Justin Foell

Slack and I have a long and torrid history. At 9seeds we were very early adopters. I thought we were joking when we discussed switching from HipChat to Slack, but the next day I logged into HipChat and was wondering where everybody was. Slack from then on would be the de-facto standard, and for a while, slack would be ruining my life.

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Why Slack Sucked Initially

I liked HipChat because I could use my native instant messaging app, Pidgin (similar to Adium), which could handle AIM, IRC, ICQ, plus any XMPP protocol (Google Talk, FB Messenger, HipChat), etc. I had to run Slack in a browser, especially at the beginning because they didn’t have a native Linux client. Chrome made it easier by letting me run it as an app in a dedicated window, but the away detection was terrible. Often I’d get simultaneous notifications on my desktop and my phone because slack thought I was inactive. All it took was to bring the slack window into the foreground and it would reset it’s inactivity timer. I actually opened up a support ticket with them with a JavaScript example of better away detection, but they already had a “native” (electron) client in the works for Linux.

Then Slack Got Worse

Technically, it got better first. Away detection was fixed. We all rejoiced! Everybody seemed to be moving wholesale away from IRC or HipChat or whatever to Slack. No one seemed to notice the ownership of their message history now belonged to someone else. Slack has to make money somehow, so they politely hold any messages prior to 10,000 hostage – waiting for you to unlock them with a paid account:

The way the 10,000 is counted is in the order that they’re logged at Slack by timestamp, no matter if it was in a channel or direct message. So if a channel is particularly chatty, any messages you had directly with John Doe may no longer be visible.

And what about the fact that all conversations are being funneled through and stored at Slack? I joke that the NSA probably has Slack on their payroll or already had an in through the PRISM program. It’s not really a joke though, it’s a legitimate concern. Do you trust Slack to encrypt and store all of those messages safely? It would be way easier for the NSA to do one intercept at Slack rather than Google, Facebook, AOL, ICQ, et. al.

With other messaging services, I at least felt comfortable that they’re likely just relaying them (not storing) and if I wanted an extra level of security, I could go “Off The Record.” Adding an extra layer of end-to-end encryption, you still have some control over your privacy.

And Even Worse

Ultimately the worst part about Slack was how everyone was using it. Constant mobile notifications, messages at odd-hours. It was a non-stop barrage of information that became harder to discern if it was something that warranted attention now, if it could wait until tomorrow, or if it was just for fun. I can honestly say that I quit a job over annoying slack messages. I hope this can serve as an example to anyone thinking about Slacking all the things.

Finally Better

I started a new job at WebDevStudios this year. They use Slack, and they use it well. WDS has “bankers hours” which amounts to everybody being online from 9-5PM Eastern time. After 5PM Eastern, you know what Slack is like? A ghost town. Hallelujah! After 5 everyone switches over to GroupMe to post pictures of their beers and/or tacos. Also, GroupMe conversation is totally optional. Want to participate at all hours of the evening? Go ahead! I keep mine on mute and check in occasionally so I can live my life without interruption.

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I told Jules that once he learned to ride a bike, I’d buy him whatever bike he wanted. A quick conversation with his cousin led him to start looking for bikes made of gold or diamond 🙄 Then at the beginning of April, Jules dedicated himself to learning to balance with no pedals on. He spent about 2 hours on one day, and a couple of hours the next and had balancing down. On the 3rd day, he asked me to put the pedals on and he took off!

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I kept good on my promise, except that it wound up also being his 8th birthday present. We looked at several bike shops and online to see what sort of offerings were out there. Since Jules is 8 years old, I suspect many of the bikes we were looking at were second bikes. As such, many of the 20″ kids bikes have a ridiculous amount of features like suspension that kids don’t need and they make the bike heavier – much heavier!

Since he had been riding for less than a month (we didn’t do any training wheels), I consider this his first bike. We didn’t need any of these extra features – and likely neither does your child. Also, the switch from a coaster brake to hand brakes wouldn’t be an issue as he’d only been on a coaster brake for a few weeks. Some bikes offer both to ease the transition – which might be a consideration if you child has been riding on a coaster brake for a significant amount of time.

My one plea to parents out there is to spend a little extra money on a bike if your child really enjoys riding. It will make their experience (and yours by association) much better. You don’t need to get a $650 internally-geared, belt-drive bike, but instead of spending the normal $80-100 at a big-box store, consider spending around $200 at a bike shop. You’ll get a better product and have a better experience.

We wound up finding the Giant XTC Jr. 20 Lite for $210 at The Hub, my favorite local bike shop.

It was one of the few 20″ kids bikes that offers multiple gears without front suspension.

BTW, I’m annoyed at the fact that kids bikes are measured by wheel size (16″, 20″, 24″) but once you’re on a full size bike it switches to frame size (17″, 19″ – 54cm, 56cm). I don’t think this is going to change anytime soon, just do your homework and be clear with the bike salesperson if you’re specifying frame size or wheel size when shopping 🙂

The gears on the XTC Jr. were a little difficult to change at first. Jules just needed to figure out the best way to grip the handlebar shifter, and buck-up a little bit. The Giant also has a lightweight aluminum frame and a relaxed top tube angle which keeps the stand over height low.

My only complaint is because the top tube is so low, there’s not enough room in the triangle for a normal water bottle cage (nor do they provide mounts to even attempt). Instead the solution was to buy a Topeak handle-bar bottle mount. I raised the stem slightly and attached it there to keep the relatively small handle-bars clutter free.

