dot-com memory

Many thanks to Shane McEwan (yes, Rosie's Shane from Weta Digital) for his help with today's Waiting For Frodo. :-) Two years ago, I posted one of two Blatherings I made in December (cute picture of Parki and me in that entry). What I didn't say in my Blathering: I downshifted to working four days a week instead of five days on the advice of my family doctor. I was totally burned out. She had actually told me I needed to take an extended leave of absence from work, but I told her that I couldn't. The idea of leaving Inkspot completely in the hands of senior management at the company was unbearable. It turned out not to matter in the end, but I didn't know that at the time. Something else I didn't say in my Blathering: When I told my supervisor why I was downshifting and why, he never expressed a single word of commiseration. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, but I had at least expected a feigned word of sympathy or two, just for form. I still remember being floored, however, when his first words to me were, "Then I guess the first thing we should do is adjust your employment contract to reflect your reduced salary." He got out a calculator and figured out my new salary, said he'd send me the new contract once it had been approved by HR, and that was the end of our meeting. By then the dot-com craze was well on its way down to the basement. I sold Inkspot just as dot-com companies were starting to regret their wild spending sprees, and the company I started working for was no exception. Also, by the time I arrived in Philadelphia, a half dozen senior managers had been hired who had never heard of Inkspot. I clearly remember the first one-on-one meeting with my supervisor (different from the the one I mentioned earlier), who was the VP of Marketing. "I have to confess I don't know a lot about Inkspot or how it's supposed to help the company," he told me. "But I'm hoping you'll tell me." I think I must have written over a dozen reports about Inkspot during the six months I worked for the company at the request of various senior managers, my "wish list" for Inkspot, numbers and staff needed, etc. Two times, my supervisor had lost the report I had given him and wanted a new one. I went through several different supervisors, each of whom wanted a new copy. The other times, I was asked to make minor tweaks. In hindsight, I realize that it was just a makework project to keep me occupied and hopeful; I don't think my supervisor ever actually read any of the reports I gave him, or at least he never gave me feedback. I've summarized some of my frustrations during the whole experience in my Woodpile Philosophy, for those interested. :-) Had a very lazy and enjoyable day yesterday. Jeff and I bought some new games at a shop on Front Street: Cathedral and Lost Cities (reviews of both in a future Blathering). Went to see Die Another Day (my second time) with Jeff, Parki and Angela in the afternoon. Today's Blatherpic: Updated Waiting For Frodo.