I can only remember as far back as Windows 3.1, when a friend of mine (Harjot Saberwal), introduced me to the world of computing, but here is a comprehensive list from the past 25 years.

I often struggle with finding just the right words during performance reviews, and a previous manager once supplied me with a cheat sheet of Performance Appraisal one liners that would help complete reviews for myself and others. Well I have lost that but I have assembled something similar for my own sanity. I always think it a little egocentric to sit down and really think hard about how I can pat myself on the back, so I hope this helps make the experience a little more comfortable for all.

These comments are based on general section headings but some of them can be used in multiple places.

QUALITY SERVICE:
Exhibits superior Knowledge of job content and requirements.
Proposes recommendations that show breadth and depth of knowledge
Exhibits outstanding skills even in the most difficult job situations
Knowledge and expertise is relied on by others

PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:
Knows and applies principles, techniques, technology and practices that demonstrate competency in the particular job function.
Achieves, maintains and demonstrates necessary knowledge and skill level to perform currently assigned work responsibilities.
Keeps informed of current developments.
Understands work procedures

JUDGMENT/PROBLEM-SOLVING/DECISION-MAKING:
Collaborates with others to identify strategies for resolution of customer issues
Demonstrates professional, high-service attitude
Monitors customers’ feedback and acts proactively
Communicates to customers and effectively implements resolution strategies
Always willing to go beyond what may be expected to meet the needs of customers
Anticipates future customers’ needs and creates plans to enhance service
Consistently follows up with customers and others to ensure customer satisfaction and proper resolution

TEAMWORK:
Attempts to use logical reasoning in making decisions and solving problems
Judgment is generally sound and reasonable
Decisions are well thought out
Effectively analyzes problems and formulates practical solutions
Exhibits a high degree of decision Making ability
Takes responsibility for consequences and decisions
Finds unique ways to effectively resolve problems
Promotes an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation.
Encourages and supports others.
Provides information, assistance and guidance to others to help them perform their responsibilities.
Volunteers and offers suggestions. Shows courtesy and respect.
Creates a climate for comfortable expression of ideas.
Develops and maintains smooth and effective working relationships with [co-workers], [supervisors], [subordinates] etc
Uses positive methods of interactions with others.
Discusses and explains information with others effectively.
Produces accurate, well-presented and thorough written documents, records and reports.

PLANNING:
Accepts change
Understand the unit’s mission/vision
Develops very good working relationships
Always displays a cooperative attitude and shares knowledge
Effectively adapts to change
Displays a positive attitude towards the mission/vision
Expresses the value of working as a team
Seeks ways to share knowledge or mentor co-workers
Embraces change and helps others to adapt
Demonstrates a total commitment to the mission/vision

INITIATIVE\INDEPENDENCE:
Volunteers for special assignments.
Willingly helps and assists others.
Anticipates needs and takes appropriate steps to meet those needs.
Accepts responsibility and performs responsibilities with limited supervision.
Willingly accepts direction and is open to new ideas.
Demonstrates willingness to learn and grow professionally.
Demonstrates independent thinking and a desire to seek additional challenges.
Can be counted upon to complete duties and responsibilities accurately and on-time.
Utilizes time well and sets appropriate priorities.
Follows through with plans.
Knows when to ask for help when work loads or critical work assignments demand it.
Accepts responsibility and new job assignments.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE:
Exhibits an interest and attempts to improve performance
Duties and responsibilities are regularly met and often exceeded
Projects completed have made measurable improvements to the position and department
Always strives for a high level of performance
Duties and responsibilities are always met and exceeded
Projects completed have provided a significant ...
High level of performance achieved by few

I am in a review period at work right now and I happened upon the Humor archives, and it included information on what people have apparently said during job reviews. Enjoy!

