it's Valentine's Day!

Well, it’s Valentine’s day… aka, Hallmark’s hypnotic recipe for market stimulation.
But… I will happily take this day to talk about love, so, if you have a weak stomach, feel free to follow this link to tech news and skip the hoohah coming up… ;-)

I’ll assume that anyone reading this blog knows that I am engaged to the most wonderful man.
I ‘met’ Mike Perry shortly after joining AUGI (I signed up at AU 2001 and subscribed to the guilds for a while, and probably didn’t post very much until they switched to the forum system). He was always helping people, was always considerate to everyone I saw him deal with. Most people probably see his business side, references, tech support and rule reminders… but, many of you might have also seen his humorous side… funny little remarks as clever and witty as they are hilarious.

This time last year I was single and depressed, and relying on friends, close and casual, to get me through and remind me what a truly spectacular person that I am. Valentine’s day is always depressing for someone in that position. But, somehow, I’ve made it through with my sanity pretty much intact.

Over the past four years, I’ve made some really close and really amazing friends through AUGI (and some other similar newsgroups), but, I’d always sort of noticed Mike above the rest. And once I became a moderator myself on AUGI, I saw how everyone would ask for Mike’s opinion. I went to Mike many times for professional advice, and also for friendly conversation. He was so sweet, and kind and knew just how to make me laugh.

We met for the first time in person at AU2004. He was so quiet and cute… not to mention the amazingly adorable accent, and in the spring of last year, we realized that we might like to be more than just friends and we haven’t looked back since.
We can laugh and cry and work and play and plan and be impulsive together.
Even the difficult tasks we’ve faced have gone like clockwork when we’ve worked together.

Being the typically emotionally reticent type, I do feel a little cheesy/treacly saying all of this, but, I just wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t take an opportunity tell the world how happy and in love I am with Mike, and how I thank God every day that we were brought together… and boy I’m glad I didn’t become an Accountant or an English teacher.

This is our first Valentine’s day as a couple, but, from the first, our relationship has felt like slipping into an old favorite pair of jeans fresh out of the dryer, just as comfortable as if it’d always been there.

Everyone has traits that they seek out in a mate, but, I do know that I’ve found in Mike so many things that I admire and respect and just feel darned lucky to have, and, whether they know it or not, every woman should be positively green with envy that I got to him first.

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AU2005 Video, First Down Line in Football, Illustrated Architectural Dictionary

Shaan Hurley has posted another AU Video from a talented user. You'll also find a link to the one from last year.

Ever wonder how they get that First Down line on TV during football games? Poke around the rest of the site too, there's really cool stuff on there.

Just saw a really cool link on the AUGI forums by user mead1 about an Illustrated Architectural Dictionary.

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rant on iHop healthy menu

Alright, this happened about two weeks ago, but, I'm going to use this public forum to rant because I was chatting about it with some friends of mine again today and they just didn't believe it.
Some restaurants have come up with healthier options for their menus, which I think is fantastic. I don't always like to cook, and I don't want to sacrifice my diet for the opportunity to eat out.

I like applebee's weight-watcher's section. I like their quesadilla or their steak and shrimp skewers the best.

Well, iHop came out with a new low carb or low cal menu (containing both adult and children's meals). I had the omlette and pancakes for breakfast with the promise spread and the sugar-free syrup. Fine.

Well, I saw they had Boca Burgers (a meatless patty), so I ordered it. It comes with a side salad and a pickle. The menu clearly says '600 calories as prepared'. Clear enough, if I make changes, the calories will change, duh. The dressing that comes with the salad is fat-free italian, which I don't like. I asked for ranch dressing (they don't have low cal ranch there), and a slice of swiss cheese on my veggie burger.

Well, the server puts in my order and tells me that the manager is allowing it this time, BUT! they can't make substitutions on these menu items, so next time I come in, I won't be allowed to get what I want.

I was baffled.
Why?
Well, because you might sue us if you don't lose weight.

Ok, first off... who says I want to lose weight? I don't eat a lot of meat anyway, I could be a vegetarian. But, whatever, let's not focus on the fact that this woman insinuated that I was fat.

Secondly, the menu clearly says 'as prepared'.

So, yeah, I'm sorry, but, I won't be going back there simply because of this. As someone who has worked in customer service, I am typically irritated when I hear 'I won't be going back there' but typically it's based one piece of bad service. This wasn't a bad waitress, it was a stupid management decision, and if I can't go into a local restaurant that I've been eating at for years and get ranch dressing and a slice of swiss cheese because I *might* sue them...
sorry... I'll go up to applebee's or buy some boca burgers from the grocery store.
I understand there are a lot of frivolous lawsuits, but, I would think the menu disclaimer would be enough to protect them so that I can order my food the way I want. darned shame.

