Microsoft has its own internal language, it is called Microspeak, Most of it is abreviations of terms that are used frequently while working. Others are code names or just descriptions of things that are done frequently. You hear things like: "let's dogfood this", "ping the developer" or "the BVT was run last night" it's part of what makes getting started at Microsoft difficult, part of the steep learning curve.
~Alma
At least I didn't forget my badge today.
I didn't quite get to work before eight AM, like I wanted to, but I was there sufficiently early. Sigh, more responsibility is being handed to me, I'm still choking some on what I have, but little bits are starting to sink in. I hope I'm ready for when Sanjina goes on her 100 day break.
I found out some interesting and somewhat concerning information today. I had an interview aka welcome meeting with my Volt rep. It seems that the Non-Disclosure agreement I signed requires that I am not allowed to get a job with any other agency for a period of 180 days after the end of an assignment. I had previously thought it was 100 days as the Minecode people were quoting me. So, that means that if I had taken a job with Minecode after only 100 days I could have been in some possible serious legal trouble.
Of course Volt has agreements with Microsoft as well as other companies that, if offered, I could possibly be hired on full time. Nothing like putting a leash on your employees. Oh well, at least I am enjoying my current job. I also found out that accrued paid vacation days can only be carried over if returning to work within 140 days, which I just happen to be two days over. Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter, I can't really think of a reason I would be taking a vacation any time very soon.
~Alma
Okay I did more actual work today. I think I might be beginning to learn how to file bugs. I think a good way to describe what I do is that I am a copy editor for the Help files and websites for Windows Server. I run the documents to be compiled into Help files or Web Pages through some automation looking for common mistakes and also look over the document for any errors.
It is starting to become more interesting. But it is certainly like no other testing I have ever heard of before. This will be interesting. I wonder if I could get hired on fulltime from this position.
I finally had work to do today. I have no idea if I understood what it was I was supposed to be doing, but I hope I will catch on soon. This is certainly not the kind of work I was expecting. It is very different than what I was doing on the IE BVT team. It seems that I am sort of like an editor, for help content, I check over the finished documents to make sure the formatting hasn't been lost ant the links are correct. Most of the testing is done via. Automation like profanity filtering, link checking, etc. but some of it just has to be done by eye. I spent most of the day checking help files to make sure the content hadn't lost its formatting.
This is going to be an interesting job. Now if I could just comprehend what people are saying when they are telling me, at Eighty miles an hour, what I am expected to do. I’ll just have to keep asking questions.
When I checked in with the receptionist to try to get my Agency Temp pass I was told I could pick up my badge. Cool, and on the second day too! I didn't have to wait the full Seventy Two hours I had to wait the first time. So I walked over to Building Eight to pick it up, and was given my old badge back. Even more cool. Then back to my Office to finish installing an OS I couldn't finish the day before.
My Manager was working from home today so I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to do. One person was instructed to show me the ropes of the tests, So I sat in his Office as he showed me how to examine the test results, and file Bugs. They certainly aren’t like the tests I had over in IE. It might take me a little while to get the hang of things.
Next, my office again, and a short introduction to one of the main Microsoft wide tools. Then busy work trying to get the systems arranged and trying to learn a little about what I'm supposed to be doing. I had a little trouble trying to do some of the things I needed to do because there are still a few permitions that haven’t propagated. hopefully they will all be ready tomorrow.
I guess I am expected to work for Eight hours a day, and I can arrive whenever I can get there, I just have to be at work between Ten AM to Four PM. Yawn. I'm already starting to feel the drain of Eight hour days. I Hope I can get accustomed to is soon. The hundred day break requirement is nuts, it creates a more difficult transition when returning to work. One of the cool things about this job though is they seem to expect contractors to return after their breaks.
Today was my first day of work. It was sort of interesting. I first turned in my insurance paperwork in at the Volt Main Microsoft Campus. Then went on over to building 43 But I was about an hour or two early So I wandered around a little outside area nearby until I was only about 45 minutes early. Then I went into the Lobby and registered with the Receptionist who also contacted my Manager to come and get me. I'm in an Office that will eventually hold three people. I'm in an office where I can see a window from my door. I started by setting up my Mail machine, though it was a struggle, since a good portion of my permitions have not propagated on the servers.
One thing about Microsoft, When you start; it is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. You are given a set of computers and told to set them up, with a little help. Then with little, or no training, given instructions to follow to do your work. It's kind of the flying by the seat of your pants training. I suppose, it could be rather exhilarating.
There was a team meeting; I was invited to, where things that are currently over my head were discussed. I am supposed to replace someone that has four weeks left on her contract. So I have a little bit of time to learn and be tutored. She has apparently become quite the efficient tester and has a whole lot of areas she is covering, so I have some really huge shoes to fill. They are working on a semi-automated project to help me do what she was doing, they are calling it Everest. I wonder what that could mean.
There is a second guy on the team that started today in the same room as me. It was his first day ever so he was struggling big time, he was getting rather frustrated. Domains can be a fussy torture devise if you haven’t had to really deal with them before. Finally after I was done with everything I could do I helped him get his Mail Machine in working order. At least I could sympathize with him having gone through the same sort of experience only about Ten months ago. Then home ward bound.
π, one of the most interesting numbers in existence. Believe it or not, it is one of the few numbers I have actually engrained, well at least to the 7th decimal, 3.1415926. Today is March (3) 14th so it is 3/14 and at 1:59 even cooler. Mmm, Chicken potpie sounds good for tonight, had Bean soup instead though.
Hmm. Other numbers and series I have internalized: Some of the more important degrees of a circle; 0 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 180, [270], 360. Binary powers; 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256.
Happy PI Day
I had Volt's Orientation today. Most of it was filling out paperwork and a presentation which I pretty much saw at my first orientation when I started with IE. It will be a relief to get the initiation over with and back into the swing of things. I just hope I am up to the requirements of the job. I’m a little nervous. I have never done production code that might be critiqued; there is a possibility that I will be writing some code, I hope I am up to it.
I'm a little excided as well, I even pulled my badge holder out and it is ready to go for when I get my new badge. I wonder what my new alias will be. I suppose there is this sort of FBI/CIA covert cool kind of aspect of working at Microsoft. Working with technology so new it hasn't even been released yet, the requirement of badges to get in the buildings. Even as a contractor it’s cool.
With my starting work; I wonder if I will be able to keep this blogging up. Usually it takes me a few hours to compose a good post, and with work’s tendency to leave me drained I’m not sure I will have the energy to keep at it. I’ll keep trying as long as I can though.
