Libby Says...
Rob had a great post the other day about his perfect employer and job. It's been on my mind a lot of late, as I try to decide what's next for me. I remember one time, oh about 12 years ago, I had a long talk with my then-roommate Julie about perfect job, working conditions, etc. It's amazing how different my thoughts are now. I suspect this is a work in progress. I know enough to know that I don't have a perfect job. There are many jobs and career paths that could work for me and at which I think I could be successful. But I know some of the things I need and some of the things i can't accept. Let's see... in no particular order...
In return, I will be where you need me to be, when you need me to be there. I will be a team player and as much of a leader as you give me the chance to be. I will be diligent and meticulous. I will use all that great brain power I've got to do what you ask me to do or what I see needs to be done. I will ask questions and be thoughtful and work as though all the profits were going in my pocket. I will be the best representative of your company that I know how to be. if the door is open, I will come to you if something upsets me. I will try to resolve it. I will learn. I will think. I'm sure there are more, but if I keep writing this, I'm not writing my thesis. Off I go. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
I'm so not supposed to be doing this. Blogging that is. At least not right now. All my focus is supposed to be going to writing the thesis. Ah well. I'm sitting in the kitchen, with the window barely cracked open behind me, but I can feel the temperature dropping as it's been doing since mid-afternoon. It's probably 45 degrees at most now, and it was probably 70 this afternoon. In a bit, I'll likely move into the living room to curl up by the fire to keep writing. There's a lot going on right now. Personal stuff, career stuff, school stuff, health stuff. Trying to do my best to keep my focus on the paper for a few more weeks and really get it done and off my plate so I can pay attention to all that other stuff. One thing did catch my attention in today's email, however. There's a AAA article entitled "Midair manners" about how to behave on planes. It mentions, among other things: Easy Does It I can't tell you how many times my laptop screen has been endangered or my bottle of water knocked off the table by a person reclining too far, too fast, with no consideration for the fact that someone was sitting behind them. Other pet peeves of mine include the people who fall asleep and end up sleeping on your shoulder, people who don't know the current rules of the security lines, and so don't have their tickets or IDs ready, or who leave their shoes on and slow the process to glacial speeds, and people who don't pay attention - to where they're walking or standing, to their kids, to their purses and bags that are slamming into the people near them, or to the basic rules of common courtesy. I know we have to spend a lot of time when we travel and I know that airports are full of indignities, but we aren't in your house or your bedroom and don't want to see, hear, or smell any of those things that should be kept behind closed doors. Hm. Guess I've got a few opinions. What are yours? Have any airplane/airport pet peeves? Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
I admit to watching and listening to my fair share of commercial television and radio. However, I have also become reliant on NPR and PBS for news, education, insight, and wonder. I hate that I arrive at school before (and leave after) Engines of Our Ingenuity, so I listen to that online. I also listen to A Way with Words online since moving away from San Diego. Watching Nova with Philip is one of my most enjoyable weekly habits (even when I'm also grading or reading or planning or writing)! Of course, I have also found materials and ideas at PBS's TeacherSource. These are invaluable resources that help make our country more educated and informed... Many times over the past few years, the government has considered cutting much of the funding for NPR and PBS. Of course, this has also been a too-much forwarded topic in the distant past, causing it to be listed on many urban legend-busting sites. My go-to site for urban legends, Snopes.com, says that at least some of the concern in the more recent past (June 2006) is true, however. While I don't have any confirmation from external sources on this, MoveOn.org is reporting another attack on NPR and PBS. If you've got confirmation (I've Googled and checked the NPR and PBS sites briefly, but no dice for current (2007) confirmation right now), I'd love to hear it. With the recent release of Bush's newest budget, it wouldn't surprise me, but since I've been so sick the last few days, I'm aware that I might not have heard about it. If we can find out that it's true, I'd like to suggest supporting either the MoveOn.org petition or writing separately to your senators or representatives to state your feelings about federal budget support for NPR and PBS... Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
