Posted by Richard Formby on 03/23/07 11:50

sathyashrayan wrote

>> They wanted me to do this in 2 hr. Create a address book, insert the ...

>> Can any one tell me where to start? Start from which application?
>> calender? Guest book? address book? Please help.

> Thanks for all your help. But please tell me where shall I start?

What about a course in self-assertiveness. You know, how to talk to people,
with *authority*, especially your [future] boss:

<quote>

What, sir/madam, in two hours? Well with all due respect sir/madam, in that
time I, or anybody else for that matter, could possibly give you a rough
workout framework that we could then critique and extend but I, as a
professional, would never let such a thing loose in the wild without
extensive user testing. That might take days depending on how you are set up
with your user testing department. You do have a user testing department
don't you sir/madam? And surely your company must have similar criteria as
I do for the release of work to production status.

Lets, sir/madam, take a stab at it though. Let's sit down and make a start.
<moves around desk/>

Sir/madam, where are manuals, you know, the tools of trade that I expect to
use in my job? I didn't bring mine along with me, not knowing I was going to
have to perform this test for you. You *might* have suitably forewarned me
so I would be suitably prepared.

Oh, you don't have the manuals to hand sir/madam? You surely don't expect me
to do this out of my head (although I certainly could, but not with
certainty), without reference to the proper and authoritative manuals? I
might make a trivial mistake that ould sour the entire project. Shall we
wait until the manuals are to hand sir/madam?

Yes, these are the right the manuals. Now, where is the specification for
this admin panel you want? Oh, you don't have one? Not even a rough "back of
the envelope" idea? Well, let's just wait while you and your users get the
specification together. I could assist here as I am quite familiar with
drawing up such user specifications and am familiar with the mediation
required between the users, the management, and the software developers,
sir/madam.

Your users are at lunch? Oh well, I have no pressing engagements [as I am
out of work and looking for a job]. We can wait for them... Ah, here they
are. A bit groggy but largely serviceable.

The, Specs are fine now. Shall we, sir/madam, sketch out some Gantt charts
to approximate the anticipated schedule of coding, alpha and then beta
testing and then final production rollout, as a first draft of course.

You don't have Gantt chart software? Oh, well, surely we can get one of your
staff to to google up something quite quickly, I would presume. Projects
work better with a bit of Gantt charting, I use it all the time and it helps
admirably, don't you think sir/madam? Even the plumber I contracted to fix
the toilets used one. He aprececiated the few tips I gave him on their use
that he was unaware of.

<poises finger above keyboard>

Now sir/madam, when is the expected completion date of this project so we
can spread out the chart?

Oops. I see our two hours are up...

</quote>

Retires, never having to put finger to keyboard.

Never having to fire on a Klingon :-)

--
Richard.

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