Sage Advice - Note from Boss To Employees

I loved Michael Wade's recent Execupundit post, Note From Boss To Employees. After thinking about it for a while, I have one thing to add to his list:

• In the absence of proposals, I will point a way forward. If you have a better idea, then bring it up; don't grumble behind my back. If your idea(s) are better, I'm more than willing to drop mine.

Switching gears just ever so slightly, make sure you read the comments to Michael's post. I'm surprised at the number of petty, sarcastic, and anger-laden responses, although I suppose I shouldn't be. Sigh.

Selected Essays on Software Design

[This post is for Lance-san, who rightfully chided me for starting out with a flurry of posts and then just dropping off the face of the earth. He is right, of course, and I resolve to post more regularly.]

I'm starting up a modest reading effort with the software product designers who report to me. I want to encourage them to read regularly, and I want to ensure that they are aware of what I consider essential readings. I also want them to think more about what it means to be a software designer. Rather than drop a ton of must-read books on them, I thought I would ease them into things with a series of small essays.

Here are the first six that came to my mind. They are all relatively short (most just a few pages in length). They are all thought-provoking (at least to me) and I hope they spur good discussion.

"As We May Think", Vannevar Bush. In The Atlantic Monthly (July, 1945). By far the oldest essay on my list, but essential and inspiring reading. Bush introduces the idea of associative linking, which we see played out today in the Web, 30 years before the invention of the personal computer and 50 years before the Web as we know it. I argue that Bush's essay represents the beginning of the field of Human-Computer Interaction, but I also find it compelling that Bush's essay places our work in a human, social, and moral context - Bush was specifically asking what scientists should do next, after the close of World War II. How will scientists (or engineers, or designers) "find objectives worthy of their best"? Powerful stuff.

"A Software Design Manifesto", Mitch Kapor. In Bringing Design to Software (Winograd, 1996). This essay was first given as a talk at Esther Dyson's PC Forum in 1990, and it first appeared in print in Dr. Dobbs Journal in 1991. Kapor's essay represents a call to arms for a software design profession, and draws a strong parallel between software design and architecture.

"The Right Way to Think About Software Design", Theodor Holm Nelson. In The Art of Human- Computer Interface Design (Laurel, 1990). Nelson's essay draws an analogy between software design and movie-making; the interactive nature of both are key concepts. I liken user interface specifications to movie scripts, and prototypes to rehersal.

"The Designer's Stance", an interview with David Kelley by Bradley Hartfield. In Bringing Design to Software (Winograd, 1996). David Kelley is the founder of IDEO. This interview is a nice short into to Kelley's ideas, and should whet any designer's appetite for reading The Art of Innovation, written by David's brother Tom Kelley.

"Cultures of Prototyping", Michael Schrage. In Bringing Design to Software (Winograd, 1996). This essay discusses the importance of prototyping to creativity and innovation, and draws on examples from the automotive and consumer electronics industries. This essay plays well with my opinion that software design needs to be much more like industrial design, and that we place far too much emphasis on "specs" as the primary deliverable of product designers.

"Designing the PalmPilot: A Conversation with Rob Haitani", an interview with Rob Haitani by Eric Bergman. In Information Appliances and Beyond (Bergman, 2000). Rob Haitani was the Product Manager for the original PalmPilot, and is widely credited with being in charge of the design of the PalmOS user interface. As a Palm user from the very first PalmPilot, I'm an unabashed PalmOS fan. This interview, the longest reading so far at 20 pages, is a fascinating look at the design process and design for the small screen.

I'll start with these essays, but if you have any suggestions to add to me list, please let me know. I suspect I may find a number of interviews to add to my list from Designing Interactions, the new book (2007) out by Bill Moggridge. What else should I add to my list?

Short Treo Antenna

I know, I know, the Apple iPhone announcement is all the rage this week. Yea, yea, yea. Interesting. Lots of potential. But I'm still not convinced, and I still love my Treo and PalmOS.

