Work

Stuff about working for a living.

When technology goes bad - traumas during recent user testing.

Posted on 3 March 2010 in BBC, Work. (0 comments)

One of the things I’m always keen to do on large work projects is a bit of user testing - where we get real people to come in, try using our services and see what happens. The idea is to see what works, and more importantly, what doesn’t.

Hydrating your staff

Posted on 12 August 2009 in BBC, Work. (4 comments)

It’s been kinda interesting reading the stories in the press about the BBC and its water cooler bill.

Wimbledon - an anatomy of a service

Posted on 8 July 2009 in BBC red button, Interactive TV, Work. (0 comments)

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes for big red button services like Wimbledon, well there’s now a little video to watch over on the Press Red Blog.

Saying no to Salford

Posted on 14 May 2009 in Work. (0 comments)

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride ever since the announcement that the team I work in - the TV Platforms department - would be moving to Salford in 2011.

Selling Salford and the North (the M&S Outlet store won’t do it for everyone!)

Posted on 10 March 2009 in BBC, Work. (0 comments)

I’m just going through one of my periodic blogging droughts, not helped by the last week and a half at work just being constant, never-ending hassle and mental effort caused by relentless firefighting. If something could go wrong, it probably did. Oh and to make things worse, half the team are either ill, on leave or exploring the delights of Manchester, on the “familiarisation trips” the BBC is running to try and persuade London based staff that Salford really is the place to be.

Adverse Weather Conditions

Posted on 2 February 2009 in BBC, Work. (2 comments)

You’ve just spent two hours getting into the office, delayed due to adverse weather conditions and ironically the worst problems see you stuck about one minute outside your destination station. You get in, past the snow men sentries outside, brush the snow off yourself and realise the office is deserted.

(Not) To Salford

Posted on 14 January 2009 in BBC, Work. (1 comment)

It was back in 2004 that the BBC first announced its plans to move some departments to the North, thus reducing jobs and money spent in London. It’s well known that part of the move, Sport, Childrens, Five Live and a slice of New Media would move from London.

Feeling good about a failure

Posted on 12 November 2008 in Work. (1 comment)

Whilst casually browsing the a job site, one job set the “Apply! Apply! Apply! alarm bells ringing, so I created my first dusted off my first CV in eight years and clicked send. Alas they didn’t even want me for an interview, however the rejection email was top notch!

In future I should do more of…

Posted on 13 June 2008 in Work. (1 comment)

At work it’s appraisal time. I don’t like appraisal time. Cos that means I have to write everything up that’s been said so it can sit in the old virtual filing cabinet for 12 months until this time next year when it can be dusted off and I can sit with my line manager and see what I’ve achieved off my last set of goals, so that I can get a new one and write that out. At which point I’ll end up writing another of these blog posts telling you all how I hate appraisal time.

It launched! Or did It? I dunno. I wasn’t actually around…

Posted on 6 May 2008 in BBC red button, Work. (3 comments)

Well it’s 6 May 2008 and that can only mean one thing. Yep, it’s the day after May Day. And of course it’s the launch of Freesat and the formal launch of Phase 1 of BBCi on Freesat. That is, baring any last minute technical issues or problems.

Salford

Posted on 30 November 2007 in BBC, Work. (0 comments)

It was June 2004 when the BBC’s move of several departments from London to the north west was first announced. The department I worked for (and still work for) was one of those highlighted.

A day in the work-life of Andrew Paul Bowden

Posted on 16 November 2007 in BBC red button, Work. (4 comments)

If you’ve ever wondered quite what a Senior Development Producer working on interactive TV products gets up to for a living, now is time to find out. And if you’ve never wondered, now is the time to find out. Below is how one day panned out.

Beaming signals into your home

Posted on 27 September 2007 in BBC red button, Work. (0 comments)

The last few days at work have been a bit frantic, as I’ve been busy rushing around trying to get up to speed with a great big huge monster of a project, whilst at the same time trying to ease the handover of another great big huge monster of a project onto someone else.

An Award Winning BBCi

Posted on 20 April 2007 in BBC red button, Interactive TV, Work. (0 comments)

Tthis week, BBCi won the International Interactive Emmy award for Best Interactive Television Service. Woo!

Your Place of Work, Live on TV

Posted on 21 January 2007 in Work. (0 comments)

I have to say, I am getting just a little fed up of seeing the offices I work in, on TV.

