(no subject)
* Interview, I think, went well. There were some HR questions I couldn't answer well, and one that I answered with something like 'I was in that situation last year, and totally mishandled it. I did X, and I should've done Y, because Z happened, which is Bad.'. I'm hoping this was a good thing to say. It got them writing notes furiously, so I'm guessing so.
* Inteviewers were really friendly and really put me at ease (no small feat, since I was totally and absolutely bricking it). Was really, really impressed with them - the HR guy had done his homework, and tailored the questions accordingly - like "I see on your website - gamesfairy - you have a home automation system, lavalamp. How do you communicate with your userbase with that project?". They both really gave off the air that they were trying to get me to say the right things, as opposed to some interviews, where you're not really sure what the interviewer is asking - a lot of it was "Tell me about a sitution where you've done X. OK, now tell me more about the bit where you did Y in the process. Did you enjoy that bit? How did you make sure that Z?"
* It was very bizarre to hear a suited HR guy say 'gamesfairy'.
* The tech guy seemed impressed that I'd done the security for lavalamp from the ground-up, and taken in to account stuff like replay attacks. He inquired about how well it was protected against man-in-the-middle attacks, and my response was that it's not - the RF that it all works on makes any man-in-the-middle fairly difficult. Perhaps I should've talked about how that was the weak point of the algo.
* Talked briefly about the security scanner I want to write. When I mentioned that I'd written an IDA plugin, I'm sure they were impressed (although again, I suck at reading people). The tech guy seemed very keen on getting me to write it with/for them - which is pretty cool, since it shows a level of 'free reign' which I'd have if I worked for them.
* Another interviewee apparently went in and was confronted with 'I see you're on Facebook. Do you use MSN messenger, too?'. I'm glad they didn't find my (this) LJ - although, to be honest, I don't think there's anything 'juicy' in here.
* If I get a job offer, the vetting process will start. I'll go back and secure various posts then, I think. Of course, it won't matter, since they could just go and pwn the LJ servers - but it'll show that I'm practicing good data hygene (and tbh, I've been wanting to go back and protect stuff for a while).
* Hid the entirity of the old LJ - which I haven't posted to for what, two or three years - from public view. I think that's a good thing in the long term, job offer or not.
* The actual building was scary. The ten-foot barbed-wire fences, and the windows tilted subtley so that people couldn't see in. Bloody glad that Arnie, wonderful as he is, came in with me and got me settled in the waiting area (and also broke the ice by talking to the other interviewees). Dunno what I'd do without him sometimes!
* Got stung for money on the train. I bought a ticket with a railcard, got on the train, and realised I'd left the railcard at home, at which point I got bummed up the ass for 60 pounds each way (on top of my railcard'd ticket). Apparently I can claim it back.
* Woke up _way_ dehydrated and feeling crappy. Resolved to drink more stuff (that isn't red bull).
* Distrubing dreams last night. One involved a fishing hook appearing in my tongue, attatched to a large chain, and another that had my mother becoming uncontrollably angry, and asking me why she couldn't control her feelings. Not sure what's up with these, although other dreams indicate that I feel that the future is out of my control - which is odd, since life is more in my control now than other times.
* Inteviewers were really friendly and really put me at ease (no small feat, since I was totally and absolutely bricking it). Was really, really impressed with them - the HR guy had done his homework, and tailored the questions accordingly - like "I see on your website - gamesfairy - you have a home automation system, lavalamp. How do you communicate with your userbase with that project?". They both really gave off the air that they were trying to get me to say the right things, as opposed to some interviews, where you're not really sure what the interviewer is asking - a lot of it was "Tell me about a sitution where you've done X. OK, now tell me more about the bit where you did Y in the process. Did you enjoy that bit? How did you make sure that Z?"
* It was very bizarre to hear a suited HR guy say 'gamesfairy'.
* The tech guy seemed impressed that I'd done the security for lavalamp from the ground-up, and taken in to account stuff like replay attacks. He inquired about how well it was protected against man-in-the-middle attacks, and my response was that it's not - the RF that it all works on makes any man-in-the-middle fairly difficult. Perhaps I should've talked about how that was the weak point of the algo.
* Talked briefly about the security scanner I want to write. When I mentioned that I'd written an IDA plugin, I'm sure they were impressed (although again, I suck at reading people). The tech guy seemed very keen on getting me to write it with/for them - which is pretty cool, since it shows a level of 'free reign' which I'd have if I worked for them.
* Another interviewee apparently went in and was confronted with 'I see you're on Facebook. Do you use MSN messenger, too?'. I'm glad they didn't find my (this) LJ - although, to be honest, I don't think there's anything 'juicy' in here.
* If I get a job offer, the vetting process will start. I'll go back and secure various posts then, I think. Of course, it won't matter, since they could just go and pwn the LJ servers - but it'll show that I'm practicing good data hygene (and tbh, I've been wanting to go back and protect stuff for a while).
* Hid the entirity of the old LJ - which I haven't posted to for what, two or three years - from public view. I think that's a good thing in the long term, job offer or not.
* The actual building was scary. The ten-foot barbed-wire fences, and the windows tilted subtley so that people couldn't see in. Bloody glad that Arnie, wonderful as he is, came in with me and got me settled in the waiting area (and also broke the ice by talking to the other interviewees). Dunno what I'd do without him sometimes!
* Got stung for money on the train. I bought a ticket with a railcard, got on the train, and realised I'd left the railcard at home, at which point I got bummed up the ass for 60 pounds each way (on top of my railcard'd ticket). Apparently I can claim it back.
* Woke up _way_ dehydrated and feeling crappy. Resolved to drink more stuff (that isn't red bull).
* Distrubing dreams last night. One involved a fishing hook appearing in my tongue, attatched to a large chain, and another that had my mother becoming uncontrollably angry, and asking me why she couldn't control her feelings. Not sure what's up with these, although other dreams indicate that I feel that the future is out of my control - which is odd, since life is more in my control now than other times.