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What Makes a Good Job?

After doing more detailed results on the salary survey this year, I find myself writing an article in hotnews and saying, "here are some good fields to go into"… but, that made me think… a good job is much more than gender equality, job availability and salary



I am thinking we should really consider adding some questions next year about perceived job security and overall satisfaction with one's current position. Those thoughts led me to analyze what factors make a job "good". These are the types of things I found myself really thinking about on a long flight back from the left coast last weekend, and I came up with a few major points: 

• Type of Work
• Change
• Pay
• Management
• Coworkers
• Physical Environment

Type of work:
Is it interesting? Is it attainable? Is it manageable?
I’ll use myself as an example here… I work mainly with MEP systems, but, break up the monotony with disaster planning, future expansions, historical research and other things. My job is definitely interesting.
Attainable? Are you able to do the things that you know need to be done? In the past 6 years, I have managed to make the common tasks much quicker and more effiecient and yet! there are so many more things we should be doing and further benefits our department could offer to the rest of the facility. But, there are many obstacles: workload, budgets, politics, etc. So, in some parts ‘yes’ but overall ‘not so much’.
Is it Manageable?
Is the workload bearable? Can you handle the tasks you’re expected to do, with an acceptable level of quality? 'Yes, I can complete the tasks without anything blowing up' or, 'No, I’m always so far behind people call for my head at every staff meeting?'
And, this isn’t just about difficulty or volume, but, more of combination of the two. I have many challenging tasks, but, most are just dull and numerous. My most-repeated mantra is that I didn’t spend four years in college to photocopy blueprints. ~shrug~ But, the most important part of working on a team is everyone contributing where they are most needed. 
So, mostly manageable is my diagnosis.

Change:
This can be good and bad… Lynn Allen made a great example at AU a couple years back… something to do with roman chariots and modern automobile wheelbase.That’s an over-simplification of her fabulous example, but, I’m wordy enough already without adding that in.
 
So… is your company so constantly changing that noone can really keep up or become productive before someone trots out the next best thing? 
Or, is your company so mired in the past, or the habits of its users that they just can’t move forward to embrace new technologies?

I think I’m really stuck in the middle on this one myself. Some people are willing to examine new things, but, unfortunately, in a company as old as mine, with such a large number of diverse employees, syncing up with all of the people/workgroups necessary is nearly impossible.

Pay:
I’m not just talking about hourly rate or salary here, I will also throw in other types of compensation: 

• vacation
• retirement plans
• pensions
• childcare/reimbursement accounts
• continuing education benefits

This will depend on your industry, your location and your experience. Some companies are more concerned about their bottom line and profit margin than they are about retaining the best employees. I am very lucky in that my department, along with my employer, have a fairly low turnover rate of skilled personnel and routinely review job classifications and payscales to ensure that we’re staying competitive. But! That could be a consequence of being a non-profit as much as anything. Whatever it is, most people are pretty proud to work here. (I would be interested to hear how/if others in for-profit industries ensure their employees’ wages remain competitive)

Management:
This is obviously a huge factor that can make or break a job.

Can you talk to your boss without being scared/dismissed/etc? 

Do you have a clear delineation on management/self-direction? Meaning, are you able to set your own priorities in your work, does your manager inform you which jobs are most important, or does he/she expect you do manage your own work, periodically swooping in to mix it up?

No matter what the problem is, the answer is probably going to be communication. I am not making this assertion because I am female, I assure you that it is vital for all. 
Not only, are you in an environment where you are free to communicate your concerns, but, also, on a more personal level, can you commicate with one another on a level you are both comfortable with, and which is most effective? I won’t go into too many details here, but, sometimes, you just ‘get’ people and their intentions, and other times, you look at them (or they look at you) like you have lobsters crawling out of your ears.

Also… how much manager, and how much human are they (tic)? Are they more interested in making themselves look good, or making their people and their positions the best for the future? Sometimes people have agendas. 
Personally, I operate on a total WYSIWYG level. I do not understand ulterior motives or hidden agendas. This likely means I’ll never excel in management, but, that is quite alright, I think. I like to believe that I am more practical than anything (although, I'm perfectly willing to admit that I might just be oblivious).
I will say that my boss (I want to guess he’s been in management in our company for about 7 years, I’ve been working there for 6), is a cool guy… but, sometimes I think he’s speaking a foreign language. A lot of the time I really have no clue what he’s saying, but, I try to listen closely, because he’s dropped some really important bits of information, about how things work, politically, sociologically, etc. and encourages me to find the answers to difficult questions myself, rather than running to him all of the time.
I reallly try to stay as open-minded as I can, because, I have to admit that I am young and someone who has been in the workforce since I was in diapers (or prior) probably has a lot to teach me. 