That was made at the Chronicle's site after the recent blogging story was about the idea that teachers may have the right to blog but not from school computers, on school networks, or on school time. I only wish that meant that teachers were not allowed to grade papers, write lesson plans, write recommendation letters, research projects, answer questions, etc. from home computers, on home networks, or on personal time. Of course, it doesn't really work that way. But it does bring up a few interesting thoughts... First, I happen to agree in principle with the comment, most specifically for blogs like mine, where I can say what I want about any subject I want, without fear (I believe) of punishment, assuming I adhere to the very sensible rules of not identifying my students by name in a way that could endanger them. I've also made a personal commitment to my principal that she won't have to find out anything by reading it here - so that if I have a gripe or complaint, she's promised to have an open door and I've promised she won't learn about something first from another source. Seems fair. On the other hand, if my blog were intended for communicating with my students like one that I read, I would like to think that it would be a different story. Still, embedded in the there is idea of the always-on worker. This idea isn't new, technologists especially have been dealing with its repercussions for years - but as technology has become ubiquitous in each given industry, it has become an issue that industry needs to address. It seems that, sadly in some ways, the flood of this type of technology has just hit schools - most teachers now have laptops and cell phones, many of which are provided by the schools. And my school system, for example, provides the phones with the expectation (given up front, of course) that you will almost always be available to answer the phone for your students, their parents, and your colleagues. Now, is this a good idea? Absolutely. There should never be an excuse that a student didn't understand the home work, and perhaps the frustration that goes along with not understanding. Instead, students can call, ask a quick question, and get the issues straightened out. Many times, the call is an extremely quick one and helps the student so much that he or she is a star in class the next day -- winning scenario all around. On the other hand, there is the expectation that you answer your phone, check your email at home, and work, well, much of the time. This always-on attitude that pervades the workplace (not just mine, but many) requires that we, as the workers (both teachers and those in other fields) to decide what our lives will be like and when we will work, then set our boundaries, and then stick to those boundaries. Firmly. It's not something that I do as well as I'd like - I find myself working most nights and weekends and feeling overwhelmed by it -- skipping yoga and my runs because I know that I have work waiting, or because I have responsibilities to yearbook or other school projects. In fact, this week, I was so busy that I didn't get to blog as much as I'd like, since I do only blog from home, on my home network, with my home computers... :-) Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
You'll remember I mentioned some great customer service resulting from the Amazon.com issue I mentioned a few posts ago... Well, I'm happy to report a similar experience with drugstore.com. I think what must have happened is that all of my shipments for a particular day got lost, stolen, or delievered to another house on my block (maybe 1616 instead of 1661?), but I had another online order that didn't arrive, even though the vendor website showed that my order was completed and the tracking website showed my order delivered. Since I order online all the time and always receive my shipments, I contacted both vendors... And both vendors responded in the best possible way - I highly commend them and recommend them as good online vendors. Way to go, Drugstore.com and Amazon.com! Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
I worked at home for almost a decade. For some of that I was completely self-employed, working contract training and consulting jobs, doing freelance writing and editing, and making training videos. During other times, I was either completely or partially employed by a single company or client. I had very mixed feelings about working from home. On the one hand, it did give me the potential flexibility in my schedule that could be very useful for going for a lunch-time run or a morning yoga class, or to finish up a grad school paper, or to have lunch with a friend, or to work from anywhere in the world. On the other hand, I hardly ever took advantage of those things because I was always so worried that I would be perceived as not working diligently enough - regardless of the number of hours I actually put in. eWeek has an article that show many executives think that telecommuting is or will hold back a career. I think I agree. There's not much substitute for face-time with the people in your office. Even when being in an office is less conducive to getting all your work done or when it throws your work-life balance out of whack... Well, you're there for the water-cooler conversations. Now, with IBM and others touting the possibilities of "knowledge collisions" in Second Life that particular issue may begin to resolve itself. Still, the old adage of "out of sight, out of mind" is somewhat pertinent. I can't count the number of times I'd get a phone call about a decision that had been made by the folks in the office without consulting me - not out of any rancor or desire to cut me out of the decision, but just because that's who was on hand to decide. While we have phones, video, email, second life, IM and so many other pieces of technology that can help us to communicate from a distance, many people still put the highest value and priority on the face-to-face communication. