Monthly Archive: July 2004
Its interesting to see the slow but sure emergence of middleware to exploit XML documents. Microsoft have WSS which can manipulate Infopath docuemnts stored in its document libraries for example. InfoWorld report on a mor ambitious tool from IBM, code named Project Cinnamon, you can get the full details here, but here is the real content:
Cinnamon was born in IBM’s Almaden Research Center and is a tool designed to automatically create mappings among different forms of data. By allowing users to define how an XML document gets mapped into a database such as DB2, the technology makes it easier to store those documents and to manage their content.
The upcoming utility hopes to address one of the thornier problems associated with XML-based development. Although XML serves as a clear standard for how content in a document is defined, the schema or definition of that content can be markedly different from document to document. This makes it impractical to place thousands of different documents in even a single data source and be able to retrieve certain data using a single search engine, an IBM representative said.
InfoWorld also says:
Some analysts think the upcoming technology can play a central …
Computer World has an article on this topic, most of which has already been debated many times with simillar answers to the ones that CW gives. However I repeat the list here, because item 5 on the list is actually new to me:
- Support availability
- Functional limitations of the software
- Software license terms
- Rapid software release cycles
- Package road maps or future plans
Items 1 to 4 are answered pretty well, and I don’t think are a major concern now for most companies and the service offerings are developing at a rapid rate. However here is the answer to item 5:
Package road maps or future plans are important to most companies. Major vendors tend to heavily promote their road maps, even to the extent of publicizing future capabilities years in advance. Of course, there is no promise that any advertised feature will ever see the light of your computer display. Not all vendors publish such road maps, and some share them only with strategic accounts under nondisclosure agreements.
Some open-source groups publish road maps, and some do not. At times, the stated goal is to mimic the functionality of a commercial package, though when any particular feature will appear …
In another post I am going to talk a bit about why I think multiple monitors are really important, but first I want to introduce you to my home office, so you can see my personal working practice in its full context. First things first:
- Everything I need is within arms reach
- I try to scan all my paper, and its all there in PaperPort, see below
- I have two desks, a computer desk where I have my three monitors, and drive all my clients and servers from one keyboard and mouse and a layout, reading etc desk where I have space to organise. The kids use this desk at night if I am happy to be disrupted a bit.
- I have a web cam on top of my primary display, again more on that later
So what does it all look like. First the nerve centre:
One large desk with three monitors and one keyboard and mouse
The Main display, a 19″ flat screen running @ 1280*1024. This is where I do all of my reading and writing. Its a fab display very bright and crystal clear. Its DVI connected to my main server, which runs Windows 2003 …
Some background on NewsGator and Syndication.
This post by Brad Feld, a Venture Capitalist who has recently invested in NewsGator is useful if you too have invested in a copy and want to understand a bit about where the tool is going. But its also interesting if like me you want to understand a bit about syndication in general and the market opportunity as investors see it. I recently posted on how I see the market from a technical perspective for behind the firewall corporate environments, in discussion with NewsGator this market is certainly in their plans.
Greg adds a bit more detail in his blog
More PowerPoint posts continue to catch my eye. The first is from Brad Fled, a venture capitalist who has recently invested in NewsGator, Brad writes:
I’ve looked at thousands (tens of thousands?) presentations pitching new businesses since the mid 1990’s. The vast majority of them suck. Unfortunately, it’s not Powerpoint’s fault (no – it wouldn’t be better if Freelance has become the standard).
Brad points us to:
Edward Tufte – a master of The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, thinks Powerpoint is evil and corrupts absolutely
He also gives us a good outline presentation for pitching to a VC, which is definately worth checking out if you ever have the need. In fact its a good start if you need to make a pitch for any kind of investment.
David Chappell, a professional speaker, who often works for Microsoft has written a very interesting little article on the subject of the experience trap. In essence, as you get more experienced, especially in IT, that experience can cause you problems as well as give you an advantage. He recalls discussions with computer science professors who are debating which programming language a person should be taught. Here is an extract in his own words:
The difficulties faced by teachers of computer science provide one example of the problems experience can cause. But the challenge certainly isn’t limited to professors—we’re all in danger. And since the experience trap isn’t much of a problem at the beginning of a career, it can sneak up on you. When you’re twenty five, you don’t rely much on experience because you don’t have any. When you’re forty five, however, it’s tempting to rely too much on experience. The truth is that experience is useful only if the future is like the past. In software, what will be important next year is often very, very different from what was important last year. Realizing that a significant part of our hard-won knowledge becomes valueless every year is …
Extreme Programming.
The spoke has a short post on extreme programming. Its been a long time since I have been a real programmer, and was probably never an extreme one by any definition, however I have managed my share of development projects and a few things appealed to me in this report.
Developer bids for work: developers in the team bid for tasks. Lowest bid wins and gets the job.
This is a very cool motivational tool, if you have the right team and culture.
Work in pairs
This is a new one on me, although I have done some of my best work when working in pairs I have never seen it formally laid out like this as part of a methodology. The overhead cost is considerable at first glance; it would be interesting to see the overall effect on lifecycle cost though.
Work in pairs: but the most experienced one does not drive the keyboard. He/she watches the other one and makes comments
Lies: two developers will be more candid about the prospects for the development. They are also better able to negotiate deadlines and features and less inclined to lie about the situation.
Blame: it …
Powerpoint seems to be cropping up all over in my blogs at the moment. I am a big user of PowerPoint. I recently checked my local machine using X1 and I have 669 PP files at the moment. Anyway I was pleased to come across this post by Michael Hyatt...
As I have mentioned before I use X1 for all of my local system searching, a friend of mine asked how I was getting on with it, he is using Blinkx. So here is an update. I am running X1 on Windows 2003 Server, its not supported but it seems...
One of my favourite topics just started to get an airing on the web, Work Space design. It’s been an interest of mine ever since I can remember, it’s the frustrated Architect in me, (I was never good enough at art to take it at University). Anyway what really bugs me about the topic is my belief that it has a huge impact on individual and team effectiveness, but receives very little focus and even less investment by many companies. Even companies that reap huge profits from their consultants tend not to invest in their productivity. I talked about this in a previous post, but mainly from an IT SW perspective.
Since I have been working from home I have invested quite heavily in my own work environment and I certainly notice a huge improvement in my productivity. The biggest improvement comes from two large monitors driven from the same desktop PC, supplemented by a management console that I use to monitor my lab and anything else that I need to check frequently. I also have a dedicated portable that I can just pick up and carry away whenever I need to move around the house, I use a …
