Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with project

Help with project? Please list fictional cities !

ahtlast93 — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:39:55 -0800

For a project I'm currently working on as part of my graduation in Graphic Design, I wanted to compile something like an atlas of fictional cities. These may be from books, legends, stories, video games, advertisements, comics, really whatever... Even "real" cities but alternate versions, imagined or in some way deviate from their real counterpart are valid. The project started about a year ago, where it was a quick assignment that resulted in a book a of interviews and retellings of these fictional cities (I can post some images later). This one was more conceptually driven and people would tell me of cities on the go, without necessarily knowing the cities they spoke of, driven by the notion that if these cities are imagined, anyone could potentially imagine them again and alter them. Or something :D

This time I want to expand it and figured why not ask metafilter to help me out. I would greatly appreciate the help, and would gladly send a copy to anyone interested (it honestly isn't as boring as it's sounds, it's more of an active book with constantly changing content and layouts, not a novel or anything).

Cities I used for interviews were the City of Ceasars (from a myth), Zora (from Italo Calvino's invisible cities), Los Angeles (from Blade Runner) and an unnamed city from a manga by Tsutomu Nihei. So basically, anything goes. (i.e. your own imagined places are entirely valid, doesn't need to be sourced).

If you have an example, please list it, it doesn't need a name, but a description (if from a book for example) or an image, or both, would be very fantastic.

Thank you

Collaborative Project Management for Small-Scale Freelancers

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:05:23 -0800

I'm having trouble finding up-to-date resources for managing tasks. I freelance and handle about 3 clients that want to push through dozens of small tasks and projects each week. Is there anything with the functionality of basecamp but on a much smaller scale? A well-designed template for a collaborative task list via google documents would work too. I am having an organizational crisis and sorting through the ask.me archives is turning up some out of date information (as anything relating to tech might) Is there a web-based solution to organizing my tasks, allowing a client to add tasks to a list, sorting the tasks, prioritizing the tasks, closing out the tasks? I would be willing to pay for a service though it seems that something like basecamp is too advanced for me (think 20 small daily items to sort in a priority order as opposed to 5 large scale tasks to dwell over). Is there a well-designed google spreadsheet or app that i should be using? How do you automate the organization your small freelance tasks?

what kind of job is this?

round_four — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:53:17 -0800

Hi Everybody, I'm new here. I'm trying to identify my next steps in life and am looking high and low for options, ideas and answers. I'm still working, but have also taken on more than a couple volunteer roles to try out a different industries. I found MetaFilter a few months ago and tho I haven't posted much, I've been reading and I thought it would be a good idea to put it to you. I want to apologize in advance for any newbie mistakes. And say thanks in advance for taking a minute to read this. Here goes. Its hard to find what you want when you don't know what to call it. So, here's a brief description of what I'm looking for, maybe one of you will recognize it.

- something uber social. I'm great with people and I love being social. Not 'lets get a coffee' social, but let me interact with 100+ people a day kind of social. In person. Not behind a desk or on the phone. But, out and about. I have no problem in new or different social/ cultural/ status circles and can easily and happily navigate that water. I am particularly good at initiating relationships, establishing rapport, identifying key issues, assigning specialists or pairing individuals of complementary strengths.

- my brain sees big picture. I can do details, but keeping the full-project in mind, staying on task and operating within that structure is where I excel.

- I have an excellent mind for strategy. I can see obstacles or potential problems miles before other people. A super handy asset to my co-workers as we're always prepared and/ or a step ahead.

- I am competent with operations and have decent administrative skills.

- I am at my best when I'm working with a reliable team of people who all love their job. I'm thinking either a small company or a tight, autonomous group within a large corp.

- new and different keeps me sharp, so projects that last 3-8 mts would be ideal. I want to make something and then totally shift gears and move onto something else.

- I want to have a positive social impact. This is non-negotiable. There has to be purpose and meaning beyond making money (although making lots of money is also important).

- I thrive in environments that are ever-changing and where I am regularly tasked to learn something new.