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
As anyone who knows me well might imagine, I order from Amazon.com all the time. When you're addicted to books, that's what happens. In any case, I realized a few days ago that I'd been waiting a really long time for Philip's birthday present and some other items I'd ordered for school, so I checked the "Where's My Stuff" link on Amazon.com... That link said the packages had been delivered, although I knew that I hadn't gotten them. So, I wrote an email to customer service and less than 24 hours later, I got the following email: I am very sorry to hear that this package never arrived. At this I was so worried that I'd have to repurchase or try to find time to see if American Express could help me... and Amazon took care of it. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
I doubt rather seriously that anyone in my viewing area actually needs the reminder, but just because I'd feel awfully silly if I didn't remind you and then you didn't vote, I'll participate in the general reminder moment... Please vote in tomorrow's US Midterm Elections - there are plenty of Congressional seats, governorships, local and state judges, and other important items on the ballots. Voting is your opportunity to know that you did the bare minimum to maintain the democratic country you value. Our country has many flaws, but you're only contributing to them if you don't educate yourself about the issues and the candidates and then exercise your right and responsibility to vote. If you don't vote, in my opinion, you're wrong. I'm so grateful to the people like Virginia Foster Durr (we're studying her in my grad school class), who helped eradicate the poll tax (ok, yes, I know that forms of the poll tax are trying to make their way back into the system in many places), which helped open the vote to more of the country, that I make it a point to vote and talk about the importance of voting with anyone who'll listen. So, thanks for listening. Now, go vote. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
To their beliefs and to refuse to do business on whatever grounds (pun intended) they like, but it's certainly a company with whom I plan never to do business. If you're in the Houston area and share my beliefs, I hope you steer clear as well. Dear Mr.==== Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
I happened to read John Scalzi's blog today, where he was pointing out his thoughts on the thankfully-outvoted marriage amendment. I know some of my readers and friends agree -- and a few disagree -- with my beliefs on this matter, and I respect your right to your beliefs. Thanks for your comments on my earlier post. Here's a short excerpt, where Scalzi captured my thoughts very well; I hope you read what he has to say: Look, am I mad or something? I look around and about at people talking about same-sex marriage, and it seems that everyone is accepting the discussion on the marriage bigots' terms, rather than reality. Come on people, let's get a grip: Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
A Senate panel advanced a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage on Thursday as the committee chairman shouted "good riddance" to a Democrat who walked out of the tense session.Reuters "Senate panel OKs gay-marriage ban" Putting aside for the moment what I believe should happen to this bill (difficult though that is, as I have some strong opinions), is this really what the Senate should be focued on right now? We're at war, still, in Iraq; we've got a serious diplomatic negotiation (or three) going in in Iran; half the country is up in arms over immigration issues; we have to decide how to deal with the Hamas-led government in Palestine; there is still havoc and worse happening in the Sudan... and our Senate spends its time worrying about a constitutional ban on same sex marriage? Talk about insecurity and wagging the dog. Please America, focus. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
