EdmundSchweppe

I've heard a lot about AYE over the last few years. I was thinking of going in 2005, but never got the proverbial round tuit. This year (2006), I decided that I would in fact go. I'm currently making money by coding for hire, which has the happy side effect of improving the team I'm directly working on. Still, I would like to expand my reach (as it were) and improve teams that I don't necessarily work full-time on.

I "know" some of the folks here from various agile development mailing lists, but I'm looking forward to face-to-face meetings.

-- EdmundSchweppe 2006.07.24

Well, it's (now) 2007 and I'm coming back. Instead of being a contract coder, I'm now a "Software Architect" (says so right on the business card) at a Turnkey Asset Management Provider called (deleted). I still get to do a lot of coding, but making the company's software development work better is now officially something else I get paid to do. I don't have the overt political power to ''force'' any sort of change, but I have noticed that I can cause useful changes to occur anyway. In particular, I've managed to get some amount of interest in shifting from waterfall practices to iterative ones with ShortIterations, as well as having convinced some folks of the value of TestDrivenDevelopment.

I had a great time at the 2006 AYE conference, even though there was no way I could do all the sessions I wanted to, and even though I didn't get to meet JerryWeinberg due to his health problems. This year's schedule gives me the same problem (too many great sessions, not enough copies of me to get to them all), but hopefully Jerry's health will be more cooperative.

-- EdmundSchweppe 2007.09.28

The company has changed, and the business model has changed, but the desire to make life better for all concerned (especially myself) has not. And general "yay"-ness for Jerry's improved health! EdmundSchweppe 2009.07.02

Alas, I have been informed by our Powers What Be that, since I am on a terribly important and terribly late project and there is no one else who can cover for me, I shall not be going to AYE in 2009 after all. (I think it inappropriate, on this publicly visible site, to go into the gruesome details of why this terribly important project is also terribly late.) -- EdmundSchweppe 2009.11.03

The 2009 terribly important and terribly late project is officially done, and I am going to go to AYE in 2010. Dammit. -- EdmundSchweppe 2010.06.11

Contact info: mailto:ed.schweppe@gmail.com

Edmund, I'd doing my best to avoid the problems of last year. So far, so good, with a month to go, so I'm looking forward to meeting you this time. - JerryWeinberg 2007.10.01

Upon reflection, I notice the pattern that in both 2006 and 2007, I changed my mind about only one session - the Wednesday morning one. Obviously, it's far too soon to determine what (if any) meaning that has ... -- EdmundSchweppe 2007.11.10

Historical (hysterical?) notes on my previous AYE experience have wandered to EdmundSchweppeAyeNotes. -- EdmundSchweppe 2009.08.05

Edmund, great to have you on board. I definitely understand what you mean about improving teams that you don't necessarily work full time on. I've been doing that for a long time, and hopefully some of my learnings have filtered into AYE. - JerryWeinberg 2006.07.24

Some of us don't yet expect to be there in person. Must we communicate only here on the wiki, or will you also offer an email address? DickKarpinski 20 Aug 2006

You found your Round Tuit in only one year? Congratulations on your speed! I look forward to meeting you there. -- GeorgeDinwiddie 2006.08.21

Edmund, what's the background of your picture? Looks like Maine, to me. - JerryWeinberg 2009.08.06

Very close. It's the Oceanic Hotel, the main building on Star Island (http://www.starisland.org), one of the Isles of Shoals off of Rye, New Hampshire. Star is in New Hampshire, but the NH/ME state line runs right down the middle of Gosport Harbor, about three hundred yards to the left of the flagpole. -- EdmundSchweppe 2009.08.08

No wonder! I was on Star Island for a week about 50 years ago. The building looks like it's been painted since then. I have two sketches on my office wall, made while sitting on a rock on Star Island. - JerryWeinberg 2009.08.08

Updated: Friday, June 11, 2010