After investigating several possibilities (raw DHTML, Backbase...), I have finally opted for Chiba as the presentation engine for jinFORM, my attempt to port MS InfoPath 2003 forms on the web.
Chiba is a cool XForms 1.0 SE implementation that runs on J2EE servers. I investigated it when I started jinFORM last year, but at this time, all actions where bound HTML form post actions, leading to a less than comfortable UI.
The new version, currently in release candidate, is fully AJAX driven, which not only makes it buzz-word compliant, but also dramatically improves the user experience.
Despite several little bugs, the InfoPath forms transformed into XForms and rendered by Chiba are more than usable. So far, the most annoying thing in Chiba is the direct dependency to Log4j: using Commons-Logging would have made it more friendly with the different deployment situations.
I will wave a flag when the first alpha release of jinFORM will be out there.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Friday, February 17, 2006
The Mystique of Software Craftsmanship, Part 3
[Previous Part]
Third Discipline : Let it flow
The lessons learned in other sectors of the industry can also be beneficial when applied to the IT field. The example that immediately comes to mind is the the invaluable contribution from Tom and Mary Poppendieck in applying lean principles to software development.
It is evident that there is still a lot to learn from other organizations: take for example the latest discoveries of the Mind/Body Institute that Herbert Benson has recently presented in Harvard Business Review (November 2005). Benson describes the mechanisms involved into reaching what he calls a “break-out”, a mental state that we call “flow” in the software development industry. Knowing that reaching this state is intimately linked to producing high quality software and that “it takes about 20 minutes to reach the internal state of flow, and only a minute to lose it” (as Alistair Cockburn stated it), we can consider these findings as essential for our business.
Benson describes a four-state cycle: stress, walk-away, flow and back to normal: mastering this cycle could allow anyone of us to reach our optimal productive state at will. The surprising aspect of this cycle is the importance that stress plays in reaching the break-out: voluntarily creating this stress is a critical aspect of being able to trigger the state of flow. Everyone will have a different way to raise its stress level: the important thing is to discover what is our own.
For example, one will naturally procrastinate until the deadline gets short, then, after a short pause, the break-out happens and she will deliver on schedule a better piece of code than if she has spent twice the time on it.
Being aware and able to control this internal mechanism is the kind of proper exercise that we should consider, not only to be more efficient but to ultimately harvest self-satisfaction in what we do.
Third Discipline : Let it flow
The lessons learned in other sectors of the industry can also be beneficial when applied to the IT field. The example that immediately comes to mind is the the invaluable contribution from Tom and Mary Poppendieck in applying lean principles to software development.
It is evident that there is still a lot to learn from other organizations: take for example the latest discoveries of the Mind/Body Institute that Herbert Benson has recently presented in Harvard Business Review (November 2005). Benson describes the mechanisms involved into reaching what he calls a “break-out”, a mental state that we call “flow” in the software development industry. Knowing that reaching this state is intimately linked to producing high quality software and that “it takes about 20 minutes to reach the internal state of flow, and only a minute to lose it” (as Alistair Cockburn stated it), we can consider these findings as essential for our business.
Benson describes a four-state cycle: stress, walk-away, flow and back to normal: mastering this cycle could allow anyone of us to reach our optimal productive state at will. The surprising aspect of this cycle is the importance that stress plays in reaching the break-out: voluntarily creating this stress is a critical aspect of being able to trigger the state of flow. Everyone will have a different way to raise its stress level: the important thing is to discover what is our own.
For example, one will naturally procrastinate until the deadline gets short, then, after a short pause, the break-out happens and she will deliver on schedule a better piece of code than if she has spent twice the time on it.
Being aware and able to control this internal mechanism is the kind of proper exercise that we should consider, not only to be more efficient but to ultimately harvest self-satisfaction in what we do.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
YAGNI In The Sky (Quote of the day)
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Thursday, February 02, 2006
The Mystique of Software Craftsmanship, Part 2
[Previous part]
Second Discipline : Be a Hero
We know that learning is mainly based on imitation and imitation can only happen when we are exposed to valuable models. These models constitute the good food our brains need. Either by reading books or attending conferences, we feed us with the result of years, if not decade, of experience and reflection in a few hours. These models, when incarnated in human beings, become the league of heroes we should desire to join.
