What I really want to do

Okay, that last was a practical plan, but here’s what I really want to do:

1. Design the ultimate project management and quality assurance processes
2. Build my ideal web framework
3. Build the PM and QA functionality on my framework
4. Experiment with Ruby, Python, and Groovy more
5. Mess around with more framworks, including source level investigations
   • Wicket
   • Django
   • Seaside
   • Catalyst
   • Give CakePHP another shot
6. Mess around with more tools (for open source tools)
   • Bugzilla
     • Modular UI
     • Web Services and RSS
     • DB abstraction layer
     • More tests (perl tests & GUI tests)
     • Getting started dev docs
   • Mercurial, Git, Aegis
   • Eclipse
     • Jazz
     • GMF
     • Mylyn
   • HP/Mercury
   • Seapine
7. Work on my ideal tools
   • PM
     • Process/Ticket/Issue/Defect->Fix/Enhancement->Change Request/Work Item
     • Projects/Milestones/Tasks/Work
     • Products/Releases/Features/Requirements
   • Design & Modeling
   • Process (IBM Rational Jazz looks interesting)
   • Graphic Design
   • QA Tools
     • Defect Tracking
     • Test Case Authoring / Execution / Reporting
     • Automation
     • Builds
     • Unit Tests
     • Smoke Test
     • Performance Tests
     • Requirements Tracking
     • Change Management
8. Master infrastructure tools
   • Email
   • Authentication (LDAP, RADIUS, etc.)
   • DNS
   • Virtual Servers (VMWare & Xen)
   • Security (Monitoring, Lockdown,
   • Fix Spam (note, I have a solution, that’s not directly technical, but won’t go into it now.)
9. Play around with VOIP and WIFI
   • Asterisk
   • FreeWRT

So really what I want to do is build my framework and tools, and research frameworks, tools, and languages for how best to do it

Goals and reasons

I thought I’d iterate the goals I have for One Shore, since in two weeks I’ll be returning to the USA and entering another phase, possibly seeking employment.  I’ve done a lot of brainstorming and experimenting while here, but don’t have much complete to show for it.

Goals: 

1. Finish one-shore.com site functionality
2. Redo one-shore.com site with better graphic design
3. Update resume
4. Add content to tools wiki
5. Finalize the QA Site product
6. Launch cuencatravel.com site
7. Meaningful contribution to Bugzilla
8. Brush up with QA tools

Reasons:

1. Finish one-shore.com site functionality
   • The One Shore site is my business.  It reflects on my ability to have an unfinished site. if If I am to succeed, I need to have a complete site, including all the content, payment processing, and no bugs.
   • Completing it (redoing with MVC) will give me hands on experience with the framework of my choice.  I’ll be able to try out some ideas I’ve been wanting to do but avoiding because I’ve been avoiding writing my own framework from scratch.
   • I need to be able to accept customers.  If contact is not working (it is, but I’d like to use Zend libraries instead of my old script from diamondwillowinn.com) or payments are not accepted, how can I do that.  Even more basic, if I don’t have proper descriptions of what I’m offering, how do they know if they want it.
   • Finally, it will be an example of my skills for potential clients or employers.
2. Redo one-shore.com site with better graphic design
   • Again, it reflects on me.  While complex javascript trees and tricky CSS rounded corners are cool to implement, they’re practically invisible (and hacks to those who look.)  If I am to impress clients, I need a professional looking layout, consistent, and pleasing.
   • I want a presentation I can be proud of, so I’m not embarrassed if someone looks at my site
   • I spend too much time already fussing over graphic design, and it’s not my strongpoint.  I could easily slip back into spending days trying to come up with a logo, searching for images, or fussing with the colors and layout.  That’s time wasted for me, because it’s not my strong point.  If I have to take a contract to pay for it, I’d have been more productive.
3. Update resume
   • I need to better present myself to employers.  My old resume is getting old, and I’d like to liven it up.
   • Putting my resume in a DB or generating from an XML file will allow me to make changes easier and show off skills.
   •  I need to have a resume that looks good not just to recruiters, but to real live clients.  It becomes a sales item, not just a contact mechanism.
4. Add content to tools wiki and blog
   • First of all, I want the content there for myself.  I want to add to it, add my comments, have a reference for what I think about certain tools, how to install them, and if nothing else, where to download them.
   • Secondly, I think the wiki (and blog) are the best advertising I can do.   If someone finds my wiki because they want to know how to install MagickWand, or use RSS feeds with Bugzilla, or whatever, they might be interested in my services.
   • Finally, if it becomes useful, perhaps others would benefit, whether to edits on my wiki, they’re own comments and reviews of tools, or feedback on my blog.  And that is valuable to me, both the information, and the contacts I could make
5. Finalize the QA Site product
   • I can’t sell something without an example.  While I’m using a whipped together site for Cuenca Travel, it’s by no means a finalized product.  Because I did all the design work and code myself, I didn’t have time to concentrate on the QA Site, though implementing Cuenca Travel was supposed to be the test of a QA site.  The dashboard is still static.
   • It takes too long to implement from scrach, and I need to know what works and what doesn’t.  I need to benchmark on different VPSes (VPSLand / Linode) and with different sizes.  I need to have a VMWare image for download.  Ideally, I’d like to get hired by a client to implement a QA site, that way I can get their feedback.  I’d even give them a month’s free work, just for the feedback.
6. Launch cuencatravel.com site
   • I want the site to be able to generate content, have businesses and travelers be able to contribute.
   • It might give me valuable experience in handling advertising
   • It would be a display of my web design skills, and give me practical experience with CMSes.  I guess I will use Joomla, though it doesn’t really buy me much.  But if Leslie from CuencaGuide want to contribubute articles or share an events calendar, using Joomla might be the way to go.  It’s too bad about Patricio.  I was really hoping to find someone who would be reliable here so that I could build up the business in Cuenca and provide jobs.
   • Also, if I implement the directory, blogs, galleries, calendar, weather, etc. in Joomla, it will give me something to contribute back to that community and maybe lead to contacts and work there.  I don’t especially want to get into the business of building and maintaining websites, because my expertise is in enterprise QA, not web design.
7. Meaningful contribution to Bugzilla
   • So far I’ve done a little here and there, but not really made any significant contributions.  I want to be able to say I work on Bugzilla and mean it.
   • The QA & Doc teams could use my help, and I’d like to give feedback to the UE team.
   • I want to be able to add my changes, both to web services, and to the front end.  I’d also like to see the DB abstraction done with CLASS::DBI for the bug (enhancement) I wrote based on the January meeting.
8. Brush up with QA tools
   • First of all, if I take a job, I want to have the skills to do it.  Especially need to brush up on Mercury tools.
   • Second, I want to be able to better compare.  I’ve looked at just about every bug tracking tool, but I haven’t made any detailed analysis.  I need to look more in-depth at test management tools, and look to integrating different automation tools and build tools.  I’d like to experiment with additional SCM tools such as Aegis, Mercurial, and Git as well.
   • Third, the experience from comparing will help me decide what best to offer for QA Sites
   • Fourth, it will also help me when (not if) I take the plunge and start implementing my own tools.  I’m never completely happy, and I’ve got a psoriasis for QA tools.  My itch will probably never stop until I fully scratch it.  But I’m just worried that my full time job will become developing tools, and I won’t be able to have time for clients (or sailing — or further experiementation and products.)