Cakes, Stars and Specifications

Posted on 4 January 2007 in Work. (3 comments)

I’m currently sat at my desk at home staring at pictures of cakes and stars. There’s a reason for this. And it’s to do with work.

Keeping your staff, the post work drinks way

Posted on 2 December 2006 in Work. (0 comments)

Last night after work we had one of those rare moments - and end of year review, followed, of course, by some celebratory drinks.

To plan or not to plan

Posted on 13 November 2006 in Work. (0 comments)

Today was my first day back in work after a week off. A week that included (in part) relaxing on the Isle of Wight, following by sitting around the house for a few days doing very little. Ah, lovely. So after all that tranquility, what did I return to? The delights of an all day planning meeting…

Spot the difference

Posted on 26 September 2006 in BBC red button, Interactive TV, Work. (0 comments)

Today was another big day in BBCi land thanks to the latest launch from one of the projects I work on. Although you probably won’t notice any difference…

Work-Blog-Thing

Posted on 6 May 2006 in BBC, Work. (0 comments)

In accordance with the the new BBC ‘Guidelines on Employees Personal Weblogs and Webspaces’, I am hereby informing you that I, Andrew Paul Bowden, have a personal website that includes a weblog.

Desk Swap

Posted on 4 March 2006 in Work. (0 comments)

I recently moved desks at work, which has had some unual implications.

Job Stuff

Posted on 17 January 2006 in Work. (0 comments)

It’s good (although slightly embarassing!) to hear praise for ones work, but there’s ultimately something more important to me about getting through the interview last week, for it was the final vindication for a decision I made three years ago.

New Business Card Needed

Posted on 12 January 2006 in Work. (0 comments)

In my desk draw at work is a box full of about 400 business cards which I got given not long after I became an assistant producer.

Buzz Off

Posted on 31 October 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

As you may or may not have heard, the BBC Broadcast has renamed itself. It’s done this cos it’s not part of the BBC, being now owned as it is, by an Australian bank, who are of course an obvious owner for the company.

Your Leave Request

Posted on 15 October 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

Wow. Either someone has decided I can take 17 months off work, and only decided to tell me 10 months in, or someone was testing a new system.

Working At Home

Posted on 8 September 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

I’m working at home today, which is something I don’t normally do as I find it rather boring being stuck in the house by myself, and I usually end up missing about 15 important files that I can’t access as I’m working via webmail alone.

Today

Posted on 5 September 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

Things that I have done today.

Guidelines

Posted on 4 July 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

Today I got my new copy of the BBC Editorial Guidelines. A hefty tome at 226 pages. There’s even half a page about interactive TV.

No R and no D for me

Posted on 8 June 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

Every year the BBC’s R&D department holds a host of open days in their lovely base in Kingswood Warren, to let people know what they get up to. And every year I get myself booked onto one of the open days. Every year I manage to miss them.

Monday, part 2

Posted on 23 May 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

Well the day got off to a good start when I woke up at 4am and my body completely refused to go back to sleep.

Monday

Posted on 22 May 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

This is why tomorrow is difficult.

How to succeed in job interviews

Posted on 26 April 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

What with redundancies and things, you may be surprised to find out that there aren’t that many promotion oppertunities for a hip, young, trendy dude like me (will you just stop laughing, PLEASE!)

The Usability of Meeting Room Names

Posted on 9 April 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

The usability of meeting room names is not something that has generally attracted much attention in this world, but perhaps it should if the BBC experience is anything to go by.

Work, Job Cuts, etc

Posted on 21 March 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

In case you’re wondering - and I’m sure someone will ask if I don’t mention it.

Views and Windows

Posted on 20 March 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

I went down to the fourth floor at work to have the old weekly line management chat, and well the view from their windows - superb.

Coincidences in the Signed Department

Posted on 17 March 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

The frankly spooky coincidence about signed TV programme listings.

Boooooooooop

Posted on 9 March 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

Due to industrial action, the author is currently waving pieces of paper around and thinking of interesting things to say. Normal programmes will resume shortly.

Searching The Memories

Posted on 7 March 2005 in BBC, Internet, Work. (0 comments)

Was it really 2001 that I spent months working away on the new, amazing BBCi web search?

