This might be a little odd for me to post here but regardless:
The abrupt rise to hyper-respectability of managerial schools and their matching with large corporations led by technocrats has had the astonishing effect of confusing management with leadership. And if leadership is reduced to management, well then, problems are not to be solve. They are to be managed. In fact, the are no longer problems.
Something to think about as I head off for my MBA.
Nothing has really happened on the Rotman front for quite a while. This post is more related to leaving work.
Most people at work now know that I’m going to be leaving to return to school. I’ve started to notice that I’m getting treated a little differently even though I wont be leaving for months. For one, there are these constant remarks about how I’m probably not worrying about the maintenance of my current project since I’m just going to leave.
It’s quite annoying. I’m not sure what’s causing people to make these remarks but I do take some offense to them. I pride myself on the work I’m producing. The problems I’m solving are unbelievably difficult and complex and it’s a great feeling to be tackling them piece-by-piece. My project plan has me finishing up all the features in June, leaving pleanty of time to find and fix bugs. I’m also trying to make sure that the project will be as easy to maintain as possible: external documentation, javadoc, “tech-tips,” and a wiki.
I’m sure that the people making these comments don’t intend to cause offense, they are all really nice people. Either way, it bothers me a bit.
I wonder if others leaving their current jobs are finding the same thing? It might just be an affliction of the software industry—once you put some code into the project, it’ll be there forever. You have to maintain it; If the person who developed it just hacked something together, you’re eventually going to pay for it… big time.
I just found out that Windows XP can run on Macs without any crazy hacks. Using a program released by Apple, you can repartition your Mac and burn a Windows XP disk that will let your Intel-based Mac boot up XP.
This is very good news for me. I’ve been a Mac user for the last 5-6 years and was dreading the switch back to Windows when I got to Rotman. Now that the Mac Book Pro can run Windows Natively, I doubt that Rotman can make any valid excuse for why I can’t use a Mac laptop instead of a clunky PC laptop.
Another good thing is the timing–hopefully by the start of August the new version of OS X will be out and all of the Mac Book issues will be sorted out.
Today looks like a good day.
I was given my R-World login information yesterday. I was really excited to check it out but was thoroughly disappointed.
The site looks like something from back in 1995. It’s very difficult to use and has blatantly huge security holes. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words:
The numbers on the graphic were added by me. The problem I would like to point out right off the bat are:
| a. | Everyone needs to understand html | |
| b. | You can’t use the & sign without possibly causing HUGE problems. | |
| c. | I can do whatever I want to the page–for example embed a random image or write my own CSS to change the site look for everyone. | |
| d. | It’s very easy to execute a cross-site scripting attack and steal people’s identities (I’m not saying more on this, if you know what a cross-site scripting attack is, it should be obvious how you can execute one). The only saving grace is that if someone does execute an attack it should be very easy to figure out who that person is because you could just see who posted the attack. |
Not impress in the least. Perhaps if they didn’t try and hype it up so much–over the course of 6 weeks–I wouldn’t feel so let down.
Anyone out there from Rotman who has some sort of say, a little suggestion: It would be better to not have the portal than look like the school is totally behind the times, either shell out the cash for a decent implementation or just take it down. A simple mailing list would be nice and then geeks like me could quickly and easily take the initiative to make our own board that doesn’t make it look like the school just got their first dial-up connection.
I feel bad bashing the school I’m going to attend but I feel an obligation to point out things like this–especially if I expect this blog to be useful for others. At the same time, I’m not going to the school to learn the latest about the wizzy-bang-ajax-web 2.0-insert buzz word here-technology; I’m going to supplement my tech background with biz knowledge. As long as I don’t see things like a hammer and sickle, the school can probably still do what I need. 
Update August 23, 2006: A related post can be found here which talks about the improved R-world.
This doesn’t bode well.
About 6 weeks ago I received an e-mail stating that I would be given access (and further information) about “R World,” the Rotman portal site. The e-mail also stated that I should expect to get everything related to R World within the next 3 weeks.
After about 4 weeks, I started to get a little worried that my spam filter may have eaten the e-mails so I replied to the original e-mail; the response? A MTA error–the user doesn’t exist. Ok, no big deal, I just e-mailed someone else directly. Their reply lead me to believe that I would get the information within a week. Two weeks later, nothing.
I might be a little demanding but this is starting to bother me… a lot.
P.S. I really don’t like the name “R world.” It’s very early 90s-.com-bubble bursting-wiz-bang-look at technology-terminolgy. Maybe they’ll teach me something in marketing that will change my mind.
It’s obviously been a while since my first post but nothing Rotman related has really happened. I’ve gotten a few more letters hyping up the school but that’s about it.
I’ve been spending a little time looking over some of the Rotman sanctioned student blogs and they are making me a little nervous. The theme of all of the posts is consistent: Everyone is trying to find a job and has no time for school, let alone a personal life.
Of course I’ve been through something similar, my first few years of Engineering were pretty taxing. Usually the only thing that kept me sane was heading off to the bar at 11:00PM for a drink before bed–this might explain why many Engineers are huge alcoholics. Even though it was difficult I did enjoy my time at Queen’s. I’ve been quite happy working for the last while mainly because of the oodles of free time I have.
I guess I’ll just have to get back into the swing of things. I’m sure that my post-MBA career will probably be very time consuming so maybe I had better just get use to it.
In the mean time I’m going to enjoy the all the luxuries my time affords: reading for leisure, playing video games, watching lots of T.V., taking swing dancing lessons, going out a lot, and spending hours exploring new music.
Hi world!
Congratulations! It gives me great pleasure to advise that you have been admitted to the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto for September 2006. The Admissions Committee was very impressed with your academic and professional background and believes that you will be a great addition to an already impressive class!
You are joining a very select group of talented, high achievers from Canada and around the world. Rotman MBA students, like you, are among their generation’s most promising knowledge assets. They combine intellectual and professional accomplishments with leadership, contribution to their communities and a diversity of cultural experiences.
The school has been flooding me with lots of e-mails from students, all professing their love for Rotman. I’ve wanted to go to Rotman for a while so they aren’t really useful but some are still a fun read.
I went to the bank a few days ago and withdrew my tuition deposit. Now $2500 poorer I’m going to have to stop living the high-life: A young, single male in Kingston with a professional degree and a well paying job. Sufficed to say, I’ve been feeding my passions: Computers, video games, Sci-fi, music, gourmet foods, RW&CO. sweaters, and lots of partying. Unfortunately, the recent payment is a sober reminder that the fun will soon be over: I have to curb my spending and once school starts I expect to have very little time to spend playing SOCOM.
My plan is to have this site add a little to the world wide waste and give some insight into the Rotman experience. I found that as I researched different schools there was very little in the way of personal accounts that weren’t sponsored by the schools. I’ve always found unsolicited personal accounts very useful–I also tend to trust them a little more. I’m hoping that others feel the same way. Hopefully others will give this blog some “street cred” since it isn’t approved by Rotman and I’m just some guy, sitting on his couch, watching Battlestar Gallactica, and typing whatever comes to mind.
Till later.