I have not really blogged anything of value lately and that is frustrating. It seems like I never have any time for anything. Since I started working a full time position and keeping a full time client, there are not any extra hours in the week.

I have been trying to work on my first iPhone app that I created a couple of weekends ago. At work we have an iPhone app that was already created and quite complex to say the least. It has not been too bad getting used to using xCode and Objective C but not easy either. The work app uses dynamic positioning for the labels and inputs so this is a lot harder than setting them in the storyboard. So while I learn how to update the iPhone app at work I thought it smart to write my own app. The layout part was easy but I made a Mortgage Loan calculator and the math behind that is insane. Now, I did not create the app for selling it, it was just a learning experience. As for the calculate loan algorithm, I could not even calculate it with scientific calculator. So fun times.

RailsCRM seems to be a lingering thing that I will never get around to finishing.  I would maybe be better off trying to figure out how to clone myself.  I have had quite a few visitors to the live site but nobody seems interested in collaborating on it.  One day I will have more time to do something with it.

I have recently been really focusing on moving to Germany next year.  So I have started to look into companies that are hiring Rails developers there.  Most of the Rails gigs look to be in Berlin where there are so many startups.  There are however, a few other companies in other German cities that are hiring Rails developers.  I have been talking to one such company and it is interesting to hear their work philosophy and how different it is to most of the places that I have talked to or read about here in the states.  Their hiring process is done as a team effort.  The lead developer does the initial interview.  The interview is more about work habits and general coding practices.  If the lead developer feels that you MIGHT be a good fit for the team, the next interview is with the entire team and ultimately the entire team decides yeah or nay on the candidate.  Top priority for them is that the team is made up of those that work well together and that they enjoy working together.  This is more important to them than super ninja coder vs. normal coder.  They do NOT want any hot shot coders that don't fit in with the team.  To me, this is a fantastic philosophy for developers.  It really is more important to be able to mesh and get along great with the other members of your team.  This is not always the case and working in an environment where there is someone that does not get along with others is horrible.  Coding can be improved but changing another's personality is impossible.

  In other news, I recently dropped off of the Social Media circus.  As far as I am concerned, LinkedIn serves no purpose to anybody but recruiters.  People just try to link to as many others as possible, but for what?  Same goes with Twitter.  The more followers the greater you are?  I personally got sick of all of the childish shit that goes on in the RoR community.  Now do not get me wrong, not everybody in the community is bad but most of the chatter on Twitter is nothing more than whining crying and gossip.  It is all about who i going to what conference like a bunch of conference junkies and what goes on there.  I really do not care so I have opted out.