January 2008 Archives

I recently read an article that Wired did about how a Microsoft security expert claims that Vista has fewer security flaws that XP:

"Based on the number of known vulnerabilities announced and the number of patches released for the desktop OS in the past year, Vista gets higher ratings than Windows XP, Mac OS X 10.4, Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Ubuntu 6.06."

This claim is so subjective. You can throw up all the charts and graphs you want and it won't prove a thing. Michael Calore of Wired seems to agree:

"This doesn't mean that Vista is inherently more secure than these other OSes. All the study proves is that Vista had a better security track record than the other OSes over their first year of release."

Microsoft spent five years developing Vista. You'd think it would be more secure that XP. So why would that be a surprise? But to claim that it's more secure than the competition? How would you even measure something like that?

But I digress. Pundits of Vista (myself included) won't argue that Vista is more secure (it is!) because that's not the point. The real problem with Vista is that after five years of development, Microsoft delivered an operating system that offered no compelling new features over Windows XP. Not only that but there were a slew of compatibility issues with existing hardware and software, both new and old.

The point is that security is only one part of the equation. People do want a more secure environment on their computers. No one can deny that. But people also want a more productive environment on their computers. Performance gains with Vista are atrocious! As one blogger pointed out the combination of "Vista, Office, and Outlook 2007 is a nightmare". Why would any business gamble on a loss of perfomance on the very applications they rely on day in and day out? A loss of performance is a loss in productivity, it's as simple as that.

Doesn't help either that Microsoft plans to stop selling OEM licenses at the end of June, 2008. Windows Vista isn't even a year old (it was released on January 30th, 2007) and Microsoft is telling business customers that they have to purchase Vista with new computers only a year and a half after its debut? A lot of companies waited at least two years to start using XP and, even then, most companies didn't actually widely adopt XP till SP2 came out. Why does Microsoft thing Vista is any different? June is just too soon. Microsoft would do well to give business customers the choice and let it ride for at least another year or so.

By nature, people tend to accept the default regardless of what problems exist. But people don't have to accept it. Individuals and businesses alike need to learn that the default isn't always the best. You don't have to put up with the default choice. There are other choices. In this case the choice is simple: Either force Microsoft to give you the choice and make a better product...or switch to the competition. I have a stinking suspicion that a lot of people will be switching to the competition.

You've heard the phrase "The proof is in the pudding", right? Well...I'm not sure if the pudding in Windows Vista is all that good. It's the equivalent of ordering Tapioca pudding for dessert in a fine restaurant and getting served a Snack Pack. How would you react if that happened to you? That's what I thought.

Make mine a Mac! :)

Just the other day I heard that a family friend was having problems with her computer. A fan went out and she had to have it taken in to get fixed. The technician fixed the fan but also recommended reinstalling the operating system as sort of a Spring cleaning. Now, she doesn't know anything about computers so when she got it back she had a hard time understanding how to hook it back up, whether she needed to use the installation disc for her Verizon DSL service, where her photos went, and what the hell to do even when she did get it hooked up right. Hearing this made me think of something...

The incumbent computer users, that is anyone who wishes or needs to use a computer, has three things present to properly use a computer: education, prevention, and desire. An incumbent computer is someone who leans on these things heavily in an effort to get the most out of the experience of using a computer.

It's incumbent of anyone to have a basic fundamental understanding of how computers work. That includes both the hardware and the software. If you don't know anything about it then pick up a book and learn. Whether you're on a PC or a Mac, the "Dummies" series of books are an excellent start. Let's face it, most problems are user error so a little bit of education goes a long way.

It's also incumbent of any computer user to know some basic things about how to prevent a potential disaster. Prevention and education go hand in hand...but knowing it is only half of it; you also have to practice it as well. The best way to protect yourself from a disaster is to protect yourself and prevent it from happening.

