sacha chua :: living an awesome life

There’s a certain delight in working on obscure problems. In my case, I was trying to debug an old spreadsheet that statistically analyzed survey responses in order to match them to innovation archetypes. It started when I noticed that a few chart labels were incorrect. In the process of trying to figure that out and make handling multiple survey responses easier, I ended up deep in Visual Basic code, untangling algorithms that didn’t make complete sense to me.

The spreadsheet had been created three years ago, and it was hard to track down people associated with the project. Documentation was practically non-existent. Working with the source code, sprinkled comments, and formula auditing tools, I figured out what was going on.

So I knew what the code did, but I wasn’t sure it did what it was supposed to do. I asked two team members and a third consultant to refer me to someone who could explain the manual procedure and provide the missing information. If I could figure out how to do the analysis by hand, I could find the bugs and update the spreadsheet.

Even if we end up discarding the tool, I had fun following the logic through the code. There’s something about understanding a small piece of the puzzle well, and then expanding your understanding until you can hold the program in your mind.

My research supervisor is chairing the ACM Hypertext conference that will be held in Toronto from June 13 to 16, 2010. The conference focuses on linking and interconnectivity, and will have sessions on Web 2.0, social computing, and the semantic web. Tracks:

• Social computing
• Adaptive hypermedia and applications
• Hypertext in education and communications

The deadline for paper submissions is February 14.

ACM Hypertext2010

Work

• [/] Revise wiki structure
• [X] Follow up on lessons learned
• Also: Coordinated regarding logo
• Explored archetype analysis spreadsheet – understand it better now
• Created archetype presentation for an upcoming workshop
• Created Idea Lab for another upcoming workshop
• Documented Idea Lab preparation
• Set up community for industry maestros
• Gave a new team member the overview of how information was organized; documented this for the team
• Posted follow-up/analysis of  backchannel conversation from microblogging talk
• Had fun documenting things right before people needed them
• Signed up for the Art of Marketing seminar

Relationships

• [X] Book wedding chambers
• [X] Try out restaurants – looked at 12 restaurants!
• [/] Book reception
• [/] Look for photographers / videographers – decided against wedding photography package, will go for family portraits instead
• [/] Look for cheongsam (there’s a nice one for $75, but it’s probably available for cheaper)  – may opt for simple red dress or brocade jacket
• [  ] Start collecting guest addresses – will go for small wedding instead
• [  ] Send care package
• [  ] Plan February tea party
• [  ] Send thank-you notes
• Also: Met up with Quinn while she was in town
• Helped J- with her homework
• Chatted with Jeff Widman about business, life, virtual assistance
• Ordered book for mom

Life

• [  ] Group Siargao pictures into a story
• [/] Plan crafts
• Also: Had regular eye checkup, ordered glasses
• Made orange marmalade
• Sewed a number of zippered pouches
• Made a little felt case for my iPod
• Bought two pairs of jeans (it’s about time…)
• Read lots of books
• Stocked up on zippers and cloth

The week went by so quickly. I postponed a number of items on my task list so that I didn’t go crazy trying to fit everything in. At work, I prioritized supporting upcoming engagements and improving our process documentation. One of our new team members was impressed by the way we’d written down lots of stuff – hooray. Outside work, I focused on planning the wedding and on exploring crafts.

PLANS FOR NEXT WEEK:

Work

• [  ] Support upcoming workshops by setting up Idea Labs and doing archetype presentations
• [  ] Braindump more of what I know at work
• [  ] Organize teleconference for people working in my neighborhood
• [  ] Give “Shy Connector” presentation to WITI audience

Relationships

• [  ] Try another restaurant
• [  ] Check out portrait photographers
• [  ] Hand-write invitations and include in care package

Life

• [  ] Sew more zippered pouches
• [  ] Sew wrap-around zippered pouch
• [  ] Work on Siargao scrapbook, really
• [  ] Send invitations for February tea party (end of month-ish?)

I gave a talk on microblogging to approximately 150 people at IBM. It was fantastic! There was so much energy and engagement, it was all I could do to keep up with the free-wheeling discussion.

What worked well:

• My entire presentation (excluding the title slide) consisted of a single-slide summary. That was really useful, as it meant that people knew the structure and what I was going to talk about right away.
• The chat conversation was lively. Really lively. =)
• Having someone else watch the conversation definitely helped. Also, treating it as a river of thoughts, or a jumping-off point for further discussions… It’s like a big brainstorming session!

What I’d like to improve further:

• My quick overview (plan: 5 minutes) ended up taking 20 minutes because I responded to people on the fly. Totally okay. I wonder if I can make the set-up presentation shorter so that I can open it up for Q&A even earlier.
• I’d planned to switch to screen sharing and go through things dynamically, but I went with the static image because I didn’t want  to interrupt the conversation with more moving parts. Maybe if I can get to the point of quickly doing visual notetaking in real life (like Minna does!), then I’ll be able to keep up with doing it virtually too.
• This presentation/interaction pattern is new and powerful. It can feel like a chaotic bazaar sometimes, though! I wonder how we can manage this better. I’d love to use a tool with a bigger chat box, for example. That would make the backchannel easier to see and read.

That was exhilarating!

The teapot beside me is white Corelle stoneware. Nothing fancy, just a teapot.

I bought it when I was a graduate student, along with a set of Corelle plates, bowls, and saucers. I had grown tired of mismatched plates handed down from roommate to roommate. Having my own settings made me feel more grown-up, while Corelle reminded me of my childhood. Old and young at the same time.

I smile when I see the familiar patterns in other people’s homes. Corelle Livingware Apricot Grove – that’s the style I remember most. It tickles me pink that W-‘s mom has the same style of mugs.

It’s funny how simple things evoke emotions.