Than to write anything when I'm feeling hurt and angry. Not quite enough breathing before the typing. Ok, so let's try this on for size. Yes, I've got opinions. About baseball. About books. About movies and plays. About school. About life. About, heaven forbid, Lotus software. And yes, about politics. And most of them, politically speaking, lean toward the left. And when something important is happening, such as the Prop 2 vote in Houston's latest election, I've got to say something -- hope that each little drop in the bucket makes a difference in who knows and thinks about the issue and about who gets out to vote. I'm happy if I also influence them to come to what I think the correct decision is, but I'd much rather they just participate -- whatever they vote. And yes, the minute I open myself up by saying something or linking to something that others will take issue with, I should have a thicker skin and expect to have people get vitriolic at me in defense of their beliefs. Here's the way I look at it. When I go to a baseball game, I cheer as hard and as loud for my team as I can, while not saying anything bad, jeering, about the other team. I try to do the same thing about politics -- I try to cheer as loud and clearly as can to champion the causes I believe in, without necessarily resorting to saying specifically angry things about the other side. Of course, like anyone else, I sometimes don't stick as closely as I should to that. So. DavidV: Sorry if I was hasty in my replies and categorized you in an unfair way - I was trying to say that the backup and documentation for the comments you made were available only in, as far as I could see, articles/sites that were not at all shy about their political beliefs - which to me means it is opinion and not news. I was feeling hurt that instead of, in my view, calmly saying -- Hey, LIbby, I disagree with your views and think you should look into some of the organizations you support more deeply and here's a link or two -- you chose, I felt, to be a little less kind in your commentary. Perhaps that was just my thin skin. As far as I'm concerned, you're welcome at my site and welcome to comment -- most of your commentary I find interesting. I'd prefer, of course, if you made comments that were a bit easier to digest, but this is a public site and public comments are to be expected. To the other folks who commented more privately on me, my beliefs, and my work: Apologies if I responded before calming down. You have the right to your opinions. I just could wish that you provided your opinion in a way that was less about attacking and more about constructively working toward something. Even when you don't intend to attack, communicating effectively has all to do with how the other person hears/reads what you say. Thanks, of course, to those who supported me or my beliefs/comments. I'm sure there's more to say on this topic, but for now -- off to edit. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
I've gotten, in the past few weeks, quite a few angry e-mails, comments, etc., either on my political beliefs, religious beliefs, or the work I've done with LotusUserGroup.org. Let me say first that I'm sorry to anyone I've angered or offended -- that isn't my goal. On the other hand, if my beliefs here at this site offend you -- please feel free not to read. I'm not asking you to leave, of course, merely suggesting that you might want to have the right expectations about what kinds of things I'm likely to post. I am intending to speak my mind, engage the world around me, and be a thinking, living person. This is a personal site and my comments are completely my own. Hopefully, you're doing the same thing. But let's talk for a moment about compassion and the fable of the wind and the sun. Yelling at me is unlikely to get me to pay positive attention to what you have to say. On the other hand, trying to see things from other people's perspective while not necessarily changing your mind promotes a more effective way of communicating. I got so angry, and quite frankly HURT, after reading some of these that I've had to do some deep yogic breathing and relaxation exercises. I'm feeling a bit better now. I've been doing some meditation, specifically Love Meditation (think love as in compassion more than love "eros") -- and it helps. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
This is an excerpt from a recently receive letter from MoveOn.org. If there's an event in your area, you may want to attend:
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I'm a firm believer in voting -- we live in a country that allows us a voice in our government -- we'd better take advantage of said voice to ensure that we always have it! I'm particularly hoping that folks who live in Texas will get out to vote tomorrow (I voted early!) because there are a passel (9) of constitutional amendments, one of which has me really concerned... From MoveOn.org: Tomorrow is Election Day and I'm writing to tell you about something on the ballot I particularly care about. I plan to vote No on Prop. 2, which would ban marriage between people of the same sex but would also ban the state from recognizing "any legal status identical or similar to marriage," such as civil unions or domestic partner benefits. Prop. 2 would provide that marriage in Texas is solely the union of a man and woman, and that the state and its political subdivisions could not create or recognize any legal status identical to or similar to marriage. "By including the language that refers to 'legal status identical or similar to marriage,' the reach of Proposition 2 can be expanded