tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63229262024-03-17T20:03:02.426-07:00doofusdanDan BeckerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.comBlogger263125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-12337927157328933992015-01-24T17:42:00.001-08:002015-01-24T17:42:21.285-08:00Doofusdan.com is mine at lastFeels like I've been waiting for it to became available for 20 years - somebody had been squatting on it for ages and as far as I know, never used it. At last, they let the registration lapse and now it's mine! Bwah-ha-ha....<br /><br />I just noticed I haven't posted anything here in over a year - though I did post a few things over on <a href="http://www.MassivelyUseful.com">MassivelyUseful</a><br /><br />Mostly it's because I've been quite busy, and having a great time, at my new gig at <a href="http://www.tableau.com">Tableau</a>. We're hiring, so if you're awesome, <a href="http://careers.tableau.com">check us out and get in touch</a>! <br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-36047391720242636562013-06-25T14:59:00.001-07:002013-06-25T14:59:25.227-07:00Papa's Tech Class: Help your kids deconstruct a computerMy 8-year-old son I. loves taking things apart. He loves to see what's under the covers - and he also loves the destruction!<br />
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He's long had his eyes on the three old desktop computers lurking in our basement. Taking them apart was the first thing he mentioned when we started talking about what we'd do for Papa's Tech Class.<br />
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To give you an idea of the vintage, I built the newest PC to run betas of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista">what turned out to be Windows Vista</a>; there's also a G4 PowerMac one of my friends acquired when his employer was getting rid of obsolete computers, and an even older PC that once ran software like AudioGalaxy (in its awesome <a href="http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gadgets/the-greatest-defunct-web-sites-and-dotcom-disasters-49296926/9/">first incarnation</a>).<br />
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If you have an obsolete PC lying around, taking it apart can be a fun activity with your kids. Unlike building a new PC, there's no worry if they damage anything.<br />
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Unlike most laptop computers, desktops can be disassembled with tools you probably already have around the house. You can get it pretty far apart with just a Philips head screwdriver (#2 and #1 sizes - the most common). If you've also got a small pair of pliers, that can help young fingers get a good grip to pull out on those really jammed-in cables.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNWLUOdYruyjI202DPgVMp8aWIMudoGYuLxyVrC53ku6OldmxopH5sfxAq99vl_wkHLlmGu-QY4HjhNv6W6-4jEQGPmJBYDio8dMDtnfhngoeD__Ppqhuk0-8n09wwRBxrJPAFA/s1600/IMG_4828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNWLUOdYruyjI202DPgVMp8aWIMudoGYuLxyVrC53ku6OldmxopH5sfxAq99vl_wkHLlmGu-QY4HjhNv6W6-4jEQGPmJBYDio8dMDtnfhngoeD__Ppqhuk0-8n09wwRBxrJPAFA/s400/IMG_4828.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All you really need to disassemble most desktop computers is a screwdriver with standard bits. A small pair of pliers is the next most useful tool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For protection, check the metal edges of the case. Some PC's have pretty raw edges that can cut fingers — especially little, uncalloused fingers.<br />
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You can do this easily on a living room or kitchen table, but put down some newspaper or cardboard to protect the work surface and make it easier to rotate the computer.<br />
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Depending on your kid, you may have fun identifying the major components of computers (CPU, RAM, motherboard, input and output ports, hard drive, CD/DVD drive, graphics card & CPU). You can also trace the paths data flows through in terms of things the kids will be used to. For example, when you surf the web, the web page comes in over the network connection; when you put in a game disc, the software on the disk is read from the DVD drive and goes over these cables to RAM, and the CPU reads the instructions from RAM and follows them, then it tells the GPU what to draw on the screen, and the GPU sends a video signal out to the display, and plays sounds through the speakers...<br />
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Finally, if the thought of rendering a functional piece of hardware non-functional rankles you, you can always donate them - there are many <a href="http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/takeitback/electronics/index.asp">eCycling options around Seattle</a>. Another approach to consider for making use of PC's that can't handle current operating system versions is installing Linux. But here at PTC, we have a <a href="http://www.raspberrypi.org/">Raspberry Pi</a> for our Linux hacking, which uses a fraction of the power - and we also have several unused laptops of more recent vintage.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com163tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-30152456958565548422013-06-18T12:55:00.001-07:002013-06-18T13:38:03.265-07:00"Papa Tech Class" - summer hacking with my kidsAfter completing graduate school, I'm taking the summer off with my boys, ages 8 (I) & 11 (Z). One of the things they asked to do this summer is "Papa Tech Class."<br />
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Today, on the first day of summer with just the three of us at home, Z asked to get a blog set up so he could write about one of his passions: soccer. <br />
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Z had previously asked about making web pages, and he learned how to do basic HTML by hand. He learned inserting images, creating links, and basic page structure. He could see the results by opening the HTML file locally in a web browser. We uploaded the file to a web server and he could see the page on the Internet. I think it's useful to at least see what's going on one layer down - though HTML and FTP are still pretty far above bare wire & bare metal!<br />
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To make the blog an ongoing concern, we signed up for a free blog hosted on <a href="http://wordpress.com/">WordPress.com</a>. WordPress provides great blogging features like ready-made templates, WYSIWYG editing, and it's a very popular platform for blogs of all sizes. So it's got a great deal of room to grow, if Zeb wants to get fancier later on. So using WordPress lets Z focus on what he really wants to do: write about soccer.<br />
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I knew we wanted to have prior review & approval of anything Z wants to post, at least while he's getting started and learning the ropes. To set that up, I created one account for the parents to use, and created the blog during the sign-up process. So the parents' account owns the blog.<br />
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Next, I logged out of WordPress.com, and then created a second WordPress.com account for Z to use. During the sign-up process, you have the option to <a href="https://signup.wordpress.com/signup/?user=1">sign up for just a username</a> without creating a blog, and that's what I did. <br />
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Finally, I logged back into the parental account, and <a href="http://en.support.wordpress.com/user-roles/#contributor">added Z's account as a contributor</a> to the blog. This way he can write articles any time he likes, but he can't publish them on his own. When he is done, instead of having a "publish" button, he has a "submit for review" button. This will send an email to the parents. We can then review the post and approve it, edit it ourselves, or discuss with Z what needs to be changed and why.<br />
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This isn't perfect; to make changes to the blog itself, like changing the theme or adding widgets, I'll need to log him in under the parents' account - but since I don't use that account for any other blogs, there's no worries there.<br />
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You can follow Z's blog at http://zebsoccer.wordpress.com. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-57271967148178495272013-02-18T22:52:00.001-08:002013-09-19T23:33:35.176-07:00Getting Raspberry Pi DHCP working with internet sharing from OS XMy sons asked to learn more about computers, so we got a <a href="http://www.raspberrypi.org/">Raspberry Pi</a>. We also got <a href="http://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pi-cobbler-kit/overview">Adafruit's Pi Cobbler kit</a>. Using <a href="http://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi-educational-linux-distro/occidentalis-v0-dot-2">Adafruit's Occidentalis distro</a> of Raspbian, I had to do a little configuration to make the following setup work, and it turned into a little bit of a networking lesson for my kids, too. I figured I'd write it up in case some other Googling Pi user needs to learn & solve this particular combination of problems - or in case I forget and need to re-do this sometime. :-)<br />
