LINGUIST List 17.1038
Thu Apr 06 2006
Laptop: A Best Friend
Editor for this issue: Megan Zdrojkowski
<meganlinguistlist.org>
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linguist,
Editor Martin Warin on Loving LINGUIST (and his computer)
Message 1: Editor Martin Warin on Loving LINGUIST (and his computer)
Date: 06-Apr-2006
From: linguist <linguistlinguistlist.org>
Subject: Editor Martin Warin on Loving LINGUIST (and his computer)
Dear Reader, let me tell you about an ordinary work day of mine.
The LINGUIST office is located in Pray-Harrold, one of the many bigred-brown brick buildings on Eastern Michigan University campus. I enterthe office, carrying my best friend: my laptop. Amy and Tanya sit by thedoor, so I greet them while checking if there is coffee in the coffeepot. Anthony's desk is there too, but he's usually in a meeting orteaching at Wayne State.
Then begins my journey to my desk at the opposite end of the office.It really is not as much an office as a bent corridor with computerdesks lined up in it. Most of my colleagues are usually in by the time Iarrive, so I greet them with a 'good morning', even though it istechnically closer to noon.
At my desk, I unpack my computer, plug in the cables and boot it up asmy shoes come off and I slip into my office sandals. I check my LINGUISTList mail account for anything work related, then I take a look for anynew Noticeboard submissions that need taking care of.
After that, I pick up my programming where I left it the previous day.You would be surprised if you knew how many working hours it takes toget all the machinery behind the scenes to work in an organization suchas ours. I get to work in several different environments. We programmost of our pages in ColdFusion, but I also get to do a lot of SQL andJavaScript. Sometimes there is a meeting that I have to go to, butusually I just sit at my desk hacking away. Every now and then Iencounter something that is beyond me, so I go asking Gayathri orMichael. Sometimes people come to me for help. The hours go by, andbefore I know it I realize that it is five o'clock and I have not hadlunch.
I usually leave the office several hours later than I am supposed to.This is something I share with the rest of the crew. We do not workunpaid overtime because we have to, but because we want to. We love ourwork, and we take pride in doing a good job. We are not in this for themoney, but without your donation, LINGUIST can no longer go on. I onlyhope that all of you out there get to enjoy what we do as well.
Martin Warin, LINGUIST List
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