What, in the case of software craftsmanship, could it mean to be a hero. How in our field of activity, could we exercise valiance, courage and wit? Here are some suggestions:
While pursuing this quest for software craftsmanship heroism, let us not aim the wrong goals. Though they might be reached in the journey, this is not glory and fame that we are seeking: we are looking for doing the right thing at the right time, and that will be heroic enough.
Second Discipline : Be a Hero
We know that learning is mainly based on imitation and imitation can only happen when we are exposed to valuable models. These models constitute the good food our brains need. Either by reading books or attending conferences, we feed us with the result of years, if not decade, of experience and reflection in a few hours. These models, when incarnated in human beings, become the league of heroes we should desire to join.
What, in the case of software craftsmanship, could it mean to be a hero. How in our field of activity, could we exercise valiance, courage and wit? Here are some suggestions:
- let us be a hero for our clients: they are the prime reason we wake up in the morning and the true motivation of our professional endeavors, so we must embrace their cause and deliver the best value possible, even on the things we build but they do not see,
- let us be valiant for always walking the extra mile: when the little bell that warns us of a potentially crappy line of code start ringing in our head, we should not turn our back on it but refactor as soon as possible, and, if we are too tired to solve the issue right away, at the very least we should comment the risks or doubts so nothing remains in the shadows,
- let us do supernatural things like: stealing the overhead projector of your favorite salesperson, plugging it into your workstation to explore interactive programming or design sessions with your peers ; hacking an AmbientDevice to display your test coverage status or the time left before the next release ; training a RoboSapien to pick-up the phone when you do not want to be disturbed by your favorite salesperson (looking for his OHP)...
While pursuing this quest for software craftsmanship heroism, let us not aim the wrong goals. Though they might be reached in the journey, this is not glory and fame that we are seeking: we are looking for doing the right thing at the right time, and that will be heroic enough.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Excellent Resolution (Quote of the day)
"You are what you do habitually. Therefore excellence must become a habit."
John Bevere
Friday, January 20, 2006
The Mystique of Software Craftsmanship, Part 1
Usually, the first years in the professional field of information technology are all about geeky concerns and simple delights like learning languages and exploring frameworks. Then come the big questions about what and why and how are we doing what we are doing. Technological questions give way to human interrogations.
It not a benign fact that information technologists are dealing now with such questions: the industry have matured to such a point that everyone knows that any new technology, as complex as it could appear, can be tamed and that the true challenge lies in the intricacies of human behavior.
Being aware of the challenge that sits in the very heart of each of us is the only way to be able to work on it. Common concepts like rigor and willingness can surely help us improve ; I would like to propose to everyone of us some disciplines whose practice should contribute to improve our craftsmanship.
First Discipline : Taming the Unagile Old Man
Why do we sometimes catch ourselves wondering if we really should code to interfaces instead of concrete classes? Why are we from time to time erring in thinking that we can skip writing this unit test? Why are we tempted to forget about refactoring code that works but we know would be hard to maintain? Why is our first reaction to a change request a negative one?
All these questions lead us to wonder if there is there such a thing as an unagile old man? Similarly to the old man of the Christian faith, who represents the natural tendencies of the non-spiritual human being, the unagile old man would manifest from time to time, when tiredness level or deadline pressure is getting too high, and he would try to carry us in the infamous water of compromising with quality.
What, as software craftsmans, can we do to tame the old man? We have to learn his tactics and apply counter measures:
It not a benign fact that information technologists are dealing now with such questions: the industry have matured to such a point that everyone knows that any new technology, as complex as it could appear, can be tamed and that the true challenge lies in the intricacies of human behavior.
Being aware of the challenge that sits in the very heart of each of us is the only way to be able to work on it. Common concepts like rigor and willingness can surely help us improve ; I would like to propose to everyone of us some disciplines whose practice should contribute to improve our craftsmanship.
First Discipline : Taming the Unagile Old Man
Why do we sometimes catch ourselves wondering if we really should code to interfaces instead of concrete classes? Why are we from time to time erring in thinking that we can skip writing this unit test? Why are we tempted to forget about refactoring code that works but we know would be hard to maintain? Why is our first reaction to a change request a negative one?
All these questions lead us to wonder if there is there such a thing as an unagile old man? Similarly to the old man of the Christian faith, who represents the natural tendencies of the non-spiritual human being, the unagile old man would manifest from time to time, when tiredness level or deadline pressure is getting too high, and he would try to carry us in the infamous water of compromising with quality.