If you're on a PC using Windows then the threat of viruses and malware is a reality you can't avoid. As such you have to constantly make sure that you're antivirus/spyware monitoring software is up-to-date and running properly. You also need to understand some common prevention techniques to avoid getting spam, viruses, and malware from the internet via your web browser or e-mail client.

Hardware failure is a fact of life. Things can and will go wrong with a computer. As such, you need to understand that it's incumbent of you to backup anything that is important to you. External hard drives and USB key drives are much cheaper these days so there is no reason why you can't use one to keep your stuff backed up. A good backup system can be as simple as the combination of an external hard drive and some backup utility software that will keep your stuff backed up almost automatically. This is the one thing that will save your butt if and when your computer fails.

The last thing an incumbent computer user needs is desire. Someone who doesn't want or care to take the time to learn how to use a computer properly obviously doesn't have much desire to use one. If this is you then you're screwed and you have no business even using a computer. You might as well turn the computer off and not use it at all. Learning how to properly use a computer doesn't take that much time. A little reading each day and a few tutorials and tips go a long way over the course of time. Granted, not everyone has the time or money to take classes...but a mere 15 minutes of reading each day is not unrealistic.

Let's face it, over 75% of the problems people face with computers are due to three problems: a lack of desire, a lack of education, and a lack of prevention. Everything else can be blamed on hardware and software failure but the rest lies entirely in your hands.

I'll be doing a presentation for Refresh Dallas on February 7th at the Christopher A. Parr Library in Plano. The presentation will be on e-mail and heavily based on a prior presentation made by Merlin Mann (43 Folders).

Merlin did a series of articles on his site called Inbox Zero and later on did a presentation for Google. I was absolutely amazed at the common sense approach to managing a large amount of e-mail and felt that others would benefit from it as well. My presentation will follow the same basic presentation that Merlin did but will reflect my own experience as an IT professional. For the last 3 1/2 years or so I have worked as an IT Assistant for a small architectural firm and have worked with plenty of people who are e-mail challenged. My hope is that this experience will come across in this presentation and will show others how a lack of e-mail management can hinder productivity.

Check out the Refresh Dallas website for more details! If you're interested in coming, be sure and RSVP on the website. Although Refresh Dallas is an organization based around web developers and designers, this presentation isn't limited to a particular group. So if you know someone who is e-mail challenged, bring them along! Just be sure and let the Refresh guys know you're bringing someone in your RSVP.

See you there!

It's been a little while since I've written anything on my blog. A lot has happened just in the last month.

I've been working as an IT Assistant for the same architectural firm for the past 3 1/2 (almost 4) years. The decision was tough but, to be perfectly honest, was inevitable. Early last week I turned on my resignation. As of February 1st I will be a full-time web developer for Collabpad.

I say inevitable because a number of events have led up to my resignation. Now, before I go on I will point out that I have no wish to burn bridges. The architectural firm I worked for is a good one and I wish them continued success in the future. As such I will not refer to them by name or any of my co-workers by name. Instead, I'll take the Harry Potter approach and refer to them as "The architectural firm that must not be named" or "You Know Who".

Working for "You Know Who" has been a great experience. The decision to leave was tough because I enjoy the people I work with, many of whom I call friends. The decision ultimate boiled down to three main things: philosophy, ownership, and pay.

3 1/2 years is a long time and in that time my philosophy about IT has changed quite a bit. I'm more of a Mac guy now than a PC guy. I no longer believe that Microsoft provides the right solution for businesses. A lot of that is due to the release of Windows Vista. But that's beside the point and is actually a fairly minor reason for my departure from "You Know Who".

What weighs more is my feeling that "You Know Who" has not placed the proper emphasis on the IT staff. My philosophy is that you take care of your IT staff, you give them a proper budget, you allow them to dictate a common sense set of IT standards and procedures, and that you don't take their requests with a grain of salt. IT is not an after thought and it most certainly isn't "just another admin position" either. The IT department should be placed is as high regard as the production, management, and accounting staff. Just because the IT department doesn't generate revenue doesn't make them any less important than the ones that are. Without IT the whole infrastructure of a company can fall apart.

