Second Chances

Source Code Management. It’s one of those things that as a developer you know you are supposed to do it. The benefits are huge, allowing you to keep track of changes and revert your code to an earlier state if you break something. You can also keep the repository on a server somewhere so it can act as a remote backup. However, it’s also one of those things that is hard to start if your main motivation is you are “supposed to”, kinda like flossing.

In fact, using an SCM tool is something that I’ve been meaning to do for a few years now. I’ve tried on a number of occasions to get in the habit of using the popular tool svn. However svn never seemed to agree with my work flow. I would always end up moving a file in Finder, not even thinking about its hidden relationship with svn, and then try to fix my repository.

I tried using another tool, Git, in the past too. This tool was great and agrees with my workflow. I could even move files in Finder all I wanted and it kept track of it. I could also delete them, no worries. It didn’t break. It is not affected by my absent mindedness. Still though, another “supposed to”.

I’ve been reading about Git and SCM more and more lately. Being months deep into Jisho 4 development (yes it’s gonna be great) I have been tempted to start using Git again. If only to help me keep track of what I have left to do before I can ship. However, coding is more fun than messing with an SCM, so I put it off. Again.

I want to tell you story of second chances and how I decided to start using Git. Why it finally turned into something more than a “supposed to”.

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It’s Wednesday and I’m going to work. Hump-day. Make it through today and I can smell the weekend and focus on Jisho development. Today, I’m really engrossed in a podcast. I’m so engrossed that I keep on checking where we are, so as to not miss my stop. My stop comes and I stand up. I notice this high school student who looks like he’s up to no good squatting near the doors.

I think, “That’s odd, but at least I remembered to get off at my stop”, and continue on my way. I exit the gates and attempt to adjust my bag. Something is off. I realize with a sense of horror that I’m not wearing my bag. It’s in the train. Above my seat. With my laptop in it. No backup. And that No-good kid next to it.

I immediately go to file a report with the station staff. As I file the report the attendant hands me a piece of paper with a phone number and an issue number written on it. As he hands it to me he says, in perhaps the most unpromising sounding voice, “I’ll call you if somebody turns it in or at this specified time”. My stomach sinks.

10 minutes after he says he would call, my stomach sinks a little more. A call finally comes, but I unable to answer it. I check my phone and the number is blocked and no messages.

I dig the paper out of my pocket and call the number on the sheet. I explain the situation and they don’t seem to have a clue what I’m talking about. It’s not in the system. They can’t find it. Why did they call me if they can’t find it I wonder.

“This is the lost and found for Japan Rails East right”, I say.

“Yes, it is”, he says.

I’m probably the 100th person to call him that day and his day has just begun.

I think, “Perhaps it was my Japanese? I was rather frazzled when I talked with him.”, and I ask a co-worker if they wouldn’t mind talking with them for me. She agrees and calls. I stand there listening to the conversation. With every sentence that goes by I can tell it’s not looking so great. It’s gone forever I think. All that work, for what? To loose it all on the train. To some up-to-no-good punk kid too. Probably saw that I left my bag and is selling my laptop right now. My co-worker hangs up. The prognosis isn’t good.

I refuse to give up and begin googling the internet for phone numbers. I decide to call the stations directly instead of some call center in the middle of Tokyo. Their numbers don’t seem to be listed or showing up. I do however find another phone number. One in English. It’s worth a shot I think on a whim.

“Hello”, she says nicely. I dive right in immediately start telling her everything I know. Times. Trains. Cars. Who. Colors. Contents. Phase of the moon. You name it, I probably told her. She says, in almost the same tone as the man this morning that she will make some phone calls and call me back in ten minutes.

Ten minutes comes and goes. Nothing. Fifteen minutes gone. Nada. I start fretting. What am I going to do? I have lost the source code for all of my products. Not to mention every paper I wrote in university and the last 7 years worth of photos. I start preparing how I’m going to break the news to my customers. I’ve let them down. I’m going to have to build from scratch. I’m not sure if I can do that again.

Finally, 25 minutes late, a call comes. “Hello, is this James? I’m calling about your lost bag”, a voice says. It was the woman I spoke with earlier.

“Yes, this is James”, I reply not sure if I want to hear what’s coming.

“Your bag is…found. It is waiting for you in Tokyo station. It will only be there until 6 p.m. today. After that it’s going to move to a lost and found center”, she says.

It takes a moment to process. It’s found I realize and a weight lifts from my shoulders. I immediately apologize in my head to that punk kid. He’s a good kid I think, he wouldn’t take my bag. It was silly of me to think that.

As I ride the train in to Tokyo I tell a friend that my bag has been found. He asks me if my laptop was still in it. It had never occurred to me that my bag could appear without a laptop in it. A laptopless bag. Those don’t exist. Surely it must still be in the bag I try to convince myself, as that kid starts appearing in my thoughts again.

I arrive at the station and walk into the lost and found office. It’s like they were waiting for me. I told them I lost something and from a number of bags they pull out mine instantly.

I open the bag. There it is. There is my laptop. All of my source code. All of my essays and photos. All right there. I have been given a second chance at this. I can continue my work on Jisho 4. I don’t have to explain to my customers that I’ve managed to lose everything. I haven’t let them down.

–

That’s a true story and happened earlier today. A huge thank you goes out to JR East for helping me find my bag (with laptop!). I also want to apologize to that “punk kid”.

As soon as I got home I opened an account with Github. I’ve imported all of my source code for Jisho in to it. I’m on the Micro plan which is only $7 dollars a month. $7 dollars a month is a small price to pay for the piece of mind that, incase something like this happens again, I won’t have to even ponder for a second about losing everything.