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The goal was to have the Pi share a wifi-equipped Mac's network connection.<br />
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Mac running Lion (OS X 10.7) is connected to Internet via wifi.<br />
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Pi connected via Ethernet cable to Mac.<br />
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Share the Mac's Internet connection: on the Mac, go to System Preferences - Sharing.<br />
<ul>
<li>Check the box Internet Sharing from the list of services. </li>
<li>Confirm that that the sharing status is On. </li>
<li>Confirm that Ethernet is checked on the list of ports to share to.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFexSatDqiuymptRJ6Ae5D9lveGE96Ml5F2yUK7G5LPwudigmdCN9IgO_D2gWLKJX9Vvyhaa7QIDc8RxxiQrF36AZJsf8oVEih4xiShV6X8WChsDaE0G0p9f0-UTPD2qjVghZ8A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-18+at+9.36.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFexSatDqiuymptRJ6Ae5D9lveGE96Ml5F2yUK7G5LPwudigmdCN9IgO_D2gWLKJX9Vvyhaa7QIDc8RxxiQrF36AZJsf8oVEih4xiShV6X8WChsDaE0G0p9f0-UTPD2qjVghZ8A/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-02-18+at+9.36.20+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Now power on the Pi. It should get an IP address assigned via DHCP, and it should be on the network. Thanks to Occidentalis, the Pi is registered with Rendezvous using the name <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">raspberrypi.local</span>. If DHCP and Rendezvous are both working, you can reach the Pi from the Mac using that name. This is great, because you can plug in and access a headless Pi quite easily this way.<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Macintosh:~ dan$ <b>ping raspberrypi.local</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">PING raspberrypi.local (192.168.2.2): 56 data bytes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">64 bytes from 192.168.2.2: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.720 ms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">64 bytes from 192.168.2.2: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.982 ms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">64 bytes from 192.168.2.2: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.919 ms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">^C</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">--- raspberrypi.local ping statistics ---</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0.0% packet loss</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.720/0.874/0.982/0.112 ms</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
But, it wasn't working for us. The Pi wasn't registering its name, we couldn't reach it from the Mac. Pings just resulted in "ping: cannot resolve raspberrypi.local: Unknown host". We tried all the suggestions on the FAQ and troubleshooting wiki (cable swapping, reflashing the Pi's software, swapping power supplies) but they did not help.<br />
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There were two problems: the Pi's network configuration needed to be changed, and the Mac's Internet Sharing needed to be restarted.<br />
<br />
Fixing the network configuration on the Pi, <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/davidsingleton.org/www2/home/stuff-i-had-to-do-to-get-raspberry-pi-debian-image-working">David Singleton's web page</a> gave me a clue about needing to enable the Ethernet interface on the Pi to make it get configuration from DHCP.<br />
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This is the original network interface configuration on Occidentalis:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">pi@raspberrypi:~$ <b>cat /etc/network/interfaces</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">auto lo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">iface lo inet loopback</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">iface eth0 inet dhcp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">auto wlan0</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">allow-hotplug wlan0</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">iface wlan0 inet dhcp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> wpa-ssid "my-network-ssid"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> wpa-psk "my-wifi-password"</span><br />
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Using nano, and opening the file as superuser because it is a restricted system file,<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">pi@raspberrypi:~$ <b>sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces</b></span><br />
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we make the following additions (in <b>bold</b>):<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">auto lo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">iface lo inet loopback</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">auto eth0</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">iface eth0 inet dhcp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>#</b>auto wlan0 allow-hotplug wlan0 iface wlan0 inet dhcp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>#</b> wpa-ssid "my-network-ssid"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>#</b> wpa-psk "my-wifi-password"</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Here, <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">eth0</span> is the Ethernet interface, <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">lo</span> is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loopback#Virtual_network_interface">loopback</a> interface, and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">wlan0</span> is the wireless interface.<br />
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We don't have a wireless adapter on our Pi, so we commented out the three lines of wireless interface configuration.<br />
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Then, we restart the network, forcing it to load the new interfaces file.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">pi@raspberrypi:~$ <b>sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart</b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<br />
That worked better. The Pi was now coming up and making a DHCP request. But it wasn't getting a response. That's not a Pi problem, that's a problem with the Mac's Internet Connection Sharing.<br />
<br />
Off to Google again - this thread showed <a href="http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1192376">other people had problems with ICS in Lion</a>. The easiest suggestion was to simply stop and restart the service, and this worked. One more restart of the Pi's networking, and as David says: "yay, network!"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-35685299598487424692012-04-09T23:43:00.001-07:002012-04-09T23:43:01.167-07:00Coping with metadata problems in book searchesI'll soon be facing the same issue and using the same workaround that <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.findings.com/post/16123547547/find-in-a-local-library">findings.com</a> did:<br /><br /><blockquote>Whenever we can, we will supply WorldCat with an ISBN or other identifier to bring you straight to a book…but sometimes you will see a number of search results based on an author and Title. We would like this to be as seamless as possible, but the world of book publishing metadata is riddled with information gaps and geographic thorns.<br /></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-88597636756335977662012-04-09T23:16:00.001-07:002012-04-09T23:16:02.708-07:00ebooks need skimabilityStephen Johnson, <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.findings.com/post/17661615384/how-we-will-read-an-interview-with-stevenbjohnson">talking</a> to Findability: <br /><br /><blockquote><b>If you could move one feature of paper books to digital books, what would that be?<br /></b><br />Skimming. It’s a funny thing with print vs. ebooks; the digital age is supposed to be all about attention deficit disorder and hypertextual distractions, but ebooks lock you into reading them in a linear fashion more than print books do. It’s much easier to pick up a print book and flip through the pages, get a sense of the argument or structure, than it is with an ebook (or magazine.) It’s a very interesting interface challenge: I think it’s probably solvable, and I know many smart folks are working on it, but we don’t have a true solution yet.</blockquote><br /><br />I agree. It's one reason browsing in bookstores is still better than shopping online, even with Amazon's "look inside this book" - since flipping through the pages hasn't yet been implemented. <br /><br />It's just a matter of time, though - I'd guess next year or two. Might just need the next generation of mobile CPUs & GPUs to ship. Flipping pages in a book requires some serious framerates!<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-60208146330013709342012-04-07T22:23:00.001-07:002012-04-07T22:26:24.796-07:00The New Aesthetic<a target="_blank" href="http://m.