Today's ALMA QA2 training was relatively painless. Oh, it's a silly, badly-organised process in which files are given helpful labels like, "uid__Xf43e_2016.SB.00982.ms.split.cal" or worse, "textfile.txt", and finding the relevant information is like reading a dictionary when you know the meaning of the word but not the word itself.... BUT at least each individual step is not that bad. To tackle every possible eventuality you'd have to have years and years of experience, but that isn't going to happen most of the time. It's just a matter of writing a sensible set of ordered instructions (and using a Linux environment which FFS lets you minimise windows !)... there's light at the end of the tunnel and it's not an oncoming train.
So here is a short visual guide to observing with ALMA. Totally 100% accurate.
What that actually sounds like is a process set-up, and maintained to preserve the jobs of specialist contractors. Reminds me of EMC.
ReplyDeleteI dunno... they're actually under-staffed with a backlog of projects to check. I get the feeling it's a product of being too big and bureaucratic, with different aspects evolving their own relatively sensible ways of doing things but without any overall coordination. And it's probably OK if you already know what you're doing, but not if you're trying to learn anything...
ReplyDeleteRhys Taylor it achieves similar ends. Restricting the number of people who can grasp the topic enough to function. Although one is malicious and the other is essentially acting counter to their goals. Assuming malice is a habit from IT. That sort of behaviour is well documented.
ReplyDeleteALMA is a AWFL. RFI is a TLA. I like the sheep. What animal is the resident?
ReplyDelete