December 2006 Newsletter
What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention, and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it. –Herbert Simon
A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and in all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity. –Eleanor Roosevelt
The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance—it is the illusion of knowledge. –Daniel J. Boorstin
The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't. –Henry Ward Beecher
I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. –John Cage
Don't spend your precious time asking 'Why isn't the world a better place?' It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is 'How can I make it better?' To that there is an answer. –Leo F. Buscaglia
Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none. –Benjamin Franklin
When we are unable to love and appreciate ourselves and our efforts, we run away from our mistakes and failures, rather than learning from them. –Meredith L. Young-Sowers
Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you. –Thomas Jefferson
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. –Albert Einstein
With so many programming languages to choose from, how do you decide
which one is right for the job? This
article explores some relevant criteria.
But beware the author's caveat that these principles don't apply in all
circumstances and situations.
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=661370
Former CIO, James Kerr,
offers a list of 10 "must do" actions to help your organization
become a true project-based shop.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=254934
One of the most significant challenges of software development is to
elicit requirements and figure out what the customer wants, which sometimes is
different than what is asked for. This
article explores how to move from knowledge based on experience and observation
(tacit) into quantified (explicit) knowledge that a computer system can deal
with.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878-6117372.html
Popular software development blogger Jeff
Atwood challenges the notion that the primary skill for software developers
is/should be programming. He suggests
that developers need to spend more time honing "soft skills", such as
writing and speaking, and to get involved in communities and interaction with
others. While you may not agree with his
ideas, they are some great food for thought.
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000710.html
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000711.html
This book
excerpt gives a basic introduction to agile development practices from a programmer's
perspective. The articles and the entire
book are written in a nice, conversational style.
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tr/downloads/home/097451408X_chapter_1.pdf
Most line-of-business executives have a hard time understanding and,
therefore managing, IT. This article
discusses the three distinct segments of IT (what the author terms Function IT, Network IT, and Enterprise IT) and the
appropriate strategies for managing each are.
http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbrsa/en/issue/0611/article/R0611J.jhtml
This developer offers a simple "recipe" for how to overcome
heavy process and just deliver functionality that customers want.
http://compiledmonkey.com/2006/11/02/why-software-sucks/
CIOs often think more highly of themselves than those who work for them
according to a new survey of over 700 IT professionals. However, the news isn't all bad. CIOs got generally
high marks in areas such as supporting company-wide business strategy and
delivering business value to the company.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=195600022
This classic article peels back the covers on how NASA writes software
for the Space Shuttle and the rigorous processes and testing regime that they
use.
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/06/writestuff.html
The CTO for the David Allen Company, publisher of
the Getting Things Done (GTD) book and
tools for improving productivity, talks about his companies approach to
software development and how to combine the GTD philosophy with agile
development techniques.
http://www.43folders.com/2006/10/17/robert-peake-part-one/
http://www.43folders.com/2006/10/18/robert-peake-part-two/
An interesting look at how very large companies use IT as a competitive
advantage.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=269057
Interview with Microsoft Test Architect who is responsible for improving the skills of Microsoft's cadre of professional testers.
http://www.ddj.com/dept/debug/193200326
This introduction from a new book about software problems explains that most applications don't work because of one fatal communication flaw: programmers don't understand their audience. This results in unnecessary complexity and forcing the user to understand the application paradigm instead of the other way around.
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tr/downloads/home/0321466756_chapter_1.pdf
This detailed article explores the use of mind maps for developing test cases and scenarios. It provides an excellent approach for how to break down an application for testing.
http://www.stickyminds.com/bettersoftware/magazine.asp?fn=cifea&id=90
Database quality (and data quality itself) often get lost in the shuffle when systems are developed. In this article, Scott Ambler makes a detailed proposal for a new approach to database testing.
http://www.ddj.com/dept/debug/193402922
This article gives an inside look at the "squeeze down" process that Microsoft used to review and determine which of the remaining defects needed to be fixed before the release of the product.
http://news.com.com/Vistas+last+mile/2009-1016_3-6133357.html
This multi-part series gives a comprehensive treatment of the background
of and the various techniques for using XML as a data transport and
serialization mechanism for applications.
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=464428
This site provides an alphabetic listing of 26 important topics in
information security planning and implementation.
http://software.silicon.com/security/0,39024655,39164025,00.htm
This book excerpt gives an excellent and detailed introduction to how
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=667416
An interactive timeline which shows the history
of Web
2.0 from 1996 to present.
http://www.informationweek.com/1113/IDweb20_timeline.jhtml
Summarizing results in SQL queries is a key to mastering the power of
databases. This tutorial provides a
detailed look at the GROUP BY clause with some practical examples.
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=664143
This is the complete 3rd (most recent) edition of the classic,
comprehensive book on EJB design and implementation. The site also includes all of the source code
from the book for download.
http://www.theserverside.com/books/wiley/masteringEJB/
This is an excellent beginning tutorial on Unix/Linux shell scripting
basics. While it is written specifically
for Mac OS X, it is generally application to all of the common Unix/Linux
shells.
