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Today's continued task... implementing a system that audits data collection point changes on 58 different servers.
For each server, add the task to run the vendor supplied command line tool that generates an XML output of any changes since the previous day. Place the files in a directory that will be copied to the network for parsing.
The parsing tool is written and working; the changes and e-mailed to administrators. Eventually, they will either be written to a database or copied to Sharepoint.
Almost done with the list...
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Sounds interesting! Seriously. 
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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At least it's something to do?
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I am currently having issues with a guy at work who think he's a great programmer and knows everything about what is the latest and greatest technology, but alas, is not.
I work in mechanical development, so pretty much anybody who knows how to write an Excel macro is Bill Gates here, just for you to get the picture. As a former embedded and desktop coder, I am lightyears ahead of this.
Now these people, and that particular colleague, get sometimes involved in SW programming, when they create tools helping the mechanical design or write interfaces between internal systems and matlab for instance. And this leads to terribly poor technology choices, oversized, or obsolete before they were born, or so terribly programmed that the code cannot be maintained.
The programming "guru" however has powerful persuasion skills, so he drives management, who have not the start of a clue (otherwise they would have known they need professionals to design software), into believing that what he does is the right thing to do - not intentionally, he is genuinely persuaded he is a know-how holder 
And this is eating up my patience. I am not directly involved in what he does, that is why I don't do anything about it, but I attend some meetings sometimes where I just could bang my head on the desk. To give you a feeling, it is as if you were looking over someone's shoulder and he would copy and paste 10 times the same code instead of making a for loop : it works, but gnngnnngn it is just plain wrong. 
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Entropy isn't what it used to.
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Why not take one of his apps, write it correctly and present it to management as they way it should be done if a professional programmer were able to do it. As I used to have in my sig: if you think a professional is expensive, wait till you try an amateur.
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Exactly my thoughts!
New version: WinHeist Version 2.1.0 Beta
Have you ever just looked at someone and knew the wheel was turning but the hamster was dead?
Trying to understand the behavior of some people is like trying to smell the color 9.
I'm not crazy, my reality is just different than yours!
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Because of time: this is no two-week task I am talking about here.
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Entropy isn't what it used to.
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Considering your statement that the higher-ups have no clue about the quality of that guys work, the only way to convince them is using talk they do understand, i. e. the bottom line! Find an example where you can put your finger on and prove that the company is losing money right there, then suggest a different approach and make a modest estimation on how much money this is going to save the company. The better you are able to back up your claims, the more likely they will listen to you and follow your advice.
Better yet, if you can pull this through, and your numbers hold, they'll be more open to your suggestions in the future.
Depending on the kind of task, it may be difficult to find something to back up your numbers, but it may still not take the weeks you say it would require to actually complete the job.
P.S.:
I do agree with some of the other posts suggesting not to go over the guys head: tell him about your suggestion. The worst that could happen is he'll listen to you and follow your advice. If not, it's time to involve the higher-ups. In any case, don't bother until you have something tangible to back up your claims.
GOTOs are a bit like wire coat hangers: they tend to breed in the darkness, such that where there once were few, eventually there are many, and the program's architecture collapses beneath them. (Fran Poretto)
modified 23-Sep-14 3:15am.
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mark merrens wrote: Why not take one of his apps, write it correctly and present it to management as they way it should be done if a professional programmer were able to do it.
Because making an enemy of someone who is very persuasive to management is an extremely bad idea.
Better, improve something, and show it to the guy himself.
Remember to smile and not to talk to him like he's an idiot. It's always preferable to open a discussion, rather than start a war.
[edited a typo]
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
modified 22-Sep-14 14:55pm.
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I disagree: once you show management that he is not what he says he is, his influence will rapidly wane.
If you show it to him, he'll just steal it and the credit.
Besides, how boring would life be without a few enemies.
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mark merrens wrote: Besides, how boring would life be without a few enemies.
So people with split personalities are never bored? 
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mark merrens wrote: once you show management that he is not what he says he is, his influence will rapidly wane.
That's highly unlikely.
What is more likely to happen is that they will talk to him about what you've shown them, and he will be, shall we say, "not entirely ecstatic" about your going to them.
He will take your action as an attack against him, and do everything he can to get back at you.
And rightly so. If he is the de facto go-to guy, you make your suggestions to him first.
When did going over someone's head without talking to him first become acceptable behaviour?
In my book, it's not the least bit acceptable.
If you went straight to his boss without seeing him first, you'd deserve everything he stuck to you.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Have to agree.. Besides what gives you the idea management will recognise good or bad code?
If it does the job, they'd probably be happy....
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Not over his head, around him. Not the same thing.
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That's just pedantry, and won't make his feelings about what you do any better.
If you can't play nice with the other kids, everyone loses -- you, your colleagues, and the company.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Mark_Wallace wrote: If you can't play nice with the other kids, everyone loses -- you, your colleagues, and the company.
I have to agree with every bit of what you said so far. Unfortunately, in our industry (software development in general) soft skills are rare to find, specially having a good political attitude.
I have myself struggled over the years to grow up and learn to deal with things I do not agree with and one of my greatest lessons was to not go cry for the boss. I have made that mistake already and I have also learned that going directly to the person I disagree with rendered much better results.
Most of the time when I would approach the person directly, the results were positive. They would listen to me and even when we could not reach an agreement, our relationship did not deteriorate. And surprisingly, most of the time the relationship improved, they would come to me for advice and even recognize my ideas to upper management.
All in all, I learned that by swallowing my pride, I couldn't go wrong; and eventually it ceased to be difficult to do it. Being humble, being right or wrong (yes, it happens) tends to work on your own benefit.
I never have to say: "I told you so!". With this type of attitude, it becomes unnecessary.
This is one of the things I believe the younger ones need to be better educated about. There should a dedicated class in this area in every college, I wish this could be learned outside the scope of real life experience, not sure how feasible this is.
I heard you mention something about a book you wrote. Care to share an amazon link?
Cheers
To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems - Homer Simpson
----
Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction - Francis Picabia
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I've bookmarked your message, to show to people. Having a "from the horse's mouth" personal anecdote like that is worth any amount of trying to explain to people where they might be making their own lives more difficult.
On schooling: I've often thought of putting down some points on this topic, to be used in a class, but the thought of such material being used by organisations that anally and robotically follow processes has put me off, every time I've sat down to do it -- visions of employees of a certain petrochemical company (that shell remain nameless) mindlessly ticking off what they've "achieved" during the day flood my brain:
"I've chatted with so-and-so, as it says to do in paragraph 11; I've arranged a catch-up meeting with thingummy, like in section 3a; and I've defused a potential problem by following the first stages of the 'admitting a weakness' chapter. That's a good day's work! Now I only have to follow the steps in section nine, and I can ask for a promotion!"
God only knows how they ever get anything done.
It's Marc Clifton who writes all the books, around here. I only write, well, just about everything else.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Mark_Wallace wrote: I've bookmarked your message, to show to people.
This makes me happy. Hopefully, we can reach and enlighten more people.
Mark_Wallace wrote: God only knows how they ever get anything done.
I hear you, I've experienced myself situations where playing by the book becomes more important than the mission it's trying to accomplish.
To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems - Homer Simpson
----
Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction - Francis Picabia
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Ah! Got it!
I said "In my book, ~~".
Unfortunately, that's just an expression that you use to indicate that you're stating a strong opinion.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Right... Not being a native speaker of the language makes me miss this kind of stuff sometimes.
To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems - Homer Simpson
----
Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction - Francis Picabia
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That's cowardly nonsense: if you can't stand up for yourself you'll get pounded and that'll be the first guy to do it.
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