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2012/04/an-essay-on-the-new-aesthetic/">Bruce Sterling</a>:<br /><blockquote>The evidence is impossible to refute. Anybody with a spark of perception who looks through this thing:<br /><a target="_blank" href="http://new-aesthetic.tumblr.com/">http://new-aesthetic.tumblr.com/</a><br />must recognize that modern reality is on display there. What we think about that, or do about that, is another matter. That it exists is not in question. </blockquote><br />Also, be sure to read <a target="_blank" href="http://www.riglondon.com/blog/2011/05/06/the-new-aesthetic/">James Bridle</a> and also <a target="_blank" href="http://booktwo.org/notebook/sxaesthetic/">this</a>:<br /><blockquote>People are “acting” in ways we may or may not understand, which may or may not have an effect in the real world, whether it’s signing petitions, organising riots (on BBM), clicking, ‘liking’ KONY, whatever, the correct (maybe) response is not to have an opinion (default internet response, still) or a moral position, but to live inside the thing as it unfolds.</blockquote><br />And there's <a target="_blank" href="http://thecreatorsproject.com/blog/in-response-to-bruce-sterlings-essay-on-the-new-aesthetic">even more</a>!<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-81999038233225982342012-04-07T02:02:00.001-07:002012-04-07T02:02:42.022-07:00We Are Creators, Not ConsumersMy <a href="http://courses.washington.edu/css590/2012.Spring/">class</a> reading this quarter is <a target="_blank" href="http://mobiledesign.org/">Mobile Design and Development</a>, which you can read free online.<br /><br />Author Brian Fling <a target="_blank" href="http://mobiledesign.org/we_are_creator_not_consumers?s[]=creators&s[]=not&s[]=consumers">says</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><b>We Are Creators, Not Consumers<br /></b><br />The final principle of Mobile 2.0 is recognizing that we are in a new age of consumerism. Yesterday’s consumer does not look anything like today’s consumer. The people of today’s market don’t view themselves as consumers, but rather as creators.</blockquote><br /><br />He's talking about "user-generated content" as creation. But to me, "create" doesn't feel like the right verb for what makes social constructs happen. <br /><br />Still, my reaction - being bothered by that equation and needing to probe at it like a sore tooth - tells me I should take a closer look at what is happening there. <br /><br />Ok, brain, whatever you say. <br /><br />(That's right, Pinky.)<br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-8285910040179844022012-03-17T14:39:00.001-07:002012-03-17T14:39:48.913-07:00IT buzzwords and memes of the moment: cloud & consumerizarionPeter Kretzman, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.wired.com/cloudline/2012/03/death-of-the-cio/">IT Consumerization, the Cloud and the Alleged Death of the CIO</a>:<br /><blockquote>Let me be clear once again: this frequent linking of cloud and IT consumerization to the looming demise of the CIO and IT is not just misguided, but actually gets it completely backwards. In fact, I argue that IT consumerization and the cloud will actually elevate the importance of IT within a company, as both a service and a strategic focus.<br /><br />Let’s list and then discuss some of the ways that combining these memes (IT consumerization, cloud, and the ensuing heralded death of the CIO) falls down when measured against common sense and reality:<br /><br />It fails to understand the full range of what a CIO (or IT) actually provides for modern-day companies.<br />It fails to recognize the profound pitfalls of a decentralized and fragmented approach for company systems and technologies.<br />It erroneously equates IT consumerization with the BYOD trend, missing the larger important picture that underscores the strategic need for IT.<br />It misunderstands the interplay of commoditization and competitive strategic advantage.</blockquote><br />Writing in "Wired Cloudline sponsored by IBM."<br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-69708831115344277112012-03-17T14:19:00.001-07:002012-03-17T14:19:15.535-07:00IT is hard enough already - why do things you don't need to?<a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/worried-about-4g-data-costs-heres-simple-solution-188319?page=0,0">Galen Gruman in Infoworld</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>I don't get why IT itself takes on so many management challenges unrelated to technology operations or strategy.</blockquote><br /><br />Yes, it's not a good use of limited resources. But I don't think the problem of taking on things that don't need to be done is unique to IT. <br /><br />Looking at IT for an answer to this is misplaced; instead, I'd start by looking at psychology, both organizational and individual.<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-57621264163793158362012-03-17T02:05:00.001-07:002012-03-17T02:05:41.434-07:00Close Encounters of the Collaborative KindGood article in this month's IEEE Computer magazine, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/2012/03/mco2012030024-abs.html">Close Encounters of the Collaborative Kind</a>:<br /><blockquote>The participants in a collaborative interdisciplinary project found that developing a shared, project-specific communication style helped them overcome cultural barriers, understand the nuances of each other's work, and enhance the accuracy, interpretability, and utility of their models.</blockquote><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-67936613746721612342012-02-29T00:19:00.000-08:002012-02-29T00:27:13.846-08:00Taming Complexity and Tesler's LawI always have a good think when I read <a href="http://jnd.org/">Don Norman</a>. Just started reading his <a href="http://www.jnd.org/books/living-with-complexity.html">Living with Complexity</a> and it's holding true to form. It's worth reading the whole book just to be reminded of Tesler's Law.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.jnd.org/books/living-with-complexity.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.jnd.org/images/lwc_large.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Complexity can be tamed, but it requires considerable effort to do it well. Decreasing the number of buttons and displays is not the solution. The solution is to understand the total system, to design it in a way that allows all the pieces fit nicely together, so that initial learning as well as usage are both optimal. Years ago, Larry Tesler, then a vice president of Apple, argued that the total complexity of a system is a constant: as you make the person's interaction simpler, the hidden complexity behind the scenes increases. Make one part of the system simpler, said Tesler, and the rest of the system gets more complex. This principle is known today as <b>Tesler's law of the conservation of complexity.</b> Tesler described it as a tradeoff: making things easier for the user means making it more difficult for the designer or engineer. <b>“Every application has an inherent amount of irreducible complexity. The only question is who wil have to deal with it, the user or the developer.”</b> (<a href="http://www.designingforinteraction.com/tesler.html">Tesler and Saffer, 2007</a>) With technology, simplifications at the level of usage invariably result in added complexity of the underlying mechanism.</blockquote>
If you are a Don Norman newbie, start with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/dp/0465067107">The Design of Everyday Things</a>, that's a classic. I liked the first edition's title better, Psychology of Everyday Things. He called it POET for short.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/dp/0465067107" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://books.google.com/books?id=w8pM72p_dpoC&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&l=220" /></a></div>
<br />
I also just read an article Don wrote for core77: <a href="http://www.core77.com/blog/columns/act_first_do_the_research_later_20051.asp">Act First, Do the Research Later</a>, where he demonstrates that pragmatism matters, and there are many paths to good design.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Today we teach the importance of doing design research first, then going through a period of ideation, prototyping and iterative refinement. Lots of us like this method. I do. I teach it. But this makes no sense when practical reality dictates that we do otherwise. If there is never enough time to start with research, then why do we preach such an impractical method? We need to adjust our methods to reality, not to some highfalutin, elegant theory that only applies in the perfect world of academic dreams. We should develop alternative strategies for design.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Why it is not necessary to start with design research: </b>Here are five very different arguments to support the practical reality of starting by designing, not through design research. First, the existence of good design that was not preceded by research. Second, the argument that experienced designers already have acquired the knowledge that would come from research. Third, the research effort of a company ought to be continually ongoing, so that results are available instantly. Fourth, and most controversial, research might inhibit creativity. And fifth, when the product is launched and the team assembled, it is already too late. </blockquote>
