- The 2013 edition of Survivor has wrapped up and the winner was Cochran, the guy with the Harvard law degree and who looks like a nerd. He now has $1,000,000 and wow. That's awesome.
- The second survivor that has my attention tonight, thanks to a "Behind the Music" episode about Pat Benatar. I didn't realize that she had been singing opera and ready to go to college to study singing.
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Showing posts with label Survivor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Survivor. Show all posts
Monday, May 13, 2013
Two Survivors
Thursday, February 12, 2009
14 Years Later... The Question is "Would I dive into the Source Code Pool Willingly?"
It was a busy night. We tend to follow specific shows that, unfortunately, all end up being on Thursday.
1) Survivor (Survivor: Tocantins - The Brazilian Highlands was produced in 2008 and will premiere on February 12, 2009. We have a Survivor pool @ work and I have Debra Beebee, 46, Middle School Principal. I hope she wins so I win the pot.)
2) ER (9-10)
3) the Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice cross-over event (8-10)
4) TNA wrestling ... (8-10)
It started out as a busy day on Techwr-L as well. List member David Downing asked whether software documenters should learn to read code. He wrote that:
One reason programmers tend to make bad documenters is that they think in terms of the mechanics of the program, rather than in terms of the tasks the end user needs to perform. [A] technical writer who starts reading code might start thinking this way as well.
This is my take on it. I am cruising online and I find a CD review of Metallica's "Death Magnetic" CD. As I read it, I can't help but notice that the reviewer has a mastery of the band's material. I read explanations that describe how track such and such is very similar to track such and such on their previous release. I read about chord progressions in track "This" being similar to track "That" on their second release. By reading the review, I -trust- the reviewer's opinion because they are able to explain, in-depth, how the current CD is either better, the same, or worse, than previous releases. The writer is able to pick the important details and eliminate the fluff or irrelevant aspects of the release. They tie the review in a neatly wrapped present. It is easy to read & tells you everything you need to know about the release in order to decide whether or not to purchase it.
Now, apply that to tech writing. I'm reading online Help and read a paragraph that talks about a "Processing" option. The explanation goes into the depths of what is processed, what files are processed, how the files are changed, where you will see evidence that the process updated something, etc.
In the first example, did the reviewer have access to the Metallica release as it was being recorded or to the early demos - the source code? Probably not. They were able to write meaningful prose by fully understanding where the release fit into the big picture.
The same is true in software doc. I do not believe you must have access to the source code in order to fully understand the software. I need to understand what the software does and how it does it, but do I have to read the source code to learn that? Not if I have access to the programmers and SMEs who wrote the source code or designed the source code.
Reading source code would be one tool in your toolbox for writing meaningful doc. This is a touchy subject for me. My mentor @ job #1 was very set in her ways that tech writers did not belong in the source code any more than programmers belonged in doc "source code" files. If there was a question about how something worked, you should ask the programmer. One day, I was instructed to ask the programmer for the valid values for a field. I went to the programmer to ask him. He showed me how to go into the source code - in display mode - and what to search for in order to find the info I needed to write my doc. My mentor's face turned red when she saw what I was doing. "You do not want to be responsible for messing up their code!" she told me. I didn't tell her that I was in display mode - that I couldn't update anything - but I don't think that would have mattered to her.
The problem with asking the programmer, though, is that sometimes the programmer knows what they are doing and sometimes they are just doing what they are told to do so your mileage may vary. Yesterday, I was creating the UI for a new menu option that generates a report that is sent to a 3rd party. I saw the 3rd party referred to as both "APPLES" and "Apples" so I asked how that company should be referred to on the menu option. I asked the programmer who had added the menu option. She said, "I don't know. I've seen it both ways." She suggested asking a trainer, who happened to be gone yesterday. In the meantime, I asked a 2nd programmer, who googled the name and found reference after reference of "Apples." I made the menu option say "Apples." This AM, the trainer wrote back that it should be "APPLES."
The point? There are always multiple opinions in regards to everything that comes up. If reading source code helps you do your job, by all means, read the source code. In my 14 years of experience - today is my 14 year anniversary of my first day @ job #1 - it is not essential.
1) Survivor (Survivor: Tocantins - The Brazilian Highlands was produced in 2008 and will premiere on February 12, 2009. We have a Survivor pool @ work and I have Debra Beebee, 46, Middle School Principal. I hope she wins so I win the pot.)
