(Note: I’m back on Twitter at @shebang_the_cat, so please re-add me if we were contacts before, or if you think I’m worth listening to. The bonus on this new name is that the underscores hopefully mean the username is no longer perverted-sounding to certain immature people I know.)
I did some coding this week at work, and it had been a while. This is actually my first DBA job that doesn’t require me to do any (besides the odd bash script, which doesn’t really count), and I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed it.
I had to collect data from a bunch of database servers, each with a bunch of databases and each of those with a bunch of tables, and since grabbing all that by hand would induce homicidal thoughts rather quickly, I wrote a perl script to do it for me. I suppose I could’ve used a different language, but I know enough perl to be dangerous. Plus whenever I do use it I suddenly get this chorus of guys I know, who are a tad fanatical about the language, cheering me on. I don’t know what it is about perl, but I don’t get that encouragement if I use Java (instead, God drowns a puppy).
I’m certainly glad I stopped being a Java developer, if only for the sake of my repetitive stress pains in my right hand (it’s a really wordy language). Scripting languages like PHP and perl have been far kinder on me, as has DBA work.
Way back when I decided to go into computer science there were two aspects of it that interested me:
- solving problems, and
- actually creating something (i.e., software).
It dawns on me now that what I like best in database work is when there’s something to fix. At least when it’s not something I broke myself, though that happens often enough. If I can speed up data retrieval, or improve a query, that’s golden. Everything else is pretty lame, though, if I think about it. Documentation, installing new database servers, arguing with developers, I could leave it.
I don’t ever feel I’m creating much, though, at least not these days. And I think I’m aching for that, badly. That half-day of perl coding was the most work-fun I’d had in months. I was able to (mostly) block out the banter going on around me and focus on the code, and that’s so wonderful. I find it harder to get into The Zone with my database work, though that’s probably more because of all the multitasking involved, and having to deal with people.
Maybe it’s time I signed up for an open source project or something.
Hello Gillian!
Still been here over the long haul, enjoying the bits and pieces you’ve shared over all the transitions. Big congrats on the awesome presentation you gave!
You really defined the motivation that keeps me going in our own IT shop; fixing things (particularly things that folks don’t even realize are broken), sharing that knowledge-base with others, and creating new things.
As an IT project lead, I’m frequently responsible for a handful of “large” projects at any given time surrounded by an asteroid mass of smaller “incident-driven” projects that must be managed/resolved daily.
I was feeling frustrated these past few weeks and couldn’t pin it down.
Eventually, during one of the commutes back from work I think I identified it.
It that with the terrible work-load and trench-work, I (and by extension, our team) never seem to have an opportunity to take in the successful completions of our projects lately. In the past we would have a few days breather to review and celebrate the delivery. Now it seems like we are standing up a new project and shifting resources to it even while we are still wrapping up the other and drawing resources down.
There’s just no time any more to hit the pub and celebrate.
Even though I am still being successful, it doesn’t feel that way personally/emotionally as there is no time to celebrate or quietly enjoy a sense of accomplishment.
That’s what really sucks…and it does take a toll no matter how good or successfully one really is.
Feeling your sours…hang in there. Definitely not alone on this one.
Cheers.
Claus V.
You should spell it Perl, not perl. Perl refers to the wonderful language, perl is just the command line program.
Pedantically yours,
Luke
P.S. Don’t let the mouse keep you down.
@Luke Thank you. Next time I see you I’ll be sure to school you on the correct pronunciation of MySQL.
Hi Gillian,
Yeah, Perl’s pretty damn cool; been learning it for my new web-dev gig. I pooh-poohed it for years (being a high&mighty C/C++/OO programmer), but after a couple years out of the IT trade I’m having a blast! I was so wrong.
I feel your pain re only working the cool stuff once in a blue moon; this is why I headed out of programming after a decade & a half, I realized I could count the really fun projects I’d done on one hand. The rest were either new but lame ideas, or horrible maintenance nightmares, etc – I’m sure you’re familiar with the range of suck that can be IT, most programmers are.
I think a true programmer will never be 100% happy working someone else’s project; you have to roll your own for true geek satisfaction. Pick some interesting problem you’ve come across, or go with some random idea for an app you’ve had, maybe pool your resources with a group of nerd friends & work on something big, some new web service or game. Dream it, design it, do it! Even if it goes down in flames (or worse, works but ends up sucking for some reason), it’ll be YOUR project.
I’ve never managed to do it myself. But I really, really want to, and maybe if I hear more stories about someone else’s wonderful work I’ll be motivated to make some time for my own…
bc
p.s. – And now for something completely different…
I don’t manage to hit your site every week (I know: shame on me), so forgive me if I’m reading you wrong…but since you’ve moved to Kelowna I’ve occasionally gotten the impression you’re less than thrilled with living there. If it’s that bad you should get the hell out & go somewhere you’d LIKE to live – life’s too short & all that. It’s a big world – pick somewhere new & interesting & go try it on! NOW is likely the best time in your life for a high degree of footloosedness: in another year or five you’ll probably find yourself in a relationship somewhere (like Kelowna! Eeek!), then (god forbid) pumping out a few kittens of your own, at which point you’re STUCK FAST TO THE INESCAPABLE FLYPAPER OF FAMILY. Forever. Once that happens, you won’t HAVE the option to go somewhere new JUST BECAUSE. And a part of you will pine for that freedom till the end of your days – trust me on this.
Or am I just projecting? In which case never mind…it’s late & I’m rambling. Forget I said anything.