Scandal at Oracle

Within 18 months of closing the SUN purchase, there will be some type of scandal that will put a dent into Oracle's reputiation, financials and growth.

Your Thoughts?

Postal Mail proves slow times

It is funny that people use the term "snail mail" for postal mail being slow...of which of course it is not slow.

However, in North America, I believe one can use it as an indicator to the health of the economy...in the last 2 months, the amount of "flyers, unsolicited mail, etc" (aka junk mail) has slowed to a minor trickle.

It will be interesting to see how long before the volume starts to increase.

Does this also apply to junk email....

Your thoughts?

How Green is your Email?

Isn't it great that people put the green friendly verbage such as:

• "Please consider the environment before printing this email or its attachments."

Maybe someone should calculate how much extra power is consumed by the IT infrastructure when people add these tag lines and images....what is the cost of adding 1K to 4K to an email message.....then trace back the sources of how the power is produced and calculate the power production cost on the environment.

Of course, then you would have to highlight to people that they are doing more harm by including the text/image as opposed to not doing it.

Your Thoughts?

Java is Legacy, just like Cobol and C types

Since Java is now totally mainstream .... what is the next programming language that may take center stage?

I do not believe that SilverLight or Flex will be it.

Your Thoughts?

Spry.com deems a new Client is Guilty until proven otherwise

Wow...what a way to activate a server in the cloud with www.spry.com !!!

Here is my experience and response. (To see their original email, go to the bottom of this post)

The kicker to all of this is that a buddy of mine activated his service and pays on a monthly basis with no issues. I guess they are not in the business of getting their money up front....most business' would kill to get paid up front !!

========== My Reply =================

Subject: Re: [spry.com #595841] Spry :: Please Confirm OrderTo: inquiry@spry.comReceived: Monday, August 18, 2008, 11:19 PM

It is shame that you have sent the wrong message to a new client.

This message implies that your new client has done something wrong... when in fact nothing was incorrect....just that your billing system does not want to process $499.

Upon calling www.spry.com's phone number and discussing with the Billing dept (1st line) and then a Manager....it is a shame that you have no other mechanism to verify a new client than the procedure below. In my case, as I suspect others, it would take a approx 15-20 minutes to conduct the stated procedure (and don't forgot to find a black marker to blank out the card numbers).

I love the fact that your 1st line told me I could cancel and try it again with a different email address...when in fact they both Spry employyees indicated that it was because of the "large" dollar amount.

It annoys me further that the billing manager proceded to state "....purpose a new solution" on how to process my order to get around the "billing system rule".

The worst part of the entire "messaging" is that you imply that it for the client's protection...once again you are insulting the intelligence level of your new client.....as credit card companies have numerous mechanisms and procedures that provide the client such protection.

Too bad...so sad. Maybe in the future, you will alter your policy and/or find a different way to allow a new client to become a client without accusing them of incorrect action.

I truly hope that the right people get to read my feedback and you have not, yet again, wasted my time.

So, you can cancel my request to become your client.

==== Here is the Original Email that they sent me =======

From: Dawn via RT < inquiry@spry.com >Subject: [spry.com #595841] Spry :: Please Confirm Order
Monday, August 18, 2008, 10:02 PM

Thank you for your order at Spry!

Due to discrepancies in the information you provided, our fraud
prevention system has flagged this order. In order to complete the
processing and prevent the voiding of your order, you will need to
either fax or email images of your credit card (front and back) and
government-issued photo identification. For your security, you may black
out all but the last 4 digits of the credit card number and your
driver's license number. Our fax number is 206.838.9026. Once we have
verified your information, we will destroy/delete the images and will
process the order. Orders will be voided and funds returned if we do not
receive the requested information within 48 hours.

Have a good day.

Spry Support

No tech toys for this year

Wow, how quickly the gas and food prices are eating into budgets. I'm guessing that less tech toys will be purchased as the incremental prices can easily chew into the $1000 people spend on such gadgets in a given year.

Your thoughts?

Google - the Ultimate Trogan and/or Virus

Yep...Google is a virus....Go ahead take a look at this.....

http://www.oreillynet.com/onjava/blog/2008/04/help_what_is_this_thing_contro_1.html?CMP=OTC-FP2116136014&ATT=Controlling+my+Computer+from+GMail

Your thoughts?

Save time Searching...BUT What about storing information ?

So there is a lot of hype and statistics about how much time we can save by using search products on our desktop or within enterprise such as:

http://www.researchbuzz.com/sevenways.pdf

http://www.google.com/enterprise/mini/

http://www.live.com/

Desktop Search via Windows or Google Toolbar......

BUT what about the time we spend filing and storing the information...HOW about someone devising a better approach to address this area.

Your Thoughts?

It's Christmas time....One Laptop Per Child...just go donate a XO laptop

The cause and device speaks for itself... XO Laptop

And do something for your local community at the same time.

