You can have as many perpendicular lines as you want on a Poincaré disk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poincar%C3%A9_disk_model (credit goes to my coworker dmvaldman)
... or on a globe..
What it is like being the only engineer in a meeting [video]
111–119 of 119 posts
Re: What it is like being the only engineer in a meeting [video]
#112Both requirements could be solved:
1) In Hollywood they draw red ("blood") lines with transparent inc all the time.
2) There is no problem to draw 7 mutually perpendicular lines as long as lines are not straight. Moreover, clients never asked for mutually perpendicular lines.
There are other solutions too, such as 7-dimensional space and imaginary lines.
The "expert" looked quite inexperienced when he started his answer with "No".
Re: What it is like being the only engineer in a meeting [video]
#113I think the best way I've found to combat these types of meetings and cut through the talk is simply to ask "Why" Find out pretty quickly (generally) what they are actually wanting and nobody needs to print things in transparent ink... (usually)
"Why", or "what do you want to do" are two of the most useful questions in my arsenal. Often a client (or user you're trying to assist) is 2-3 steps past their initial requirement when they ask for some technical solution. Backtracking to the base problem often suggests a far more useful and viable approach. The video sketch shown here isn't so much an illustration of what it's like to be the only technical person in…
I agree completely. And here is the crazy part, if you smile, and appear friendly without looking weak, people will be more willing to follow you down your line of questions to the beginning, to their own base problem. So things like the body language you use when you enter the room may be the difference between learning the real problem or not, and thus delivering a great product or not.
Myself, I generally have to make conscious decisions to do all these things.
Re: What it is like being the only engineer in a meeting [video]
#114Both requirements could be solved: 1) In Hollywood they draw red ("blood") lines with transparent inc all the time. 2) There is no problem to draw 7 mutually perpendicular lines as long as lines are not straight. Moreover, clients never asked for mutually perpendicular lines. There are other solutions too, such as 7-dimensional space and imaginary lines. The "expert" looked quite inexperienced when he started his ans…
True, but to take the silly video, and mix in a real issue with meetings like this, we've got a problem of terminology. In standard geometry, a line, by definition, is straight. Of course we can't assume the way other people are using words agrees with our own technical definitions, so I think you solutions are reasonable.
Re: What it is like being the only engineer in a meeting [video]
#115I think the best way I've found to combat these types of meetings and cut through the talk is simply to ask "Why" Find out pretty quickly (generally) what they are actually wanting and nobody needs to print things in transparent ink... (usually)
"Why", or "what do you want to do" are two of the most useful questions in my arsenal. Often a client (or user you're trying to assist) is 2-3 steps past their initial requirement when they ask for some technical solution. Backtracking to the base problem often suggests a far more useful and viable approach. The video sketch shown here isn't so much an illustration of what it's like to be the only technical person in…
I'm starting to see a lot of similarities between managers/executives and beginners asking questions in programming IRC channels...
Re: What it is like being the only engineer in a meeting [video]
#116Awesome.. I have a similar situation regarding the project manager in the video :) we have a small team of 5 members and i don't think we need a "project manager" considering only 5 members working on a not-so-big project and the team members are efficient enough to self manage. I dont think a small project with a small team even needs a project manager.
i think every member of that team should have a manager, and there should be a manager to manage all the managers...
I don't think every person needs manager infact management is only needed to "manage" and managing comes into play where there is a large number of "things"/"people" to manage or look after. Small number of educated ppl doing minor tasks will never need management.
Re: What it is like being the only engineer in a meeting [video]
#117Awesome.. I have a similar situation regarding the project manager in the video :) we have a small team of 5 members and i don't think we need a "project manager" considering only 5 members working on a not-so-big project and the team members are efficient enough to self manage. I dont think a small project with a small team even needs a project manager.
I'm in a team with exactly one developer and two project managers... Guess who I am?
You are frustrated :)
Re: What it is like being the only engineer in a meeting [video]
#118I have already watched the video multiple times! can't help but notice the dumbest clients i have come across asking the silliest things!
And the worse part is they do not and i mean DO NOT EVER understand the tech part
Re: What it is like being the only engineer in a meeting [video]
#119I think the best way I've found to combat these types of meetings and cut through the talk is simply to ask "Why" Find out pretty quickly (generally) what they are actually wanting and nobody needs to print things in transparent ink... (usually)
Don't just ask why. Ask why until you know you've found the root cause. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Whys
So the root cause of the problem "why can't we play outside?" is because "god is dead and we're alone".