One full month into my Linux@Home adventure, the experience has been generally positive. While there have been quite significant problems over the last week with browsing, today I attempted a reinstall of the whole OS. Being an old hat at this, I’ve had no data loss since I’ve long made a distinct separation between data and OS files. The re-install confirms there was something going wrong on Ubuntu. Pinning down exactly what was wrong is difficult but it may be an Azureus install I did a week or two ago which might have screwed things up. Anyway, Linux@Home is back up and the speed is up. This thing has become usable once again.

I’m currently reading “Beginning Python” and there’s a great paragraph right at the front that I wanted to share.

Pg 31. “The trend in personal computers has been away from reliability and toward software being built
on top of other, unreliable, software. The results that you live with might have you believing that
computers are malicious and arbitrary beasts, existing to taunt you with unbearable amounts of
extra work and various harassments while you’re already trying to accomplish something. If you
do feel this way, you already know that you’re not alone. However, after you’ve learned how to
program, you gain an understanding of how this situation has come to pass, and perhaps you’ll
find that you can do better than some of the programmers whose software you’ve used.”

I Will Find focus. I can work on whatever I want, whenever I want to. I have a boss but I must also be my own boss. She has her own job to concentrate on. I will concentrate on my current task or project, and eliminate all distractions so that I can focus on the task at hand. I’ll never get it done unless I get everything else out of the way, and really focus.

I am doing everything I used to do through the window. I miss nothing. My Ipod XPerience is better. My PC boots faster. My Skype phone works. I am developing. I love it.

I should have done it ages ago.

Go ahead – Just do it.

Dissolution of our marriage as of yesterday.

You displayed continuous neglect for me. Total disinterest for my happiness or wellbeing, my basic human rights (internet and email) and most of all my self respect and patience.

It could have been beautiful. Yet, it will never be so.

GOODBYE and GOOD RIDDANCE

I am now a recently divorced single subscriber, I carry no baggage – hey there all you sexy ISP’s come and woo me.

I Will Set and Meet Deadlines. Recently, I’ve been the recipient of many empty promises. It’s such a waste of time and trust (read reputation) when someone doesn’t deliver when they say they will. I’ll probably not use these providers again. Now as far as I’m concerned, deadlines are important. They pressure us providers to get the work done. When there’s a deadline to be met nothing else should matter even if it means staying up all night to finish the project.I will.

Constantly missing deadlines is just so very unprofessional. If I start to miss deadlines, I should check my workload, and I should make sure I check that the time I’ve estimated that each task will take is actually so. If I see I’m slipping on my timeframes and I’m going to miss the deadline I must communicate with my customer regularly, letting them know that that I’m running late.

1. I am a brand. I will constantly Market myself. Few people know me, fewer than I’d like. I can hang a sign on my door, or on my blog advertising who I am and what I do well but I expect that people won’t come knocking down my door on the first day. I need to constantly market myself. Constant self promotion can be pretty distasteful to many but it’s the only way to survive and thrive. I will use tools like email (I won’t spam), I’ll call potential clients and attend events where I might meet potential clients. This is a regular part of my day or week. If a client is supporting a charity or sponsoring a ticketed event, I will attend. I will give something back to my client. My client will appreciate this and introduce new business to me.