There's are plenty of things that are great about Ruby on Rails, but I don't recommend *Rails* as a starting point. Without any background in programming, SQL, HTML, or JavaScript, there's a good chance you'll overwhelmed, or at least confused. RoR covers a LOT of ground. I think Ruby, Python, and Groovy would all be good languages to start with, but don't worry about picking "THE" technology yet or a full framework. Even if you do pick the "right" technology that you make into a career, there will be plenty else to learn, now and in the future.
Here's are some specific recommendations: A) First, there is no need to quit your job yet. Consistently use some of your evenings and weekends to explore and learn. If you find out you don't like one of the technologies I've recommended, don't sweat it. It may not be for you, or it just might be the wrong time.
B) Try some programming, and see how you like the logic and puzzle-solving part of it. Here are two books I'd recommend to get started, in no particular order:
1) "Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science" (Second Edition) by John Zelle
2) "Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby" by _Why the Lucky Stiff - http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/
C) Try some web development and see how you like the design, layout, and organization of it. Start with the book "Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML" by Elisabeth Freeman & Eric Freeman. You'll learn HTML the new school way, where presentation and structure are separated (and the web is better off for it).
D) Try visiting some user groups for different technologies, like Ruby on Rails, Groovy on Grails, Java, Python,.NET, MySQL Adobe Flex, whatever. You'll get a feel for the culture while learning new things.
E) Once you finish the above, there are several directions you can take:
1) Want to program more? Sign up for a college class on programming. It doesn't matter whether it's C, Java, shell scripting, or whatever. Just take a class to continue developing your programming skills and develop an appreciation for the different aspects of the world of programming. And a class at a community or technical college can be perfect for this.
2) If you're continuing down the programming path, buy another book on Ruby, Python, or try something new like Java, JavaScript or PHP. If you want something more hardcore, check out "The Joy of C" by Lawrence Miller and Alexander Quilici.
3) If you continue progressing in programming, and/or if you really want to get into Ruby on Rails, Groovy on Grails, Spring, or any framework, you'll probably want to take a class on Intro to Databases or just pickup a book on SQL. If you liked Head First HTML book, then check out Head First SQL, and/or get the very concise "My SQL Crash Course" by Ben Forta. Knowing basic SQL and database essentials will make you better with Rails, Grails, Spring, or any framework. Or if you really like SQL and organizing things, database development and/or administration can become an entire career. And you may get into data mining or data ETL (over the years I've been exposed to Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, MySQL, Oracle, Informatica, and lately to Microsoft SSIS).
F) If you've made it this far, you've probably picked your path, and possibly found a programming language you love. Your next steps may be one of the following:
1) Dive fully into Rails, Grails, Django, Spring, JSF, force.com, or another framework.
2) OR Learn more HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Play with JQuery, Dojo, or another JavaScript library.
3) OR keep taking college courses, perhaps hardcore CS with Calculus, Physics. That's not the only route, but this will take you from good to great in programming. Don't overlook other options, including a BA in Computer Technology.
4) OR if you're not not digging hardcore programming, school, and/or you cr
I've been in IT over 15 years and have several software-specific certifications on my resume. My certifications cover both proprietary and FOSS, and none of them are from Microsoft. I've put in a lot of hard work of over the years to study, learn, and earn those certifications. Why do I bother? 1) To improve my chances of continuing to earn a good living. 2) Because each time I take on a new vendor certification, I use the vendor's outline of what they think I need to know to get organized and create a study plan outline for myself. And then I use my evenings and weekends studying EVERYTHING on my outline, including whatever as many hands-on exercises as I need to become grounded in that technology. So when I take a certification test, it's to make sure I learned the concepts and the nuances that vendor thinks are important. But I always end up learning quite a bit of extra stuff along the way, and all of this always makes me better at what I do.
As Roger pointed out, quantum physics led to the development of silicon-based semiconductors, so it would be difficult to overstate the contribution quantum physics has made to human civilization.
To simply look at the economic impact of quantum physics: - According to Scientific America in 2001, "...an estimated 30 percent of the U.S. gross national product is based on inventions made possible by quantum mechanics, from semiconductors in computer chips to lasers in compact-disc players, magnetic resonance imaging in hospitals, and much more." - http://www.sciamdigital.com/index.cfm?fa=Products.ViewIssuePreview&ARTICLEID_CHAR=BA5565B3-F0C3-4227-AA52-5C83A901C02 - Mary Kay Plantes tweeted, "35% US GDP derives from quantum physics..." - http://twitter.com/mkplantes/status/30090442213163008
I could go on, but my wife is calling me for dinner. [note setup for joke about Slashdot users versus women]
Actually, language DOES help define culture within a society. Certain concepts simply do not exist or translate well in some languages. Here are two examples where there are translations, but the are imperfect; where something of the essence of the concept is truly "lost in translation": - "Liberty" does not have a perfect 1:1 translation in Russian. - "Personal space" does not have a perfect 1:1 translation in Japanese.
If something cannot be expressed in language, it cannot be communicated between people, and it usually is not part of the culture.
Sadly, the concept of being an a**hole to somebody that can't speak our native language seems to be shared by English and French speakers alike.
I've been a PC guy for 15 years, and I always hated the one-button mouse - and NO, I do NOT want to add a USB mouse to my laptop to have something functional. I want the built-in mouse to do the job.