What, as software craftsmans, can we do to tame the old man? We have to learn his tactics and apply counter measures:
- if he plays on your fatigue, get some rest or go out for a walk and come back to the problem,
- if he tries to scare you, increase the test coverage of your application and take revenge by refactoring aggressively,
- if he invites you to cut corners, repeat Robert Martin's mantra: “the only way to go fast is to go well” until he gets deaf.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Alfresco is fresh but cool!
Today, I had the opportunity to attend to a presentation given by the top guys of Alfresco and, yes, it is pretty cool. It is still a little fresco, dub it too early for prime time for complex ECM needs, but in a six months time, it is bound to become a great piece of software. These guys know what they are doing, most probably because they have done it for more than a decade, but also because they sure are smart.
The same way JBoss has commoditized J2EE application servers, Alfresco will do the same to ECM business and, in a couple of years, Documentum will have to try to reinvent itself or simply rely on their maintenance fees to survive.
But Alfresco will not simply focus on ECM and will soon attack the WCM market, which makes sense. Here they will probably hit a little more competition from affordable and/or open source solutions (like Jahia). But hybrid solutions will emerge, with Alfresco providing content management (through web services or JSR-170 connectivity) and other systems providing the web interface.
All this is pretty well known and expected but there is this one feature they have demonstrated today that, I think, has the potential to disrupt another market, the market of ad-hoc document related applications.
This feature is called "space templates" and allows to instantiate some kind of a workspace with storage areas, discussions forums, rules and workflow definitions inherited from a template. Now, if you bear in mind that they will add a solid workflow engine to the system (most probably jBPM), they would only need to add a full fledged rule engine to support the creation of powerful templates that would solve what expensive ad-hoc applications do.
Here I am thinking of fields like legal and contract management. Take the case of intellectual property management: you could define a space template for, say, Patents, Designs or Trademarks, have all the relevant storage created (related correspondence, official forms, pictures), have the workflow related information in meta-data (country, classes, application & renewal dates) and you would get a user-oriented solution, where her daily work (which is mainly document related work) would drive the whole process.
These guys are clearly not only creating business for themselves but they are opening brand new fields. Who will dare exploring them?
The same way JBoss has commoditized J2EE application servers, Alfresco will do the same to ECM business and, in a couple of years, Documentum will have to try to reinvent itself or simply rely on their maintenance fees to survive.
But Alfresco will not simply focus on ECM and will soon attack the WCM market, which makes sense. Here they will probably hit a little more competition from affordable and/or open source solutions (like Jahia). But hybrid solutions will emerge, with Alfresco providing content management (through web services or JSR-170 connectivity) and other systems providing the web interface.
All this is pretty well known and expected but there is this one feature they have demonstrated today that, I think, has the potential to disrupt another market, the market of ad-hoc document related applications.
This feature is called "space templates" and allows to instantiate some kind of a workspace with storage areas, discussions forums, rules and workflow definitions inherited from a template. Now, if you bear in mind that they will add a solid workflow engine to the system (most probably jBPM), they would only need to add a full fledged rule engine to support the creation of powerful templates that would solve what expensive ad-hoc applications do.
Here I am thinking of fields like legal and contract management. Take the case of intellectual property management: you could define a space template for, say, Patents, Designs or Trademarks, have all the relevant storage created (related correspondence, official forms, pictures), have the workflow related information in meta-data (country, classes, application & renewal dates) and you would get a user-oriented solution, where her daily work (which is mainly document related work) would drive the whole process.
These guys are clearly not only creating business for themselves but they are opening brand new fields. Who will dare exploring them?
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Educated Plumbers
Joel Spolsky just released one of his excellent piece of wisdom, this one explaining how the great bargain of IT courses makes his life difficult when trying to select smart recruits. He is of course fully right but I feel like adding a few words.
First, the sabotage of education is not limited to IT: my wife being a math teacher, I can tell you that the level of what she is teaching is constantly on the down curve. It is like the attention span of young generations has narrowed so much that it is not an option anymore to dare exposing them to problems that need several minutes of reflection to be solved.
Second, it is certainly not wise to focus on a particular language when teaching the fundamentals of software development. In fact, when I recruit someone, I do not particularly care about what language she studied at school, the courses is more important: evaluating if the candidate has learnt to learn is the key point. Then I focus on language and frameworks only for particular projects.
