Colon trouble :-S

So, I have had an interesting few weeks. I have had the opportunity to experiment with technology, out of my reach in my previous incarnation, from virtualising operating systems, developing in the brave new world of EC2 Cloud Computing all the way through to deploying (locally) a PRPC solution.

The latter gave me some trouble I am not embarrassed to say!

What I am embarrassed to say is that with a little less impetuosity, I could've done it without a single hitch 50% quicker and without troubling people who have more important things on their hands.

It is a complex thing to fully deploy PRPC, that is undisputable (I've met many experienced PRPC folks who have all hit hurdles)... first, you gotta deploy Oracle (fine) create a new DB and implement a schema (fine), one has to then deploy and configure the application server (again... fine). After a few other little bits and pieces, you just have to deploy the application through the app server and finally get the two things (the app and the DB) to talk to one another.

NOT FINE. I spent a good few hours slowly going out of my mind trying to get the application to launch... but it just wouldn't!! I trawled through the log files and identified the error (it said that the database connection setting was incorrect).

However I read the xml configuration settings through line by line and character by character (or at least *convinced myself that I had*), but to no avail.

I started chasing my tail and delving deeper than I ever should in things that had nothing to do with Database connectivity, I started pulling things to pieces (and not just my own hair follicles), and in the end I had to concede and went cap in hand to Tim.

The time between reaching out to Tim and getting an answer that resolved the problem was sub 3 minutes.

What was my nemesis? A COLON... yes... one simple ":" in the connection detail was missing.

What did I learn? Well it is this simple lesson... I must stop brushing over the mundane in pursuit of the elaborate; not every problem involves a complex eureka-esque solution whereby I need to couple the RDB to the flux-capacitor using transmorphic bio-arrays, unilaterally synced via VPN over a Satellite protocol to jumpstart the JDBC (I don't work for CTU, as much as it is fun to pretend and use the same ring-tone).

This same lesson can be applied through business... look hard enough, and you will find in business complex, over-engineered processes in place purely because some bright-spark implemented a work-around for a short-term solution, which then ultimately gets tied down as "BAU" because everyone got used to it being there.

We side-step process efficiency to offer 'above and beyond' or 'bells-and-whistles' service for that one customer, resulting in the loss of streamlining opportunities, and before we know it all the customers want that same manual process applied to them, when significantly more customers would benefit from better service delivered via a scaled-down efficient simple solution, in half the time.

What is the moral of the story for me? Well; it is this - it is entirely plausible that, when the error says simply "the connection settings are not quite right, are you sure you typed them correctly?”; sometimes the answer can just be "no... I forgot a colon". After all.... you can't make a smiley without one

:)

Hello! I'm Ryan, and I'm an ENTP....

Hello one and all... so "as a starter for ten" (as they say), I thought what better way to introduce myself, than to entirely expose myself to you! Ohh-err!

No; not in that way, of course.

What I mean is I thought I would share with you the deepest most personal nuances of my psychology... by sharing with you the results of my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Most people, in the business world, would have heard of MBTI ("Myers-Briggs"), since over the years it's been a 'flavour of the month' in probably every large company everywhere. Why? Well the instrument bands you up in to one of 16 specific categories, and makes a pretty good go at allowing management types the opportunity to carve out teams of appropriately mixed MBTI 'types' to generate the highest amount of productivity, and minimise incidences of poor socio-business dynamics.

That's certainly one use of the instrument. What do I think of MBTI? Well, I think it's insightful in a way that those quizzes in Cosmo that us guys do (but deny to our other halves we have done) are not. I think that all in all, it is pretty accurate (more so than the "love compatibility test" in the last issue of "New Woman magazine" that's for sure)... I think, properly used, MBTI can help you learn something about yourself, and possibly give you some food for thought in areas where you may have a 'blind spot' and could do with considering.

Reading the synopsis of my type does leave me somewhat astounded, since it does acknowledge certain traits that I know I exude. That said, there are some parts of my type band that I really don't relate to. That's to be expected! Sometimes, when driving out the bandings, one can find oneself very much on the borderline of certain dichotomies, and there were some indeed that I was very close to the line on.

It is quite revealing to be given a synopsis of yourself that is derived from your thoughts and feelings to certain words, scenarios and questions. MBTI offers a revealing window in to one's psyche that internally one doesn't necessarily give much consideration to. I mean; you've heard your own voice played back to you, yes? It's kinda weird right? You never realised you sounded like that huh? Well; for me, reading my personal MBTI was sort of like hearing my voice back...

So... I come out as an "ENTP"...

(Extraversion | Intuition | Thinking | Perceiving)

This is what the publishers of the Myers-Briggs Instrument (CPP) say about the ENTP:

"ENTPs are constantly scanning the environment for opportunities and possibilities, which they then analyze logically. They see patterns and connections not obvious to others and at times seem able to see into the future. Quick, ingenious, and resourceful in solving new and challenging problems, they move quickly from one new interest to another.

ENTP's value home, family, autonomy, and achievement. ENTPs represent approximately 3% of the U.S. population."

The 'descriptors' for my type are as follows;

Creative, Imaginative, Curious, Quick, Clever, Innovative, Abstract, Logical, Objective, Analytical, Rational, Outspoken, Assertive, Entrepreneurial, Resourceful, Energetic, Enthusiastic, Spontaneous, Adaptable, Impulsive

So there you have it! That is me, somewhat 'in a nutshell' apparently. You can see there is a mix of positive and negative in there; sure it's nice to be called 'clever' and 'innovative', but I need to be weary of the 'spontaneous' and 'impulsive'. And ‘moving quickly from one interest to another’ is not necessarily a great trait.

Have you taken the test? What MBTI are you? Has knowing your type ever helped you professionally? If you've not taken the test; you can Google "Myers-Briggs" and there are some free tests out there. Alternatively, you can pay to have a personally administered test by a qualified professional on a one:one basis if you're really serious, or you can take a fee payable test online where you will get a personalised report and learning recommendations (such as from CPP themselves

www.mbtionline.com) - though if you're going to pay for it, make sure the administrators are endorsed by the Myers-Briggs foundation to ensure you are getting a valid test.