Comments on: I Need to Stop Volunteering http://accidentaltechnologist.com/general/i-need-to-stop-volunteering/ Musings about Technology, Software Design and Development Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:23:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: luck http://accidentaltechnologist.com/general/i-need-to-stop-volunteering/#comment-721 luck Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:36:08 +0000 http://localhost/~rbazinet/?p=338#comment-721 <p>is this why instant rails 2.0 lite is never coming out? :)</p> <p>jokes, take your time, and don't be "amazed" at too many things at the same time. This will drift energy off from you, and leave only a little for what you will be really working on in the end. I guess you are the guy who can't resist opening thousand of links from whitin one page in different tabs, just because if you like something less than something else, you still like it! so it still deserves your attention... Well it's about working on ourselves and.... yeah but why i'm spending my time on here... ? I'm in a big hurry for a whole lot of things i'm working on at the same time.... so bye!!!! :)</p> <p>yeah, jokes, relax yourself, just blow up your computer.</p> is this why instant rails 2.0 lite is never coming out? :)

jokes, take your time, and don’t be "amazed" at too many things at the same time. This will drift energy off from you, and leave only a little for what you will be really working on in the end. I guess you are the guy who can’t resist opening thousand of links from whitin one page in different tabs, just because if you like something less than something else, you still like it! so it still deserves your attention… Well it’s about working on ourselves and…. yeah but why i’m spending my time on here… ? I’m in a big hurry for a whole lot of things i’m working on at the same time…. so bye!!!! :)

yeah, jokes, relax yourself, just blow up your computer.

]]> By: luck http://accidentaltechnologist.com/general/i-need-to-stop-volunteering/#comment-1459 luck Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:36:00 +0000 http://localhost/~rbazinet/?p=338#comment-1459 is this why instant rails 2.0 lite is never coming out? :) jokes, take your time, and don't be "amazed" at too many things at the same time. This will drift energy off from you, and leave only a little for what you will be really working on in the end. I guess you are the guy who can't resist opening thousand of links from whitin one page in different tabs, just because if you like something less than something else, you still like it! so it still deserves your attention... Well it's about working on ourselves and.... yeah but why i'm spending my time on here... ? I'm in a big hurry for a whole lot of things i'm working on at the same time.... so bye!!!! :) yeah, jokes, relax yourself, just blow up your computer. is this why instant rails 2.0 lite is never coming out? :)
jokes, take your time, and don’t be "amazed" at too many things at the same time. This will drift energy off from you, and leave only a little for what you will be really working on in the end. I guess you are the guy who can’t resist opening thousand of links from whitin one page in different tabs, just because if you like something less than something else, you still like it! so it still deserves your attention… Well it’s about working on ourselves and…. yeah but why i’m spending my time on here… ? I’m in a big hurry for a whole lot of things i’m working on at the same time…. so bye!!!! :)
yeah, jokes, relax yourself, just blow up your computer.

]]> By: Rob Bazinet http://accidentaltechnologist.com/general/i-need-to-stop-volunteering/#comment-720 Rob Bazinet Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:32:19 +0000 http://localhost/~rbazinet/?p=338#comment-720 <p>@Al,</p> <p>Yeah I am sure I am not the only one facing this same dilemma.</p> <p>I extend my volunteering to some of the organizations I belong to as well and seem to have a hard time saying no to a non-profit I may belong to.</p> <p>I agree, hardware is even worse and I stay away from that work as well. I don't enjoy any of it.</p> <p>I hope to be able to think before I answer next time. I apparently have no self-control.</p> @Al,

Yeah I am sure I am not the only one facing this same dilemma.

I extend my volunteering to some of the organizations I belong to as well and seem to have a hard time saying no to a non-profit I may belong to.

I agree, hardware is even worse and I stay away from that work as well. I don’t enjoy any of it.

I hope to be able to think before I answer next time. I apparently have no self-control.

]]> By: Rob Bazinet http://accidentaltechnologist.com/general/i-need-to-stop-volunteering/#comment-1458 Rob Bazinet Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:32:00 +0000 http://localhost/~rbazinet/?p=338#comment-1458 @Al, Yeah I am sure I am not the only one facing this same dilemma. I extend my volunteering to some of the organizations I belong to as well and seem to have a hard time saying no to a non-profit I may belong to. I agree, hardware is even worse and I stay away from that work as well. I don't enjoy any of it. I hope to be able to think before I answer next time. I apparently have no self-control. @Al,
Yeah I am sure I am not the only one facing this same dilemma.
I extend my volunteering to some of the organizations I belong to as well and seem to have a hard time saying no to a non-profit I may belong to.
I agree, hardware is even worse and I stay away from that work as well. I don’t enjoy any of it.
I hope to be able to think before I answer next time. I apparently have no self-control.