Okay, so, what do you think? What job is that? In what kind of work would those skills be valued? I've been looking at sales jobs, recruiting, etc, but they're not quite it. Any suggestions?

Again, thank you for reading. Hope you have a good day.

Wibbly Wobbly Oscilloscopey

MsMolly — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:13:19 -0800

Can I hook up an iPhone to an old oscilloscope? So I have these two old oscilloscopes that I got when a school district auctioned off some property. I think it would look neat if I could get one to do its thing when my iPhone plays music. So what cables would I need to buy/make? Is it even possible?

I'm thinking I would mount an iPhone/iPad charger on top and just charge the iPhone normally. Then would it be possible to deliver sound from the iPhone to the oscilloscope input as well as a pair of speakers so I could hear the music? Would it be as simple as getting a headphone cable splitter? What kind of cable would I need to be able to hook up to the connections on the front of the oscilloscope?

Please provide links if possible. I'm resourceful and crafty, but not very physics saavy. So saying "buy cable X, plug it into Y" is along the lines of what I'm looking for. I do have a wire stripper at home, so I can modify a cable if needed.

Building a community homepage - Noob edition

travelwithcats — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:36:33 -0800

Looking for knowledge/ideas on how to build a homepage that brings a community together. The community does not yet exist, it concerns one thing that folks have in common and the homepage would help to bring people together locally. No money is involved.

I have a ton of questions, those for example:

1. I have never built a homepage – can I do it on my own? How? It needs to be bilingual, allow members to post and me to create events. (Just setting up a group on another platform seems not enough).

2. Should it be a subscription based email service or an open website? Pros/Cons?

3. What do I need to do in terms of the name? ("Secure" it with meetup, facebook, linkedin, twitter etc. ?)

4. Design. Can I just make up my own logo & design? Have no professional knowledge, but creativity. Do I have to protect a logo / design?

5. Cool guerrilla strategies to help reach people & bring them to participate in the community?

6. Should I work on this until it is more “professional looking” so people are more inclined to join or can changes be made later on (like adding functions / changing design)?

Please pardon this unstructured thoughts, I have some time and this idea. Any help greatly appreciated. Many thanks!

project management integrated with email

jak68 — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:15:07 -0800

Why can't I simply *email* pdfs or a quick status update to a 'project timeline'? hello project managers or pmp experts or gtd folks!

I'm looking for a software solution that allows me to track (and view) events on a project timeline -- but one that is really well integrated into my email (i can use outlook or anything else).
Example: ability to forward emails from team members to this project, later see who said what when in a timeline. Ability to write a status update email to the project, and have that info automatically appear in the timeline of the project. Ability to forward pdf's or word docs or excel spreadsheets to the project and have them appear in the timeline (and in a document repository associated w the project). Etc.

Why are project management programs (ms project etc) apparently so poorly integrated with email, when email is so obviously the central command center of information flows particularly in a group or corporate environment? Even in a personal context. Anyway, frustrated and hoping I simply missed something since i'm relatively new to project management software.

Thanks!

How do I unbend a towel rack?

bondcliff — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:05:12 -0800

I have a cylindrical towel rack that is bent. I need to unbend it. How can I do this without damaging it further? My son was hanging on his towel rack (because we can't have nice things*) and not only pulled it off the wall, but bent it. Our weekend project is to fix it together. This will involve re-mounting it on the wall and also unbending the rack part.

The rack is a metal cylinder, basically a chrome pipe. It's about two feet long and is now bent about two inches along it's length. It appears to be a clean bend, maintaining its roundness, not a kink.

I need to unbend it but I don't want to damage it further in my attempt. The best I can think of is to clamp it down and just try to bend it by hand. Since I assume the metal is already weakened I'm afraid if I do this I will just bend it in half like a soda straw.

I also don't want to damage the chrome so hitting it with a hammer or heating it with a torch is probably a bad idea.

Ideas? Assume I have a large collection of normal tools but no special pipe-bending tools. I'd rather not go and buy or rent anything.

It's a pretty nice towel rack from Restoration Hardware or one of those places so I don't want to just replace it if I can fix it.