That's particularly fun given that I'm taking a course right now which is all about design research. I do enjoy holding two opposed ideas in my head at the same time. (No one should think F. Scott Fitzgerald was literally setting this as a true, singular test of a first-rate intellect; it's a necessary quality, but not sufficient on its own.)<br />
<br />
Hey! I just found <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/F._Scott_Fitzgerald">the whole quote</a>, and there's two more sentences to it that I've not seen before.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation – the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. <b>One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise. </b>This philosophy fitted on to my early adult life, when I saw the improbable, the implausible, often the "impossible," come true.</blockquote>
Seeing that things are hopeless and yet being determined to make them otherwise. Yup. That's worth doing.<br />
<br />
If you want to investigate more about reconciling opposing ideas, I suggest <a href="http://rogerlmartin.com/library/books/the-opposable-mind/">The Opposable Mind</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://rogerlmartin.com/library/books/the-opposable-mind/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://rogerlmartin.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/book_opposable_mind.jpg" width="143" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-46060021861260067132012-02-26T00:15:00.001-08:002012-02-26T00:28:46.032-08:00Jamming for Joy with Jaco<br />
Watching this is bringing me joy.<br />
<br />
Jaco Pastorius is one of my favorite musicians; but I never saw him play live before his untimely death in '87. In fact, I've never even seen video of him playing. Until tonight.<br />
<br />
I'm watching him play <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Jaco_Pastorius_Live_and_Outrageous/">Montreaux '82 with Randy Brecker</a>. Streaming on Netflix, natch.<br />
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<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Jaco_Pastorius_Live_and_Outrageous/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn-7.nflximg.com/en_us/boxshots/gsd/70061897.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
You might know Jaco as the bass player on several of Joni Mitchell's albums, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hejira_(album)">Hejira</a> (the one with Coyote on it).<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hejira_(album)" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Hejira_cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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He also played on several of Pat Metheny's best albums like his debut, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Size_Life">Bright Size Life</a>, which some say is <a href="http://100greatestjazzalbums.blogspot.com/2008/12/bright-size-life-pat-metheny-ecm.html">one of the 100 Greatest Jazz albums of all time</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Size_Life" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0e/Pat_Metheny_-_Bright_Size_Life.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Jaco was a member of Weather Report with Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul - listen to Birdland on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Weather_(album)">Heavy Weather</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Weather_(album)" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Weather_Report-Heavy_Weather.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/"></a><br />
Finally check out his masterpiece, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_Mouth_(Jaco_Pastorius_album)">Word of Mouth</a>, with an all-star big band of fusion jazz greats, from Herbie Hancock to Toots Thielman and Jack DeJohnette. I rank it with Sergeant Pepper and Uh-huh as one of my personal favorite albums.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_Mouth_(Jaco_Pastorius_album)" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0d/Jacowordofmouth.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-32619327879692639562012-02-19T17:02:00.000-08:002012-02-19T17:15:23.733-08:00Business metrics as solution requirementsIn my day job, my team has started using a few old-school tools in our infrastructure architecture practice. One of these is <a href="http://www.isixsigma.com/tools-templates/qfd-house-of-quality/qfd-when-and-how-does-it-fit-software-development/">Quality Function Deployment</a> (aka QFD, aka House of Quality) which has its roots in Six Sigma manufacturing quality practices.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.isixsigma.com/tools-templates/qfd-house-of-quality/qfd-when-and-how-does-it-fit-software-development/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.isixsigma.com/wp-content/uploads/images/stories/migrated/graphics/179a.gif" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">QFD House of Quality graphic from iSixSigma.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While looking for a bit of information, I stumbled across an article titled “<a href="http://www.strategyn.com/resources/white-papers/retiring-house-quality/">Retiring the House of Quality</a>.” Since we're just beginning to use QFD, I wanted to see what the problem was. Turns out the article wasn't critiquing QFD itself, but the (mis)use of QFD in “innovation processes.” <br />
<br />
The article ties into many of the themes we’re investigating in my current <a href="https://uw.instructure.com/courses/201073/assignments/syllabus">graduate school class on Evidence-Based Design</a> (aka Human-Centered Design or <a href="http://www.userfocus.co.uk/pdf/fable.pdf">User-Centered Design</a>).<br />
<br />
I liked the distinction made between concept innovation and technical innovation; I found that quite useful.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVJeb1lJMpC9IFc9l9T275gEFoYot4Cl5D-G53eqOEdg-wibyxqhoEKk6LPsqXQq-uO7Jw_Iz_BH5q3yAjLedQT_3E31c4gBLQMcXpXn69B8gOFWtCf7CefvJ1qrD3sGKbD5SRw/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-02-19+at+4.50.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVJeb1lJMpC9IFc9l9T275gEFoYot4Cl5D-G53eqOEdg-wibyxqhoEKk6LPsqXQq-uO7Jw_Iz_BH5q3yAjLedQT_3E31c4gBLQMcXpXn69B8gOFWtCf7CefvJ1qrD3sGKbD5SRw/s320/Screen+shot+2012-02-19+at+4.50.46+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Distinguishing initial concept innovation from downstream technical innovation - from Retiring the House of Quality</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But more importantly, I really appreciated the reframing around requirements where there were existing business processes with defined success metrics.<br />
<br />
Consider the traditional approach of assuming that the technical solution team can identify certain technical requirements for the solution, and assuming that what is built meets those solution requirements are met, then the solution will address the business problem.<br />
<br />
Instead of that approach, the authors suggest <b>having the existing business process success metrics directly become the solution requirements</b>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The outcome-driven innovation methodology uses customer-defined metrics (desired outcome statements) to guide the formulation, evaluation, and selection of new product and service concepts. The resulting concepts are tied directly to the customer’s desired outcomes—and the job the customer is trying to get done—increasing the likelihood that the customer will value the new concepts’ features. Because the inputs used to guide concept innovation are tied directly to the customer’s actual inputs, no translation is required.</blockquote>
<br />
Taking the business process requirements as the solution requirements rather than having to invent intermediate solution requirements is a great insight.<br />
<br />
Literally, this is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disintermediation">disintermediation</a>, but instead of disintermediating two parties by removing a middleman, it disintermediates a set of, well, intermediate requirements.<br />
<br />
