From Stephen: another variant on remote standup from 37 signals. Want to try it?
Author: Dunrie
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Old West Side Write Up
For interested and distant friends and family, here is the write-up on our house for the Old West Side Homes Tour. This story appeared in the September Old West Side News.
The write-up gets my current profession wrong even after I corrected them, but otherwise it is a nice summary. Probably not a good idea to forward this to Dave’s grandparents…
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Flight to the Bruce
From the left: Gillies Lake, Cabot Head, and Georgian Bay
Over the Labor Day holiday, we flew from Ann Arbor to Tobermory, with a quick detour over Gillies Lake, Cabot Head, and Wingfield Basin.
Though we left Ann Arbor in drizzly and overcast conditions, it had brightened by the time we got to the peninsula. I have a lot to learn about taking photos from the plane, and I neglected to bring my polarizing filter (drat!), so the photos are not as spectacular as the experience…
Our flight home was not as jaw-droppingly beautiful, but it was safe and speedier than the long drive. Apparently my aunt and uncle’s wait at the Blue Water Bridge was 2 1/4 hours. Yikes!
More photos on Flickr.
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Minneapolis
We traveled to Minneapolis to my college friend Betty’s wedding. It was a joy to spend some time with Dina (left) and see Betty (center) and finally meet her previously mysterious fiance/hubby, Ted.
Before and after the wedding, we basked in warm hub-bub of Dave’s uncle George and aunt Karen’s family, attending the Minneapolis State Fair with the kids, playing on the downed tree in the back yard, and reconnecting.
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Enjoyable project management software?!
I find it astonishing that I am writing this: I have found a project management software that actually saves me time and makes my life easier. It is 37 signals’ basecamp software. Basecamp website.
Basecamp was recommended by several folks as I searched around. We were using the established and familiar but otherwise horrifying timeassistant, and I checked out the open source phprojekt and dotproject and didn’t find them to suit my purposes. I’m happy with our basecamp subscription.
Things we now use it for
- Communicating task requirements (storycard titles and descriptions) and status
- It also provides for template to-do lists (common tasks can be stored and brought into new projects)
- Sharing files
- Posting/sharing milestone dates
- Time tracking (only available with the paid subscription)
- within projects.
- across projects.
- and my favorite – one click to review the time elapsed on a particular task to date.
- exporting to exporting time to csv files for further slicing and dicing in spreadsheet software.
Things it isn’t
It isn’t a work authorization system, except in the most blunt way. I can restrict people to certain projects, but not to tasks within a project. It won’t prevent someone from charging time on someone else’s storycard, this has to be enforced manually, after the fact. It does not handle cards assigned to multiple people exceptionally well. I still use the corkboards for ordering tasks: basecamp provides no means to order tasks across projects, and only a weak way to order tasks within a project. It doesn’t automate any form of estimation or planning. It isn’t a communication tool on its own. I have yet to get a client very interested in using it.
- Communicating task requirements (storycard titles and descriptions) and status