log4j configuration or a tale of setting conversion pattern parameters

I was given the task of configuring log4j for a Java project. I assumed it would be a 15 minute task but it turned out to be way more complicated than I initially thought. The reason you might ask: poor documentation. Basically I needed the output to be in a certain format which meant setting the conversion pattern parameters to match the format.

The problem was that I couldn't find out what the parameters meant. After lots of googling I resulted to trial and error to set up the parameters. Funnily enough the top hits when googling where people in my position trying to figure out what the parameters meant.

But I refused to give up and finally today I found it:

Class PatternLayout

I tried finding tutorials and the like and I am sure that many people like me have scoured documents such as "Short introduction to log4j" to no avail.

Angry rant about integration into Dutch society: Fighting the belastingsdienst or a tale of horrible usability

It has now almost been a year since I first tried to do "aangifte" by the belastingdienst (The Dutch tax authority). I still have not managed to successfully submit an application even though I have tried twice.

Belasting power!

Apparently doing your taxes is subject to abject mystery and intricate complex procedures; so much so that the natives have tax lawyers do it for them.

Being Swedish I first tried myself to do the taxes using the software available at the belastingdienst web site. I was surprised that there was a Macintosh version and English liner notes. I thought all went fine and as per instruction I waited the stated 3 months for an answer. Three months passed with no reply and I began calling. It turned out that the form I submitted was not the form you were supposed to send in.

People moving to the Netherlands are supposed fill in the m-formulier for the first year they work in the country. The m-formulier has to be requested and takes 6 weeks to be delivered (8 weeks in my case). So I called a couple of times to inquire of where it was or if it even had been sent (they didn't know since the delivery is not tracked). Once the form came I realised that it was a 100 page form in Dutch (Please note that I am not critical of it being in Dutch since that is the official language of the country). So funnily enough once you moved here and settled you can do your taxes in English but when you need to fill out the m-formulier (m as in migrant) you are faced with 100 pages of juridical Dutch mumbo-jumbo).

Somewhat frightened by this pile of passive sentences and semantic complexity I caved in and had a tax lawyer do my taxes instead. So I waited another 3 months and called again as to inquire of the status of my "aangifte". It turned out that the tax attorney sent the wrong form. This time it was the t-formulier that had been sent instead of the m-formulier.

So I was back where I started and I called to ask if there was someone or some service that I could use to get help to fill out the form. Initially the response was "Ja, klaar" and I proceeded to book an appointment only to find out that I had to travel 2,5 hours to the south of the country for the only foreign tax office in the country. I was perlexed how it can be possible that in a country of 20 million which relies heavily on immigrant labour there is only one tax office situated on the German/Belgian border to handle their applications.

Firstly, throughout the whole process there is absolutely no feedback. Every time you fill something in you have to wait three months to figure out if it was the right thing or if there is yet another form eagerly awaiting to be filled out.

Secondly, how come the m-formulier is in juridical mumbo jumbo language whilst the standard tax application has English liner notes. Is it just me or is English liner notes more important for immigrants than people who have settled in the country and learned the language?

Thirdly, don't the belastingdienst already know what I earn? After all they are the ones taking a cut off my wages every month? So why do I need to supply them with the same information again?

How does usability come into the picture:
– Provide users with adequate feedback. If I fill out a form to subscribe to a news letter I most certainly don't have to wait 3 months to be able to call and find out if my applications was correct and received.

Certified Usability Analyst

As of today I am a HFI Certified Usability Analyst. Add that to the NTII staatsexamen and I have a good start to one of those classical walls of diplomas you see in American doctors offices on TV. Now I am off to get some recognition.

As a step in being more Web 2.0 i have joined both LinkedIn and HFI Connect. Quite interesting sites from a UX perspective.