Then, yes Joel, Java can be learnt in two days (like C#): what takes a lot of time is mastering the whole SDK, dealing correctly with multi-threaded environment and thinking object oriented. This takes years to learn, even for a master of C.
Finally, nowadays 90% of the programmers will spend their day on plumbing jobs: connecting beans to cryptic frameworks and deploying them on fussy application servers. They will not deal with writing core algorithms, so the average mind will show some convincing signs of success, until confronted to some serious problem. Then the difference between an educated plumber and a seasoned craftsman will show.
First, the sabotage of education is not limited to IT: my wife being a math teacher, I can tell you that the level of what she is teaching is constantly on the down curve. It is like the attention span of young generations has narrowed so much that it is not an option anymore to dare exposing them to problems that need several minutes of reflection to be solved.
Second, it is certainly not wise to focus on a particular language when teaching the fundamentals of software development. In fact, when I recruit someone, I do not particularly care about what language she studied at school, the courses is more important: evaluating if the candidate has learnt to learn is the key point. Then I focus on language and frameworks only for particular projects.
Then, yes Joel, Java can be learnt in two days (like C#): what takes a lot of time is mastering the whole SDK, dealing correctly with multi-threaded environment and thinking object oriented. This takes years to learn, even for a master of C.
Finally, nowadays 90% of the programmers will spend their day on plumbing jobs: connecting beans to cryptic frameworks and deploying them on fussy application servers. They will not deal with writing core algorithms, so the average mind will show some convincing signs of success, until confronted to some serious problem. Then the difference between an educated plumber and a seasoned craftsman will show.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Rediscovering Verne
I am reading Jules Verne again: last time I was too young and got overwhelmed with his long descriptions and the usage of incredibly exotic units (I was raised as a metric-system mind).
It is a true pleasure to rediscover this author, both in his famous books and in the less known ones. I do not consider Jules Verne as a visionary: he has not foreseen anything like the heavier-than-air vehicles or the usage of oil as a source of energy. He is not such a scientist as well: you can see that he hardly explains what system allows the space travelers to survive the enormous acceleration of the bullet that carries them to the Moon.
But he is very well informed on the state of science and technologies of his time, and extremely good at imagining what could be the most advanced versions of what he was seeing around him. For me, he is more an extrapolative mind than a prophetic one!
But there are of course some interesting coincidences, like the fact that he estimated a lift-off to the Moon would happen either in Texas or Florida, when actually it was from Florida controlled from Texas!
Globally, it is a rejuvenating experience to read his books: his faith in science and engineering, his depiction of righteous men, his fascination for nature are communicative: it makes the grey and gloomy days of winter a little brighter and hopeful.
Moreover his true admiration for the United States, which he considers the land of bold endeavors and true democracy, is also refreshing, because full of genuine tenderness. Can Jules Verne help rediscovering America?
It is a true pleasure to rediscover this author, both in his famous books and in the less known ones. I do not consider Jules Verne as a visionary: he has not foreseen anything like the heavier-than-air vehicles or the usage of oil as a source of energy. He is not such a scientist as well: you can see that he hardly explains what system allows the space travelers to survive the enormous acceleration of the bullet that carries them to the Moon.
But he is very well informed on the state of science and technologies of his time, and extremely good at imagining what could be the most advanced versions of what he was seeing around him. For me, he is more an extrapolative mind than a prophetic one!
But there are of course some interesting coincidences, like the fact that he estimated a lift-off to the Moon would happen either in Texas or Florida, when actually it was from Florida controlled from Texas!
Globally, it is a rejuvenating experience to read his books: his faith in science and engineering, his depiction of righteous men, his fascination for nature are communicative: it makes the grey and gloomy days of winter a little brighter and hopeful.
Moreover his true admiration for the United States, which he considers the land of bold endeavors and true democracy, is also refreshing, because full of genuine tenderness. Can Jules Verne help rediscovering America?
Thursday, December 08, 2005
The other David does not like you too
I really have a problem with tailgaters, like David Lynch. Not only the jerks could not avoid crashing into my car if I have to do an emergency braking but they won't make me drive any bit faster because the cruise control does not care about how close is the car behind.
I think that tailgaters lack consistency: if they do not want to respect the speed limit (which I usually exceed of 5%) then they should overtake, whether we are in town or the line is plain, because why would they bother of one regulation (passing prohibited) and not another one (speed limit).
