Title: Editorial

According to my C Vu folder, this is my 8th edition at the helm. It's been a gas and has taught me a lot about deadlines and what the word "professionalism" actually means. Sure, we can all hold our hands up and say, "I am a professional", but as Pete Goodliffe points out issue upon issue, there is more to being a professional than a trade or a methodology. It is more a state of mind over anything else. Let me explain what I mean.

While in our everyday life we strive to produce the best possible product (whether that is documentation, code or design) we can, if we are not in the correct frame of mind, then it is unlikely that irrespective of how amazingly good you are that you will turn out your best - I'm sure everyone has woken up midweek for the Lurgi to hit; you feel dead on your feet and the prospect of having to battle against your project fills you with fear and loathing. Sure, you still go into work, but without the correct mental attitude, you might as well not go in.

Professionalism is Gestalt. Everything has to come together; mind and body. I've known people with quite a low level of programming ability but do have a professional mental attitude which is more important in some respects. When you improve your programming/design/documentation/whatever what is it that is actually improving? The entry of code will certainly be more rapid and you may have adopted a more agile method in your project, but surely the two most changed aspects are knowledge and attitude. We've all done it, learned a new skill (such as an optimisation technique or a generic method of template execution) and felt that buzz when applying it. This is the "professionalism buzz" - and it reflects on your day to day operation. Really. I'm not joking - it can be seen and reflects upon most aspects of any job you do.

I've seen this most recently on the ACCU mailing list where a proposed new mentored developers group for MUD (multi-user dungeons) programming was brought up. There was an initial sustained burst of energy while the idea was discussed and then slowly and surely as the realisation dawned on the proposer of some of the (not to insubstantial) problems, things slowed down and an analysis began. It was interesting for me to view. Not so much as the editor of C Vu, but as someone who has never really been involved in design. Okay, I know the programming side: the fun that can happen with asynchronous servers over synchronous servers, how best to preserve data on crashes and fun with threading models, but not the design side.

Those with knowledge and understanding of the subject injected a needed quantity of reality. They didn't kill the idea, but through their professionalism in dealing with people they have probably never met, moved the project past the lots of talk and no action stage to something which can be considered to be approaching a real project.

Unlike previous issues, this one has been quite problematic from my point of view. My email went phnutt! Try going without any access to your most frequently used email account for a week and see how much you miss out on!

The problem occurred when the hosting service I used had problems with the hosting service they use. Essentially, just about all of the essential services (web, ftp and email) died on a Sunday and the backbone refused to either restart the server or trace the problem and report back to the sys admin (me). The people I use for hosting moved server on the Tuesday and my email was finally sorted out by the Friday. Five days without email coming up to the submission date is not to be taken lightly!

Thankfully, all is well again.

I'm sure everyone has, at one time or another, decided that they no longer wish to work for their current employers. After gaining my PGCE (in education, certificates are everything!), I decided that it was time to move on. "I shouldn't have much of a problem" thinks I, "after all, with my experience and degree in Chemistry, it should be a doddle". Like hell it is! While I am very good at what I do and somewhat competent within programming, I am completely unable to get a job away from where I currently am.

I have two things going against me

While I can understand the need for this section on an application form, unless you're working in sales, it's pointless! The application form, employment criteria and quality of covering letter should suffice. If the three are met, then the short list can be drawn up and the interviews go ahead.

Problem is that it is quite likely that a lot of people would qualify for an interview and what would be the fairest way to see if someone was suitable? Yes, you guessed it - "provide additional evidence in support of your application". Argh! I think my problem is that I'm just a nice chap. Dang. I need to be a ruthless fiend able to smite other CV's at 50 paces and remove from the space-time continuum those who would stand against me. But where is the fun in that? Oh well. Another day, another application form done. Pity I never studied Chemistry as there is a shortage of qualified teachers. Hold on.... I did study Chemistry...

"Everyone makes mistakes". It seems in the last edition's Book Review section an incorrect price crept in. The book in question is "C++ Common Knowledge: Essential Intermediate Programming by Stephen Dewhurst". The review had the book listed at £29.99. While this is the price on Amazon (prior to their discount), the actual price according to the publisher (and backed up on the publishers website) is £21.99. I'm sorry for this mistake and any problems it may have caused.

One aspect you may have noticed has been apparent over my time as editor has been the promotion of both best practise and education. After consideration, I've decided to add a new semi-regular feature which I'm sure you'll all appreciate.

If you know of a conference (or are running one), then C Vu will publicise it for you free of charge within C Vu and what makes it even better is that it's completely free for what I'm offering.

Enough of me - let's get on with the magazine!