Sarcasm - one of the many services I provide.

Cynic (n.) - a person who shows or expresses a sneeringly cynical attitude.
- One who expects things to go wrong.

Cynical Software Manager (n.) - me.

Welcome to my blog. The idea for this blog came as a result of many a conversation with Mel, the Program Manager at Atlassian. Over the course of several IMs and actual face-to-face discussions, when I find myself discussing something stupid, I usually make a smart ass remark, and call it the title of the next chapter in my forthcoming management book. Given that I have no intention of ever writing a management book, those chapters will now be blog posts. The recycling saves me from having to think of new interesting things to write about, I can just write about old interesting things. And remember,
if it was written in a blog, it has to be true.

The title of this "chapter" is in honor of my penchant for being a sarcastic smart ass when dealing with people, even those I like. Especially those I like in fact. And the reason is that sarcasm can be extremely effective in interpersonal communications (or at least I think so, after all I am in software development, so I don't ever get around to talking to real people). An example, you ask, where sarcasm can be useful in the workplace. The best place is in meetings, where using the inherent humor in sarcasm can deflect any notions of personal criticism. It can also be effective in pointing out patently obvious points that were somehow missed, or to illustrate unreasonable expectations. I hope it works, otherwise I have been pissing people off for real for a long time now.

And I am cynical enough to realize that my meager sarcasm skills pale in comparison with the true masters, the cynics that believe nothing will ever get better or be done right. Since I am a very optimistic cynic, I really believe that the project will be a success, and will be finished only a short time after the scheduled release date, once the inevitable happens and is corrected.

It is also difficult to be a full-blooded hard-boiled cynic (first definition) when you work with great people at a great company. And I am not so cynical to be disappointed about that.