Finally, unless tailgaters sign an agreement where they would pay the tickets I would get if I drive faster to please them... they can stick to my fender!
I think that tailgaters lack consistency: if they do not want to respect the speed limit (which I usually exceed of 5%) then they should overtake, whether we are in town or the line is plain, because why would they bother of one regulation (passing prohibited) and not another one (speed limit).
Finally, unless tailgaters sign an agreement where they would pay the tickets I would get if I drive faster to please them... they can stick to my fender!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Intelligent Resign
Like many people in France, I have heard about the controversy that currently takes place in the US about creation and what is called "Intelligent Design".
Of course, in the post-Christian society that is France, this kind of debate looks curious at best and more generally incredibly obsolete for the vast majority of people who think that Christian faith is a middle-aged superstition and a crutch for weak persons.
This "intelligent design" debate will not help ridding these prejudices and misconceptions: there is nothing intelligent in wasting energy in talking about subjects that are all but extremely peripheral to the core of the message that Christians should broadcast. There is nothing new in this kind of intellectual diversions: re-read what Paul has written to Titus about this, almost two millenniums ago.
Confronting science and faith is a sterile debate: they are both in different non-competing fields (the "how" and the "why") and both can benefit from each other. Can not faith be re-enforced by the beauty and the majesty of the discoveries made in the heart of the matter or at the borders of the known universe? Can not science benefit from a little consciousness when it comes to potentially dangerous discoveries?
And on the subject of what is taught to kids at school, I really think that there are more serious threats that weight on our children than hearing about the theory of evolution. Living in a fallen world is all about filtering, anyway!
Of course, in the post-Christian society that is France, this kind of debate looks curious at best and more generally incredibly obsolete for the vast majority of people who think that Christian faith is a middle-aged superstition and a crutch for weak persons.
This "intelligent design" debate will not help ridding these prejudices and misconceptions: there is nothing intelligent in wasting energy in talking about subjects that are all but extremely peripheral to the core of the message that Christians should broadcast. There is nothing new in this kind of intellectual diversions: re-read what Paul has written to Titus about this, almost two millenniums ago.
Confronting science and faith is a sterile debate: they are both in different non-competing fields (the "how" and the "why") and both can benefit from each other. Can not faith be re-enforced by the beauty and the majesty of the discoveries made in the heart of the matter or at the borders of the known universe? Can not science benefit from a little consciousness when it comes to potentially dangerous discoveries?
And on the subject of what is taught to kids at school, I really think that there are more serious threats that weight on our children than hearing about the theory of evolution. Living in a fallen world is all about filtering, anyway!
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Wish Kids
Does anyone remember the Whiz Kids? This TV show has been a flop: one season and off it went... But for me it was a true revelation.
I think this show hit France a few years after its US release. At this time I was already hooked on computers, or at least what we used to call "computers" at this time (I am of course talking about the electronic spawn of Sir Sinclair).
Everything seemed possible in the Whiz Kids: pervasive computers were the key of all the plots and the sun was constantly shining above these smart young Californians.
I reckon that I must blame this show for having set my mind on two major wishes: become an expert in taming computers and relocate to California... So far, it is a 50% success (the geographical part of the challenge remains unfulfilled) ; should the show have taken place in Anchorage, I sure might not be eager to reach the 100% target!
I think this show hit France a few years after its US release. At this time I was already hooked on computers, or at least what we used to call "computers" at this time (I am of course talking about the electronic spawn of Sir Sinclair).
Everything seemed possible in the Whiz Kids: pervasive computers were the key of all the plots and the sun was constantly shining above these smart young Californians.
I reckon that I must blame this show for having set my mind on two major wishes: become an expert in taming computers and relocate to California... So far, it is a 50% success (the geographical part of the challenge remains unfulfilled) ; should the show have taken place in Anchorage, I sure might not be eager to reach the 100% target!
Sunday, October 30, 2005
This Is Called Revulsion
I feel pretty ashamed about the fact that, until I recently learnt that Lavoisier died on the guillotine during the French terror, I was pretty neutral (if not favorable) with the concept of revolution, more precisely, violent ones.
I needed to realize the atrocity of the death of such a beautiful mind, who contributed so much to the development of science, to reconsider my position. Lavoisier was hastily judged on the fact that he used to be a "general farmer", i.e. a tax collector for the king. His death was merely symbolic.