*I already gave him the big speech about what could have happened had he fallen back and hit his head on the toilet. I have become my mom and I hate myself for it.

Public relations when closing shop?

Michele in California — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:35:00 -0800

I am interested in hearing personal experiences with deciding to end a project. How did other people react to the news? How did that make you feel? What did you do? What do you think you should have done differently? I am getting pity emails, like people think I am ending my project for emotional reasons. This seems to be a pretty standard reaction to me personally, one which both baffles and offends me. I routinely inspire the "gosh, I feel so sorry for you" type reaction. It is usually not accompanied by any genuine attempt to be helpful. It is generally delivered in the most insulting way possible, like any personal problem I have ever had is evidence of stupidity and incompetence on my part, which is not remotely true.

Further, people who valued the information I was trying to share so little that they could not remember the url and had to ask me for it are announcing how cherished my wisdom is and they want to copy it while it is still available. I know this is actually pretty standard human behavior. If you announce something is banned, being discontinued, or otherwise of very limited availability, people who never had any interest will suddenly want it. I have had a class on social psychology. I know this is a well studied, well established phenomenon. But it is really making me grumpy.

So I am trying to figure out what to do that is more constructive than giving a piece of my mind to some total stranger who has sent me a pity party email. I am hoping someone else who has been through something similar can clue me. Did you have a standard reply? Did you just ignore emails? Any other thoughts?

(I asked this same basic question elsewhere yesterday and got zero replies.)

Thanks.

Professional certificate in Project Management or Green Belt in 6 Sigma

modoriculous — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:39:46 -0800

Professional certificate in Project Management or Green Belt in 6 Sigma, which one is better for the resume or the career in general? Hi, my SO is being given the option through her work to either get a professional certificate in Project Management or a Green Belt in Six Sigma. Does anyone have experience with these and know which is worth more on a resume or for a career in general? She currently works for a large international bank and wants to advance her career so her boss gave her the option of these two. He did mention that it would be easier to sign off on the Six Sigma course and that it also was a good networking opportunity if that makes a difference.

The professional certificate in Project Management would be from a university but is obviously not a degree.

Thanks!

Help me build my iguana a water fountain.

pupus — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:12:21 -0800

Please instruct me on how to make a small-mediumish water fountain for my iguana's enclosure with things I can purchase at the Home Depot or aquarium supply store. The enclosure is large, ~6ftx5ftx5ft. The iguana is ~3.75ft long.

The fountain will be in her enclosure which is inside a room in my house. I'm not looking to do anythign really fancy. I just want to have a source of circulating water for her.

How to proceed?

What's a good second sewing project?

mireille — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:12:33 -0800

So I finished the apron! What should I sew next to really improve my fledgling skills? I learned a lot from the apron project* (and your tips/answers in my previous question), but now I'm trying to figure out what type of project I should go for next.

Should it be quilting? Working with jersey and knits and making a dress/skirt/shirt or something else? Attempt a zipper, or is it too soon for that? What really lends itself to a "second project" kind of learning curve?

If it's clothing, it'd be nice if it could be simple (I like BurdaStyle type ideas-- clean lines with some detail or asymmetry that makes it unique). My only problem is that my second-hand machine is missing the buttonhole foot, so unless there's another way to make them, functional buttons are out.

*There are pics of the finished apron in my update at the bottom of the first question linked above if you'd like to see what I made for my first project and how it turned out!

I need to buy or rent a record lathe, please guide me in the right direction.

Ponderance — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:29:58 -0800

I need to rent or purchase a reasonably priced record lathe to cut short run vinyl LPs. Advice/contact info needed. I have an art collective project that does interviews with artists. We have an exhibition coming up at a major midwest art museum. We have a small budget, but not enough to run out and buy a Neumann record lathe.

I'm looking for an inexpensive (Under $1K if possible) purchase solution or to rent one for a few months. Even a few days would work. The problem is the equipment needs to be on site, the fabrication is a performative element of the process.

I am happy to do the Peter King/King records thing and etc into plexiglass.