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/OpenSource/Conceptual/ShellScripting/index.html
This brief list of 10 self-destructive workplace habits sure to endanger your longevity on the job is quite interesting. It includes failing to deliver results, confusing efficiency with effectiveness, and believing that you're irreplaceable.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10881-6117596.html
This article gives some advice on how management can implement and support a peer mentoring program to help disseminate and diffuse knowledge within the organization.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878-6126819.html
This author suggests that technical education (in colleges/universities) in the US is outdated and that there is very little overlap between what is taught and what is actually needed for productive mathematicians, sciences, and engineers. The basic premise is that higher education needs to focus on teaching "how" rather than "what". Make sure to read the comments for additional insights.
http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/11/why_does_engine.html
This article gives some tips on how to prepare for your performance review to position yourself for the best possible result and to request a raise.
With all of the high-tech gadgets and demands on technology workers, most find it hard to really get away from the office for holidays or vacation. One survey found that almost 3/4 of IT workers check in via e-mail or telephone while out.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2062442,00.asp
How do you find out what you are really worth in the marketplace? SalaryScout.com can help. You can browse actually salary and benefits information by location and job title/description. The site is just getting started, but appears to be growing rapidly.
This site examines the interesting notion that we either are or at some point will experience life where simulation and reality are indistinguishable. This concept is even getting some attention in the popular media.
http://www.simulation-argument.com/
"Geniuses are made, not born" is the thesis of this article from New Scientist. Those who have risen to the top of their profession, whether in the sciences, arts, technology, or even sports have generally required 10 - 15 years of concentrated effort toward a single goal to have their breakout moment.
http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~djtaylor/genius.htm
So you've decided that you want to be genius (see above)? Here's some simple, practical advice on problem solving that allows you to use the strategies and tactics of the masters, like Da Vinci and Einstein.
http://www.studygs.net/genius.htm
Listening is a key "soft" skill for success in technical jobs. This article takes the "reverse psychology" approach to how you can improve your listening.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10881_11-6121725.html
Commonly used factors in choosing leaders and managers in IT are education, technical ability, and bossiness. This author suggests that better predictors of IT management success are emotional flexibility, comfort with ambiguity, and communication ability.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6128590.html
A new survey shows that technology workers main concern is being able to keep their skills up to date and many say that employers are not supportive of skill development/improvement.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2059788,00.asp
SideSlide is a dockable (to any edge of your screen) desktop extension which provides quick launch, Post-It-style notes, reminders, and many features and functions. Basically, it removes lots of desktop clutter and consolidates your frequently used tools into one place that remains hidden until you want it.
http://www.northglide.com/sideslide.html
AlphaXP Lite is a free utility for controlling transparency of windows. It includes some unique features including hot-key support and ability to set the transparency of the Task Bar as well as application windows. In addition, it has some advanced features to prevent flicker and "ghost" windows when applying and removing transparency.
http://www.zeroherosoftware.com/alphaxplite.html
Open Workbench is a free, open-source project management application similar to MS Project. It is comprehensive and full featured, including advanced scheduling techniques, project scope change management, linking between projects, Gantt and PERT charting, and much more.
UMLet is small, Java-based tool for quickly drawing UML diagrams. It is available as a standalone Java application or an Eclipse plugin. You can export your UML diagrams to a variety of formats, including JPG, PDF, and others.
TapTap is an unobtrusive extender that allows you to create hotkey combinations out of almost any keystroke sequence. Basically, it uses your existing hotkey sequences, such as for launching applications, and allows you enter "shortcuts" for those, such as double tapping the left <Shift> key.
http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/TapTap/
PhraseExpress is a free autotext utility. It allows you to define shortcut phrases that can be inserted into any application running in Windows. You can select from a menu of phrases or define short keywords that get automatically expanded when you type them. It even includes macro capabilities, such as for entering the current date.
Thinkature is a unique online collaboration tool that includes some interesting features, including instant messaging capability and uploading images from your machine to the shared canvas. You can do freehand drawing as well as develop structured diagrams that include connectors showing flow and relationships.
Folder View simplifies the process of the various methods of working with folders/directories in Windows. Folder View adds a toolbar to Windows Explorer and a menu to the standard Open/Save dialogs that allows you to access your most frequently used folders quickly. In addition, it includes your folders in the "Copy To" and "Move To" context menus.
Loading Acrobat Reader can take a significant amount of time and the time increases with each new release, especially with releases 6.0 and 7.0. To speed up the loading, you can remove the plug-ins that you don't need. For a minimal configuration (fastest load time):
(1) Navigate to the Acrobat Reader main folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat ver\Reader, where ver is the version number).
(2) Create a new folder called optional.
(3) Move all of the files from the plug_ins directory, except EWH32.api, search*.api, and print*.api, and weblnk32.api, to the optional directory.
If any features that you use, such as the form filler, no longer work, just move the appropriate plug-in file back to the plugs_ins folder.
An industrial psychologist, mathematician, and economist have empirically derived a formula for estimating the likelihood of something going wrong at the least opportune time.
http://www.britishgasnews.co.uk/index.asp?PageID=16&Year=2004&NewsID=623
This is a humorous take on what you boss really wants to say when you talk about things like promotions or overtime.
http://www.hallmark.com/wcsstore/HallmarkStore/images/products/ecards/nfg1969.swf
This site has some actual (not Photoshopped!) pictures of some fantastic and beautiful rainbows.
http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/rainbows/bowims.htm
PacMan was the arcade video game that launched the genre! This site lists 177 (maybe more by now!) free implementations of PacMan across the Internet, including online Flash- and Java-based versions. (Note: The site is in German, but you'll be able to navigate just fine! Or you can try the translated version.)
http://www.p-six.de/cman/liste.html
This site features some incredibly
beautiful pictures from mountains and nature from the