CadsDis was a program that I worked on for two or three years when I was with Rockwell. It was a program out of David Taylor [Navy Lab] in Annapolis.

When I first started this program- I had just completed a year-- working with Doug on a program called BAM [for short]. BAM was a sophisticated computer graphics program that dealt with the analysis of radar/transmitter signals insofar as topside ship design. Doug was the lead and we did several things with the program including development of a Rockwell windowing system and an emulator for Template [low level graphics package]. This before we started work with the X-Window platform and C.

When I started the work on CadsDiS it was with Chris Hartman. I am not sure now if a lead was assigned. John-- had us do things on the [requirements] task, so I think John [our boss] was the lead. The initial task-- consisted of laying out requirements for software development-- the reason I think John-- himself was the actual lead.

During the requirements phase-- Chris and I had a meeting with the NAVSEA 05 Computer Graphics point of contact-- and I wrote a contact report about what I and the graphics guy discussed. It was a good contact report and the navy guy [think it was Jim Weingart] discussed several of his concerns that I outlined in the report.

I had learned a great deal insofar as computer graphics while working with Doug on BAM and our in house 3D computer graphics software -P3D. I am not talking Photoshop computer graphics. I am talking about development of software that renders computer graphics.

Anyway-- when we got funding for the software development task-- I indicated Chris was not a programmer-- and referenced his statement about my contact report "oh is that what we did" and asked John to give me a programmer. I knew that I would be working the task-- but not much else.

John assigned me the lead- with support from Doug and Tong Lee worked for Doug. John explained-- "we did not want to offend a young Korean male".

No this did not bother me. Doug and I had some missteps-- and he may have thought my early work on BAM and the Rockwell windowing system had given me a lot of knowledge which I used quickly to prototype a working demo.

At the time-- I did not realize how much this may have annoyed Doug. My demo program looked good and impressed-- however it was only a shell. I am sure that I never took Doug's credit for work-- and even once dared him to say I had [this much later] but what it did-- I believe was kind of made Doug mad.

I am good about listening to what I feel clients' may want and did with Don Fairhead's [Taylor's POC] requests insofar as the user interface. Doug said he wanted to do something else. I always listened to Doug and told him I disagreed with what he wanted to do-- but would not feel offended if he wanted to pitch the idea to Don. Don went with me. That said-- I feel everyone understood-- we wanted Doug on the project.

In retrospect, this may have offended Doug a bit-- and given my early "wow" from the clients' and Rockwell program management-- plus the contact report-- I felt Doug was a little irritated. Maybe this [loud wows] was done on purpose-- maybe not.

What was indisputable I [and I alone] had early on-- put up a working demo of how the program [CadsDis] would look using the Rockwell windowing system-- however I thought it was understood by all-- I had learned how to do this-- because of the support I had given to Doug on BAM. This might be similar to the early Microsoft/Apple problems in that I also knew Microsoft had written the software for a word-processor and drawing program for Apple giving Microsoft working knowledge of their proprietary GUI [windows] operating system.

Anyway, there were problems between Doug and I - and Doug moved on. I worked the program for about 6 months but I needed another programmer. the task had been costed out using at least two programmers. John wanted Dave Boyd to work on the task-- as the lead. Dave had a work ethic I was not fond of. He was our systems guy-- and often I had to find the system command that would tell him exactly what I needed plus give him the reference manual so he could do what I needed done. He was about 15-20 years older and never programmed. Chris was about 10 years older.. On paper-- Doug was 4 months younger than me-- but now I think he was actually 2 years older.

I got to do a lot in my engineering office-- insofar as the same work my coworkers were doing- so issues with me being a girl and younger than most of my coworkers was not an issue for me. I attended meetings, travelled, I did the same things. I did have to write and had more writing tasks than doug-- which often bothered me-- but he was such a great programmer-- why have him do things he did not want to do? So I was not complaining about why Tong could not work for me directly. Really. Things like that really don't bother me.

That said-- I do feel Doug was a little pissed. When John continued with the Dave Boyd thing-- about a 6 months or so-- I was tired. He set up a meeting with his boss-- Chuck Sims to discuss my refusal to work for Dave on the task. During the course of the 6 months-- I had not refused without explanation. I had said-- make Doug the lead-- I don't mind. This task needs another programmer. I have to figure Dave's job so I can ask him to do things at the system level that he won't let me do. I hated Dave's work ethic. So did a lot of people that needed him to do his system job.

During the meeting between Chuck Sims, John and I- John said-- "Regina, cannot deal in the abstract". I was a little angry by this statement and became a little defensive. Then Chuck said-- well Regina-- I think we are going to have to give Dave the lead and put you on something else. He indicated I was incompetent-- I thought it was based on John's "abstract" statement. I was jumping up and down for joy. John's boss said I did not have to work for Dave-- even though he insulted me.

I left the meeting happy. John had not given me this option. Later that day- he came to my office and point blank asked me to support Dave on the program. I again explained I could not. It went against my principles. It was over.

Doug's comment to me-- "you should have done what he asked you to do".

I think Doug and I both wanted to be in John's good graces and the six months had taken their toll on me. I am not sure if I looked at Doug as if he were crazy-- but I knew he got what I got about Dave.. About the only thing Dave would have done-- was given him the blame if the task had failed-- but I did not think it was going to fail. I simply needed another programmer.

The reason I am rehashing these events again, now. Over the years I have had odd things happen. Abstract threats, etc. I have been very clear about the fact QiSoftware is a private business owned entirely by me and I cater to no one.

Has anyone asked me to do anything directly? No. I have had abstract threats. I do not like threats. Threats from washington. I believe they belong in jail. Me and my business are not extensions Washington nor anywhere else.

That said-- no one has asked me to do anything directly. Ever. I am in business for profit. contact me if you want my services. Sorry, I will turn down business I do not feel is the right fit. That said-- I am never contacted. I do believe abstract threats have been offered. I am not laughing nor catering to cowards that think they can have me do things with threats.

John-- "Regina, cannot deal in the the abstract" should tell a lot of idiots that threaten me abstractly-- a lot. I also do not like threats and will not cater to them. I do not care who offers them.

Ask me directly. All I can do is say yes or no.. And if I say no-- it is for a reason-- so I suggest you accept it as such-- and move on.

Today, I think I get John's statement with Chuck Sims. The problem-- the people that should have gotten it-- have wasted a lot of my time and still do not seem to understand it..

More of John's often spoken words to me-- "Regina, I think I will ask you to.." or the statement to Dave Boyd at the Dec. 1994 christmas party. Dave, we got caught with our draws down...

I am of the opinion, a lot of people don't think.