And because its exactly in that translation process of generating the intermediate requirements where technical solutions go wrong so often, it looks very promising for improving overall business satisfaction with solutions.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-53178955168757513342012-02-19T16:26:00.000-08:002012-02-19T16:28:23.058-08:00If you teach people, they have this miraculous capability...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: medium;">I greatly enjoyed reading <a href="http://architectureforhumanity.org/">Architecture for Humanity</a>'s book <i><a href="http://designlikeyougiveadamn.architectureforhumanity.org/">Design Like You Give A Damn</a>. </i>It is full of wonderful, creative responses to hairy problems, often with incredible design constraints and stakes of life and death.<i> </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: medium;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: medium;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: medium;">One of my favorite lines was this quote from Maurice Cox:</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-size: medium;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: medium;">I have come to believe that if you teach people what their options are, they have this miraculous capability to make the decision that is in their best interest. It was amazing to watch this unfold. </span></span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: medium;">I liked DLYGAD so much, I added it to my list of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Architecture-books-for-IT-architects/lm/R2O4CM8HD9QZ5J/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full">(physical) architecture books for IT architects</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61W3VWY3VGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61W3VWY3VGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">A </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Design-Like-You-Give-Damn/dp/0810997029" style="font-size: large;">second volume of DLYGAD is coming out soon</a><span style="font-size: medium;">. I can't wait to read it.</span><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-52373300537573330142011-10-13T08:37:00.000-07:002012-02-20T01:24:11.583-08:00Technical DebtI saw a great Steve McConnell (author of the crucial book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Code-Complete-Practical-Handbook-Construction/dp/0735619670">Code Complete</a>) webcast on Technical Debt and wanted to get these links published: <strike><a href="http://forums.construx.com/blogs/stevemcc/archive/2007/11/01/technical-debt-2.aspx">blog post</a>, <a href="https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=347946&sessionid=1&key=906C459BBBF4F99D80792A52857B7F8A&sourcepage=register">webcast replay</a>. The webcast replay has a link to a slide deck you can download - just register for the webcast.</strike> Highly recommended.
Here's Steve's opening blurb:
<br />
<blockquote>
The term technical debt was coined by Ward Cunningham to describe the obligation that a software organization incurs when it chooses a design or construction approach that's expedient in the short term but that increases complexity and is more costly in the long term.
Ward didn't develop the metaphor in very much depth. The few other people who have discussed technical debt seem to use the metaphor mainly to communicate the concept to technical staff. I agree that it's a useful metaphor for communicating with technical staff, but I'm more interested in the metaphor's incredibly rich ability to explain a critical technical concept to non-technical project stakeholders.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=347946&sessionid=1&key=906C459BBBF4F99D80792A52857B7F8A&sourcepage=register" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP8bLvz45htKuLFOKR5jKF6khUuzsFmVUxu0BLMwDZb3-DGqvcF-jccNMI9tTFEqSHCMedmBHe5dtyqidAXZ2cKBq9vZ52-Za32BmCZKnwBSZx1hjSexJZjNKwAIojmEcLXAy3g/s400/Screen+shot+2011-10-13+at+8.36.28+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Update Feb 20 2012: the webcast replay links above no longer work, but Construx has posted the webcast on YouTube. </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lEKvzEyNtbk" width="420"></iframe>
And they posted the slides on SlideShare:
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<div id="__ss_9450187" style="width: 425px;">
<strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/construx_software/managing-technical-debt" target="_blank" title="Managing Technical Debt">Managing Technical Debt</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/9450187" width="425"></iframe> <br />
<div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">
Last but not least, Construx has the same content <a href="http://www.construx.com/File.ashx?cid=2797">in whitepaper form</a>.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-81990670094581396082011-10-08T16:06:00.000-07:002011-10-08T16:06:26.022-07:00#OccupySesameStreet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5M3lQNQfDDV4CaEDhfmDjFnCluUxq9rViJ2tXZ_5pbNvafCoDlvwtTqyjQwWgH7wUNOSSHQXgqj7R7CjIUahI1_HKXlmqIi8nzglUViR3BgeG7Z17SG6aUieec8gFspbLmrY0VA/s1600/99%2525cookiemonster.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="312" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5M3lQNQfDDV4CaEDhfmDjFnCluUxq9rViJ2tXZ_5pbNvafCoDlvwtTqyjQwWgH7wUNOSSHQXgqj7R7CjIUahI1_HKXlmqIi8nzglUViR3BgeG7Z17SG6aUieec8gFspbLmrY0VA/s400/99%2525cookiemonster.png" /></a></div>
99% of da wurldz cookeez r eatn by 1% of da wurldz monsterz. OM NOM NOM NOM.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-22157807609203499212011-10-08T00:12:00.000-07:002011-10-08T00:21:05.781-07:00Learn to be a better troubleshooter<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">The very best technical talents often have massive troubleshooting chops. But troubleshooting isn't inherently a technical skill; it's a set of tools to achieve clear thinking and knowledge. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">This is science!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">For your consideration: the clearest expositions of technical troubleshooting strategies and tactics since <a href="http://www.google.com/webhp?q=sun+tzu+art+of+war">Sun Tzu did it for war</a>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="; line-height: 17px;">In no particular order, here are links and a few choice excerpts.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">ESR, the <a href="http://xkcd.com/225/">ninja-slicing</a>, <a href="http://www.gnu.org/gnu/manifesto.html">recursive-software-naming, Free Software advocate</a> who is a key figure in the culture of open-source, wrote one of the foundational documents of hackerdom. As of this writing, it's at version 3.7, last updated December 2010. The beauty of it is, in telling you how to ask questions the smart way, it also teaches you troubleshooting. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<blockquote>
<a href="http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How To Ask Questions The Smart Way</span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="firstname">Eric</span> <span class="othername">Steven</span> <span class="surname">Raymond</span></span><br />
<ul><span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li>Be precise and informative about your problem</li>
<li>Describe the symptoms of your problem or bug carefully and clearly.</li>
<li>Describe the environment in which it occurs (machine, OS, application, whatever). Provide your vendor's distribution and release level (e.g.: <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">Fedora Core 7</span>â€</span>, <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">Slackware 9.1</span>â€</span>, etc.).</li>
<li>Describe the research you did to try and understand the problem before you asked the question.</li>
<li>Describe the diagnostic steps you took to try and pin down the problem yourself before you asked the question.</li>
<li>Describe any possibly relevant recent changes in your computer or software configuration.</li>
<li>If at all possible, provide a way to <span class="emphasis"><em>reproduce the problem in a controlled environment</em></span>.</li>
</span></ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="surname">
</span>Do the best you can to anticipate the questions a hacker will ask, and answer them in advance in your request for help. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Giving hackers the ability to reproduce the problem in a controlled environment is especially important if you are reporting something you think is a bug in code. When you do this, your odds of getting a useful answer and the speed with which you are likely to get that answer both improve tremendously.</span></blockquote>
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<span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div>
<span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ESR also says: </span></div>
<span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
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</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Simon Tatham has written an excellent essay entitled <a class="ulink" href="http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html" target="_top">How to Report Bugs Effectively</a>. I strongly recommend that you read it.</span></blockquote>
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</span><br />
<div>
<span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I agree! <a href="http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html">Check it out</a>:</span></div>
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<blockquote>
<ul><span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li>The first aim of a bug report is to let the programmer see the failure with their own eyes. If you can't be with them to make it fail in front of them, give them detailed instructions so that they can make it fail for themselves.</li>
</span></ul>
<ul><span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li>In case the first aim doesn't succeed, and the programmer <em>can't</em> see it failing themselves, the second aim of a bug report is to describe what went wrong. Describe everything in detail. State what you saw, and also state what you expected to see. Write down the error messages, <em>especially</em> if they have numbers in.</li>
