We live in an instant world. We expect things quickly, and for the most part, we get them quickly. Thus, our attitude is one of impatience.
Earlier this week, I had experience with the bad end of this attitude. I had a system running undocumented, unsupported software and the client wanted it “now.” The end result is that the client now has a fully functional documented system. However, as they say, sometimes it is the journey, not the destination that counts.
I invested over 30 hours into this system. I built virtual machines for testing, talked to non-contract people and convinced them to give me information that they had no requirement to give. I had to build the system from base install CDs so that I had complete control of the operating system. The thanks I get? Probably a letter in my folder saying I took too long, and people angry because I put off other projects to address this unit.
Yet, I keep on. No data was lost on this system. It is now running better than before. Sometimes “all’s well that ends well” is a goal or a myth. At the moment, I’m not sure.