So, if you have a Treo 650 or 700 and, like me, are jealous of the "look ma, no external antenna" look of the Treo 680, then TreoAntenna.com has just what you need:

I have one of these on my Treo 650, and love it. I notice an ever-so-slight decrease in signal strength in weak signal areas, but not enough of a decrease to go back to the stock antenna. Installation is a breeze.

There is a very long thread on the short antenna over at TreoCentral, with participation by the guy making and selling them. There is also a very nice review that was just posted to MyTreo.net that is worth a read - much more detail than here in this post.

There! Now the iPhone feeding frenzy can resume. I feel better

65 Degrees Fahrenheit in New Hampshire in January!?!?

WTF? Now I'm not complaining, but it was 65 degrees F here in southern New Hampshire today. I hate winter, but this is a little unsettling. It's January, and winter just has NOT arrived yet.

I'm fond of saying that no two winters in New England are alike, and I truly believe that. But in twenty five years of living in New England, I have never seen any winter even remotely like this one.

I did take advantage of today's weather via a nice and easy 10 mile run. Who knows, maybe tomorrow will bring a motorcycle ride!

The 26th Annual Hangover Classic

I love running the Winner's Circle Running Club's Hangover Classic 10K every January 1st. It's a very satifsying way to start a new year, even if getting out of bed to go run 6 miles on New Year's Day isn't easy.

This year was a clear indication of how a little weather will thin out the crowd - if perhaps only to the truly insane - or dedicated? In 2005 we had blue skies and 40 degree F temperatures, and there were 347 finishers in the 10K. In 2006 it was in the 30s, but it had snowed a little the day before (traction was lacking in the first mile of snow and slush), and the result was 299 10K finishers. This year we had temps in the 40s again, but a steady rain! You guessed it -- just 234 finishers.

The rain wasn't so bad. The worst part really was the flooded road just 100 yards from the start line. There were 2 to 3 inches of water from one side of the road to the other. The shock wasn't so much getting our feet wet, but how COLD the water felt.

Nevertheless, I'm quite happy with my race. I finished in 43:25 (6:59 average pace). I was the 45th finisher overall, and 16th out of 66 in my age division.

My 2006 Running Year in Review

I'm pleased with my running in 2006. I seem to have honed in on a pace between 6:55 to 7:05 for 8K and 10K races; my 7:11 pace for last year's Hangover Classic is an anomaly due to the inch of fresh snow and slush that covered much of the first half of the course.

My highlight of the year was the 20:05 I ran in the Pelham 5K. I know that on the right day, on the right course, I have a sub-20 in me. But I didn't expect to come that close in this race. I owe my great time completely to a fellow named Dan Houston, who came in fifth place right behind me. I led Dan by about 40 or 50 feet for most of the race, but out of the blue at about the two and a half mile mark he blew by me. I was shocked, demoralized at first, and then just pissed. I knew the course well and planned my counter attack. I passed Dan at a full sprint with about 200 yards to go, and I didn't look back or let off the gas until the finish line. I don't know whether I'm happier about my finish time, or by not letting Dan's late race move take the fight out of me. Either way, my hat is off to Dan for a great race.

Race	Date	Overall Place/Finishers	Division Place/Finishers	Time	Pace
Hangover 10K	01/01/06	95/299	33/70	44:40	7:11
Cigna 5K	08/10/06	426/4260	53/272	21:36	6:57
Lundgren 5K	08/19/06	30/287	4/45	20:58	6:45
Union Leader 8K	09/09/06	72/299	28/60	35:01	7:03
Pelham 5K	10/07/06	4/90	2/7	20:05	6:28
Bridges 10K	10/14/06	25/181	8/24	44:01	7:06
Feaster Five 8K	11/23/06	144/2334	39/384	34:19	6:55

I managed to stay (relatively) injury free all year. Here's to repeating that in 2007!