and applied to civil unions, domestic partnerships, and common-law marriages. According to 'No Nonsense in November' organizers, nearly 90 Texas-based Fortune 500 companies now offer some type of benefits to domestic partners. In addition, the City of Dallas provides health insurance to same-sex partners. If the amendment passes, these benefits could be lost or limited, regardless of whether an unmarried couple in a domestic partnership is same-sex or not." 7 "This proposition is solely a hate measure: same sex marriage is already illegal in Texas. Plus, the proposal would amend the Bill of Rights in a way that DENIES rights. The implications of this amendment also go far beyond same sex marriage (the language of the bill makes it apply to common law marriage, contracts, etc.). Please vote NO on Prop. 2."—MoveOn member Lynnie Henderson, Dallas, TX Support the No Nonsense in November campaign:
http://www.nononsenseinnovember.com/
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I don't say this lightly. I've been dealing with problems with my Sprint CompleteSense account on an ongoing basis since at least April. I've spent more than 15 hours on the phone with Sprint representatives from various departments and nobody seems able to fix this problem. And every time I call, I get another story on why the problem exists... Here's what it looks like: When I left e-Pro, I called to change the billing on my phone, as Penton had been paying for it. They said sure, fine, it's done (45 minutes). The next month, however, I received not only my Sprint CompleteSense bill but also a separate long distance bill. So, I called and told them and, of course, they can't find the accounts, but once they finally do, sure, no problem, it's fixed. (45-50 minutes) I hung up and tried to make a long distance call, at which point I got a recording that told me I didn't have long distance service. Sigghhhh. So, fine, I called back and they couldn't fix it until Monday... which actually turned into Wednesday... (another hour on the phone and 5 days without long distance service) And then, a month later? I got not one, not two, but three total bills -- 2 for long distance and still my CompleteSense bill. So, the same thing -- I call, they say, oh, sure, we can fix that. But this time, I ask to speak to a supervisor, who is snippy and rude. So, then, when I hang up and guess what? I have no long distance service. So, I call back, and ask to speak to the supervisor -- this is maybe 3 minutes later. He continues to be rude and in addition treats me like an imbecile and tells me that the fix that he and his team applied couldn't have caused me to lose long distance service -- it's a repair issue. And, oh, no, sorry, they're not open until Monday -- you'll have to call back then. When I call back on Monday, they tell me it's not a repair problem it's a billing problem. So, I ask to speak to a supervisor and explain the whole thing (this gets longer every time, as you can imagine). She tells me it's completely fixed -- no problem. (over two phone calls - 2.5 hours, and 3 days with no long distance service). Guess what happens next month? Aren't you smart. Yes, I get yet another set of bills. All three bills, two of which had late charges also. When I call back, I ask the person to look for the pattern -- how come nobody can see what's going on? And why does each person I talk to tell me they know exactly what the problem is and that they've seen it before and of course they can fix it? Well, this call took another hour, but at least she waited on the line to be sure I had long distance service when I was done. On the other hand, she promised to call me back to confirm the finishes of the fixes and never did. Now imagine that we go through this whole cycle two more times, including today. We're up to about 10 hours on the phone trying to sort these problems out and a total of 8 days without the service that I've continued to pay for throughout these problems. I am so done. I would NOT recommend Sprint AT ALL, for any services. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
I can't believe I got so busy this week that I almost missed talking about something near and dear to my heart: Banned Book Week. As you might guess, it makes me all growly when people talk about banning books. Freedom to read is part of freedom of expression, in my book. If you're worried about what your kids are reading, talk to them, don't make the school library remove a book! In honor of banned book week, here's a (very partial) list of banned books that you can think about whether you've read or not. It should disturb you that so many of these books are children/young adult books. This post is dedicated to my mom, by the way, because she NEVER told me I couldn't read a book I asked her about. Instead we talked about the book, she might have said that I wouldn't enjoy it or might not understand everything, but she always let me make my own decisions. And, because she encouraged me to volunteer in my school and public libraries by always being willing to drive me where I needed to be. And, well, just because I love her and the fact that she made me into a reader and a believer.
