So, I’ve got 6 minutes while I wait for this file transfer, and this thought came to mind. Real world project management.

I’ve been working on project optimization and process automation for years. Worked on a centralization dashboard for the DoD, developed a task management system for “The Job” recently, and during this time I’ve realized the scope of work direction shifts as projects go forward really fits into a neat little equation:

(Think-tank Time + Concept Design Time + Interface Design + Development Time + R&D Time + Testing Time + Revisions Time + Time for Training + Time for Deployment) x 2.5 = 90% probability of meeting your deadline. I’ve tried to determine the other factors involved in this, and why the delivery time needs to be so dynamically guestimated based on educated assumptions of the task items on the plate for a project - in other words, wtf is the deal with the x2.5? How can it be avoided?

Well, I’ve found it can only be avoided under two conditions:

1. The project is for a company that’s so bleeding edge awesome that every person involved (at the decision making level) of the project is a developer/designer, has worked extensively with developer/designers, or has a second cousin twice removed that’s a developer/designer.
2. Your project is self motivated, self created, self managed, and requires no outside input from anything or anyone, and other projects aren’t on the horizon or the plate… Oh, and it’s also something that you’ve done before, only a little different, or requires zero research.

The flip side of this, of course, is - without people that are living outside the “box” of the developer/designer world, there are chances that you’ll miss the opportunity for out of the box, left-field innovations that actually lead to newly developed awesome shit. Problem? Newly developed awesome shit takes time and effort, energy, and… TIME.

So this 2.5 factor, and 90% mark hitting ratio? Well… It makes development/design work sound a little hit & miss really. But, if you increase the time by 2.75 (barring your outside influences and dynamic project factors are minimal at best) you can hit the mark about 98% of the time.

Just something to consider. 8 hour project? So your brain says… Well that equates to about 22 hours of production/project time. Here’s the tricky part… 8 hours of actual project time is being dished out, but there is some 14 hours extra in just management/mis-management and other factors going into this. Wherever the fault lands, I still hate the fact that 99% of the time it isn’t the developer/designer’s issue, and thus the client gets slapped with a fatter bill. Making us, of course, appear to be auto-mechanics in an industry that should be a little more forgiving to those that are less understanding about what goes into things. Too bad time is money, aye?

Alright, I’m a Canon guy, love my SLR (digital, people, I haven’t shot using 35mm in 8 years, and don’t plan on going back… ever). I’m asked constantly - “Nikon? Canon? What should I get? You use Canon, why’d you choose it?”

Well, the matter of fact part of it is, Canon has the option for superior optics. Let’s face it, L-series lenses write the book consistently on what “fucking rad” is when it comes to being perfect, and beyond perfect, for optics. But, here’s the other half of that… Amateur one-off hobbyist photographers aren’t (or shouldn’t) gun down $6,000 for a body and a lens or two, that’s out right dumb. So, before you make a decision about which camera to use based on the “matter of fact part”… consider the fact that you may never actually buy the reason Canon kicks ass…

That said, which one do you buy? Honestly? I don’t know. Go pick one up and pick the one that feels better in your hand… Seriously, you’ll be carrying and using the thing - use the force. Play with either… But for god’s sake, do some damn research… How many megapixels do you want? Heck, how many do you actually need? What lenses should you get? … Actually I can answer to that one:

1. Short range wide-angle zoom lens
2. 75mm - 300mm (give or take) telephoto
3. 50mm prime (1.8f or 1.4f) - most important

Outside of that? Macro? FishEye? Hey that’s up to what you’ll be taking pictures of - if you already know it. Other than that, I like my Canon and my collection of cheap ass lenses, with my crappy ass tripod. It gets what I want done, and in turn, I take some pretty damn good photos (I only say that cause that’s what I keep being told).

I find this interesting. Nine Inch Nails (NIN) is offering their new CD, Ghost, directly downloadable from their site - not in it’s entirety, of course, but 9 tracks, which I think is awesome.

What else can you do? Download/purchase a few other options - like, the 36 tracks of Ghost I - IV from their site for a measly $5, or go all the way up to ordering actual CD’s and some companion books, etc for some $75+.

I’m listening to it right now and think this is much better than halo 2o. Seems that ol’ Trent is re-finding the roots of what made NIN… well, NIN.

It’s not so much how good the music is, which - it is… It’s the principals behind this release that makes it awesome. Look anywhere online that covers entertainment, and you’ll find talk about this revolutionary release (summary - download free stuff - licensed under the creative commons attribution), and how it will impact the music industry as much as the stunt Radiohead pulled last year… Then check the Health sections of the news sites… and read about the strokes and heart attacks that major label execs are having as a result.

To hell with them anyway - if all it takes is a savvy web guy, or even someone familiar with a WYSIWYG application, you can make things happen. I know I’ve been doing this - working on a project with a local artist, Jane Baik - to launch her online label, The Republic of Love. I mean… Labels are used to distrubute music to the masses and promote… Uh… MySpace and a website will pretty much get you started on that foot on your own anyway - so why give some assclown a 90% of your creativity for something as useless as a CD?

Some random findings that I won’t quote, but will … paraphrase:

LA Times - 58% of all teens bough zero CD’s in 2007.

PirateBay - The RIAA is just pissed that we thought of a way to generate revenues from their product before they did…

Jane Baik - I’m not signing with a label, they’re pretty much worthless

Yea - this has been a long time coming, and the life-after-death album name, “Ghost”, so elegantly works with this revolution in the music industry - which is finally going to cater to delivering the artists’ art, as well as thinking of (and thanking) the consumer.

*Applause*

BarCamp [for those of you on the Internet that are dead] is an unconference organized by the Internet/Technology/Whateverelse community and held for humans that like to learn stuff and share ideas with other humans that like to learn stuff. They take place all over the world, all the time, and this past weekend in Los Angeles the formidably awesome Jason Cosper and magnificently awesome Crystal Williams set off BarCampLA-5… and it was AWESOME.

The venue? AOL campus is Beverly F*cking Hills. Talk about a nice interior! This venue was radness, loaded with plenty of space, tons of open areas to relax and socialize in, enough plugs for everyones gadgets, and best of all - there were Barcampers all over the place in it. I guess the folks that were in charge of the property didn’t allow for the traditional overnight slumbering of the campers on the campus - which made it kind of suck for the next morning travel back, thanks to that little event called the LA Marathon taking over the town and blocking streets, but who cares? It was still rad on Day 2 - from what I heard. I had to return to San Diego Saturday night to work with Genevieve Chappell on Sunday

That about covers it… really, I mean - it’s hard to cover what went on at a BarCamp since there’s so much going on… Oh, a couple of highlights were the random Rickrolls committed - which were HILARIOUS, and of course the molestation of the inflatable dalek.

The people I met that I was able to track down on Twitter or Facebook: Strom, Pinguino, Chloe, C. Nelson, Jackie, Mike Lambie - There were also a ton of other folks, but oddly enough, not a lot of card tossing was going on - but there’s always the next BarCamp.