I don’t normally write anything about my job. I don’t mention where I work. This post will be slightly different as I will write about something that happened to me at work, with no specifics.

The particular software project I was working on, reached its practical end. There will be no further development, no added features, and no future. It will wither and die. It would be easy to accept this, if I had been unable to succeed in writing the application. However, I was able to succeed and write an application that approached what the ancient Greeks called “arete”. Arete is simply the concept of achieving your full excellence and potential in a specific area. I have arete to reach as a husband, a person, and a programmer. I felt this application approached arete for its function.

Alas, that just wasn’t enough. The timing wasn’t right in this case. It was the wrong application at the wrong time, all things out of my control. It simply has no where to go and hence, will die. I can’t say that the reasons for letting it die are wrong, but I don’t think they are as definite as some. Yet, at this point, I have no desire to fight any more to keep it going. I have to let it go.

I’ve had projects fail before, but none of them had ever given me the sense of pride that this one has given me. It is really a sad feeling to know that it’s going to get shut down at some point in the near future. It bothers me slightly that it hasn’t been appreciated by everyone, but the people that matter to me appreciate it.

So I move on to something new, never to return to any project related to the one I just let go. I don’t think I could go back now. This really is the worst feeling I’ve ever had about a project. I know it will pass, but for today, and the next couple days, I’m just gonna be in a down mood.

I have the new design and logo up at www.ldnetwork.tv (courtesy of Kelly). It’s a start. We’ve been having such great shows lately, the website has taken a backseat. Still, we’ll be keeping show notes and links there, as well as midweek links that we like.

Seven years ago, Kelly and I adopted Ralphie, a dachshund with a really good temperament…for a dachshund. What that basically means is, Ralphie is very stubborn, doesn’t like to be trained, leaves “presents” when he is dismayed with us, thinks nothing of stepping on other dogs to get to his favorite spot on the couch, steals toys from the lil’est dog, O-Ren, and other stubborn like behavior. This is what he looked like when we adopted him (well, five months later):

and now…

Hard to believe it’s been seven years, but its’ been a pretty good seven years with the little ass.

At TAM6 I participated in the following demonstration:

(click here if the video doesn’t embed)

My brother and I, though, are so far in the back you can’t make us out. We did bend the spoons though, and the trick worked nicely.