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Ok, let me say that I have made many mistakes. And some of those have even gone out in magazines or here on my Website. And every time I do, I cringe in pain and shame. They're almost always typographical errors made in haste and just... missed. So, I know that mistakes happen. That said... I was watching the TiVo'd version of an NBC show and saw an ad for their new fall show Inconceivable. Ok, fine... I'm watching the ad (unusually enough) and see the following text... These are the people who make it happen... even at it's worst (emphasis mine)... Arghghghghghghghghghghg. It's = It is Its = possessive Ok, so I'm an editor/writer and those things bug me. Ok, so I'm not perfect and have made errors in my life. But OY vey. Please. For the good of the world, have someone competent copyedit your work before putting it on national television. Really. I'll volunteer if it will help. :-) This is just not okay. If you need a refresher on its/it's and they're/their/there, try this quiz to refresh your memory. Here's a link to some Notorious Confusables, and a link to my number one favorite grammar and style guide: The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
Ed posted a good comment-generating bit here that should allow any of you who have a Notes Sucks! comment to share to share away. Seriously, though, when our team migrated from Exchange/Outlook to Domino/Notes, I was the "unofficial" support for some of our team, and all the Notes sucks comments you might want were quite apparent. Some of our users have gotten used to it, but a few still tell me how much Notes sucks every time we talk... Since the session Ed refers to is one we'll be presenting together, if there's anyone who sees this who hasn't already seen that, we'd love all the comments you have! Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
Let's talk for a minute about good Web site design. First, of course, is that it should work. When it doesn't work, there should be a clear e-mail address to send the error to. I've been on the mycigna.com Web site for 2 days, trying to research surgeons and hospitals. About half the time on the surgeon searches, and each time I do a hospital search, I get an error that looks something like what you see below. Here's the problem -- I can't do anything with this error. I've searched the entire site and the only contact information I can find is a 1-800 number. I hate wasting my time on hold on a phone call if I don't have to. My first choice would be to have both an e-mail address and a live chat application, but I think an e-mail address or at least a form of some kind would make my life a lot better. So, for all of you Web developers out there -- don't make your users cranky by making this same mistake. Server Error in '/portal' Application. Invalid column name 'binccn'. Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code. Exception Details: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Invalid column name 'binccn'. Source Error:
Stack Trace:
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Last week, we had an interesting discussion on this site about same-sex marriage, the border between federal and states' rights, and whether homosexuality is a choice (and if it is a choice, whether it is either amoral or immoral) or a part of who you are, intrinsically. Rob and Jerry both supported their opposite beliefs quite cogently (and politely, I might add). I gave some personal feelings on the matter and shared some of my family history explaining why I have those beliefs/feelings. Rocky has started a similar/related discussion on his blog over the weekend and I thought it might be interesting for anyone who's interested in the topic and/or has an opinion to see the different discussions and have an opportunity to chime in. Over there, in addition to the topics above, they're discussing what kinds of education it is or isn't appropriate to include on the topic in schools and have continued the disucssion on whether the idea to have a state controlled/populated with gay people (related to what Utah was for Mormons before it became a state). I think that smacks of segregation and putting people on a reservation, despite the fact that I don't think that's how Jerry intends it. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
Bigotry takes many forms. In my mind, though, it's basically about being close-minded and forcing your choices and sensibilities and beliefs on someone else. Neil Gaiman points out a sneaky little snarky place in our US Department of Education where this may be occurring (okay, maybe it's not bigotry. Maybe it's just a case of overly-paternalistic government, albeit from the party currently in power that traditionally has said that government should stay out of making decisions that might possibly be left up to states or individuals, but... I'm willing to call it bigotry because it made me so darn mad.). This is about close-captioning on TV, and about which shows make the cut and which don't. I admit that I haven't done all the research here, btw, but am just passing on something you may choose to look into further. I'd surely like to see them publish their criteria, at the very least, for which shows get close-captioning approval and which don't. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
