Monday, June the 2nd, 2008.

[Spud]

I've had objectively worse job experiences... most of my time at Ubisoft

seems he already answered that one.

[Hoblit]

Is this Akin to the classic Sales VS Tech Support scenario?

I suppose is it, Hoblit, to the extent that sales is trying to figure out the customer's needs and sell them a product that meets that need (the architect), but once they have, tech support has to figure out how to configure the product to do what the sales guys said it would (the engineer).

Of course, tech support wishes that sales would have sold them a pre-packaged, non-configurable solution, and despises sales for caving in to the customer's demands for something that actually meets their needs.

And of course tech support has to scramble to duck tape some backwards and inefficient way to resolve whatever dreams and frills the sales person promised the demanding a-hole customer.



Am I doing this right?

[roymond]

And of course tech support has to scramble to duck tape some backwards and inefficient way to resolve whatever dreams and frills the sales person promised the demanding a-hole customer.



Am I doing this right?

Well, the customer always has the right to demand functionality. As an architect of a different sort, I concur you have it basically right. Sales rarely involve the right people at the right time. On the other side of the spectrum, engineers often haven't a clue to how the real (business) world works. But they do know how stuff works, so the challenge of any like effort is in bringing these four components (customer, sales, architect, engineer) together effectively.

Ideally, tech support should bridge the training / bug resolution gaps and make people happy.

[Reist]

I've had objectively worse job experiences... most of my time at Ubisoft

seems he already answered that one.

Oh ...

I'm a genius.

[fluffy]

Incidentally, the studio head (Gerard Guillemot) was the original designer of Rayman. I am fairly certain that the conditions which led to that place being so horrible were a direct consequence of his management philosophy.

[Reist]

Incidentally, the studio head (Gerard Guillemot) was the original designer of Rayman. I am fairly certain that the conditions which led to that place being so horrible were a direct consequence of his management philosophy.

Was he a slave driver, or just a dick?

[Caravan Ray]

I don't think any architect has ever had anything to say that any self-respecting engineer would want to listen to.

You would think it would be sufficiently ego-boosting that we basically come to them for help figuring out how to do stuff we don't know how to do. Apparently not. You're out of the fucking band, dude.

SPUD

Hoblit wrote:
Is this Akin to the classic Sales VS Tech Support scenario?

I don't know anything about sales or tech support. I would definitely try to avoid having to talk to both sales people and tech support people at all costs. Architects I can't avoid - but I can easily avoid the spivs and the geeks.

My constant battle with architects over the past year or so has involved them ignoring design briefs and legal advice, and producing designs which have favoured aesthetic trivialities over basic functionality, legislative requirements and ecological sustainability. This has happened to me recently with 3 different architectural firms on 3 different projects (2 of them, multi-million dollar public infrastructure projects - and the 3rd one, my own house). It really pisses me off.

Obviously I have nothing against architects personally, nor do I wish to denigrate in any way their noble profession. I simply think that they are a force of evil in the world who are engaged in some sort of bizarre global conspiracy designed to annoy me.

[fluffy]

Incidentally, the studio head (Gerard Guillemot) was the original designer of Rayman. I am fairly certain that the conditions which led to that place being so horrible were a direct consequence of his management philosophy.

Was he a slave driver, or just a dick?

Those are not mutually-exclusive.

[Spud]

My constant battle with architects over the past year or so has involved them ignoring design briefs and legal advice, and producing designs which have favoured aesthetic trivialities over basic functionality, legislative requirements and ecological sustainability. This has happened to me recently with 3 different architectural firms on 3 different projects (2 of them, multi-million dollar public infrastructure projects - and the 3rd one, my own house). It really pisses me off.

It just goes to show, there are incompetent people at every level in every profession. I have had some horrible experiences with engineers, but I have also had bad barbers, waiters, taxi drivers, and doctors, to name a few. You can't stop talking to everyone.

[jb]

You can't stop talking to everyone.

New sig!

[Caravan Ray]

My constant battle with architects over the past year or so has involved them ignoring design briefs and legal advice, and producing designs which have favoured aesthetic trivialities over basic functionality, legislative requirements and ecological sustainability. This has happened to me recently with 3 different architectural firms on 3 different projects (2 of them, multi-million dollar public infrastructure projects - and the 3rd one, my own house). It really pisses me off.

It just goes to show, there are incompetent people at every level in every profession. I have had some horrible experiences with engineers, but I have also had bad barbers, waiters, taxi drivers, and doctors, to name a few. You can't stop talking to everyone.

I always find that there is nothing so satisfying as a well-carried grudge.

[Project-D]

My first teaching job was like being thrown to the lions. I graduated in Dec, so school was about mid year. I applied at a bunch of schools that had vacancies There aren't usually a lot of mid year vacancies but there are some (teachers on maternity leave etc), so living in a big county there are some jobs to be had. Anyway, one particular school, gave me a rejection, choosing someone else over me. This was like Tues - Wednesday. Thursday morning they call me up and tell me the jobs mine if I want it. Seems the woman they hired changed her mind and decided to move out of state. So they tell me to go downtown to get processed (fill out payroll forms, insurance etc.) and show up. So basically cross my t's and dot my i's downtown, and book it to school and show up at around 11:00. They show me to the classroom, and there I am looking at a bunch of kids. Turns out, I did ok, they really liked me and wanted me back, but the woman I was replacing was on Maternity leave and decided to come back. Turns out she did then left again mid year. I've been at lots of different schools in my career, and all in all it's been pretty good.