I've spent the last two days patching in network cables into various bits of University House's network infrastucture. Its quite cool to develop a complete understanding of exactly how network connectivity is delivered to each one of the 3,000 odd network points that have been installed in there, and the sheer complexity (not to mention the cost) of the whole setup is quite amazing.

Even more amazing is the size of the place itself. It's quite shocking to discover the University employs enough people to fill a building of its size, especially considering that it's only the administrative staff who are moving over there. I feel a strange mix of excitement (as clearly the move over there is going to be quite significant in shaping the future of the University), and a fear of the stengthening of the establishment that the move represents.

But even an organisation of its size can't manage such an operation enitrely without hitches, it would seem. Needless to say, not much is finished over there. The place is still full of contracters building strange wooden structures and other such paraphernalia, and I feel quite sorry for the first people who are due to move in on Monday! The opening of the Learning Grid, which will provide the student space in the building, has also been put back to May, as it currently consists of a large space spread over the ground and first floors, with an emormous hole in the ceiling to link them up. Apparently the staircase will be installed soon.

Anyway, it's been a good chance to earn a bit of much-needed cash, as well as great chance to have a sneaky look around the place. I didn't feel too bad about going out in Leam last night with the remaining posse (yay for drinking coacktails through metre-long staws!), knowing that I'd earned some money that day, but no doubt my forthcoming trips to London and Wales will see that spent before it's even reached my account... Just as well I'm working next week too, eh?