Since this is at least partially a "work" blog, I don't often get on my soapbox about the things I personally believe. I do, however, have some very strong beliefs, some of which I've alluded to over the year. Today is feeling slightly like a fiesty-Libby Rant day, so prepare yourselves... The one I'm on about today is equal rights, specifically in regards to gay marriage... or should I just say "marriage" (equality to me means not having to make a distinction....) which should be all about love and committment and equality, and not about hatred and bigotry and unfairness. My friend Marcus recently made mention of his feelings around the matter, and then Brian showed me his blog this morning talking about the squeeky story about gay penguins from the NYTimes (did you notice that they gave the gay penguin couple an egg to raise? that's so cool!), and then my mom sent me the link for the Million for Marriage petition. Clearly, I was getting some kind of a sign that I hadn't stood up for my beliefs in this area strongly enough in a while (that's what happens when you get mired in your own stuff and forget to look around you...). Anyway. I believe that people are people, regardless of race, creed, color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender... even political orientation Now, you're free to believe however you want -- that's the cool thing about our great nation. If you agree with me, however, that equality and fairness are good things (manipulative language there, eh?), then I hope you'll enjoy the links I shared above and sign the petition. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
Rocky, don't be offended, I'm not trying to vilify you or anything, but I really am interested to talk about this with our community. There was an article on Rocky's site today on Wireless -- very good and informative. Someone pointed out that it had a lot in common (as would any informative article on wireless) with two of the Web articles we ran in December's e-Pro Magazine (here and here). I think each of the three articles have value and interesting things to say... and slightly different perspectives. In the discussion however, Rocky mentioned that he doesn't read e-Pro Magazine. I'm pretty confused about this and am wondering how many of you are also not readers of the magazine or e-mail newsletters or Website (clearly, I'm talking to those of you in the Lotus/WebSphere/IBM technology industry, not to my other readers...). In Rocky's case, I know he has an affiliation with another magazine; however, I don't see this as a reason *not* to read e-Pro Magazine. I read all of the magazines and Websites in our industry, I think, or at least try to, every month/week/day etc. So. Do *you* read e-Pro Magazine? If not, would you mind telling me why? I'm not really trying to be an advertisement, but I do think that we're a pretty good value for the cost (uh, that would be free -- even overseas, if you subscribe to the digital edition) and if there are some of you who disagree with that, I'd like to hear about it. Please feel free to e-mail me privately if you don't want to talk about it publicly. Mostly, I want to make the publication more what you want it to be, if it isn't currently meeting your needs and this gave me a good opportunity to talk about it. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
Rich Schwartz and Julian over at nsftools.com have recently talked about tools that can hack Notes passwords. In this case, they're really talking about brute force attacks that can, over time, expose a Notes password. Most systems and a large percentage of passwords are vulnerable to this type of attack, if it is allowed to execute. While I've never created a program that can do this type of hack, I have been faced with the ethical dilemma surrounding it. In the past, I've had folks submit this as an article -- that is, they'd written one or wanted to write about the commercial one out there, and wanted me to publish the article. There have also been other types of Notes hacks (such as ones that were taking advantage of a reported bug or vulnerability) that have been submitted as article ideas. I wouldn't publish any of these articles. Julian was hoping for a clear answer to ethical dilemmas such as these and I have to agree with him that there really isn't one. I actually got really slammed by a few of the people who had submitted these article ideas, as they thought I was "protecting" Lotus/IBM by not publishing the article. I think that was an unfair accusation: I will and have published stories that discuss bugs and holes in Lotus products, especially when they are being addressed by a MR or CF. If a hole exists and there is a fix or workaround, I believe it's my responsibility as a member of the community to help get the fix or workaround propagated -- this makes all of our server environments safer. It's also my responsibility to point out if Lotus/IBM isn't fixing a hole or vulnerability that has been reported and put pressure on them to do so. On the other hand, I think it is irresponsible to provide support to tools that, as Julian suggests, will be used by 2% of the folks for constructive reasons and the by the other 98% for destructive reasons. I can certainly see the point that there is a real use for tools like the one Rich talks about and the one Julian has written -- many people have lost certifier ID