Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Budget cuts, layoffs, consolidation, hiring freeze - but get the work done. Times like this remind me how good I've "had" it. In my still relatively new role in the "Web Services Group" here at Ohio University, I'm told I'm in a position to be on the "cutting edge". The CIO's vision of our group was to be, what he referred to as a type of "Skunk Works." I can see where that is true, however, I can't see how it's supposed to happen. Our "new" department is short several key positions. Thus, we are constantly under a crunch to turn out our projects. However, tasks that might be covered by the folks that we are short, fall on us who are there. So, to research, develop, experiment, learn, train on and thus develop the "cutting edge" stuff I'm supposed to be on the edge of, does not have time to happen. I see the technologies passing me bye. Flex, AIR, Ajax - all the things that are involved in "cutting edge" still elude my skill set. The things we "could" be doing are just that - things we "could" be doing. My boss agrees, but has no budget for and is so under the gun to satisfy customers, that we have no time or money to do what we "could" and "should" be doing. It's very frustrating to say the least. In the past, if I wanted/needed to learn something new, I went to a conference, seminar or training. Not now. Now it's learn it on my own - and I would - if I had time! The web is wonderful like never before for us developers. There are more tutorials, examples, example code and helps out there on about any technology. What there is NOT on the web is "time". You can't find more hours in a day on the web - not in any book, tutorial, demo or example code. It's just not there. So I tread on, caught between a rock and a hard place. I do what I can to provide useful things to our customers - not what I'd "like" to provide them - or what I "should" provide them. But just the minimal to get them buy. Oh, we have a few cool things in the works - but not the whiz-bang things I'd like them to be. Alas, the good thing is I still have a job - for now. The way they're talking around here - stay tuned!