</span></ul>
<ul><span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li>When your computer does something unexpected, <em>freeze</em>. Do nothing until you're calm, and don't do anything that you think might be dangerous.</li>
</span></ul>
<ul><span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li>By all means try to diagnose the fault yourself if you think you can, but if you do, you should still report the symptoms as well.</li>
</span></ul>
<ul><span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li>Be ready to provide extra information if the programmer needs it. If they didn't need it, they wouldn't be asking for it. They aren't being deliberately awkward. Have version numbers at your fingertips, because they will probably be needed.</li>
</span></ul>
<ul><span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li>Write clearly. Say what you mean, and make sure it can't be misinterpreted.</li>
</span></ul>
<ul><span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li>Above all, <em>be precise</em>. Programmers like precision.</li>
</span></ul>
</blockquote>
<span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div>
<span class="surname" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But the first place I send people when I want them to understand what I'd like to get as a good bug report is <a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/AboutMe.html">Joel Spolsky</a>'s story of <a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000029.html">Jane, the very, very good software tester</a>.<span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div>
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<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span><br />
<blockquote>
It's pretty easy to remember the rule for a good bug report. <b style="font-weight: bold;">Every good bug report needs exactly three things.</b></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ol style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0px;">
<li>Steps to reproduce,</li>
<li>What you expected to see, and</li>
<li>What you saw instead.</li>
</ol>
Seems easy, right? Maybe not. As a programmer, people regularly assign me bugs where they left out one piece or another.<br />
If you don't tell me how to repro the bug, I probably will have no idea what you are talking about. "The program crashed and left a smelly turd-like object on the desk." That's nice, honey. I can't do anything about it unless you tell me <i>what you were doing</i>.</blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span><br />
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span">If you don't specify <i>what you expected to see</i>, I may not understand why this is a bug. The splash screen has blood on it. So what? I cut my fingers when I was coding it. What did you expect? Ah, you say that the spec required <i>no blood</i>! Now I understand why you consider this a bug.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">Part three. <i>What you saw instead.</i> If you don't tell me this, I don't know what the bug is. That one is kind of obvious.</span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span">Check out this book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Are-Your-Lights-Figure-Problem/dp/0932633161">Are Your Lights On: How to find out what the problem <i>really</i> is</a>, by Gause and Weinberg. They <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Requirements-Quality-Before-Design/dp/0932633137">wrote the book</a> on requirements, too. </span></div>
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518RFH9TYYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518RFH9TYYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Here's some random guy's 2 minute video review of it: </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XgC3OkJhdXc" width="420"></iframe>
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<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375">KB555375</a> might be Microsoft's best KB article of all time - but by all means, if you know a better one, say so in the comments.</span></div>
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style=";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Microsoft Support Knowledgebase Article ID: 555375 - Last Review: July 22, 2005 - Revision: 1.0</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style=";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375">How to ask a question</a></span> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="label" style="font-weight: bold;">Author:</span> <span class="text">Daniel Petri MVP</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">Good examples of questions will include information from most of the following categories:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">- What are you trying to do?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">- Why are you trying to do it?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">- What did you try already, why, and what was the result of your actions?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">- What was the exact error message that you received?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">- How long have you been experiencing this problem?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">- Have you searched the relevant forum/newsgroup archives?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">- Have you searched for any tools or KB articles or any other resources?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">- Have you recently installed or uninstalled any software or hardware?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">- What changes were made to the system between the time everything last worked and when you noticed the problem?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">Don't let us assume, tell us right at the beginning.</span></span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In fact, if you know of ANY other top-notch sources of troubleshooting wisdom, put a link in the comments!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There's one I'm trying to find that I had as a mousepad - it was about 10 troubleshooting tips - one of them was something like "Problems don't just go away on their own. If you haven't fixed the problem, the problem isn't fixed." Anybody know what that's from?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(I'll try to fix the formatting on this post later, ok?)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-59536575791763603942011-09-02T01:12:00.000-07:002011-09-02T01:12:35.745-07:00Client software installation methods as children's toysHey, kids - it's time for everyone's favorite IT game: torture the analogy! Ready to play? Yay!<br />
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Imagine you get a brand-new employer-issued, Windows computer. It's fresh and pristine, and working great. It's got Office, and a web browser (well, let's be honest - it has Internet Explorer). It can do basic stuff.<br />
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But it doesn't have the software you need to do the parts of your job that make it different from every other job that involves sitting in front of a computer.<br />
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<a href="http://www.beinteriordecorator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/white-interior-so-beautiful-bedroom-with-white-carpet-with-a-pillow-and-a-pink-chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.beinteriordecorator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/white-interior-so-beautiful-bedroom-with-white-carpet-with-a-pillow-and-a-pink-chair.jpg" width="320" /></a>You've got to put that software on top of your fresh, pristine computer.<br />
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It's like a little kid in a room that's white from the shag carpet to the velour wallpaper.<br />
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Think of the different ways you can get your software on this computer as different toys that kid could have in their hand.<br />
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Manual install from media or download from vendor : marker<br />
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<a href="http://www.westfield.ma.edu/personalpages/draker/edcom/final/sp10/sectiona/hightide/markers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.westfield.ma.edu/personalpages/draker/edcom/final/sp10/sectiona/hightide/markers.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Packaged installers (automated install) : pencil<br />
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<a href="http://www.westhillgolfcourse.com/images/pencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.westhillgolfcourse.com/images/pencil.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Terminal Services / Citrix XenApp (née Metaframe) : ViewMaster<br />