For the same symbolic reason, millions of people died in Cambodia, Cuba, China and many other places where the word "revolution" has been invoked as a reason for violently removing the people who were somehow symbols of the previous regime.
Were all these deaths and all this pain worth it? Read my lips: not a drop of blood was worth it. History has shown, and shows time and again, that a revolution always ends up by replacing one form of human servitude with another one.
What happened recently in Ukraine (the Orange revolution) brilliantly confirms the message of Gandhi: a peaceful crowd can accomplish great things, including revolutions that would take the life of no-one, hence that would not nurture fear, anger and the need for revenge.
I needed to realize the atrocity of the death of such a beautiful mind, who contributed so much to the development of science, to reconsider my position. Lavoisier was hastily judged on the fact that he used to be a "general farmer", i.e. a tax collector for the king. His death was merely symbolic.
For the same symbolic reason, millions of people died in Cambodia, Cuba, China and many other places where the word "revolution" has been invoked as a reason for violently removing the people who were somehow symbols of the previous regime.
Were all these deaths and all this pain worth it? Read my lips: not a drop of blood was worth it. History has shown, and shows time and again, that a revolution always ends up by replacing one form of human servitude with another one.
What happened recently in Ukraine (the Orange revolution) brilliantly confirms the message of Gandhi: a peaceful crowd can accomplish great things, including revolutions that would take the life of no-one, hence that would not nurture fear, anger and the need for revenge.
Friday, October 14, 2005
From Simple To Dumb?
Now what? There is an on-going effort to simplify Spring's configuration lead by James Strachan himself under the jolly name of XBean and this terrifies me to death.
First: when Mr. Strachan talks of simplicity people using Struts and other Strachian offspring can reasonably start to wet their pants.
Second: Spring is already simple: who on Earth needs to make simplicity simpler, especially when the risk is to make things simplistic if not dumb!
True XBean offers a richer XML syntax where beans are represented by actual elements but this remains XML, no harder, no simpler. Would a new DOS syntax have made it simpler? The true simplicity came from a layer above.
Hence, what could make Spring simpler would be a powerful Eclipse plug-in that would allow me to not only wire my beans but also to take advantage of other features of the framework (JMX exposition, AOP, MVC and, why not, Webflow): this would hide XML completely and really make Spring simpler.
___________
Post-Scriptum: People knowing NxBRE could argue that this post is a cheap shot as I did exactly the same when I introduced a richer syntax for the Flow Engine by XSL-Ting the general de-typed XML Schema into a more specific one. To my defense, let me point out that I have never claimed that the new syntax will be simpler, the goal was to make it richer...
First: when Mr. Strachan talks of simplicity people using Struts and other Strachian offspring can reasonably start to wet their pants.
Second: Spring is already simple: who on Earth needs to make simplicity simpler, especially when the risk is to make things simplistic if not dumb!
True XBean offers a richer XML syntax where beans are represented by actual elements but this remains XML, no harder, no simpler. Would a new DOS syntax have made it simpler? The true simplicity came from a layer above.
Hence, what could make Spring simpler would be a powerful Eclipse plug-in that would allow me to not only wire my beans but also to take advantage of other features of the framework (JMX exposition, AOP, MVC and, why not, Webflow): this would hide XML completely and really make Spring simpler.
___________
Post-Scriptum: People knowing NxBRE could argue that this post is a cheap shot as I did exactly the same when I introduced a richer syntax for the Flow Engine by XSL-Ting the general de-typed XML Schema into a more specific one. To my defense, let me point out that I have never claimed that the new syntax will be simpler, the goal was to make it richer...
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Back to 1936
The latest incidents in Corsica remind me of my youth, when we were protesting in the streets, trying to convince the government
to maintain its stake in the deficit laden steel industry sector. 25 years have past and steel industry, as well as coal mining, are history in France, sacrificed on the altar of profitability. Is this sad? Surely for all the families that have been badly hit by the situation, but looking at the tough work conditions of these industries, it might be better to follow the trend of western countries and evolve to a service and leisure oriented society (who said shallow?).
Anyway, it was profitable for common good to relieve the state from such debt-crippled industries, and the same applies to the ferry operator SNCM. What is tragic is the incapacity of the government to explain this simple fact that there is no more wonderland and welfare states ; what is also tragic is the fact that the unions are still engrossed in concepts dating from the middle of the 20th century.