]]> By: Al Tenhundfeld http://accidentaltechnologist.com/general/i-need-to-stop-volunteering/#comment-719 Al Tenhundfeld Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:10:02 +0000 http://localhost/~rbazinet/?p=338#comment-719 <p>Hah. I think many of us in this industry have a similar problem: saying no to friends and family asking for small favors. </p> <p>I used to have a problem with it as well. I wanted to help my friends but it rarely turned out well. I would eventually dread talking to that friend, because I hadn't made progress on the website/computer repair/whatever. </p> <p>Here's what I've done to remedy the situation. </p> <p>1) I don't help with hardware or "my computer doesn't work" issues. For me at least, these problems became a giant time sink, and I rarely enjoyed the work. </p> <p>2) For website and software requests, I typically ask them some questions to understand the request broadly, e.g., give me a URL of a website you want yours to act like. I then give them an estimate, e.g., "That would take me at least 100 hours to create." I've found that most friends rescind the request when they realize how much work is involved. For those that press on, I have pointed them at simple sites using the WordPress platform. If they like that, I've offered to get them setup with a WordPress site that has the skeleton of what they want. The good thing about WordPress (or a similar platform) is that non-developers can update content. </p> <p>I don't mind setting up the occasional website for a friend, but I don't want to be on the line for ongoing support.</p> Hah. I think many of us in this industry have a similar problem: saying no to friends and family asking for small favors.

I used to have a problem with it as well. I wanted to help my friends but it rarely turned out well. I would eventually dread talking to that friend, because I hadn’t made progress on the website/computer repair/whatever.

Here’s what I’ve done to remedy the situation.

1) I don’t help with hardware or "my computer doesn’t work" issues. For me at least, these problems became a giant time sink, and I rarely enjoyed the work.

2) For website and software requests, I typically ask them some questions to understand the request broadly, e.g., give me a URL of a website you want yours to act like. I then give them an estimate, e.g., "That would take me at least 100 hours to create." I’ve found that most friends rescind the request when they realize how much work is involved. For those that press on, I have pointed them at simple sites using the WordPress platform. If they like that, I’ve offered to get them setup with a WordPress site that has the skeleton of what they want. The good thing about WordPress (or a similar platform) is that non-developers can update content.

I don’t mind setting up the occasional website for a friend, but I don’t want to be on the line for ongoing support.

]]> By: Al Tenhundfeld http://accidentaltechnologist.com/general/i-need-to-stop-volunteering/#comment-1457 Al Tenhundfeld Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:10:00 +0000 http://localhost/~rbazinet/?p=338#comment-1457 Hah. I think many of us in this industry have a similar problem: saying no to friends and family asking for small favors. I used to have a problem with it as well. I wanted to help my friends but it rarely turned out well. I would eventually dread talking to that friend, because I hadn't made progress on the website/computer repair/whatever. Here's what I've done to remedy the situation. 1) I don't help with hardware or "my computer doesn't work" issues. For me at least, these problems became a giant time sink, and I rarely enjoyed the work. 2) For website and software requests, I typically ask them some questions to understand the request broadly, e.g., give me a URL of a website you want yours to act like. I then give them an estimate, e.g., "That would take me at least 100 hours to create." I've found that most friends rescind the request when they realize how much work is involved. For those that press on, I have pointed them at simple sites using the WordPress platform. If they like that, I've offered to get them setup with a WordPress site that has the skeleton of what they want. The good thing about WordPress (or a similar platform) is that non-developers can update content. I don't mind setting up the occasional website for a friend, but I don't want to be on the line for ongoing support. Hah. I think many of us in this industry have a similar problem: saying no to friends and family asking for small favors.
I used to have a problem with it as well. I wanted to help my friends but it rarely turned out well. I would eventually dread talking to that friend, because I hadn’t made progress on the website/computer repair/whatever.
Here’s what I’ve done to remedy the situation.
1) I don’t help with hardware or "my computer doesn’t work" issues. For me at least, these problems became a giant time sink, and I rarely enjoyed the work.
2) For website and software requests, I typically ask them some questions to understand the request broadly, e.g., give me a URL of a website you want yours to act like. I then give them an estimate, e.g., "That would take me at least 100 hours to create." I’ve found that most friends rescind the request when they realize how much work is involved. For those that press on, I have pointed them at simple sites using the WordPress platform. If they like that, I’ve offered to get them setup with a WordPress site that has the skeleton of what they want. The good thing about WordPress (or a similar platform) is that non-developers can update content.
I don’t mind setting up the occasional website for a friend, but I don’t want to be on the line for ongoing support.

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