A Day At Work

Posted on 7 March 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

Don’t you just love those days when you’re in the middle of writing a long, pretty tedious document that you just want to get out of the bloomin’ way, and then the shared drive where the file sits, dies. In fact it’s the shared drive with all your documents on it, meaning there’s actually very little work you can do?

The Commute

Posted on 26 February 2005 in Transport, Work. (0 comments)

There’s more to life than travelling to work…

First Day In The Broadcasting Centre

Posted on 21 February 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

I’m now working in a building that can - in theory - broadcast 500 TV stations at once. But the light switch doesn’t work.

So Long, Bush House

Posted on 18 February 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

Five years after I first set foot in the place and I’ve just left Bush House for the final time.

Electrical Borgness

Posted on 3 February 2005 in Work. (0 comments)

I keep feeling I should take a picture of my desk at work for prosperity. I think it’s becoming a piece of art. Perhaps it’s the way that it’s filling up with an ever increasing plethora of set top boxes.

The Oh Bollocks Moment

Posted on 13 January 2005 in Work. (2 comments)

It’s depressingly predictable I know, but there comes a point in every project where you get the "Oh… bollocks!" moment. The moment where you look at it and some blindingly obvious problem that only a simpleton would have missed, rears its ugly head.

Work and blogging

Posted on 12 January 2005 in BBC, Internet, Work. (0 comments)

On the day that we found out about the first UK blogger to be sacked by his employer (well that we know about anyway) it’s fittingly appropiate that the hot topic on part of the BBC’s internal message boards was guidelines for BBC staff who blog about work stuff.

Just Another Drone

Posted on 10 January 2005 in Life, Work. (0 comments)

In a few weeks time I will sadly no longer be making the trog to work up to the delightful Bush House. For us in New Media, this delightful location in the heart of London’s west end will just be a distant memory, for we’re moving to the less glamorous White City.

BBC New Media and Manchester

Posted on 7 December 2004 in BBC, Work. (0 comments)

Oh course you can never say never. Who knows what the future may hold - especially in five years time. But there are times you have to think about that future. And right now, it doesn’t matter what the BBC says or does. I don’t want to go back to Manchester.

Bush House - a life in broadcasting

Posted on 25 October 2004 in BBC, Radio, Work. (0 comments)

I love Bush House and I will miss it when we leave.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Off To QA We Go

Posted on 11 September 2004 in Work. (0 comments)

After many months of work, one of my big projects finally got submitted to the Quality Assurance (QA) team yesterday. It’s slightly late but it’s finally met a major milestone in the project.

Headache Inducing

Posted on 26 July 2004 in Work. (0 comments)

This is the tale of Project Duck and how it interacts with Project Hen. Oh and with Project Heron. And Project Albatross. And all this relates to Project Robin too. Oh and have I mentioned Project Sparrow yet?

Confidence and Paranoia

Posted on 16 July 2004 in Work. (0 comments)

Normally work away days fit into two categories - dull and tedious, or arty-farty with stupid exercises crap. But sometimes they have their uses…

Surreal Day

Posted on 8 July 2004 in Work. (0 comments)

Today has been a little… odd.

Internal Project Names Unleased To The World

Posted on 29 April 2004 in BBC red button, Interactive TV, Work. (0 comments)

Don’t you just love it when internal project names end up on big documents that are released to the public?

Top Grades

Posted on 2 April 2004 in BBC, Work. (0 comments)

The news that Michael Grade will be the next chairman of the BBC was (as has been reported by the media) welcomed by most of the staff at the BBC.

Advert from the staff of the BBC

Posted on 1 February 2004 in BBC, Work. (0 comments)

It was perhaps the biggest example of the BBC staff ‘making it happen’. A full page advert in the Daily Telegraph yesterday paying tribute to the work done by Greg Dyke, and asserting their belief that the BBC should continue to be independent, and continue to be an independent organisation that best serves the public who pay for it.

Greg

Posted on 30 January 2004 in BBC, Politics and Government, Work. (0 comments)

Many people will have seen the staff response to the resignation of Greg Dyke as Director General of the BBC. I like many people were completely gutted by his decision, but he made it and I respect that and his reasons for doing so

Work Woe.

Posted on 12 January 2004 in Work. (0 comments)

Ever had one of those days where you reach a moment realise that whilst you’ve spent months planning on something working in one way, but right at the last minute, you realise that actually you may be required to implement a completely contradictory and incompatible way instead?