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GeekNights 20110523 - Corporate Training

edited May 2011 in GeekNights

Tonight on GeekNights, since Rym has training all week, we talk about training in general. But first, Google's My Tracks is better than most alternatives, automobile black boxes may soon be mandatory, and Apple is ready to smash a patent troll.

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  • Because the company I work for is pursuing ISO9000 I were asked for a list of courses/seminars that IT could go through to show a continued pursuit of improvement. I really couldn't think of anything to go for really. Maybe my mistake was looking for courses that would actually improve the skills of the people here rather than boring vacation spots.
  • I had corporate Training two weeks ago. I can verify pretty much everything you guys said.
  • Because the company I work for is pursuing ISO9000 I were asked for a list of courses/seminars that IT could go through to show a continued pursuit of improvement. I really couldn't think of anything to go for really. Maybe my mistake was looking for courses that would actually improve the skills of the people here rather than boring vacation spots.
    Networking and publicity is 95% of the reason to attend any conference at all. That alone assists greatly in your professional development.

    Networking is fucking tiring, let me tell you.
    Because the company I work for is pursuing ISO9000
    We're 17025. Have fun with writing an SOP for everything.
  • Networking and publicity is 95% of the reason to attend any conference at all.
    Not a conference, a course. Like something at our local community college. Maybe a Workshop in X technology. I guess i'll eventually find something that interests me, eventually
    Because the company I work for is pursuing ISO9000
    We're 17025. Have fun with writing an SOP for everything.
    /sobs-silently-to-himself

  • Networking is fucking tiring, let me tell you.
    God damn right it is. As someone who is socially introverted by nature, I'm used to forcing myself out there making connections, even to the point as coming off as a natural extrovert, but at the end of the day you are just mentally and physically drained.
  • /sobs-silently-to-himself
    My favorite is the SOP for writing SOP's.

    Actually, while the process is going to be a pain in the ass, the work you do after the conversion is going to be an order of magnitude better. No, really. I didn't think it would change anything, but the degree of organization required necessitates a change in attitude.

    That's really what an ISO certification does. It changes the attitude with which you approach your work, and forces you to think about the quality of things you'd probably never thought about before.
    Maybe a Workshop in X technology. I guess i'll eventually find something that interests me, eventually
    Actually, I find workshops to be even better for networking. They're usually smaller, so you get really familiar with everyone. You meet good drinking buddies that way.

    I'll tell you, though, watch out even if you do find a workshop that sounds interesting. I went to an "intermediate" molecular methods workshop not too long ago. Apparently, "intermediate" means "you must not be a mouth-breathing retard." It was well below my current skill level.

    But it was good networking.
  • I'll tell you, though, watch out even if you do find a workshop that sounds interesting. I went to an "intermediate" molecular methods workshop not too long ago. Apparently, "intermediate" means "you must not be a mouth-breathing retard." It was well below my current skill level.
    So stick to "Advanced" ones, right.
    My favorite is the SOP for writing SOP's.

    Actually, while the process is going to be a pain in the ass, the work you do after the conversion is going to be an order of magnitude better. No, really. I didn't think it would change anything, but the degree of organization required necessitates a change in attitude.

    That's really what an ISO certification does. It changes the attitude with which you approach your work, and forces you to think about the quality of things you'd probably never thought about before.
    I'm still not sure where I'll fall into the whole ISO bit here. I write/maintain the in house ERM system, we're a manufacturing firm, and we're relying upon that for all of the documentation. When I asked if I'll have to, finally!, have to write documentation for it, we have work instructions and general outlines but by-and-large it grows like a wild vine, I were told that the system as a whole was to be exempted.

    It seems silly to me that you wouldn't document the system you use to document but whatever.
  • edited May 2011
    I were told that the system as a whole was to be exempted.
    That happens sometimes. We've kept some things deliberately out of our scope because it was entirely too much work to put them in-scope within the time frame we wanted. So you put those things on the back burner and work on them piecemeal.

    The line between an SOP and a WI gets fuzzy sometimes.
    Post edited by TheWhaleShark on
  • On the black box topic. As a truck driver we have had a couple black boxes for years. One is satellite tracking using Qualcomm which is very old, very broken and very easy to disconnect, it is really only used as an overpriced messaging system between the company and the driver. T

    he second is in the ECM/ECU and is a logging system that cannot be shut down without shutting down the ECM which would make the truck inoperable, it logs when the truck is on, when it is running and when it is moving and is usually pulled and read in a case where there was an accident and there is a conflict in the driver's log book as to when he/she was actually driving.
  • I guess it all depends on the person. I do my best learning if there is some sort of class structure. I can learn on my own but tend to get distracted very easily (When I was in college I'd just have a friend come in and sit and read a book while I wrote a paper just because having them their made me stay on task). Having that structure, helps me a whole lot.

    I haven't done a whole lot of corporate training though. Last one I felt I got out of it what I put in, I'm a lot more conferable using Illustrator now (freaking pen tool). With something like Photoshop though I think training could be very hit or miss. I know a lot about it but, there are so many different things you can do and ways to do it, I don't know what "level" of training I would take for it. It's something I use so much and I learn new tricks all the time (I can pretty much Google a tutorial on anything I want). Sometimes I think some formal training might be good to pick up on newer features though.
  • edited May 2011
    Oh fuck, Lodsys are at it again...

    http://www.boingboing.net/2011/05/31/lodsys-files-lawsuit.html

    Your move Apple.
    Post edited by InvaderREN on
  • Oh fuck, Lodsys are at it again...
    You across the pond, can you stop trying to turn the justice system into your profitable business model?
  • I too learn best in class, when I get the rare homework assignment at WSN-7 school I can barely get it done. Also Learning to operate as opposed to trouble shoot are two different beasts I'm learning. If I were just learning to operate the WSN the class would be a week long tops.
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