Empathy should be the key word in forming opinions about your employer or…

Coworkers:
Well… as much as a boss can make or break the quality of a job, so can your coworkers.
Are you working laterally with them, such as in a situation where you are equally responsible for the outcome of a project? Are they slacking off, or creating more work for you by doing sloppy work? Are they refusing to follow standards or use more efficient methods? Do they ask you the same questions over and over again without, evidently, learning a darned thing? Or… are they just personally offensive to your environment? (Strong perfume or smoke smell? Not washing their hands after restroom or sneezing? Spending too much time invading your workspace? Trying to draw you into their own personal drama? Taking personal calls, listening to voicemails on speakerphone, etc?) 
They can be mean people, or they can be nice people that you just can’t stand for certain reasons. The point is, they add stress to your days, and you have no control over them.

Physical Environment:
Is your job safe? Can you do the work you are paid to do without hurting yourself? Are you given the proper equipment to safely do your job? 

In our field, as drafters and designers, that can mean the often-ignored issue of ergonomics, which I’ve covered before both here on my blog and in my LUG newsletter. We shouldn’t have to end up with carpal-tunnel syndrome. I feel free to tell my boss that my wrist is experiencing some slight pain or tingling and I’d like to order a wristguard for my mousepad or keyboard… or, in my secretary’s case, a stand to position the computer monitor at the proper height.

This could also encompass things like travelling or commuting. Noone wants to spend over two hours in a commute, whether because of boredom or family obligations. Some people might enjoy being able to travel for their jobs, others might resent the time away from home.


So, of course, there is no one thing that makes a job good or bad, but, a combination of everything above and more. 

I would be interested to hear if you think I’ve missed anything major. In your opinion and experience, what factors make a job 'good'? 


If you have found this topic interesting, you might also like to read about "Two-factor Theory" (also known as Herzberg's Motivation-Hygeine theory). This theory suggests that the things which satisfy employees and things which dissatisfy them are separate. It is an interesting read.

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The AUGI Board

Well... since I've got two links to throw in here, I'll go ahead and talk about the augi board (~sticks tongue out at those who might read this ;p ).

I had the pleasure of taking a trip to SanFransisco/SanRafael last weekend. I arrived as the AUGI board was finishing up their meetings. I'd met all but one of the members of the board at Autodesk University, and I have to say that they are really a bunch of great guys. I've been friends with Mike Perry and Glenn Pope since about the time I first joined AUGI and have gotten to know the others since then. They are all volunteers who spend a lot of time and effort to make AUGI the best that it can be. There are many other volunteers behind the scenes too, moderating the forums, updating web pages, writing for hotnews and being involved with CAD Camps and AU. There are a lot of things these guys do that probably don't get reckonized enough. ~stands and applauds~

I had the pleasure of joining the guys for dinner Friday night, which was equal parts industry-related discussions and sheer hilarity. Some of the BODies stayed an extra day or two and we went down to San Fransisco and did a little sight-seeing and took a ton of pictures (nerd alerts!), extra special thanks to Steve B, fellow AUGI moderator, who made the drive up to see us and taxi'd us around and showed us some great sights.

Now, for the links...

Lynn Allen (AUGI Sweetheart and staunch augi advocate) made a post about the meeting, and put up a picture of the Board with their Stubbies? I don't know what that is, but, Australian member, Bill Adams (aka KingBlads ;) ) brought them as gifts. BTW, Bill, my son LOVED the platypus you sent him!

Also, check out BLAUGI for a shot of the BOD reenacting a famous Autodesk photo, as well as some hints about what AUGI members can expect (for free!) in the coming year.

Check it out.

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Hotnews Podcast, Mfg in StL & Keyboard Navigation

Podcast
Richard Binning creates a podcast of AUGI Hotnews January 2006 Edition. What easier way to get your CAD news than to upload it to your mp3 player. Sweet.

AUGI Manufacturing Conference in St. Louis
augi member rate is $69, non-members pay $79
Includes 2 classes, 2 presentations, breakfast & lunch

I'm a keyboard junkie and I saw these tips on navigating on the AUGI and Autodesk forums:
Managing Multiple drawings in a single session - Jay H
switching between layouts
Use keyboard to jump within a selection list

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Vote on the Autocad Features Wishlist!

AUGI is autodesk's official user representative, and they compile wishes for future versions of autocad (and branching out into other products), which are submitted directly to the 'desk.

Past AU's have shown that many of these wishes make it into Autocad, so go to http://www.augi.com/autocad/ballot.asp and rank the current wishes by what you think is most important.

AUGI has just started making multiple submittals a year rather than just waiting for the annual meeting in the winter, so, if you don't see something up there that you'd like, submit your own wish and vote for it in the next cycle.

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