I'm a firm believer in a bottom-up approach to business management. The only way to succeed with a bottom-up approach though is to make sure you're employees are happy and productive. Productivity these days is big business. You can't go a week without hearing about some kind of seminar about how to be more productive at your job. Businesses are learning that boosts in productivity have a tremendous impact on the bottom line. One of the ways to do this is to reduce stress. If an employee is comfortable physically, emotionally, and financially then they are more likely to be more productive due to the reduced amount of stress. Let's face it...personal finances is one of the biggest contributors of stress and quite possibly the primary factor on a loss of productivity on the job. With a bottom-up approach, everyone benefits from gains and growth in a company...not just the upper management!

"You Know Who" tries to be a bottom-up company (or at least pretends to be) but practices more of a top-down management style. There are nuances here and there of a bottom-up approach but, to be honest, I think you have to have some vested interest in the firm before you see them. "You Know Who" would do well if they leaned more towards a bottom-up approach. Hell, if they did I probably wouldn't have left.

When I started, I was told that after 2 years I would be eligible to become an Associate with the company. What that means is that the company acknowledges my desire to stay with the company over the long term and that I have a sense of ownership in what I do with the firm. It also means that I would get actual stock ownership in the firm...which means vested interest, better bonuses and pay. 3 1/2 years in the firm and not once has anyone asked me of my interest to become an Associate in the firm.

I've been an IT Assistant for 3 1/2 years...but what I actually did was more like an IT Supervisor. Based on research done on PayScale.com and Salary.com, my salary was well below the 25th percentile. I addressed this early last year and asked for a raise. I felt a 20% raise was necessary but I would have been satisfied with a 15% raise. What I got was a mere 0.5% raise. Not good! The topper came at the end of the year when I got my bonus. Prior bonuses were pretty good. This year was an absolute slap in the face. It was literally almost half of what it was last year.

Now, I'm no dummy and I do pay attention to what my employer tells me. It was said to everyone in the whole company that revenues were not as good as last year and that profitability wasn't as good either...which translates to our bonuses not being as good. However, what I don't understand is if the total net profits are the same as last years why would our bonuses be so much smaller? Where did the profit go? How much was distributed to bonuses? These are the questions that ultimately led me to believe that I was not being treated fairly as an employee of this company. 3 1/2 years in this company and I was still being treated as "just the IT guy". Something needed to change.

Collabpad shares my vision and philosophy and is a good fit for the future of my career. I'll also have ownership in the company and in what I do. As a web developer and contributor to the MODx project I have an opportunity to make an impact in an industry that has a tremendous potential for growth. Going with Collabpad also means getting an instant 30% increase in pay. But that's just the start. Compensation over the long haul of my career could potentially increase substantially based on many developing Collabpad, MODx, and other personal projects.

Collabpad is the new home for my career. I'm very excited and proud to be a part of this company. The future is looking a little brighter!

I've mentioned several times in part 1 and part 2 of this post of my distaste of lying in campaigns. The recent Democratic debate brings to light some of the problems surrounding the Clinton campaign, namely how both Bill and Hillary Clinton have been misquoting Barack Obama and thus have been lying about what he has said and done in the past.

A recent article by the Chicago Tribune illustrates this point by pointing out exactly what both Bill and Hillary claim Obama had said about Ronald Reagan along with the transcript showing what Obama in fact said. This is not a one-off; it's not like the Clintons did this only once. This is something that has happened repeatedly. Now, think about that. Hillary lied about what another candidate has said...a candidate within her own party no less! And she's done it in the past to other candidates and even to supporters of her own campaign!

What exactly does that say about her credibility? Do you think she'd repeat this sort of behavior if she's elected President? Absolutely! This is a woman who will say anything and will do anything to get elected...even stooping so far as to lie to the American people!

Do the country a favor and DO NOT vote for Hillary Clinton!! Get Barack Obama on the ballot!!