Note to self: Read my own books and learn from my own mistakes

  • Article

After spending two days and nights stressing and fiddling with a WSS error as part of the TFS 2010 CTP installation for the VSTS Rangers Virtualising VSTS images, crawling uphill like a stubborn Swiss mountain mule, I finally admitted defeat, came Group Of Tiny Blue Employees Standing In Front Of A Computer Keyboard And Looking Up At A Flat Screen Lcd Monitor Screen While One Person Operates The Mouse Clipart Illustration Graphicto the office and discussed the issue with a colleague. Within 1/2 an hour the “rocking” VSTS team had resolved the problem, leaving me stranded on a vertical cliff, wondering how I ever got up there and why I bothered in the first place. Yes I am delirious from lack of sleep and yes, I am angry … not because I could not solve the puzzle, but because I ignored one of my fundamental rules which is mentioned not once, but many times in the third book “Software Engineers on their Way to Pluto”.

Note to self: Memorise this Rule –> If you are battling with something and you cannot solve it, STOP … find a whiteboard, find a colleague and discuss the problem. An additional pair of eyes and in the case of our VM a sprinkle of SharePoint magic, works wonders.

What added salt to the wound today and the reason for this post, was when a colleague at MCDC walked up to me while I was getting the 13th cup of coffee in the cafeteria and complimented me on the interesting and great “green” book. Hopefully he will notice the magic rule and adhere to it … it will save him a lot of sleepless nights and stress.
Book3  … find the free community softcopy on SA Architect here .

I am packing up … that’s the second golden rule: if brain wanders into delirious state, due to lack of sleep, go home and “sleep”. See you tomorrow…