Ramble On: Monday Evening Musings

After returning home late Sunday afternoon from six straight days of business travel, I turned around and hit the road again a few hours later….this time for personal reasons. I've just gotten back home again (fortunately I'm not traveling again until Friday) and my brain is perhaps understandably a bit scrambled. Keep my altered state in mind as you read the ruminations that follow.

One of the items I've read the past few days that particularly resonated with me was a writeup from ExtremeTech entitled 'Working In Your Underwear'. I've been based at a home-located office since I left Intel and joined EDN in January of 1997. Granted, this arrangement, like anything in life, isn't perfect….ask my wife, who isn't particularly enthralled with my tendency to let work activities creep into my personal life (perhaps obviously, folks who have the opposite tendency don't tend to remain employed very long, victims of Darwinist culling).

But it's pretty darn great, all things considered, and I frankly can't fathom the idea of returning to a lengthy commute, and to a cubicle. "What's it like working from home?" is one of the most common questions I get asked. If you've ever wondered about this, take a look at Joel Durham Jr.'s essay for some clues. Then ask yourself, if this scenario is appealing, why it can't be feasible for you as well, at least on occasion. Then ask your boss that same question. Speaking of questions, if you're wondering if I work in my underwear, the answer is no. Unless, that is, you count boxer shorts.

Another writeup that I liked a lot came from Bob Lucky, who's one of my biggest heroes both as a technologist and as a columnist. His piece in the March 2007 issue of IEEE Spectrum, titled, 'Are You Aware?', is (as usual) brilliant, and it captures audience behaviour that I certainly observed at the two shows I attended last week (as well as at plenty of times-past conferences). Inevitably, after a presenter finishes his or her lecture, or perhaps as an interruption within it, someone will saunter up to the microphone and pontificate along the lines of, as Bob puts it, “Are you aware of the work on this subject by Professor John Blutarsky at Faber College in 1962?” Call me cynical, if you wish, but I agree with Bob that rarely is this question asked with pure intent; instead, it's intended to lessen the authority of the presenter and, conversely, to puff up the ego of the inquirer.

On that note, please indulge me a brief rant. Inevitably, after I (for example) publish a writeup on PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) on advanced HDDs, I'll get an email or phone call from some guy or gal with a PhD in metal oxide physics who wants to argue some minute point….often a point that I didn't even mention in my writeup! Perhaps I should feel flattered; I've apparently exhibited enough competence in the subject that the person on the other end of the phone or the 'Net connection feels it's worth spending his or her precious time in connecting with me. But….how do I put it….well, look at the breadth of my editorial beat. It's unrealistic to expect me to be an expert on each and every subtle nuance of each and every particular subject within that beat. Put yourself in my shoes and, if you're being honest with yourself, I think you'll agree.

One of the many things I love about this gig is that it's a never-ending opportunity to learn. So if you're reaching out to me to teach me something, that's great; that's the pure intent I was talking about in the previous paragraph. But if you're just getting hold of me to subtly-or-not point out what an idiot you think I am, and what a genius you are, do us both a favour and redirect your ego-boosting energy elsewhere, ok? Rant off.

Continue reading with 'Ramble On And On: More Monday Evening Musings'….