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Active topics thread summary

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:05 pm
by FranTastic444
Hi Carl

It appears that the Active Topics quick-link does not include posts from the Couture category. Is this by design, or an oversight?

Re: Active topics thread summary

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:17 pm
by crfriend
As far as I'm aware, there's precisely no difference between the Coture section and any other section. There's always the possibility that it's just not "active enough" yet...

Re: Active topics thread summary

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:29 pm
by FranTastic444
Interesting....

I wonder what drives the algorithm? I don't think it is the individual thread as the Medal one I posted has many views and several responses but still does not show, yet this post appeared immediately? Maybe it is driven by the popularity of the category rather than that of the individual post?

Re: Active topics thread summary

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:58 pm
by crfriend
I'll have to dig into the code to see what drive it, but that's going to take time that I frequently don't have with the idiot situation at work.

Re: Active topics thread summary

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 1:04 pm
by FranTastic444
Hi Carl - please don't waste your valuable time on looking at something that is a very, very minor detail. I only through the question out there out of curiosity. You do a great job of maintaining this site and I'm sure there are many other things you would rather be spending your time on :-)

Re: Active topics thread summary

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 1:16 pm
by crfriend
It was less of a hassle than I was anticipating.

I put my lab copy of the forum into debug mode and coerced it into spitting out the SQL that populates that page, and noted that the Coture forum was inexplicably being redacted from the list, so dug into the settings and reset it.

I think it's working now. This is a pleasant change from my current workplace where I'm (1) not understood any more, (2) not listened to, (3) nanomanaged, (4) never allowed to actually complete anything before getting context-switched to some the More Important, and (5) utterly and completely burnt-out from 14 hour days of idiocy.

Re: Active topics thread summary

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 1:35 pm
by FranTastic444
Yes, working now - you superstar :-)

The system I work on generates dynamic SQL and in debug mode you can see what it has created, but not why. I'm normally in this situation when groups, sorts or filters are not working as intended. Sometimes you can work your way through the selects, joins, group by and order by clauses and then play around with settings until you get the desired results. Usually quite satisfying to get to a resolution, but not fun explaining to a project manager or Client why something you told them would he a 1/2 day of work turns into a day.....

Sorry to hear that you are still struggling with the work situation. Hope your fortunes change for the better.

Re: Active topics thread summary

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 1:46 pm
by crfriend
Second (video) interview last Wednesday, but no news as of Friday.

If nothing comes of this one, I'm tempted to simply start the process to retire and take over responsibility for my own health-care "insurance" (and maybe get something that'll actually cover things!) instead of Texas minimum. I got raked over the coals on my last review for not finishing stuff up -- and the major components on that is a fundamental change to the PostgreSQL database that need to happen before the database version upgrade can happen. I was done early last year with that right before the COVID lockdowns went into place, notified the boss that the test database was in place, and to have the QA folks point their systems at it to see what blows up. That never happened, and I got the blame. Then were the two associated projects related to that one where we'd cull several terabytes of unneeded data -- and neither of those two were allowed to go to completion, which holds up not just the upgrade but the notion of getting the databases backed up to tape. So there are four interlocked, high-stakes, high-payoff projects that were needlessly blocked for over a year by Management action (or inaction; one can't tell because Management is opaque).

Re: Active topics thread summary

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 1:55 pm
by Fred in Skirts
Carl,
It is time to give them the "Flying Finger of Fate" and move on. I retired early and have never regretted it. In fact my life has never been better as far as my mental health is concerned.

I managed to get everything paid off after retirement with only SS and a very small retirement check from the company. ($345.00 per month) So now I have more money in the bank than I ever had, so I do not worry about anything anymore.

I love my life!!!

Re: Active topics thread summary

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:06 pm
by Sinned
Carl, over here anyone in your situation would become a Contractor, self-employed guru for hire. With your SQL and other skills the minimum rates are about £450 ( $625 ) per day. That's about $140,000 per year for a 45 week working year. You choose your contracts. Of course it's not actually smooth working all the time but let's face it you are able to work in sprint mode for a short while, take time off after to recharge an effectively be part time. Lots of my ex-colleagues have done this and done well - I just had had enough and went for a more laid-back, sane option. Just sayin'.

Re: Active topics thread summary

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 12:26 am
by FranTastic444
Dennis - IT contractors are about in the US but are not so common as in the UK. One reason is that permie pay can be very generous in tech-hub cities and the benefits (particularly with regards to decent health insurance, but also the issuing of stock / RSU's) mean that working for yourself just isn't worth it for many in IT land.

I was a contractor in the UK in 2001 when IR45 first raised its ugly head. I was advised by my accountant that I should be IR35 compliant and I did one year under this scheme before returning to the land of the permie (post 9/11 there was little work in the way of contracting in my field). People I know from that period who have contracted for many years (often for the same Client) have only recently switched to being compliant when the govt. switched tack and went after the companies that were employing the contractors.