A nice alternative would have been to help the employees of the SNCM to buy their company, make it their own so they would take care of it in the way that would please them and make them proud. That would have been a better investment than this pathetic last-minute promise of keeping a few percent stake in the operator.
But we live now in a society that has the luxury of considering that rights are not balanced with duties, so it is easier to enter in a useless and expensive blockade to have workers rights recognized instead of helping them dealing with the duty of saving and restoring the company they work for so hard.
This is not a easy talk and surely not one you want to hold less than two years from presidential elections. Who cares about truly empowering people? Let the noise-making property-breaking unions do their show. Welcome back to 1936.
to maintain its stake in the deficit laden steel industry sector. 25 years have past and steel industry, as well as coal mining, are history in France, sacrificed on the altar of profitability. Is this sad? Surely for all the families that have been badly hit by the situation, but looking at the tough work conditions of these industries, it might be better to follow the trend of western countries and evolve to a service and leisure oriented society (who said shallow?).
Anyway, it was profitable for common good to relieve the state from such debt-crippled industries, and the same applies to the ferry operator SNCM. What is tragic is the incapacity of the government to explain this simple fact that there is no more wonderland and welfare states ; what is also tragic is the fact that the unions are still engrossed in concepts dating from the middle of the 20th century.
A nice alternative would have been to help the employees of the SNCM to buy their company, make it their own so they would take care of it in the way that would please them and make them proud. That would have been a better investment than this pathetic last-minute promise of keeping a few percent stake in the operator.
But we live now in a society that has the luxury of considering that rights are not balanced with duties, so it is easier to enter in a useless and expensive blockade to have workers rights recognized instead of helping them dealing with the duty of saving and restoring the company they work for so hard.
This is not a easy talk and surely not one you want to hold less than two years from presidential elections. Who cares about truly empowering people? Let the noise-making property-breaking unions do their show. Welcome back to 1936.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
The Thin Ice of Civilization
Yep this is a sheer paraphrase of Pink Floyd, but it so applies to our world today.
How thick do you think is the varnish of civilization that covers the true misery of human existence?
Several centuries of so-called humanism have left us with pink-glass shades that drive most of us in a true denial of our inner nature and an hopeless faith in humanity.
How much is this humanity worth in Iraq's bloodbath or Louisiana's flood? The value of humanity is not 6 billion times the value of a single human being: it is equal to the very value granted to single human life.
Break the thin ice of civilization and you discover this value...
How thick do you think is the varnish of civilization that covers the true misery of human existence?
Several centuries of so-called humanism have left us with pink-glass shades that drive most of us in a true denial of our inner nature and an hopeless faith in humanity.
How much is this humanity worth in Iraq's bloodbath or Louisiana's flood? The value of humanity is not 6 billion times the value of a single human being: it is equal to the very value granted to single human life.
Break the thin ice of civilization and you discover this value...
Sunday, September 04, 2005
The Land of Disappointment
A few weeks ago, I was back from the US and readers of this blog surely have noticed my enthusiastic and exhilarated pro-American post named "A land of Possibilities". Now, hurricane Katrina came, devastated New Orleans, took many lives and left me with some disappointment (I recognize that the latter is definitively of no importance!).
Let me express this disappointment with questions:
Let me express this disappointment with questions:
- How come a country that can mobilize so much energy to achieve so many harsh and complex endeavors, as it regularly does, can be so grossly mismanaging such a natural disaster?
- How come, when it was about putting off an imaginary threat in a remote country, no human life nor billion of dollars have been spared ; and when it is about dealing with a genuine imminent menace, so few has been done?
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Tainted Green
A friend of mine recently posted on his colorful and witty blog a little reflection about using vegetal oil instead of gasoil in diesel engines, which triggered some thoughts and lead to what you are currently reading.
Let me introduce you to the French ecologist political party named Les Verts. With the increasing environmental issues (lack of water, extreme weather events) and the energy crisis (need for alternate source of power), you could imagine that those guys would be booming.
Let me give you the big no-no: they are not. They are divided and wishy-washy, thus weak and useless. To be more accurate, they made the single biggest mistake an environmentalist party could make: they decided not to be politically neutral and took side for leftist parties. Therefore from truly green they turned pink, if not red.
This tragic mistake made ecology a left-side concern, when it should have been a truly independent and impartial business ; a third power with the mission of issuing warnings and suggesting new paths about how to run the country in an environment-friendly way.