2) ER (9-10)
3) the Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice cross-over event (8-10)
4) TNA wrestling ... (8-10)
It started out as a busy day on Techwr-L as well. List member David Downing asked whether software documenters should learn to read code. He wrote that:
One reason programmers tend to make bad documenters is that they think in terms of the mechanics of the program, rather than in terms of the tasks the end user needs to perform. [A] technical writer who starts reading code might start thinking this way as well.
This is my take on it. I am cruising online and I find a CD review of Metallica's "Death Magnetic" CD. As I read it, I can't help but notice that the reviewer has a mastery of the band's material. I read explanations that describe how track such and such is very similar to track such and such on their previous release. I read about chord progressions in track "This" being similar to track "That" on their second release. By reading the review, I -trust- the reviewer's opinion because they are able to explain, in-depth, how the current CD is either better, the same, or worse, than previous releases. The writer is able to pick the important details and eliminate the fluff or irrelevant aspects of the release. They tie the review in a neatly wrapped present. It is easy to read & tells you everything you need to know about the release in order to decide whether or not to purchase it.
Now, apply that to tech writing. I'm reading online Help and read a paragraph that talks about a "Processing" option. The explanation goes into the depths of what is processed, what files are processed, how the files are changed, where you will see evidence that the process updated something, etc.
In the first example, did the reviewer have access to the Metallica release as it was being recorded or to the early demos - the source code? Probably not. They were able to write meaningful prose by fully understanding where the release fit into the big picture.
The same is true in software doc. I do not believe you must have access to the source code in order to fully understand the software. I need to understand what the software does and how it does it, but do I have to read the source code to learn that? Not if I have access to the programmers and SMEs who wrote the source code or designed the source code.
Reading source code would be one tool in your toolbox for writing meaningful doc. This is a touchy subject for me. My mentor @ job #1 was very set in her ways that tech writers did not belong in the source code any more than programmers belonged in doc "source code" files. If there was a question about how something worked, you should ask the programmer. One day, I was instructed to ask the programmer for the valid values for a field. I went to the programmer to ask him. He showed me how to go into the source code - in display mode - and what to search for in order to find the info I needed to write my doc. My mentor's face turned red when she saw what I was doing. "You do not want to be responsible for messing up their code!" she told me. I didn't tell her that I was in display mode - that I couldn't update anything - but I don't think that would have mattered to her.
The problem with asking the programmer, though, is that sometimes the programmer knows what they are doing and sometimes they are just doing what they are told to do so your mileage may vary. Yesterday, I was creating the UI for a new menu option that generates a report that is sent to a 3rd party. I saw the 3rd party referred to as both "APPLES" and "Apples" so I asked how that company should be referred to on the menu option. I asked the programmer who had added the menu option. She said, "I don't know. I've seen it both ways." She suggested asking a trainer, who happened to be gone yesterday. In the meantime, I asked a 2nd programmer, who googled the name and found reference after reference of "Apples." I made the menu option say "Apples." This AM, the trainer wrote back that it should be "APPLES."
The point? There are always multiple opinions in regards to everything that comes up. If reading source code helps you do your job, by all means, read the source code. In my 14 years of experience - today is my 14 year anniversary of my first day @ job #1 - it is not essential.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
That didn't GO the Way I wanted it to GONE & Odds
First, my review of the Odds (or New Odds) is here.
So... Survivor. I have Sugar in my pool. There's Susie and Bob and Sugar. So, I'm in the final 3. I have a 33% chance of winning the office pool and putting some $ in my pocket. There are seven people that vote for the final winner. How many votes does Sugar get?
NONE.
NOT A SINGLE FREAKIN' VOTE!
I would have done better had I had someone who didn't even get to the final 3. NOTHING to show for my entry fee into the pool. What a load of crap. I mean, not a single person thought Sugar deserved $1,000,000. Hmmph. I did.