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<a href="http://www.3dimages.co.uk/gallery/d/862-2/ViewMaster_red_with_reel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.3dimages.co.uk/gallery/d/862-2/ViewMaster_red_with_reel.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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App-V / Thinstall (app isolation) : Colorforms
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorforms" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://www.alphamom.com/legacy/holiday/holiday_colorforms.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I always did like Colorforms.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-54930481156123104592011-08-12T21:18:00.000-07:002011-08-12T21:37:49.340-07:00An incomplete history of source code version control from SCCS to MercurialOnce upon a time, in the 1970s, there was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_Code_Control_System">SCCS</a>. It was big on PDP-11's and the like.<br />
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Then came <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revision_Control_System">RCS</a>, which could do version control for individual files, but not for entire projects.<br />
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Finally, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concurrent_Versions_System">CVS</a> arrived in the 1980s and people said "ok, finally we have something that can be credibly called source code version control."<br />
<br />
And people used CVS for a good long while. And it was <i>way</i> better than not having version control.<br />
<br />
But there were some problems.<br />
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Turns out that giving multiple people the ability to travel through time and alter the history of incredibly complicated documents with complex interdepencies can have a few wrinkles to it. Who woulda thunk it?<br />
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So, once we all survived Y2k, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subversion_(software)">SVN</a> was created, to be pretty much just like CVS, but working correctly.<br />
<br />
Whole teams could work on projects, and fork, and branch, and all sorts of lovely things, all out of a central repository. A rich ecosystem built on SVN; IDEs integrated SVN functionality; issue tracking systems linked in so that commit messages could update the status of bugs; and vice versa. And not only is it well understood how to operate the software, even the business processes around code management using SVN are well understood and documented - for example, a <a href="http://pragprog.com/book/svn2/pragmatic-version-control-using-subversion">very pragmatic book</a> about it. <br />
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And that went pretty darned well for a good long while. Talk about mature!<br />
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<div>
But then Linus came along and started an open source project with thousands of contributors all around the world. Mind-bogglingly large scaling issues here. In fact, it had to be distributed - there couldn't be a single central store. And this just exceeded SVN's capabilities. </div>
<div>
<br />
So Linus created <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git_(software)">G</a>it. And lo, Git is mighty. It can handle just about everything you can imagine. It's used by nearly everyone who operates at that scale, and all the open-source hackers who want free hosting at places like <a href="http://code.google.com/hosting/">Google Code</a> and <a href="https://github.com/">Github</a>. The best practices are mature.<br />
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So, here's the state of play these days:<br />
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SCCS and RCS are legacy software, like COBOL - still plays a valuable role, but generally not chosen for any new implementations.<br />
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There are old CVS implementations out there, often cursed at by the poor programmers who haven't been able to convince their management to upgrade to SVN. CVS is kind of the Internet Explorer 6 of version control systems these days.<br />
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Most enterprises have at least SVN (or some commercial equivalents, like the version control built into Visual Studio) and it's hard to think of an IDE with version control support that doesn't support SVN.<br />
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Many modern IDEs have added native support for GIT; tons of tech companies are using it. Including <a href="http://code.google.com/p/support/wiki/DVCSAnalysis">some folks who are pretty hard-core</a>.<br />
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<div>
And there's an <a href="http://doofusdan.blogspot.com/2009/05/great-software-writing-can-be-mercurial.html">incredibly elegant</a> system called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercurial">Mercurial</a> (Hg). Many people like to <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1598759/git-and-mercurial-compare-and-contrast">compare and contrast Git and Mercurial</a>.<br />
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So, here we are, with Subversion, Git and Mercurial as obvious choices to select from, whether you're an open source project looking for <a href="http://code.google.com/p/support/wiki/GettingStarted#Working_with_your_Source_Repository">free hosting on Google Code</a>, a one person iPhone developer, or a Fortune 500 company.</div>
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If you care, here are links to my delicious tags for:</div>
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<a href="http://www.delicious.com/fullerbecker/versioncontrol">Version Control</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.delicious.com/fullerbecker/subversion">Subversion</a><br />
<a href="http://www.delicious.com/fullerbecker/git">Git</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.delicious.com/fullerbecker/mercurial">Mercurial</a></div>
<div>
<br />
(Did you notice I only discussed open source version control systems? Yeah. I said it was incomplete.)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-80746005588150626092011-08-12T20:26:00.000-07:002011-08-12T20:26:52.041-07:00Architecture & The Book of Five RingsMiyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings is a classic text of the martial arts, written in 17th century Japan. I'm reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Five-Rings-Miyamoto-Musashi/dp/1590302486/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0">Thomas Cleary's excellent translation</a>.<br />
<br />
Cleary argues that Musashi intended his work to apply not just to fighting, but to every endeavor of life. I'm certainly seeing the applicability to IT architecture:<br />
<blockquote>
The carpenter is used as a metaphor in reference to the notion of a house. We speak of aristocratic houses, military houses, houses of the arts; we speak of a house collapsing or a house continuing; and we speak of such and such a tradition, style, or "house." Since we use the expression "house," therefore, I have employed the way of the master carpenter as a metaphor.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
The world of carpenter is written with characters meaning "great skill" or "master plan." Since the science of martial arts involves great skill and master planning, I am writing about it in terms of comparison with carpentry. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
If you want to learn the science of martial arts, meditate on this book; let the teacher be the needle, let the student be the thread, and practice unremittingly. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<b>Likening the Science of Martial Arts to Carpentry</b></blockquote>
<blockquote>
As the master carpenter is the overall organizer and director of the carpenters, it is the duty of the master carpenter to understand the regulations of the country, find out the iregulations of the locality, and attend ot the regulations of the master carpenter's own establishment. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
The master capenter, knowing the measurements and designs of all sorts of structures, employs people to build houses. In this respect, the master carpenter is the same as the master warrior.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
When sorting out timber for building a house, that which is straight, free from knots, and of good appearance can be used for front pillars. That which has some knots but is straight and strong ca be used for rear pillars. That which is somewhat weak yet has no knots and looks good is variously used for door sills, lintels, doors, and screens. That which is knotted and crookend but nevertheless strong is used thoughtfully in consiration of the strneght of the various members of the house. Then the house will last a long time. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Even knotted, crooked, and weak timber can be made into scaffolding, and later used for firewood. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