I would rather not buy one of the record recorders from the 40's that etches into wax coated steel, I've messed around with those and they are fairly impossible to use in a consistent way.

Google has yielded little reliable info, can anyone help?

Seeking craft project for 10 year old boy

punkfloyd — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 18:10:03 -0800

Craft project for 10 year old boy who is REALLY into Minecraft? I have been through Pinterest and Googled a ton of parenting blogs (or fronts for food/toy companies), but haven't found the right holiday craft project for my 10 year old son to bring to school. He lives for Minecraft and also likes Lego and geology. Any ideas? It needs to be relatively small. THANKS!

Any examples of Github projects with a main library and derivatives?

kristi — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 09:30:34 -0800

I want to create a github project consisting of a main library with derivative variations, such as Drupal and Wordpress plugins. Can you point me to existing projects with this kind of structure? I'd love to learn from existing projects that do it well. I'm interested in creating a github project that takes text input - for example, an article or a blog post - and outputs a list of keywords or topics ... a bit like a concordance generator.

I've never created a structured project like this before, and I'd love to learn from existing projects that do it well.

I'd like to make it flexible without falling into the trap of the never-completed too-many-options project.

Can you point me to existing github projects that have a similar approach and structure - a main set of functionality, probably as a library, but with derivative versions such as CMS plugins (Drupal, Wordpress, etc)?

PHP would be great, but other languages would be okay too.

Links to any resources that would be helpful or guidelines for best practices would also be most welcome.

Thanks!

Help me define and write a scope for my job!

PetiePal — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 11:53:39 -0800

Help me plan a Tier I HelpDesk implementation/startup/Scope I started recently as a new Helpdesk manager at a large worldwide corporation HQ'd in NY. Their IT sucks! No really, for a company this size that's about to go IPO (they're pretty well known) their IT services are pretty scary in terms of service, support staff and lead times. My company was contracted to come in and analyze what they're doing, determine the gaps and then plan and implement the following:

-Outsourced Tier 1 India call center (5-6 people) covering 24/7 365 support
-Local On-Site Tier 1 (2-3 people either on site or at my home office) covering normal US hours.
-Remote NOC center (this is another guys responsibility but he's here doing the same gathering of info I am)

I'm at the location for 2 months, (started last week) to study the processes, systems and current procedures in place. So far I've sat with the 4 Deskside guys who do tickets. They break down like this.

-2 cover the main office of 1500 employees, pretty much mostly ticket work
-1 is strictly system builder, for breakfixes, new builds, upgrades
-1 covers the alternate office about 150-175 people
-There are ALSO 2 guys in a CA office and 2 in a NJ office. Their load is not quite as high as the NY team and I've considered load-balancing them (esp the west coasters with their time difference) to help out the home offices.
-One lady in the home office takes calls and logs tickets, but is not technical at all. This is also NOT her job function.

The business need from the company is that these guys are not only overloaded but handling very basic work, (Account unlocks, silly little user errors), that really should be best handled by Tier I, and their work should be more Tier II/III. The Tier I call center and team I'm to set up are to alleviate a large amount of the "busy" work they're doing. As well the Server and Network teams are being forced to handle low level Helpdesk tickets to manage the load as well instead of focusing on their own sector-specific projects and work.

--I've also met with the Desktop Engineering team member, who is in charge of the system images they deploy, to find out the standard software/platforms etc. There really isn't much documentation. They currently use HP ServiceDesk but are planning a move to Remedy Force by the end of the year.

-I've met with the "pseudo Helpdesk manager" last week to discuss the state of things including her opinions on how things are now, what the problems are and what could be improved. Got a lot of information from her. She believes a full rebrand and overhaul of the Helpdesk system is necessary.

