2009 goal review – spring equinox

At the start of the year I published my goals for 2009. Rather than just treat it like a new year’s resolution and ignore it until the following year, I decided to review those goals quarterly.

Complete 25 of the Project Euler problems.
I decided to start using Python to tackle some of these, and managed to get a few more done, taking my total to 33. Haven’t done anything on this for a while. The next Project Euler milestone is when you complete 50. I’m not sure I’ll manage that, but maybe I’ll revise this goal to try and complete 40.

Get a Master ranking in Experts Exchange for at least one other zone.
I’ve now got Master ranking in Coldfusion Markup Language, ColdFusion Application Server and ColdFusion Studio. I’m almost at the ‘Guru’ level for the Coldfusion Markup Language.
New goal: get one more Master ranking, and improve both Coldfusion Markup Language and ColdFusion Application Server to Guru level.

Join the gym.
No progress.

Blog at least once a week on average. I’d also like to do more Coldfusion-related blog posts.
I’ve made 36 posts this year, five of which are about ColdFusion.

Get involved in something open source.
I submitted a few minor issues to a handful of projects on RIAForge.org, and submitted a suggestion for the VarScoper tool to its author.

Start using some kind of source control.
No progress.

Install and start using Railo.
No progress.

Start using MySQL.
No progress.

2009 goals

Following on from what I achieved in 2008, I decided to try setting some goals for 2009.

I had an idea that instead of setting New Year’s resolutions, which could be quickly forgotten about until 12 months later, I’d review these goals periodically through the year. The natural way to do that would be at the Spring equinox, Summer solstice, Autumn equinox and Winter solstice. This year those dates are March 20, June 21, September 22 and December 21.

So, some goals, in no particular order:

• Complete 25 of the Project Euler problems. I’ve done 23 so far, and I think I can get at least a couple more done.
• Get a Master ranking in Experts Exchange for at least one other zone. I’ve currently got Master ranking in the Coldfusion Markup Language zone. I reckon I can get Master ranking in at least one other zone, and perhaps improve the Master ranking to Guru.
• Join the gym. I joined for two months last year. This year I think I’ll get a six month membership, starting in March or April.
• Blog at least once a week on average. I’d also like to do more Coldfusion-related blog posts.
• Get involved in something open source. e.g. look at the ColdFusion Open-Source Project List that Brian Rinaldi maintains and pick one or more projects to get involved in. Criteria should perhaps limit it to projects that have public bug/issues tracking, and that I consider relevant/useful.
• Start using some kind of source control. I’m currently reading the Pragmatic Programmer, which advises that even if you can’t convince your team to use it, you should try and use it individually.
• Install and start using Railo.
• Start using MySQL. These last two goals are connected, as ideally I want to use Railo and MySQL on one of my sites which is currently using an Access database and Coldfusion 5 (!), and just about surviving with a pretty high level of traffic.

Things to keep an eye on in 2009

Some things that are going to feature in the news a lot in 2009 and/or that I will be keeping a keen interest in, in no particular order:

President Barack Obama

Starts his job on January 20th. There seems to be a massive amount of hyperbole and eager anticipation about this. However I think it’s too early to tell; it’ll be a real case of wait-and-see. Will he be any better than Bill Clinton for instance? At least he can’t be as bad as G.W. Bush.

Climate change

This will continue to be an issue globally that most countries will try and shirk their responsibilities for. China is now the world’s largest polluter. Expect freak weather events to become yet more common.

Gaza / Israel

As I write, Israel are apparently gearing up for sending troops into the Gaza Strip. That’s likely to be slightly more successful for them than their invasion of Lebanon in 2006. I’m hoping for an imminent end to their bombing of Gaza, withdrawal of their troops, lifting the blockades on trade and aid currently in place, etc.

Economic crisis

2009 will probably be worse financially, at least in the UK, than the disastrous 2008. Will Britain join the Euro? Which big retailers will go into administration? House prices will probably go down, unemployment will go up, etc.

Iraq / Afghanistan

How will any withdrawal of troops from Iraq and/or Afghanistan go? Will there ever be a full public investigation into the phony WMD claims used to justify the invasion of Iraq?

Pakistan / India

Worsening relations between these two countries could provoke conflict.

Zimbabwe

Incredible inflation, terrible disease, awful leadership. Will Mugabe ever hand over power while he’s alive?

Guantanamo

Currently holding about 250 prisoners of war enemy combatants, whatever that means. Hopefully these men will either be charged and tried in a court of law, or released. Currently about 50-60 detainees have been declared not guilty, but complications over how they are to be repatriated has meant they’re still being held. Maybe Obama will do the decent thing and shut down this prison camp.