job

My electronic notebook saved me today. I had a technical problem here at work, involving some old internal software. I vaguely remember using this software, but instead of rummaging through old e-mails or polling my co-workers I grepped my electronic notebook. I was able to find notes from the first time I used this software nearly two years ago. Rereading these put enough details into my head to be back "up to speed." I felt pretty smug. Electronic notebooks are my personal "best practice."

I am headed "on the road" soon. Part of my job involves doing "onsite client work". This means I do installations, configurations, development, even training. It's part of the typical technical consultant's life: visiting the corporate back offices and IT departments across the nation (and for some, around the globe).

When you work as a computer professional, you will inevitably hear your share of corporate phrases and workplace lingo. You know what I'm talking about. Things like "let's take that off-line", and "let's drill down", and the infamous "we have to think out of the box." It's so easy to mock these phrases, yet I find myself tossing them into my own regular speech.