Jules loves it – it’s his ticket to freedom. He rode to summer school, and we brought it on our trip to Flite Fest. He’s already asking if we can hook up a trailer 😀

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I was finally able to get to Flite Fest in Ohio near Canton. It’s a 12-hour drive from home in Minnesota. To split up the time on the way out, we took the SS Badger across Lake Michigan. They have an eastbound red-eye option that leaves at 1:30AM (Central) and arrives 4 hours later at 6:30AM (Eastern). Even though it makes the trip technically longer, the downtime is much appreciated.

In hindsight, I wish I had arrived at the departure dock earlier. They encourage you to arrive an hour before departure. Ideally I would have arrived before midnight so I could be asleep by then. We got there around 12:45AM – but I was just glad to have the opportunity to rest. Getting a stateroom for the red-eye is a must:

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In 2011 my family and I took a vacation to Three Lakes, Wisconsin (near Rhinelander). While I was there I was able to take my new mountain bike out for a spin at the Anvil Trails.

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I love the simplicity of my Redline 29er. Single speed – just pedal. No suspension, which helps keep the cost and maintenance down. I’d had it on other trails in Minnesota before, but this one had me thinking twice about no suspension. Much of the trail consisted of forest bottom beneath pine trees. There was a good layer of pine needles, but beneath that was thousands of roots crawling on the surface. Riding over them at speed felt a little like this:

After that, I told myself I’d buy a front suspension fork.

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Just before Christmas in 2016 my 2002 WRX didn’t want to start. It was the day after the coldest day of that winter, and that apparently took its toll.

I initially thought it was my fuel pump because normally when I turn the key to “on” before starting, I can hear the pump prime. After getting it towed home, I realized my series 1 AEM Engine Management System had died. I couldn’t get it to connect to my computer to do any sort of troubleshooting. After going to AEM’s website, I learned that support for the series 1 EMS ended on December 31st, 2014 – two years earlier.

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So back in went the stock Subaru engine control module (ECM), and I was back on the road but with my check engine light on. I knew the light would come on because I had removed the factory narrow-band O2 sensors and replaced them with an AEM Wideband unit that provided the AEM EMS (and the driver) with more accurate air/fuel ratio information.

Also, I had installed a different boost control solenoid valve. Since this was an AEM option the stock ECM wouldn’t recognize, I simply unplugged it and let the turbo wastegate be regulated mechanically. It would only allow for half the boost of normal, but I was OK with that since I just needed to get it to drive through the winter.

Then one day after work it had a rough idle with some low RPM hesitation. It drove fine that morning, so I suspected something electronic had failed.

Dealer Visit 1

I brought it to the subaru dealer thinking they could give me some better clues, but without the stock O2 sensors installed, the check-engine light codes would only indicate that problem.

What bothered me about that first visit was the service manager repeated everything back to me that I told him when I dropped it off (thanks!?). I felt they were relying only on their Subaru scan tool results and not their years of expertise. The service manager tried to tell me that without the boost control solenoid my car would run unlimited boost! I remarked that without the sensor it’s a mechanically regulated system that would only allow half the normal boost pressure. Did he not understand how a turbocharger wastegate works?!? He then remarked that I seemed to know more about what’s going on with the vehicle than he did.

Oy – I brought it to the Subaru for their expertise. I could have taken the car to Midas and received the same response.

So I took it home and reinstalled the factory O2 sensors and boost control solenoid. As I suspected the problem wouldn’t go away, but at least now the check engine trouble-codes were more accurate. Misfires on cylinders 3 & 4. Not particularly helpful, but at least more correct in assessment.

Dealer Visit 2

At the dealer, they were convinced the misfire had something to do with the valvetrain. Could be carbon deposits, a burned valve, a valve guide, etc.

In total I spent $400 for them to tell me

You need to plug your stock O2 sensors in.
You need to plug your boost control solenoid in.
You might have carbon on your valves (or worse), preventing them from closing fully.

Also they sold me some “top engine cleaner” that looks to be SeaFoam in a Subaru branded bottle.

I’m not saying $400 was an unfair price for the diagnosis. I was glad to pay the money to find out what was really wrong. I was more upset that I felt they were relying on their computer scanner more than their actual experience.

Air, Fuel, or Spark?

So I took the car home and started doing the diagnosis myself. The factory service manual suggested troubleshooting rough idle by checking fuel pressure and intake manifold vacuum. Fuel pressure good, vacuum seemed a little jumpy.

One of the possible reason for the jumpy vacuum was valvetrain problems, but there were others. Before tearing into the engine, I still felt some electronics were at fault.

The way it drove, the idle was very rough, but occasionally once the motor reached 2-3k RPMs under load, it would “kick-in” and surge back to life.

With fuel good and air within range (just jumpy), it was time to investigate spark. Years ago I had replaced an ignition coil pack. I don’t remember the rough running being this bad, but I thought it was worth a shot. On a whim, I ordered not one, but two ignition coil packs for cylinders 3 & 4.

Voila! $180 later the car was running as it had for years. No need to rebuild the valve train. Just enjoy the ride. Sometimes you need to trust your gut (and the feeling through your butt), to get the full picture, and not just blindly listen to the computer.

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Technology, Bicycling, Hobbies, Kids, Life.

Slack the right way

Why Slack Sucked Initially

Then Slack Got Worse

And Even Worse

Finally Better

Best 20″ Kids Bike

Flite Fest East 2017

Spinner Aeris Suspension Fork

Subaru WRX Misfire Fixed

Dealer Visit 1

Dealer Visit 2

Air, Fuel, or Spark?