As the master carpenter directs the journeymen, he knows their various levels of skill and gives them appropriate tasks. Some are assigned to the flooring, some to the doors and screens, some to the sills, lintels and ceilings, and so on. He has the unskilled set out floor joists, and gets those even less skilled to carve wedges. When the master carpenter exercises discernment in the assignment of jobs, the work progresses smoothly. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Efficiency and smooth progress, prudence in all matters, recognizing true courage, recognizing different levels of morale, instilling confidence, and realizing what can and cannot be reasonably expected — such are the matters on the mind of the master carpenter. The principle of martial arts is like this.</blockquote>
You can include IT under that metaphor just as easily as martial arts.<br />
<blockquote>
<b>The Science of Martial Arts</b> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Speaking in terms of carpentry, soldiers sharpen their own tools, make various useful implements, and keep them in their utility boxes. Receiving instructions from a master carpenter, they hew pillars and beams with adzes, shave flors and shelving with planes, even carve openwork and bas relief. Making sure themeasurements are correct, they see to all the necessary tasks in an efficient manner; this is the rule for carpentry. When one has develop practical knowledge of all the skills of the craft, eventually one can become a master carpenter oneself. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
An essential habit for carpenters is to have sharp tools and keep them whetted. Is is up to the carpenter to use these tools masterfully, even making such things as miniature shrines, bookshelves, tables, lamp stands, cutting boards, and pot covers. Being a soldier is like this. This should be given careful reflection. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Necessary accomplishments of a carpenter are avoiding crookedness, getting joints to fit together, skillful planing, avoiding abrasion, and seeing that there is no subsequent warping. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
If you want to learn this science, then take everything I write to heart and think it over carefully.</blockquote>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-42759909448912235812011-02-25T17:59:00.000-08:002011-02-25T18:00:03.403-08:00Consumerization of Enterprise IT Goes Both WaysLots of talk recently about <a href="http://www.itworld.com/it-managementstrategy/138185/consumerization-it-good-bad-or-just-way-things-are-now">the consumerization of IT</a> and <a href="http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2785-the-end-of-the-it-department">the end of the IT department</a>.<br /><br />I am wrapping up two launches of consumerized IT services in the enterprise right now, and have been talking about this professionally for <a href="http://www.gartner.com/press_releases/asset_138285_11.html">years</a>. Here's what I have to tell you about it:<br /><br />It goes both ways.<br /><br />If you want to consumerize enterprise IT, your enterprise has to act like a retail consumer.<br /><br />The product works the way it works, and that’s that. You can complain about it on Twitter, but you’re not going to have it change features and functionality to suit your every whim - or even to meet mandatory business requirements.<br /><br />It is what it is. If you can live with that, you can have it!<br /><br />The problem comes when enterprises can’t live with that. They DO have mandatory requirements, and the consumer stuff (and many enterprise COTS packages) just doesn’t meet them out of the box.<br /><br />If such enterprises want to consumerize their IT services, then they are going to have to either accept not meeting their requirements for every system, or change their policies to match what is achievable off-the-shelf.<br /><br />In the meantime, their employees are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159184357X?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwhackingwor-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=159184357X">hacking work</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-88347178965091257962010-11-08T01:03:00.000-08:002010-11-08T08:22:34.851-08:00How to easily load and read .CBR files from your computer onto your iPadInstall <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stanza/id284956128?mt=8">Stanza</a> and <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dropbox/id327630330?mt=8">Dropbox</a> on your iPad. Set up a free Dropbox account.<br />
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Upload the .CBR to your Dropbox folder from your computer.<br />
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Open it in Dropbox app on your iPad. Dropbox will say it can't display the file, never fear.<br />
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Do "Open in Stanza." (This takes a minute or two. It's still quicker than other methods.)<br />
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Done.<br />
<br />
Yes, there are other ways to do it (copy through iTunes, use Stanza's server, etc) but this is quick and easy, even for non-geeks.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-55995926276862561872009-09-09T12:38:00.001-07:002009-09-09T12:38:18.963-07:00Me, side-by-side with Douglas Adams<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/76217291@N00/3904827012/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/3904827012_14027cdbe8_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/76217291@N00/3904827012/">Me, side-by-side with Douglas Adams</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/76217291@N00/">fullerbecker</a></span></div>What happens if you search the iTunes store for Towel? <br /><br />You find Douglas Adams, and you find me!<br clear="all" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322926.post-37644772376586950272009-08-03T10:42:00.001-07:002009-08-03T10:42:56.199-07:00Use Outlook 2007 to make collaborating between organizations easier – share your free/busy times<span xmlns=''><p>Folks who use Outlook and Exchange together are used to being able to use Outlook's free/busy times to tell when other people in their organization are available to meet. But what happens when a vendor or business partner from outside your organization is trying to find a time to meet with you? <br /></p><p>Typically for me, it used to be: find a bunch of available times; write them down and email them to the vendor; then the vendor checks on their end with the folks they need to bring and picks one, but by then, I've been scheduled for three more meetings and that free time isn't free any longer – so like they say on the shampoo bottle, "lather, rinse, repeat." What a waste of time!<br /></p><p>With Outlook 2007* there's a better way! <br /></p><p style='margin-left: 36pt'>Dear vendor, you can see my calendar at this link: <a href='https://calendars.office.microsoft.com/en-us/pubcal/viewer.aspx?path=%2fpubcalstorage%2fdnlhhqlz1065262%2fBecker_Dan_Calendar.ics'>https://calendars.office.microsoft.com/en-us/pubcal/viewer.aspx?path=%2fpubcalstorage%2fdnlhhqlz1065262%2fBecker_Dan_Calendar.ics</a> Please schedule the meeting for a time I'm available. <br /></p><p>[Go ahead and click that link – you'll see my actual availability!]<br /></p><p>How did I do that? <br /></p><p>Outlook 2007 makes it very easy to share your calendar online with people outside your company, using Outlook 2007. <br /></p><p>Interested? Well good! Microsoft has written up just what you need to do to make it happen: <a href='http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA100809831033.aspx'>Publish a calendar on Office Online</a><br /> </p><p><strong>I strongly suggest you use the option to publish Availability only to minimize the risk of information disclosure.</strong><br /> </p><p><br /> </p><p>You can also choose whether to share your calendar information only with specific people, or just publish it for the whole Internet to see. (I'm sure you can guess which is the more secure approach – but you will have to make the calculation about convenience vs. security of your schedule. Since I've blogged, twittered, etc. for quite a while, I'm obviously somewhat comfortable with the Internet knowing quite a bit about me. Your tolerance for that may differ.) <br /></p><p>If you want to restrict access to your calendar to only invited people, you need to sign up for a Windows Live ID account.<br /></p><p>I hope this tip will make collaborating across organizational boundaries a bit easier for you.<br /></p><p>*Yes, you used to be able to do this with earlier versions of Outlook back when Microsoft ran a public free/busy server – but that was shut down years ago. But this one works 'out of the box' with Outlook just by following the instructions, no need to install any extra software.** Easy-peasy!<br /></p><p>**And yes, there are a gazillion other ways to do this, and using Outlook and Exchange is SOOOOO 20<sup>th</sup> century, get with the web2.0 wave, blah blah blah. Ok, if you know that already, then this blog post is not for you! It's for folks who still need to use Outlook & Exchange but also need to collaborate outside their organizational boundaries.<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p><br /> </p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02316614075009921608noreply@blogger.com3