1. "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and has started to dig."
2. "His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity."
3. "This employee is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definite won't be."
4. "Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."
5. "He would be out of his depth in a parking lot puddle."
6. "This young lady has delusions of adequacy."
7. "He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them."
8. "This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."
9. "This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts, the better."
10. "Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thing to hold it all together."
11. "A gross ignoramus - - - 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus."
12. "He certainly takes a long time to make his pointless."
13. "He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier."
14. "He's been working with glue too much."
15. "He would argue with a signpost."
16. "He has a knack for making strangers immediately."
17. "He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room."
18. "When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell."
19. "A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on."
20. "A prime candidate for natural deselection."
21. "Donated his brain to science before he was done using it."
22. "Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled."
23. "Takes him 1 hour to watch 60 minutes."
24. "The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead."

I have always carefully selected the home page of my preferred browser, and the choice for me represents an alignment, almost like choosing sides in a playground scrimmage. It is a daily reminder on who I have informally decided to support in those office discussions on what services you prefer.

I should start by giving a brief history of my home pages, and there have been only a few.

1. www.AltaVista.com - Coming out of college this was the standard in our Coventry (England) office for web searches.
2. www.Yahoo.com - I quickly realized that there were superior search engines in play and upon arriving on the shores of the US Yahoo quickly became tops.
3. www.MSN.com - After getting a Hotmail account it just seemed like a logical step ... this only lasted a couple of months though. I was able to pull together information that MSN endorsed but the overall choice was limited and the search engine was garbage.
4. www.Google.com - I think most techies are still on the Google band wagon, and as a pure search engine it is still the defacto standard.
5. www.Google.com (Customized home page) - With the advent of Web 2.0* Google really started pulling all my information needs together. It gave me complete choice of what information to pull in ... Good times, good times.

I have recently been looking closely at the live.com experience and I must say that it is truly awesome. Its use of Ajax is slick, I can create gadgets and macros to pull information from disparate sources. I do not have to wait for someone else at MS to have a good idea, I can search what other people are using, or do it myself. For example, I wanted to still access my Google mail account (which I intend to keep), well some one created a gadget that would allow me to preview Gmail from live.com. I love it! I am hoping to create a dictionary widget so that I can query directly to dictionary.com, no one seems to have done that yet.

Coupled with the vastly improved search engine (there is also a gadget for Google search) I am almost completely back in the Microsoft camp ... almost!

* - I will not worry about a true definition of Web 2.0 no one can seem to agree.

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." - Carl Jung

I spent some of last last week pouring over code in C# trying to get to the bottom of Support issue that I was following up on and I found some examples of irritating code that seems to raise the hairs on the back of my neck ... It should not ... when I think rationally it should not bother me at all, but if code is not immediately readable, if the initial form it takes effects the readability then we all need to get on the same page as it effects someone in the software life cycle.

So here is a simple if statement. that I simply do not like:
if (MyShirt == "Long") MyBoots.Height = MyBoots.Height - 20;

I prefer to see this
if (MyShirt == "Long")
    MyBoots.Height = MyBoots.Height - 20;

or, if I am in a particularly verbose mood then the following is preferred.

if (MyShirt == "Long")
{
    MyBoots.Height = MyBoots.Height - 20;
}

The intention just appears to be clearer, a logical statement followed by decision. Are we that interested in saving white space? I know this is really picky hence the title of the post, and I know what your thinking how can everyone I work with account for my neurosis quirks? Not sure but something has got to give!

My Solution:

All permutations on if, while, do while, for, case select etc should be viewable based on the preference. Much like the CLR it should determine the intent and display it based on your preferences. So the three if statements above would actually be rendered when you open the Visual Studio Project based on preference. There is, actually, no difference between them it just a visual cue of the intent of the developer.

This concept is a little avant-garde, so I will start work on this right away ;)

This is my first blog entry using Windows Live Writer, the new blog writer tool from Microsoft. I must admit I like it immediately, but considering that I was using notepad2 as my primary blog writing tool that may not be the most knowledgeable comment.

There are of course many great blog writing tools recommended all across blogville, but I will limit this blog to simply say that this tool has a very simple setup and installation stage, coupled with a WYSIWIG editor that simulates the layout of your blog. There is a cool Insert Map feature that allows Microsoft to show off there Live Local offering too. The thing I love the most , however, is a simple spell checker (not available in notepad2).

p.s. It also compatible with Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad...