Google attributes bug to human error...as opposed to what?

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Enterprise-Applications/Human-Error-Caused-Google-Glitch/

Spinning Plates

I sent this metaphor to a co-worker today. Thought it was worth sharing.

"Around release time, I use the analogy of spinning plates. I like that analogy for several reasons.

1 - the activity of spinning plates requires constant intervention
2 - adding a spinning plate is easy; maintaining it amongst all the others is difficult
3 - spinning plates have an implied order, but can fail out-of-order just as easily
4 - those involved in spinning plates cannot rest...EVER.
5 - you only notice spinning plates when they stop spinning (eg, they fall off and break )
6 - to be successful at plate spinning, you have to move MORE than the plates do
7 - once you start, it is not easy to stop spinning plates without breaking something

To me, this perfectly describes the current process of delivering updates and releases; why success is so hard and failure is so easy."

The nurse who said, "You're going to die."

Elisabeth Hendrickson posted about a topic of conversation at this year's LEWT. It dealt with an item I'm very tempted by: problem diagnosis and debugging by the tester. My comment was appropriately passionate but may have been too lengthy for a polite comment. I've taken it and placed it here with only minor modifications.

One time, I went to the doctor. That is amazing in and of itself but is not the point of my comment.

I had gone to have a mole looked at. The nurse, who was busy running all the setup routines in anticipation of the doctor, quipped that it probably was cancerous. “Most people develop some kind of cellular anomaly in their lives”, she said with all the cold and callous concern a butcher might have for some hamburger meat.

Her “diagnosis” did not set well with me. Part of my proficiency for testing is my predilection for pessimism. It caused all sorts of undue stress and anxiety. My mind ruminated on all the tearful activities that awaited me; saying goodbye to friends and family, what music will they play at the service, etc. Mind you, the doctor hadn’t even SHOWN UP yet!!! When he did finally show up, he allayed my fears with a more educated diagnosis - “you’re just mole-y. Why are you crying?”

That nurse by virtue of her position/location brought to bear the air of authority. She certainly said all the educated words. But given the circumstances, all that my mind heard was, “you’re gonna die.” How was I to know?

I love to break things so I can see how they work. And when something breaks, I view it as an opportunity for me to observe the thing’s inner-workings. But I’ve been able to avoid freaking customers out by not doing such diagnosis in front of them. I save that conversation for the developers lest I come off as an authority. Or much worse - the nurse who said, “you’re gonna die”.

Job Security

Top 10 IT Disasters of All Time

I'm in ur base turning ur lights on....

Just finished "Are Your Lights On?" this weekend. I found an opportunity to try my solution-probleming when I read this forum post.

This individual was attempting to enforce a kind of subversive security to keep their younger sibling on the straight and narrow. As I thought more about the "problem" of solving problematic script logic, it dawned on me that there might be another problem behind it all; do we need to bring the computer in to solve a human problem?

I had originally posted my non-technical questions in my reply, but felt that it might come off a little "preachy". But that won't stop me from placing them here:

...I'd like to ask some questions about your situation ( seriously ):

1. Is the problem your brother's insistence on playing games OR his insistence on not doing his homework?
2. Why is your brother not compelled to do his homework? Is it boredom, frustration, or laziness?
3. Is your brother really NOT doing his homework? For example, is he finishing it when your cousin's are playing or when you're not looking? Or is he being rewarded with play-time for having done his homework earlier?
4. Is there a parental or guardian figure ( other than yourself ) who can enforce sanctions if necessary?
   

I ask because these kind of solutions can become unwieldy. In circumstances where he is allowed to play, you'll have to disarm the script. If he's around when you do this, consider security breached. It also would be pretty unfair for him if you were away when he was allowed to play.

One potential solution is to have your cousin's over more often. They'll definitely accept your invitation to play games and your brother will be "forced" to finish his homework before he can play. No passwords, no tattle-tale scripts.

Sorry this was so long, but I did my share of homework negligence. If I had to monitor a younger sibling like myself, that's what I'd do.

Stranger Than Fiction

If one were to obtain the "Stranger Than Fiction" DVD and played the "Making of a G.U.I." special feature, that person would be treated to a very different/insightful/interesting take on the form and function of User Interfaces.

Reverse-Engineered Overview of Excel 2007 Bug

Got this link from the good people over at "Joel on Software". VERY COOL.