While no one probably cares, I have on occasion used pirated software. On more than a few occasions I have built a machine using a copy of Windows that I have not purchased, but was purchased by someone else. I have reformed! Learned my lesson, I will no longer pirate Windows. Between the new anti-pirating features and the availability of free software, I no longer use Windows. I've been using Linux at home for a number of years and I think I just hit two years of Linux exclusively at work. I admit there are a few programs I miss. And the gaming has been horrible, but for the most part I don't miss it too much. OK, on occasion I'll admit the VMWare image does come out for use on replicating customer issues, or some Visio Presentations.
But Microsoft no longer has to worry about me pirating a copy of Windows. Which is great for them, isn't it? I used to think it would be but I'm less sure now. My brother-in-law is looking for a new computer, in years past I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a good Windows machine and that would be that. Now, I'm not so sure. I'll probably need to help tech-support this machine in the future. I'm not using Vista, how can I support it well? His family doesn't need much beyond support for Email and Web Games. So why not a Mac? They are a bit more expensive. No doubt. I can get a cheaper Dell, or Lenovo or HP, but what is the overhead for using Windows? If we were talking Laptops, I'd be closer to going with Windows. I could support them on a Linux box, but I'm not sure if they want to go that far. Firefox works just as well with either system and thunderbird or Gmail would take care of their email needs. The kids don't game all that much, and might be happier using the PS2 for games rather than the Computer. Something to discuss with them I suppose.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Good Company
Sweet deal! My Inove flashlight died while I was in RTP. This is one of my favorite EDC, so I was a bit bummed about it. I sent an email to Inova to try and see if it would be covered by a warrenty. I got a GREAT response from them very quickly:
I'm sending it back this week, but I was really impressed with their service and response.
I’m sorry to hear that you are experiencing problems with your INOVA T1 flashlight.
All of our INOVA flashlights carry a limited lifetime warranty. We will be more than happy to replace your flashlight for you. Simply return your flashlight in a box including a brief description of the problem you are experiencing.
We have just recently released our brand new, upgraded 2008 T1. The new T1-MP light has been increased to 100 lumens. We will replace your current T1-WB with the new improved upgraded
T1-MP. I think you will be very pleased with your new flashlight.
I'm sending it back this week, but I was really impressed with their service and response.
Friday, April 11, 2008
review.
A week done, on to the weekend. Last week I started asking where I'll be in 5 weeks. Am I closer to any of my goals? I feel I've got mixed progress.
I've been slacking on the exercise. I need to get that one back in the bag. I've gotten closer to getting my lab running I have only 1 more section to work with. Of course that's the key part, but I'll handle that another day. I think I'm starting to get a stride together with work. A few more weeks of the heavy stuff and then I can relax a bit more.
I'm also starting to get a feel for where I want to be going next in different areas. Not concrete enough for goals, but on the way there. The vision is starting to coalesce. More to do, more to learn and more to execute on but I think the path is the right one.
I've been slacking on the exercise. I need to get that one back in the bag. I've gotten closer to getting my lab running I have only 1 more section to work with. Of course that's the key part, but I'll handle that another day. I think I'm starting to get a stride together with work. A few more weeks of the heavy stuff and then I can relax a bit more.
I'm also starting to get a feel for where I want to be going next in different areas. Not concrete enough for goals, but on the way there. The vision is starting to coalesce. More to do, more to learn and more to execute on but I think the path is the right one.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
short one.
Fried after a long day. Just keeping it short with some interesting links.
Super Mario in javascript.
Project Zero is taking on a new metamorphosis to WebSphere sMash. Expect more content on this from me when I get some more cycles. The short of it is a new platform for doing fast Web 2.0 development, writing in Java, Groovy or PHP. A just in time model closer to PHP than AppServer.
Super Mario in javascript.
Project Zero is taking on a new metamorphosis to WebSphere sMash. Expect more content on this from me when I get some more cycles. The short of it is a new platform for doing fast Web 2.0 development, writing in Java, Groovy or PHP. A just in time model closer to PHP than AppServer.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
48 Posts ... more or less
This brings us to about half way through the 3 month goal. To be honest I'm surprised at how easy this turned out to be. The last time I had made a goal to do blog posting I got about a week in and fizzled out :) So keeping a good steam going this time. Guess I have more to carp about than I thought. Taking the time to post every day didn't turn out to be as bad as I thought it would be. Is this a habit I'll take on after the challenge... maybe?
Still a lot to say and do, and it is a time commitment. But I think it can be good commitment, the exploration and reflection on whatever I take the time to write about is helping me keep my head in the right space. I think I could get more ambitious about setting themes and goals in the blog. Writing on everything is easy. Writing on topic... slightly harder. But then again if it was easier, then it really wouldn't be a challenge would it?