The other thing that I was wondering about is what would happen at the WWE PPV tonight. Here are the results:
Results
Dark John Morrison and The Miz defeated Jesse and Festus Tag team match
1 Vladimir Kozlov defeated Matt Hardy Singles match
2 CM Punk defeated Rey Mysterio Singles match for a future Intercontinental Championship match
3 Finlay defeated Mark Henry (with Tony Atlas) Belfast Brawl
4 Batista defeated Randy Orton (with Cody Rhodes and Manu) Singles match
5 Maria, Kelly Kelly, Mickie James and Michelle McCool defeated Maryse, Jillian Hall, Victoria and Natalya Eight-Diva Santa's Little Helper tag team match
6 John Cena (c) defeated Chris Jericho Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship
7 Jeff Hardy defeated Edge (c) and Triple H Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship
(c) - refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
So... Survivor. I have Sugar in my pool. There's Susie and Bob and Sugar. So, I'm in the final 3. I have a 33% chance of winning the office pool and putting some $ in my pocket. There are seven people that vote for the final winner. How many votes does Sugar get?
NONE.
NOT A SINGLE FREAKIN' VOTE!
I would have done better had I had someone who didn't even get to the final 3. NOTHING to show for my entry fee into the pool. What a load of crap. I mean, not a single person thought Sugar deserved $1,000,000. Hmmph. I did.
The other thing that I was wondering about is what would happen at the WWE PPV tonight. Here are the results:
Results
Dark John Morrison and The Miz defeated Jesse and Festus Tag team match
1 Vladimir Kozlov defeated Matt Hardy Singles match
2 CM Punk defeated Rey Mysterio Singles match for a future Intercontinental Championship match
3 Finlay defeated Mark Henry (with Tony Atlas) Belfast Brawl
4 Batista defeated Randy Orton (with Cody Rhodes and Manu) Singles match
5 Maria, Kelly Kelly, Mickie James and Michelle McCool defeated Maryse, Jillian Hall, Victoria and Natalya Eight-Diva Santa's Little Helper tag team match
6 John Cena (c) defeated Chris Jericho Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship
7 Jeff Hardy defeated Edge (c) and Triple H Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship
(c) - refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Final 4, Armageddon 2008, and Work
Sunday is a big day in my world for two reasons.
First of all, there is the finale of Survivor Gabon. This finale has special meaning to me and I will watch it. Why? At work, there is a Survivor pool that costs $ (I don't remember what I paid, but I think it was $5 - I just give my money to my friend Phil and consider it a donation> to get in. My co-workers and I draw names and if you have the name of the person that wins, you get the pot. I have gotten into these pools for Survivor and for Big Brother for a number of years. I actually won the Big Brother pool one time and I don't even watch the show! So, anyways, with Survivor Gabon, I am in the final four. The name I drew is Sugar, a pin-up model. I had no hope for her at the beginning of the season and I've missed a couple of episodes, due to someone scheduling music concerts at school on the last two Thursday nights - how rude - but according to http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/recaps/1713/?season=17, I'm in the final 4, I have a 25% of winning the pot, no one expects Sugar to pull it off, but I'm cautiously becoming optimistic. We'll see what happens.
Secondly, there is another pro wrestling PPV on Sunday called Armageddon. You can read the Eric Cohen's predictions here. I haven't watched a live PPV in years and Sunday will be no different. I will say that I hope to read the results online Sunday night.
I anticipate being on the PC late at night on Sunday.
First of all, there is the finale of Survivor Gabon. This finale has special meaning to me and I will watch it. Why? At work, there is a Survivor pool that costs $ (I don't remember what I paid, but I think it was $5 - I just give my money to my friend Phil and consider it a donation> to get in. My co-workers and I draw names and if you have the name of the person that wins, you get the pot. I have gotten into these pools for Survivor and for Big Brother for a number of years. I actually won the Big Brother pool one time and I don't even watch the show! So, anyways, with Survivor Gabon, I am in the final four. The name I drew is Sugar, a pin-up model. I had no hope for her at the beginning of the season and I've missed a couple of episodes, due to someone scheduling music concerts at school on the last two Thursday nights - how rude - but according to http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/recaps/1713/?season=17, I'm in the final 4, I have a 25% of winning the pot, no one expects Sugar to pull it off, but I'm cautiously becoming optimistic. We'll see what happens.
Secondly, there is another pro wrestling PPV on Sunday called Armageddon. You can read the Eric Cohen's predictions here. I haven't watched a live PPV in years and Sunday will be no different. I will say that I hope to read the results online Sunday night.
I anticipate being on the PC late at night on Sunday.
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