August 12, 2004
Dear Everyone:
Today was the last day for training UARM GGIS End
Users. (UARM = Upstream
Active Records Management.
GGIS = Geologic and Geophysical Information System.
End Users = People who search online for documents, then place an
order for the
In a word: People stayed away in droves. Between “Grapevine”, “Pleasanton”, “Hobby”, “Sugarland” and “Austin”, dozens, if not hundreds, of prospective End Users had been identified and notified that training would be available throughout last week and this week. Only a few showed up in each location.
Why? Maybe they didn’t care. Maybe they didn’t think it would affect them. Maybe they were scared off by the Course Description which listed it as a three-hour session. Three hours is a big chunk of time out of anyone’s day.
In reality, the actual demonstration and training took less than an hour. But we didn’t know that when we set up the training. Frankly, we still didn’t have access to all of the system we were supposed to be training on. So we erred on the side of caution and allowed three hours for both the training and hands-on labs for anyone who wanted to actually try out the system they would soon be using.
So anywhere from one to four people showed up for each of the scheduled training sessions. Those that came were relieved to learn that the course would not take much more than an hour of their precious time. One person even said, “I told my boss I couldn’t believe the training could take three whole hours.”
Nevertheless, we trainers were as prepared as we could be. We had the booklets printed and bound. We had created a “quick reference sheet” showing all the complicated “header” and “detail” metadata fields, complete with color-coding. This turned out to be legal-size, so when we had the sheets laminated, we realized that they were almost the size of a placemat. So we printed on the back, “UARM Metadata Placemat”. Even if the Users don’t need it for reference, they can use it to keep their desks clean at lunch time.
We also set up a series of quick reference cards (half-size sheets), also laminated, and held together with a ring. These will provide quick instructions on the most common functions (login, searching, requesting, etc.). And they make dandy coasters.
As for UARM itself, the system is scheduled to “go live” next Monday. Considering the fact that the development environment that I was using for training this afternoon blew up in the middle of training, I don’t think it’s going to happen. It will probably be another week or so before the system actually goes online. By that time, of course, all the people who took training will have dumped the booklet in a drawer somewhere, never to be consulted again.
But, with any luck, the “placemat” and “coasters” will prove useful enough to still be around when the Users get the word that their Userids have been set up and the system is ready for them to use.
In other news…
Last Sunday, I was thinking of going to see
The Village.
I had read the less-than-enthusiastic reviews, but I was still
curious about the film.
However, a friend called with a computer problem that morning.
Shortly after I finished that call, “Alice” called to tell me
about her new job and how it would affect her ability to meet with us in
So I saw The Manchurian Candidate instead. Thus may some of these choices be made. As for Candidate, it is a remake of the classic Frank Sinatra film of 1962. After the assassination of President John Kennedy, Sinatra, who owned the film, pulled in as many copies as he could find and locked them all away. One reason for the remake becomes clear once you realize that one of the producers is Tina Sinatra.
The story has been updated, of course.
Instead of the
Korean War, this time it’s the
Persian Gulf War.
Instead of the
bugaboo of
communist
Denzel Washington plays Bennet Marco, a career soldier who honestly believes that Raymond Shaw saved his life. Only Ben keeps having these nightmares. When he finds out that others that were in his command in the desert are also having the same nightmares, he sets out to find out what really happened.
Raymond, portrayed as a kind of cipher by Liev Schreiber, also has a few doubts, plus he’s not thrilled with his domineering mother, played to perfection by Meryl Streep. Directed by Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs), many of the performances are first-rate. If you saw, or heard about, the original, the only surprise will be the caliber of the individual actors.
I’m still thinking of going to see The Village, unless “Jeannie” has a different idea. Or I get more “family help desk” calls.
Love, as always,
Pete
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