Another possible next step is to turn the monologue into a dialog and start advertising my blog out to others. Having a way of communicating with the world really is good, but if I'm not advertising it, am I really communicating with the world?
Still a lot to say and do, and it is a time commitment. But I think it can be good commitment, the exploration and reflection on whatever I take the time to write about is helping me keep my head in the right space. I think I could get more ambitious about setting themes and goals in the blog. Writing on everything is easy. Writing on topic... slightly harder. But then again if it was easier, then it really wouldn't be a challenge would it?
Another possible next step is to turn the monologue into a dialog and start advertising my blog out to others. Having a way of communicating with the world really is good, but if I'm not advertising it, am I really communicating with the world?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Leadership and Management
Read a great post yesterday distinguishing between leadership and management. At the heart is the concept that for an organization to be successful they need to balance between leadership and management. Leadership bringing innovation and the ability to deal with change, and management as bringing a drive to minimize complexity.
I am starting to understand a bit more about what leadership means, both to myself and to my company. I'm kinda split between trying to tread carefully and to experiment more. Although I suppose experimenting on the job is a leadership related trait :)
Too many thoughts and projects I'd like to try, but not enough cycles to experiment with them all. I think this is the sort of thing where leadership pays off. Being able to convince and recruit people to my ideas would be helpful. As a technical leader I need to be able to express my ideas better, and as a people leader, get people behind those ideas. Building a vision of what I want the world or the work to be requires me to understand my drives and the requirements that world provides.
I am starting to understand a bit more about what leadership means, both to myself and to my company. I'm kinda split between trying to tread carefully and to experiment more. Although I suppose experimenting on the job is a leadership related trait :)
Too many thoughts and projects I'd like to try, but not enough cycles to experiment with them all. I think this is the sort of thing where leadership pays off. Being able to convince and recruit people to my ideas would be helpful. As a technical leader I need to be able to express my ideas better, and as a people leader, get people behind those ideas. Building a vision of what I want the world or the work to be requires me to understand my drives and the requirements that world provides.
Monday, April 7, 2008
blog part deux?
Thinking about starting a secondary blog. One that I would post too a little less often but focused on technical concerns. This would be a place to reflect on my day-to-day experiments and experiences with coding and technology. A place to document what I've discovered, tried etc. I suppose I could pull it all into this blog, but I don't think I want to cross post too much. While I still haven't mastered a theme for this blog, I have started thinking of it as a certain personae.
On further reflection, perhaps I am skirting a theme. I'm almost leaning towards personal development here. Not as cool as the Post-Apocalyptic workout, but then what is? It is a theme that is striking a chord with me at the moment. Perhaps I need to be bolder with it, chart a direction then measure my progress. Something to ponder anyway.
I guess it all depends on what I want to communicate with the world. I'll say this, after 47 posts in a row, I'm feeling pretty good about keeping the line open. I just need to figure out what to say with it. Seth Godin makes some good points on keeping a focus on the message you want to transmit. I don't think I have a message here, yet. I think this is really just an experiment with a habit. So maybe a second technical journal is the way to go. A place where I have messages I want to send.
And here I thought I was done with the existential questions. Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? A good deal of my reading of late has been focused on leadership and simplicity. Both really stem from an examination of values. If the values are bad, then nothing good can follow. If values are ignored then it seems we live in a vacuum of one form or another. We end up with Enron like situations in leadership, and tons of clutter in the search for simplicity. To extrapolate that in technical leadership if we do not stick to our values we end up with overloaded crappy software. This smacks of another theme for investigation -- what are my technical values? What do I consider important as an architect, developer and technical leader? Are these different values from what I do in the other aspects of my life?
On further reflection, perhaps I am skirting a theme. I'm almost leaning towards personal development here. Not as cool as the Post-Apocalyptic workout, but then what is? It is a theme that is striking a chord with me at the moment. Perhaps I need to be bolder with it, chart a direction then measure my progress. Something to ponder anyway.
I guess it all depends on what I want to communicate with the world. I'll say this, after 47 posts in a row, I'm feeling pretty good about keeping the line open. I just need to figure out what to say with it. Seth Godin makes some good points on keeping a focus on the message you want to transmit. I don't think I have a message here, yet. I think this is really just an experiment with a habit. So maybe a second technical journal is the way to go. A place where I have messages I want to send.
And here I thought I was done with the existential questions. Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? A good deal of my reading of late has been focused on leadership and simplicity. Both really stem from an examination of values. If the values are bad, then nothing good can follow. If values are ignored then it seems we live in a vacuum of one form or another. We end up with Enron like situations in leadership, and tons of clutter in the search for simplicity. To extrapolate that in technical leadership if we do not stick to our values we end up with overloaded crappy software. This smacks of another theme for investigation -- what are my technical values? What do I consider important as an architect, developer and technical leader? Are these different values from what I do in the other aspects of my life?
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