ThomasCantrell.com Tech Blog

I found this for my Computer Science class last fall and I still love it. A group in Sweden created an animated representation of how the Internet works. Unlike Ted Stevens, this is a bit more accurate to how the internet works:

When computer networks give you trouble you have to stop and remember their just a series of tubes:

I hate to say that this never gets old. I showed it to my Computer Science students in the fall. I joke with my co-workers about it. Years later this is still so funny. If my job was only this simple…

An interesting review of burnout from A List Apart:

You may be flirting with burnout if:

• Every day is a bad day
• You are no longer emotionally invested in your job or the work you’re doing
• You feel unappreciated or do not feel like you’re making a difference in your job
• There is a clear disconnect between your personal values and what is expected of you
• Self-defined goals or those imposed on you are unrealistic or unreasonable
• A significant amount of your day is focused on tasks that are not fulfilling on a personal or emotional level

These indicators are good to remember. It can mean that our balance is off, or it can mean that we are doing the wrong things. Either way, these indicators are important to keep an eye out for before there is a stronger emotional effect on our lives.

Finally, a personal note. I want to assure readers that I don’t feel burned out. Rather, my personality type is such that I need to be constantly aware of when I am running myself too thin.

An Oldy But A Goody from Joel on Software:

[P]rogramming tasks take so long to task switch. I feel like when I have two programming projects on my plate at once, the task switch time is something like 6 hours. In an 8-hour day, that means multitasking reduces my productivity to 2 hours per day. Pretty dismal.

While this is eight years old, it is still extremely true. It’s good to remember really how inefficient it is to try to do multiple things while programming. 

In my world, my responsibilities are spread over enough topics that I can easily switch between things and take over a day to “task switch.” That’s why it’s really good to try to focus on one main thing. Now if I could only control outside interruptions…