This is my my basic plan so far shadows ITIL methodologies of a ServiceDesk:

-All requests will go directly to the India/Onsite Call-Center or be sent to the Universal Helpdesk Email queue
-Tickets will be categorized by Request Types, Major and sub type
-Call center experience or Knowledge Database in Remedy will be utilized to solve Tier I Incidents.
-If a Tier I incident cannot be solved, it will be routed to the respective Tier II/III group's ticket queue.
-All tickets will be properly noted, (even when passed on), and relevant info, tracking and screenshots added to comments.
-Tickets will only be resolved, (even if canceled or self-resolved), and the techs will check in after 3 days of leaving a ticket in Pending to ensure completion. Then they can be Resolved and closed out.
-SLAs will not be strictly used at first. The company has none in place currently! This will be something down 2-3 months that will be implemented once we really get some metrics on the call/incident volumes.
-Larger trending issues will be monitored by Tier II/III to investigate root causes. (A HUGE issue is the repeat of issues people have and the problems only being patched and not fixed)

I believe we'll need 2-3 people on site here to handle Deskside calls during US hours, as well as 5-6 people in the India call center. (8pm-8am calls, likely in 2 shifts 8-4 & 4-8) Eventually the Call center will support more than just North America but more of their Europe and worldwide offices as well.

I'm having some difficulty in writing up a scope document for implementing this, as it's really my first time doing that.

Suggestions?

Examples of non math uses for Excel

sweetkid — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 08:50:54 -0800

For a project, I'm trying to collect uses of Excel that do not include any formulas or other use of math. What are some common documents that people use the format of Excel to create in an office setting? In an office setting, a lot of people use (and often mandate) Excel for a lot of different uses other than math based spreadsheets. The main draw is the ability to use the column/row structure to organize information.

Examples I'm thinking of include project status docs where the projects might be listed in rows at the left, and columns across the top show months of the year. Colored blocks show how each project is scheduled (for example, Project X runs May-June, so that section would be marked in blue, etc).

Other examples are org charts, team status docs, etc. Anything that can be achieved with row/column table structure.

Can you help me list some other examples?

How much wood could a Boy Scout work?

mcarthey — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 05:45:35 -0800

I've been asked to lead a Boy Scout troop of about 20 boys towards earning their Woodworking Merit Badge. The troop does not allow the use of power tools so can you help me to come up with a suitable project? The merit badge requirements can be found here but the point of interest is the following:

Do any TWO of the following:
a. Make working drawings of a project needing - (1) Beveled or rounded edges OR curved or incised cuttings, OR (2) Miter, dowel, or mortise and tenon joints. Build this project.
b. Make something for which you have to turn duplicate parts on a lathe.
c. Make a cabinet, box or something else with a door or lid fastened with inset hinges.
d. Help make and repair wooden toys for underprivileged children; OR help carry out a carpentry service project approved by your counselor for a charitable organization.

If I have to pre-cut and prepare a project then I feel I'm reducing this to a "kit" project and would rather not do that. I also realize there are links all over the Internet but they primarily consist of boxes or other larger-scale troop projects.
I've considered just getting the boys started and letting them work on it at home with parents supervision (or perhaps in smaller groups in a woodshop) which would allow for more detailed work but I still need to come up with a simple enough project that is challenging yet can be completed in 2-3 sessions.

How to monitor order or work progess

stenoboy — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 07:08:29 -0800

Is there a software where clients can view the status of their work ordered from me? I'm looking for a software where a client can see the status of work I'm doing for them or an order placed. I saw a similar thing when I ordered a ThinkPad. Each step of the order was listed so I knew when to expect delivery.

I would like a simple program that lets me fill in the progress and publishes this information so the client can securely access it.

Possible complication: this cannot be linked to a 'shopping' type web page as I bill clients differently. All I'm looking for is a buffer between me and the calls from clients asking when their work is going to be ready.

It would also be better if this information was viewable via a browser rather than a project-sharing software.

Should I accept a position at a company under a hiring freeze?

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 13:40:07 -0800

Is it way too risky to start a new job at a small tech company under a hiring freeze? I have had been interviewing with a small (120ish employees) tech company. I did my research before the interviews and the company seemed solid. However, during the most recent interview I learned they are under a hiring freeze - except for the position I am applying for and one other position. On its own this would not be much of a red flag, but I also got the feeling (just a gut thing) that they were looking to hire someone for one project ... but not much else. Is it common to bring someone on for one project and give them the boot when it's completed?

