Hein's Thoughts

Desire for Optimism I think it's time to be more optimistic about this world. I have so little influence in what happens in this world, but I can choose how to direct it. The News .  My head is full of it. I am strangely addicted to it. I have to know. I have to know what else is going on. What do people think about these events. What will happen next? And yet, for all that. I'm left with this terrible taste in my mouth after I ingest the news. There is so much pain/idiocy/hatred/selfishness - you name it. The world is full of it. No, I take that back. People are full of it. When there is a natural disaster I am sad for it, but it does not pain me the way a human disaster does. And these days even our natural disasters are beginning to become human disasters.  Must Move On... I started this post desiring optimism. I have to move on from the pessimism or it will consume the entire page. When considering the news I am forced to realize that the nature of news i...

6 Months of Googling I'm halfway through my sixth month of being a Googler. At this point I don't think I qualify as a Noogler and I have to take off the silly looking hat. So what have I learned? Best and Brightest: I've had the good fortune throughout my career to work with really smart people. But working at Google I find myself constantly running into people that impress the crap out of me. When I ask what someone did before joining Google the answer blows me away every time. I feel out of my league in a way I haven't since taking Parallel Algorithms (that class blew my mind).  It is keeping me on my toes because I know I can't coast here. In order to impress people I have to be at the top of my game. I can't make stuff up and expect to get by. I have to do research and then make stuff up. (I don't think BS-ing will ever go away) Showmanship Goes a Long Way: My job is to impress. That's probably the simplest way to put it. C...

I attended a training course today that focused on staying positive and all the benefits that provides. One tip it had was listing 3 things you were grateful for. So at least today I will list my first three things I am grateful for... My son's happy personality - The kid never stops smiling. He can miss a nap, have a cold, etc and yet he'll smile happily at me. Melts my heart every time. New opportunities - Switching over to be a Google employee allows for some cool opportunities. It will be challenging and very different than my past life, but I'm focused on the good. A desk with a view - I'm on the 8th floor downtown and while I'm not right next to the window I can easily see out. It's a good place to work.

Why Are We Surprised? A few weeks ago it came out that the federal government is watching us. Or more specifically they're watching the meta data about us. For those that don't work in the IT field what this means is that the government is collecting the data about what we do at a very high level. They could find for instance that I emailed my wife 3 times on Friday. But without reasonable cause they cannot open up those emails to see what we said to each other.  My first reaction to leaking of this classified information was, 'Meh...'. You see, web development is my job. I'm aware of how big data is used for decision making. At my company we use every available asset we have to make sure that we are making our product more effective for those who use it. And yes, that sometimes means we collect meta data about our customers to see what the trends are and how we can improve things. And when I surf the web I am constantly reminded that every other site is do...

I was hired at NCSA almost 5 years ago now. During that time I've had the good fortune of moving up in the organization and building a team that is now 15 strong. Looking back I'm amazed to see the changes in my own style of management during that time. Scattered thoughts follow: Take Yourself Seriously Work needs to be enjoyable. It's my job as a manager to make sure that there is an atmosphere that is fun to work in. This isn't to say that work should be a party or that people should goof off all day, but people should come to work and feel like they can have fun while doing their jobs. This starts from the top. One thing I love about our room configuration is that I don't have an office. I'm not blocked off from the team. I sit with them. I interact daily with my employees whether I want to or not. And during those interactions I try to have fun. I try to find ways to create an environment where the stress of work can be minimized. This fun at...

It's my first Father's day. I'm 8 weeks into this and learning a lot as I go. I have a lot to live up to. There are some amazing father's in my life. First and foremost, my own father. My father has been a constant source of inspiration for me. He's an incredibly intelligent, compassionate man. He was there for me at every single important event in my life. There has not been a time that I haven't been able to look for him in the crowd and not see him. I pray that I can be that for Atticus. I pray that he can take for granted that his father will be present in the big moments. I pray that I will put him first above my own wants and needs.  Second is my own brother:  My brother has been a stay at home dad for the last couple of years and has done a bang up job of raising two amazing kids. The lesson I hope to learn from him is to engage constantly with your kids. My brother sings, talks, reads, and plays with his two children day in and da...