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Troubleshooting is a Lifestyle 😎

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Junior Ballroom

Video Video

About this session

Audience Level

Beginner to Intermediate

This talk is suitable for anyone who wants to improve their troubleshooting skills, regardless of their industry or technical background. No prior troubleshooting experience is required, but a basic understanding of technology concepts will be helpful. We will start with general concepts, and move into some practical and technical examples specific to Django and Python.

Objectives

By the end of this talk, attendees will understand how to:

  • Break down complex problems into manageable parts
  • Utilize the tools and resources available for effective troubleshooting
  • Learn to ask for help and leverage online communities
  • Avoid tunnel vision and maintain a broad perspective when diagnosing issues
  • Document the troubleshooting process to track progress and learn from experiences

Outline

  1. Introduction (4 minutes)
    • My background in electronics design, radar maintenance, and software development
  2. The Troubleshooting Mindset (5 minutes)
    • The importance of troubleshooting skills in various fields
    • Why troubleshooting is a lifestyle 😎, not just a job skill
    • The importance of persistence and curiosity
  3. Breaking Down Problems (6 minutes)
    • Strategies for dissecting complex issues into manageable components
    • The power of isolating variables and narrowing down the scope
  4. Utilizing Tools and Resources (10 minutes)
    • Introduction to a wide variety of troubleshooting tools and indicators for solving problems with Django and Python
  5. Asking for Help (6 minutes)
    • The importance of knowing when to seek assistance
    • How to ask for help effectively and provide the necessary information
  6. Avoiding Tunnel Vision (5 minutes)
    • Recognizing the dangers of focusing too narrowly on a single solution or part of the problem
    • Techniques for maintaining a broad perspective and exploring alternative approaches
  7. Documenting The Process (5 minutes)
    • The benefits of writing down your troubleshooting steps and findings
    • How to create a troubleshooting log and learn from your experiences
  8. Conclusion and Q&A (4 minutes)
    • Summarize key points.

Prerequisites

  • Basic understanding of technology concepts
  • Curiosity and a willingness to learn
  • Pen and paper or a digital note-taking device

Presented by

  • Jack Linke

    Jack Linke

    Jack Linke tends to learn the hard way - and shares the lessons from those experiences with others through blogging, tweets, and speaking engagements. He has been developing software and hardware projects off-and-on for most of his life, but much of his relevant web development experience has been hard-earned over the past four years during development of Watervize - a B2B2B SaaS web application (written in Django) to help irrigation water utility companies improve efficiency, analysis, and communication with staff and agriculture customers.

    Jack’s technology interests include Python, the Django project, HTMX, simulation, GIS, graph theory, data storytelling, and visualization. He is a frequent contributor to the open source community and a contributing member of the Python Software Foundation.

    His speaking experience includes briefing Generals on topics ranging from budgets to technical concepts, instructing at formal training centers, providing software demonstrations and feature walk-throughs, and he was certified as a Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) while serving as a Marine Corps Officer.

    Outside of coding, Jack takes his Husky (Lady Duchess) on adventures, solves unusual math and logic problems, and makes a mess in the kitchen (and life).