passwords or administrator ID passwords and would love to get them back. Also, it can be used for testing your system to see how vulnerable it is. You can use it to force some user education by showing them the difference between a weak and strong password. Ok. Fine. Once again, however, I have to believe that no matter how I spun an article about a tool like this that I would be opening up someone's server to danger by publishing an article that either describes how to perform a hack, gives the code for a tool such as this one, or draws extra attention to the tool. Now, the rub... Have I just done what I think is unethical by linking to Rich's site where he links to the tool that does this? I feel as though my responsibility is a little bit different here on my personal blog versus in the official press, but I also think it's still borderline... Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
That new PDA I spoke of a while ago? It's been driving me a bit nuts. It seems to hard boot itself at least once every three weeks, whether it needs it or not. Now, it's not like I'm losing any data, really -- but I have to then set the whole damn thing up again and it isn't a quick process. Plus, it means I never quite trust it and so I don't use it as fully as I should. Sigh. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
So, last week I had three or four really good blog topics that I wanted to raise with you. Clearly, I didn't quite get around to it, so I'll try to make up for it this week.... One story had to do with a former Miss Vermont who won a case against an ex-boyfriend preventing him from talking about their relationship or using her name on his Website. He apparently talks about their sex life (google's got it cached, if you want to see....) and she, as part of her winning platform, talks about abstinence and purity. He has to remove all reference to her on his site and cannot use her name or the word Vermont on his site in the future. She didn't have to provide any proof that what he was saying on his site was untrue. The issue here (and one that can definitely affect us as bloggers) is clearly a first amendment one. If a person can be told what they can and cannot put on their Website (without even a true hearing) we are all at risk. Let's all cross our fingers that this one gets overturned and quickly. Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link
Let's talk a little bit about awards and polls. Consider this my little FAQ/rant on awards... e-Pro Magazine recently (at the Admin2003 show) announced our Apex award winners for the Lotus Industry, in both Editor's choice and Reader's choice categories (WebSphere category awards are in nominations now...). Congratulations to all the winners and finalists, first of all -- they all have worthy and useful products. In the process of announcing and writing about the awards, I do hear a fair number of complaints from vendors or readers, some of whom are sure the voting is "fixed" in some way and others of whom are just unhappy with the results. Some of these want constructive discussion, to make sure they understand the category and voting criteria completely, but there are always those who just want to rant. Then I read this bit about some issues with a JDJ poll related to products. Here's the actual thread at Alan's (JDJ's editor) blog. It seems that there is always some dissatisfaction with awards of this type, even including the Beacon awards that Lotus and IBM do every year. So, here are some of my random thoughts on the process and results of not only our awards, but awards in general.
(And speaking of judging... my thanks to the Apex award judges, including Ed Brill, Alan Lepofsky, Chris Miller, Dan Rasmus, Jason Collier, Scott (The Turtle) Wenzel, Jim O'Donnell, and e-Pro's own Rita-Lyn Sanders and James Hoopes.) I believe that awards are a good thing. They let users know what products are out there that some people have found to be useful and good. They increase the visibility of some of the products in the market (and not only the winners, but the nominees and the finalists as well). They increase the visibility and prestige of the company presenting the awards. I'm seeing "win" all around here... One funny story about the whole "win" idea, however. One of the nominees for Lotus Apex awards this year was Jamie Magee of Martin Scott Consulting for his products WirelessMail and NoteMan (different categories). Jamie was a four-time finalist (Editors' and Readers' choice for both categories). Since he was at the Admin show, he got to stand up to be recognized each of those four times, but didn't end up winning any of the categories. We're now calling him the "Susan Lucci" of the Lotus industry. (For those that need the joke explained... Susan Lucci is a daytime-t.v. star who was nominated for a best actress daytime emmy for years and years and years and years and never won... until she finally did in 1999. But she's much better known for not winning that for winning.) (If I were more creative, I'd take one of the pictures of Jamie and merge it with a picture of Susan for some real fun, but I just don't have quite that much time on my hands...) Ok. I'm sure there's more to be said about the whole concept of awards -- what do you think? Permanent Link to this entry: Permanent Link |
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