Merry Christmas

Poof..You're Gone - Self Deleting Files

The business community requires the ability to indicate that a file that it distributes should self delete via a specific date.

Of course, the receiving body should be told that it will self delete. To tighten the control cycle, maybe an optional parameter setting to allow the originator to receive acknowledge that the file deleted itself.

Your Thoughts?

PodCast, now YouTube.... shrink to Blogger demise

Bloggers....from millions to few and most of those are paid staff.

Podcast and YouTube consume too much of one's time....they will only be of value in niche areas where they may truly add value.

Podcast = Radio
YouTube = Product demonstrations, e-learning

Your Thoughts?

Accenture - Way behind the curve

The recent Accenture announcement in IT Business (http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=43006) is really old news. Companies have been deploying such solutions for over 2 years. I'd be curious to see if their CTO will later publish how easy it is to establish social networking within a large company....it is not...as people are busy doing their jobs and delivering to their clients. It also baffles me why it would take them 12 months to activate what has been available for a long time. Thought leadership behind the times?

Your thoughts?

Why Second Life will not live forever

So, I've plunged into this 2nd life world. I did some exploring here and there, managed to buy some land and then started trying to create things. Well, after 6 hours 42 minutes and 39 seconds...I finally found the answer on how you can create Text on an object...the answer is that you can't !!!! However, you can create text in the real world and upload it for $10 Linden dollars an upload....better get it right the first time!

Second Life proclaims there is lots of help....hogwash. Also you better be good at the C programming language becuase as far and I can determine all the syntax is just wrapper classes of C.

Well, that was a waste of $75.....now I'm looking for the 3rd life.....

Your Thoughts?

File save 101 for finding Status Reports

Here's a quick tip that I've been using for years. For status reports or any recurring reports, have people save as yyyy-mm-dd at either the beginning of end of their file name. That way when you look at the file directory, it takes you 10 seconds to find the report you want. Everytime I mentioned this technique, people seem totally amazed and then quickly adopt. Most people call their weekly of monthly status report the same name, so just have them add this info. For example: "Sue's Status Report" would become "Sue's Status Report 2006-11-14" or "2006-11-14 Sue's Status Report". If you want to see all status report by date, use the second approach, if you want to sort based on name, use the first. Enjoy!

Your thoughts?

Browser HTTP default...in the future

So all browsers will kindly put http:// in the url line if you do not. When http is either replaced or augmented with other protocols will it affect the users?

1) No, most just surf via a search engine
2) for the url user, a dropdown pick list will be available
3) who cares, cross that bridge when we get there

Your thoughts?

RFID....BEEP !!!!!

Many merchants have adopted RF Id readers at their store entrances....too bad the devices are set to read any RF broadcast. In my opinion, many merchants are harassing office workers that have swipe badges who go into a store during lunch or after work and upon leaving set the alarm off...Beep, Beep, Beep,.....

Of course, the staff states that's ok, go ahead.

Your Thoughts?

The Genesis of Oracle Forms

Well, it appears that Oracle has done a good job of promoting its Java platform. Although on the side its been creating the new Oracle Forms. Previously is was called Oracle HTML DB...now it is called Oracle Application Express. I would suspect that Oracle has invested enough time and effort to now offer this as an evolution path for the Oracle Forms masses....as opposed to their storyline of "You now need to become a Java programmer and convert Oracle Forms to Java".

They have managed at least two things which are not easy:
1) move up the stack into a programmer's world (i.e. Java)
2) distract everyone long enough to create their new Oracle Forms

Your Thoughts?

Keyboard destroys Handwriting and Grammar?

Maybe it's just me....however, it seems that people 20 and under are either really lazy or have lost their grammar skills and ability to write on paper. It blows my mind to get an email or a postal mail letter from my relatives and to see "I" stated as "i".

It's great that kids can use computers and have better typing speed ability (even with two fingers) than some of us adults. A lot of teachers now require students to provided typed version of their homework, maybe its time to request only every 4th assignment should be typed?

I remember growing up that a lot of emphasis was placed on one's ability to read and write....What happens to one's ability when they lose the ability to write properly (or maybe its type properly nowadays)?

Your thoughts?

Technology Blogs - from Firehose to a Drip

Ignoring the news postings abuse from such entities like eweek, linux today, etc..... I use to get over 1000 posts a week....now the posts are but a trickle (i.e. several 100).

Does this represent the start of the downturn in tech blogs or is it due to the shorten availability of sunlight in the northern hemisphere?

Your Thoughts?