I have a final phone interview with the executive in charge of the department later this week. Would it be appropriate to bring up these concerns with the executive? What are the chances of getting a straight answer from the executive or anyone else?

My professional work experience has been with a large, relatively, stable corporation so a hiring freeze is not something I've been through. Would it be high risk to join this company during what seems to be a financially unstable period? I am not in a place in life where I can take too much risk - though I understand some is involved during any kind of job change.

Aside from my misgivings about company-wide stability, the position itself sounds great, the environment seems like a good fit and it would be a great opportunity. I'm just not sure if it's worth the risk (or even if the risk is real or imagined!).

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Note: I haven't been offered a position yet but based on my most recent conversation an offer seems imminent.

Project Management Exploding my Head

Guyatoffice — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:38:13 -0800

In search of Project management software, and loosing my mind, I need something to help organize this mess, and also not make it worse. So I am in need of project management software, let me describe my business and perhaps that will help with the answer. My company is a manufacturers representative. We rep. 30 companies that build, lets say widgets that mostly cities buy. We rep for a specific region, and we do the processing of POs and PQ, for those factories. We bid on jobs for the companies and if we win the bid, we get a cut of the profit. We have no inventory, we do not have access to the factories product number or codes.

What I need is a unified calendar that my two employees can see and edit, notes for each specific project, tasks, and perhaps a unified address book of all our clients and our manufacturers details.

I've looked at so many project management titles and they are either grossly simple, or so complicated that we do not need half the features.

Any advice, ideas?

Order or Project Management System Suggestions... I am drowning!

hellodonna — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 05:27:27 -0800

My business is booming and it's driving me crazy! The process that worked when only a few orders trickled in isn't scaling and I am finding myself prisoner to my workflow. Email and google spreadsheet is clearly not cutting it and I need input on a project management or order system. The process goes like this: An order comes in and the customer is directed to my Website (this is done with Digital Access Pass) to download a questionnaire which they fill out and email back to me.

Once I receive it, I review it and assign it to someone. That someone then schedules a meeting with the client and later completes the assignment. They notify me when they are done and then I set up a meeting and review the work with the client.

This seems awfully simple but just managing it is becoming overwhelming and there are so many failure points.

Right now I am doing everything in Google Spreadsheet but it's so easy not to update it when emergencies come in.

I've tried MavenLink and it just didn't work at all for me.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Or at least give me an idea where to look? I don't know if I need a CRM or an order management system or project management system.

Listmaker, listmaker, make me a list...

inmyhead — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 19:15:07 -0800

To-do questions on here often tell you to have a daily or weekly meeting with your boss. Please help me figure out how to make a list of tasks and projects so that I can do this and keep my head on straight and not get mired in anxiety-land. I am using my sockpuppet for this cause my real name is attached my main account and I am embarrassed by even asking this.

I have anxiety so I know that doesn't help. I'm in therapy, on meds, etc. I may have some mild ADHD but the docs think my issues are more based on anxiety.

Anyways, to the issue at hand...

First off, my boss thinks I'm doing fine. He just doesn't have the same issues with organization and follow through and anxiety about it all that I do. I just want to do a good job and feel like I'm on top of things. I feel like I'm just wading through, doing this, doing that and barely staying on top.

I've tried numerous task organizers and project management apps over the years but I can't wrap my head about how to actually use them. I eventually get overwhelmed by the amount of tasks and no longer can see what I need to do. What happens is that a project will start, it turns into something incredibly complex when I thought it was simple and all sorts of unexpected things happen and I got lost because the plan changed and I no longer feel like I know what's going on.

I don't know how to keep track of various tasks that "in progress" - maybe it's because I need someone's help or I'm waiting on someone else to do something so I can go finish it or just that I got stuck and need to think about it for a little.

I need to juggle like 18 chainsaws and cats without hurting anyone. I just don't know how to organize that.

