of year - we live on goodwill, but there is precious little left.

Shoes

Finally found a pair of Converse All Stars in a tiny shopping centre in Weston - after trailing all around the UK for them. Not sure on the status of the company, but despite people's best efforts to convince me they are evil, I will continue to buy their shoes which fit me nicely.

Real Life

Hmm, choices everywhere... History repeats its own conceits

30 Nov 2001 (updated 30 Nov 2001 at 07:58 UTC) »
Travel

Dublin trip was a great deal of fun, and a much-needed chance to relax. Ate and drank way too much, but still made it to Alan's talk - unlike some other younger, fitter types :-)

GNOME Foundation Elections

Provisional election results are out - perhaps few surprises in the line-up. Personally wish some others had got in, but there will be other years. The perceived RMS threat was averted, and despite my network problems and blind panic, the process went smoothly!

GNOME 2

Every day I feel more optimistic about GNOME 2. Being a simple sort who has little impact on the direction of the platform, my involvement is limited to prodding, tweaking, breaking and complaining, along with occasional attempts at porting things. This week I've felt like there really *is* a GNOME2, which is a good thing to feel.

Work

My work situation took a further turn on my reappearance this week - a cancelled IT project further up the organisation means a cascade of surplus staff heading down the food chain, the ripples haven't reached me yet - but they're coming.... I've also decided to document the bizarre surroundings we now work in.

Since my ISP's mail facilities appear to have died for the evening, a chance to update the various diaries, webpages and other detritus I have scattered around the web.

Managed to stay pretty much in trouble at work, by virtue of some disagreements between me and managers about how acceptable it is to use me to do other people's jobs. As ever, the promises of support in my endeavours melted away and left me extremely exposed. You'd think I'd learn?

Some time off now - a day to sort lots of stuff out tomorrow, follwed by a few days in Dublin, for what has been dubbed GUADEC 2b. It will be good to get away, see a city I've long promised myself a visit to, and to meet some people I've not seen for a while.

Life-wise, much changes but much stays the same. Sometimes the important things have been under your nose for a long time.

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