I think that people are readier to pay attention to ecologists: everyone knows how harsh we scorch the Earth and how bad she gets mad at us ; everyone knows how our oil-based energy system is unsustainable both politically and ecologically ; everyone knows that it is time for a change unless we want to impotently watch the upcoming disaster.
Can tainted green be turned back to its original color?
Let me introduce you to the French ecologist political party named Les Verts. With the increasing environmental issues (lack of water, extreme weather events) and the energy crisis (need for alternate source of power), you could imagine that those guys would be booming.
Let me give you the big no-no: they are not. They are divided and wishy-washy, thus weak and useless. To be more accurate, they made the single biggest mistake an environmentalist party could make: they decided not to be politically neutral and took side for leftist parties. Therefore from truly green they turned pink, if not red.
This tragic mistake made ecology a left-side concern, when it should have been a truly independent and impartial business ; a third power with the mission of issuing warnings and suggesting new paths about how to run the country in an environment-friendly way.
I think that people are readier to pay attention to ecologists: everyone knows how harsh we scorch the Earth and how bad she gets mad at us ; everyone knows how our oil-based energy system is unsustainable both politically and ecologically ; everyone knows that it is time for a change unless we want to impotently watch the upcoming disaster.
Can tainted green be turned back to its original color?
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Blue Oyster Wisdom
Oh boy, what a summer! Airplanes in the news almost every day, and not for good reasons: the birds keep falling down, claiming the lives of hundred of passengers and crew members, leaving us with sadness and doubts.
Is flying so benign after all?
As a (currently grounded) pilot, my answer will be of course: no. Flying is a very involving activity, where the most critical part of the job (landing) is performed when the pilot is the most tired (after hours of flight) and where there is no easy way out like parking on the side of the road for a little break...
But, as a very distracted driver, famous for increasing the chaos level of highway traffic (dubbed as "D-Factor" by my friends), I will remind you that flying remains the safest way of transportation! The shocking thing about a plane crash is that it takes many lives at a time, while it will take more car crashes to reach the same death toll.
Anyway, this blog was not about travel safety, it was about another side effect of airplanes. Nowadays, you can work and meet people all around the world and then, just after you started to have feelings for them, you fly back home.
Your cherished ones will expatriate to some remote land where you will pay visit to them from time to time, but soon it will, again, be time to fly back home.
Home is known to be where your heart is, but, because of these airplanes, your heart will be in so many different locations, so where will your home be?
The heck to such hollow concepts as "global village", this hurts! Even BOC knew it and this was in good old 1979...
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
The Land of Possibilities
I am just back from my usual summer trip to the US and I have to say that, more than ten years after I started to roam this country, I am still very impressed.
Not only by the awesome landscapes I had the opportunity to discover in Utah and Arizona, but also by the spirit of the people. Let me detail a little.
There are many places in the world that you would like be emptied of the locals prior visiting: yep, I am thinking of France! Just imagine France without the French! As far as I am concerned, this does not apply to the US: Americans are really interesting people to meet and discover how they live.
The main driver I have discovered in the different places I have visited and people I have met is that things are possible there.
Roads are too narrow and create the heck of traffic jams? Let's widen them, let's build new ones! How about car pool lanes to encourage car-sharing? Ever dreamt of drive-in banks? It is there. Ordering Wendy's while refilling the tank? Piece of cake... Want a new job in a field where you do not hold a diploma? Who cares? Work hard, perform and you're in!
This country is a place where will in action produces results in order to make things reality, not any land but a true land of possibilities.
Not only by the awesome landscapes I had the opportunity to discover in Utah and Arizona, but also by the spirit of the people. Let me detail a little.
There are many places in the world that you would like be emptied of the locals prior visiting: yep, I am thinking of France! Just imagine France without the French! As far as I am concerned, this does not apply to the US: Americans are really interesting people to meet and discover how they live.
The main driver I have discovered in the different places I have visited and people I have met is that things are possible there.
Roads are too narrow and create the heck of traffic jams? Let's widen them, let's build new ones! How about car pool lanes to encourage car-sharing? Ever dreamt of drive-in banks? It is there. Ordering Wendy's while refilling the tank? Piece of cake... Want a new job in a field where you do not hold a diploma? Who cares? Work hard, perform and you're in!
This country is a place where will in action produces results in order to make things reality, not any land but a true land of possibilities.
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