I feel like the task list I have and the task list I would discuss with my boss are really two different lists, the second being more specific. "Create article for the user documentation on Topic A" is actually take screenshots, resize screenshots, put in document and add text. Sometimes I need to tell him that is my plan and other times not...there have been plenty of times that I thought I knew what I needed to do, but turns out there was some other way to do things that would have saved me a lot of time and energy if I had told him what my plan was. But I can't tell him the details of every little thing I'm going to do, it would take too much time.

Also, if I'm working on Task A and then I run into a roadblock that prevents me completing Task A and getting this roadblock cleared means I now have to do several new tasks which are going to take more time than I thought Task A was originally going to take...I lose my shit. I get very stressed. I feel like I'm letting everyone down, the client, my coworkers.

I feel like I have somehow failed to see what I needed to do. That I didn't think things through and didn't make a plan. Cause I didn't. Because I feel like I don't have time to make a plan and when I try to make a plan, I don't know which parts to share with my boss because he doesn't have an hour everyday to go over everything with me - I need that hour he does have to help me actively get things done, like fix problems so I can keep working, not help me refine my todo list.

Another thing ... some times I get very caught up in the trees and can't see the forest. I spent at least an hour and a half trying to find the "right" screencap tool - that was free, that would let me crop and resize, and put little arrows on it. I thought I should do that because this documentation project is going to be something I'm spending a lot time doing. It never occurred to me that my boss might pay $40 for SnagIt because I think it would do the job. (I used SnagIt at my old job so I already knew it was great.)

But maybe that's a different question.

It's late and maybe this was rambly, but I'm just very stressed at work and I do love it, I just really want to feel like I know what's going on and not just randomly putting out fires. All of my jobs end up being this way and I guess it's because I actually do get stuff done and get it done right, but I hate feeling like I have no idea what's going on. I don't want to be a firewoman. Whatever the opposite is, I want to be that.

Idea for Google! That and 50 cents...

Miko — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 19:04:04 -0800

I have a serious project proposal for Google. I don't need to make money on it, but I'd like to get it looked at. I've been poking around their websites, and have found places to submit business and partnership ideas, but I'm really not sure that those are the right way to submit this concept. It's something on the order of Google Art Project, but different from that. What would you recommend or link me to? Thanks!

How do I create a product roadmap editable by multiple parties?

djfreex — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:46:28 -0800

How to create a new product development roadmap style document that allows people to corporate? I am tasked with creating a document that shows the status (launch dates, completion %, confidence level etc.) of different product launches/projects on a time and category axis. This document should allow different people to make edits and click on individual products/projects to get further information on specifics - where the project is.

I am inclined to use Microsoft Project in conjunction with SharePoint. I believe you can interconnect individual MS project files into a master file.

any other ideas?

The chisel isn't cutting it. No, seriously, it's not cutting at all.

muirne81 — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 18:19:42 -0800

How do I remove a small concrete shower pan lip without losing my sanity in the process? Special snowflake details inside. Mr. Muirne81 and I are renovating a 70+ year old utility shower in the basement. The original pan is made of a super-hard concrete. We gutted the stall and waterproofed everything, then installed concrete board to the studs, anticipating that we would just tile up and over the pan edge that juts out from the base of the wall. (A small expansion gap was left between the board + the pan.)

Unfortunately we were naive, and didn't think about the fact that this edge only exists on three of the walls, nor the fact that the edge is uneven. In some places, it only extends 1/2" from the base of the concrete board. (Face palm)

Because the pan extends completely behind the depth of the concrete board, it was decided to chisel just the protruding portion flush with the concrete board so that floor tile & wall tile could be installed more easily. Great theory, but in reality, it's taking me forever to chisel the edge. (Only 4" in an hour. Yikes.)

Does anyone have any ideas for speeding up the process? Is there a concrete saw that's small enough to be used in a tight shower stall? Would a reciprocating saw w/masonry blade be able to chew through the concrete? I know the fastest way to solve the problem would be to hire a pro, but as much as we'd like to, it's just not something we can afford at this time.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!