Definition of Done isn't done

 How not to write the definition of done:

* The new functionality is implemented. 

* Producer & Leader have reviewed it. 

This says nothing useful, and is generic enough to apply to every story. 

"When it works and is reviewed, it is done"

I did what?

 Work is them asking for a program to do a thing. 

It starts off bare bones, and gets more and more complex and complete each day.

And then one day it is done, and you turn it over to be run by an automated system, or other people.

Later, they ask you to make some changes, so you open up the files and try to understand why you wrote that, and this does what?

Eventually you make the changes, and hand it off again, not to think of it till they want more changes. 

I know how to do it...

 Me: I know how to do this. I have done it multiple times over the last couple of years. 

Me 20 minutes later: OK, I think I missed a step... or 10. OK, off to read my notes... or should I just google it? 

Me 30 minutes later reading "Hello World" at one of my favorite websites: http://127.0.0.1:5000/

And now, because I have been thinking about Flask, I have Flash (Gordon) by Queen playing in my head.

When dreams die

"Please write a function that reverses a string using the split and join method" 

2 years ago that was a very important thing to me, and I got to watch as multiple other students realized that coding was not for them. 

I spent around 45 minutes after class helping one student try and wrap their brain around it, and they never did. I had an easier time teaching dogs to climb ladders and slide down slides. Yeah, I am odd. 

Now I am at the level of "Please write a function that checks if a string is a palindrome, and if it is say 'No work is needed', and if it is not then reverse the string.", and I bet that you are as well.

Rubber Duck

 When you have problems, explain the problem to your rubber duck (It doesn't have to be a rubber duck. I've talked to AI, my dog, plants, even humans if I have to).

Explain the problem in as simple of terms as possible, like you want a 5-year-old to understand it (Oh, if I had a 5yo... no, no, no, way too disruptive to my home life.)
At some point in the process, you will come up with new ways to approach the problem. Or, you will keep talking to your rubber duck.
Wait...
while problem:
talk to rubber duck

I think while might be the solution I am looking for.
Thanks for the help, all you rubber duckies.

Coworker asked a question

Coworker "They want to know if I want 32 more gigs of ram"

Me "In what world is the answer no?"

*** SECURITY BREACH! SECURITY BREACH! ***

*** SECURITY BREACH! SECURITY BREACH! ***

Google found that one of my passwords has been compromised.

I clicked to see which one it is.

It is for http://localhost:8888 on my cheese-mvc project.

If hackers get into that they will learn that Bob owns 14 types of cheese!

I think my password for that, like many of my local projects, is "cat". One of the conditions was that the password has to be 3-8 characters long, and cat is easier to type than dog.

OK, now I am wondering if that was in C# or Java...