Fuming

Foster

Third time i've had to restart this project....

task at work - find the postcodes for every site we've ever dealt with, want to populate a map. We have a simple database to log the company and site address, it's ancient but we keep filling it in.

So about 4,000ish sites to find postcodes for. Address can be as good as 'Topsoil', 'Miscellaneous', 'Poland', 'Phase 2' - how the hell am I meant to find the postcodes for them? I've also got to be accurate to 5 miles which is great, I'm sure i'll be that accurate when trying to find where abouts in Poland the samples came from!!!!

Google is about as useful as you expect Google to be - even ones where someone has put a sensible address it, such as Norton, Google is adamant that the site is in Canada...

Deadline is tomorrow, so far I have 30 sites done. Why the fuck do I have to go through thousands of entries because the people who should have put the data in are too fucking idle to do so?

Wolfetone

I would sue for constructive dismissal...

shefguitar

That’s the dictatorship of working for someone else. Of course some dictatorships are worse than others...

revsorg

Sometimes I wish my job was that simple.

randella

Software developers' paradox:

1) force user to enter data correctly before submitting form - relentless complaints about 'unusable' system
2) allow user to populate as they see fit - database full of absolute shit

Unfortunately you look to be the victim of system type 2.  From someone who's been there, good luck.

joneve

randella said:

Software developers' paradox:

1) force user to enter data correctly before submitting form - relentless complaints about 'unusable' system
2) allow user to populate as they see fit - database full of absolute shit

Unfortunately you look to be the victim of system type 2.  From someone who's been there, good luck.

This is my life. Every Day. 

webrthomson

joneve said:

randella said:

Software developers' paradox:

1) force user to enter data correctly before submitting form - relentless complaints about 'unusable' system
2) allow user to populate as they see fit - database full of absolute shit

Unfortunately you look to be the victim of system type 2.  From someone who's been there, good luck.

This is my life. Every Day. 

Agree - you can't code round stupidity / laziness / general incompetence / fuckwitery

TBH I’d simply ignore anything without a postcode and if challenged on it I’d send them a report with those missing a post code and ask them to fix the data, outlining that it will auto add to the map once there is enough data to infer positioning information.

Foster

webrthomson said:

joneve said:

randella said:

Software developers' paradox:

1) force user to enter data correctly before submitting form - relentless complaints about 'unusable' system
2) allow user to populate as they see fit - database full of absolute shit

Unfortunately you look to be the victim of system type 2.  From someone who's been there, good luck.

This is my life. Every Day. 

Agree - you can't code round stupidity / laziness / general incompetence / fuckwitery

TBH I’d simply ignore anything without a postcode and if challenged on it I’d send them a report with those missing a post code and ask them to fix the data, outlining that it will auto add to the map once there is enough data to infer positioning information.

So send a blank database to head office. Head office want postcodes to populate a map of where we've tested, not a single one has a postcode attached.

I'm basically on the verge of smashing up the office

CHRISB50

Shit in. Shit out.

Phil_aka_Pip

Foster said:

Head office want postcodes to populate a map of where we've tested, not a single one has a postcode attached.

They want you to magic data out of nowhere? That could take some time ...

jellyroll

https://nouvellestranchesdevieblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/ne-pas-fumer.png

amarok1971

you cant make chicken soup outta chicken shit

RandallFlagg

I would tender your immediate resignation and admit that the job is simply too much for you.

Ravenous

Foster said:

task at work - find the postcodes for every site we've ever dealt with, want to populate a map. We have a simple database to log the company and site address, it's ancient but we keep filling it in.

Hmmm any invoices or other paperwork? If they need the info that badly, it's worth trawling stuff like that...

CarpeDiem

I would escalate the issue of missing data now so that you can manage expectations. In other words, at best they will only get a partly populated map tomorrow. Hopefully, this will make them reconsider their requirements or they will get users to fix the data and revise your deadline. If you leave until tomorrow to tell them, chances are you will get the blame despite others causing the problem.

Grunfeld

Foster said:

I've also got to be accurate to 5 miles which is great, I'm sure i'll be that accurate when trying to find where abouts in Poland the samples came from!!!!

Deadline is tomorrow, so far I have 30 sites done.

I am going to suggest that "5 miles" is a loose concept and accurate data can be obtained with judicious use of a big map and a set of darts. 

Rocker

Simply do what you can and advise your immediate superior that the missing data is as a result of sloppy work by others.  

Sassafras

What are you doing on here, haven't you got work to be getting on with?

p90fool

The only times I've ever been given "tasks" like that is when my position was being made redundant and they were just trying to fill my day.
Be honest, that's not really anyone's actual job, is it? 

Paul_C

Write a note explaining why the task cannot be completed.

Go to the pub.

Foster

Rocker said:

Simply do what you can and advise your immediate superior that the missing data is as a result of sloppy work by others.  

I did that yesterday when my boss rang me to see how it's going (as I'd emailed him about problems the day before). The deadline is my own fault as I gave it due to how I was originally working on it - then found out when you download a .kml from google they send you a file with all the data you have given them, no coordinates or postcodes...

attempt 2, use the data I put into google, jot down the coordinates one by one. Do about 300, test it by converting the coordinates to postcodes... Yeah, that wasn't happening. Utter dogs dinner of a mess.

Current attempt, go through each site individually and obtain the postcodes through internet searches - lots of fun when sites have been demolished or landfills covered over.

So i'm trying to stick to a deadline that I promised when I was working to Plan A, I'd love to get this pig of a job over with as I have other stuff I'd like to crack on with. It's alright giving me a 2 month extension but I want to see the back of the damn thing. If it's done badly then everytime I look at the results I'll know myself how bad the finished product is and that will piss me off.