Salaries too High - Divide by 3

In North America, the salary of an IT worker has risen greatly since the mid-1990's due to various factors (perceived and otherwise). Offshoring is disliked by some people. The dot.com bubble burst but the salaries didn't. If the offshore salary are deemed 5 for 1 (excluding the rampup and offshore adoption costs) If you want to compete with offshoring the formula would be (Salary - (Salary/Three)). So a 50K salary would equate to 33K. Once you're into this realm the "cost attractiveness" of offshoring becomes considerable less. Of course, most staffers would be quite relunctant to take such a cut.

I believe the Universities/Colleges have up'ed the expected entry level salary within the IT space...maybe it is time for business to reset and lower those expectations. ....so you need to attrition some of you existing staff...and get/keep a couple of good people, hire 5 new graduates for every one staff( at lower entry salaries). Of course you need to demonstrate to the new grads why your company is the one to work for.

Your thoughts?

Advertising - the Open Source Way

Isn't SourceForge the greatest way to get noticed

1. you create a product/component/entity
2. put the "lite" version in sourceforge.net
3. ensure that all documentation, etc is on your site
4. ensure that your site has the "enterprise" version

So does this mean the sourceforge version is crap?

Bring me the money!!!!

Your thoughts?

Are Google, Yahoo, etc ready for the Enterprise or just single users?

Do these entities really understand the requirements for IT within an enterprise space?

Yes they create neat stuff and fast...but is it built with the proper industrial strength required...or just hacked to get it out there?

I quote from another source "A business like google, amazon, ebay, yahoo publishes an API. Let’s you build a business around it. Then turns it off."

Your thoughts?

What data is leaving your Computer?

I used the help function in MS Excel the other day and notice that it defaults to MS Office Online help.

1) How many more vendors are adopting this approach?
2) What other data is being shipped out the back door of the applications you use?

I guess vendors are now making sure that any remaining dark fibre gets energized.....or is it that MS is entering the telephony business and that the pay per bit/byte is more attractive?

Your thoughts?

Time is the Factor

What is the real factor that affects the IT industry. The answer is simple....TIME. No matter how you look at it, it all boils down to this factor. This factor affects all other factors...the cost of solution, the functionality included, deployment, etc.

So if you're looking to have a better mousetrap....examine the time factor.

Your Thoughts?

Standards - Here Today : Definitely Gone Tomorrow

Everyone is talking about standards and how to allow interoperability. What is the true life of a standard in the real world of programming - 5 years? Of course it takes at least 3 to get people to agree on a standard.

Your Thoughts?

Legacy North America Car Manufacturers

So why is it that used cars from GM and Ford do not hold their value like Honda, Nissan, etc.

Surely, in this day and age the parts, electronics, etc are within the same quality realm?

Your Thoughts?

Will EDS get the GM contract?

Well, based on the article several weeks ago in eWeek, I guess EDS deems that it has a lock on the next GM service provider deal slated for June 2006. Or is it that their VP conducted the article to make other service providers think that. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Your thoughts?

IT manager - non technical

How come the IT industry is ok with Managers that play the card "I'm not technical". Why are you in the IT field? I agree the a manager does not have to be an expert in a field to manage the work, but seriously, they should have some notion in what is being created or managed. How can a manager truly know if the project is going off the rails if they can't understand what is being developed? How can they seriously know what is required to retain the talented IT staff?

Your Thoughts?

On Demand On Line?

I was skiing all of last week. So there we were on a large mountain and my friend decided that she had to call her neice and tell her how wounderful it was. Quick, take my picture while I'm on the phone ! ...and I did.

Would it have been better to be able to send the picture right away? ...or is it better to see it in once you get home?

BTW: the neice was sick....so she probably wasn't that entertained with the phone call about how wonderful the view of the Rockies is.

Trustworthy Internet Sites?

How does the general public determine what is a trustworthy site and what is not on the internet? Take the following site which talks about "a hacker in my house"
(http://www.adequacy.org/public/stories/2001.12.2.42056.2147.html#comments)
...which probably gets read way too much and I am increasing its hit count :(.

My sister-in-law would believe this site; not that she is a stupid person; just non-IT oriented to understand what is real and what is not.... related to IT.

There are various entities that have tried to make a difference. BBB, ICR, etc but more so for "trading" or "online business" as opposed to "general information" sites.

ICOP standard has been around since 1997 with minor success http://www.internet.org.uk/icop.html. Who would be willing to pay them 25 pounds to bless a general information site...year after year? Their business lookup leaves a lot to be desired....How is the general public suppose to determine the url link in a post is affialiated with a company name?

This Blog is a site and I currently don't pay for it. The information I'm posting is truthful. Why should I pay to be in a truthful zone?

1) Will the IT industry come to the aid of the general public to assiss them in determining what sites are truthful and which are not?
2) Can the Governments issue "seals" of some type to allow the public to know?
3) Is there a ".org" that can help?
4) Will it be Free?
5) Is it even possible? and if so, how long would it take for the sites to get on board ?

Your Thoughts?