Oh nice. She was about to go into talking about planning good infrastructure for the upcoming computer information networks - and decided to make an analogy as to how the car boom lead to the US forgetting about other transportation, like rail.
Yep yep yep.
She's since gone into the value of information, how some ("the chemical plant is about to explode unless you shut part N down") is more valuable than other ("Jim worked 2 hours of overtime"), and how costly incorrect information can be.
She used the example of a personnel database and how incorrect information could lead to negative outcomes for people, who have a right to sue over it.
I can't help but extrapolate to *mis*information, wilfully incorrect information that can have extreme costs.
She's my new hero.
Talking about dealing with people who always say no the first time:
(I love her)
On getting stuff done - the context is talking about young people swanning in with computers, copying files, and making things better without permission.
(just another footnote to say this is about doing things in a work context, to improve the situation - in social situations you must always ask first)
(just a footnote to say this is about asking for things in a work context, of a colleague or superior - in social situations the first no is absolutely the one you take)
@sarajw Definitely! By only thinking about cars is how Robert Moses turned NY city into the car hell hole that it is. He refused to invest in rail and improving the subway. Not a short read, but Robert Caro wrote an amazing book about it, The Power Broker.
@sarajw damn, I really need to carve out some time to watch this, sounds like she rules
@RangerRick @sarajw literally an icon
@sarajw It’s a great pair of videos; she was a real one. On every level.
@mattwilcox apparently I'm 3 weeks late to this party but yes!
Sep 19, 2024, 8:47 PM@sarajw spoilers!
@janl go watch it :P
Sep 19, 2024, 9:00 PM@sarajw I will! After all, this is in my office :)
@janl yeeesssssssss
Imma post one more screenshot group and then I'll stop for now I promise
Sep 19, 2024, 9:05 PM@sarajw nah you keep going! :)
@sarajw Ah, the „ask for forgiveness not for permission“ part! Like it.
(I have no idea who she is)
Sep 20, 2024, 11:13 AMSep 20, 2024, 12:57 PM
Sep 20, 2024, 2:45 PM"Never say no" is usually promoted from the top down, as management believes requests should be accepted by default in that direction but not necessarily the other way around.
Not what I had in mind, but a very good example of a "rule" that could be misunderstood and misused.
@SignorMacchina @sarajw I know!
But I wasn't able to tell from images I've seen of her.
@sarajw “I long ago discovered that the best way to get something done was to do it” just knocked me right over. That humility and pragmatism stirs me little heart. (And reminds me to ... you know ... do the thing.)
@sarajw Source pls?
@ezaquarii are you able to scroll up to the top of the thread?
@sarajw I didn't see the root post before. Thanks.
@sarajw <3
@sarajw That's Grace Hopper isn't it? She was all kinds of awesome.
Sep 19, 2024, 8:49 PM
Sep 20, 2024, 10:14 AM
Sep 19, 2024, 9:01 PM@sarajw i fucking loved this part lmao, stone cold grace hopper was and continues to be such an icon
@sarajw Don't forget she commissioned a clock which runs counter-clockwise to make this point everytime someone steps into her office!
@sarajw Those two videos were fantastic. If you haven't seen them, make time.
@FirewallDragons where do you think I'm getting the screenshots? :)
@sarajw Sorry, I meant that for everyone else 🙂
Sep 19, 2024, 9:48 PM@sarajw
I'd like for her to materialize next to me, would be an interesting talk
@jaj well you know what to do, let us know if the incantation works! It's like yeah don't threaten me with a good time..
Oh wait she time limited it to 12 months. Probably smart, her ghost would probably be pretty bored of us geeks calling her up all the time
@sarajw Why oh why did her on-call shift have to end after 12 months.
@sarajw People should listen to old ladies more. We know stuff.
@sarajw I’ve heard it said that tradition is just peer-pressure from the dead…
@sarajw materialised view.
Sep 20, 2024, 5:26 AM
Grace Hopper is an absolute legend!
Sep 20, 2024, 10:18 AM@sarajw Watched that, too. She is indeed great — sharp, fearless, forward thinking, out-of-box thinking, excellent speaker, and with a sense of humour I like a lot. Rarely have I enjoyed a talk so much, if ever.
Sep 20, 2024, 10:25 AM
@sarajw but we've always justified our misdeeds by pointing to past malfeasance!
(you've convinced me to put this back on my list 🙇 )
@sarajw my previous boss when he explained they have an old server running nothing but word 2003 in wine with macros to transform .rtf files into .doc files
@sarajw look honestly I'd pay good money to be "haunted" by such a person for 24 hours. But it won't happen, "we've always done it this way".
@stylus Worth a try - but her offer was for only 12 months after that talk 😄
Sep 20, 2024, 1:22 PM@sarajw Beneficial SCP behavior.