But I played with a new MBP recently, and I was seriously impressed. The huge new multi-touch trackpad is sweet. The gestures make perfect sense, and you can even configure it (through an intuitive GUI) to have virtual left and right mouse buttons at the bottom corners, yet retain all of the multi-touch gestures.
Mod parent up. I have two Dell laptops, I've been a PC guy for 15 years, but after playing with a new MBP recently, I'm seriously considering one for my next laptop. I always hated the one-button mouse (and NO, I do NOT want to add a USB mouse to my laptop to have something functional. I want the built-in mouse to do the job.
The huge new multi-touch trackpad is sweet. The gestures make perfect sense, and you can even configure it (through an intuitive GUI) to have virtual left and right mouse buttons at the bottom corners, yet retain all of the multi-touch gestures.
Very well done, Apple. Now make a Bluray drive available on the MBP, and you'll have a new customer.
The Notes "database" was one of the strengths and weaknesses of Lotus Notes.
Background - speaking strictly about the native Notes Storage Facility (.nsf) format (and not to newer options for RDMS virtualization or or DB2 backend for custom development): - Everything in Lotus Notes is stored in a "note", each of which has an XML-like data structure. Keep in mind that there was no such thing as XML, or even the internet, when Lotus Notes was first developed. - User data notes are usually called "documents". - The components of the design of Lotus Notes application are also stored as XML-like data notes, and are usually called "design elements". So even forms, views, images, script libraries, etc, are stored in "notes". - The data notes are not dependent on the underlying design elements for their existence. This is a really weird concept for SQL DBAs, where the data is bound to tables for its structure. Drop a table in the SQL world, and you lose your data. In the Notes world, if you delete a field from a form (a design element), the form itself, or even delete views (also design elements)... and the data is unaffected. - All of the data and design "notes" for a Lotus Notes "database" are stored together a self-contained NSF file.
The loosely structured nature of a native Lotus Notes database means it is both VERY flexible, but lacks some of the rigor (and related benefits) associated with a true RDBMS. Oh, and you can't use SQL to do cool things like left and right outer joins. Instead, you use a Lotus formula language, LotusScript (very similar to Visual Basic), or Java to "lookup" data for display or for repeated storage within a note.
Even Notes data types are much more flexible/loosey-goosey than found in the RDBMS world. They can be boiled down to: - Text (stored as the equivalent of varchar(32768) in the SQL world) - Numbers (no need to define integers, floats, or doubles) - Date/Time - Rich Text (including attachments, formatting, tables, etc) - "Name" type fields, which are related to Lotus Notes security.
The loose structure also lowers the barriers of entry to slap together a Notes database. A person can know enough to be productive/dangerous without having a clue about referential integrity, primary keys, or tables.
Disclaimer: During a different stage of my IT career, I was a certified Lotus Domino Application Developer -and- System Administrator.
The Lotus Notes UI WAS overdue for a significant overhaul. For years, it wasn't horrible interface design, but LACK of design that led to the meandering mess that most people experienced in the last two decades.
As of August 2007, IBM finally released a truly well-designed Lotus Notes mail client: Lotus Notes version 8.0, which is, IMHO, the most comprehensive remaking of the Lotus Notes client and its e-mail interface since Notes began. Every client release up until now had UI changes that were evolutionary at best.
The new client itself now sits on top of the Eclipse Rich Client Framework, and will consequently run on Windows and Linux (Mac support coming shortly with 8.5). And you can still access all the same Lotus Notes corporate applications that range considerably in quality. And in fact, the Notes 8.x client can still access Domino 7.x mail files, and they will look exactly the same as they did before (although client menus have changed).
But if you run Domino 8.x servers, with the 8.x mail template, and are using Notes 8.x, the e-mail UI is a ground-up redesign that is far superior to anything that came before it. If you've ever whined about Lotus Notes mail in the past, you should check it out - that complaint is now outdated.
I also live in Twin Cities metro area (Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN), and think you should give DSL another look.
I was an early adopter of Qwest DSL in the mid-1990s, and used it for years. Sometime in the last 5 years I decided to switch to the highest speed residential Comcast cable line I could get. In late 2007 I started getting really upset with my Comcast cable line. Their overzealous network management was negatively impacting legitimate data transfers, including uploads, downloads, and use of Lotus Notes. Since I often work from my home office, this was a big issue for me. My Comcast line was also having hiccuping while streaming On Demand video from Netflix.
In October 2007 I *upgraded* from Comcast cable to the fastest residential DSL service I could get at home. My new DSL (which included a new modem) is *much* faster than my original 90s DSL service. Further, although it doesn't advertise higher speeds than Comcast cable, in practice I find it works much better. Large downloads and uploads are transferred with consistent speeds, and I never have any issues with Netflix On Demand.
BTW, the latest standard, ADSL2+, can deliver up to 24Mb speeds, and there's research going on to push DSL speeds over 100Mbps.
So check out DSL again.
One more thing: To make an analogy to the audio world, it occured to me last year that the advertised speeds for Comcast Cable lines are similar to the advertising for Bevada Power Boosters in the 1980s. They would advertise a huge amount of power (500 Watts Max!) for really cheap ($29.95). Well, they could theoretically push out that much power for a split second at extremely high distortion levels... but they just weren't very usable.
Personally, I don't care if gas/petrol comes back down to US $1.00/gallon. During this decade I have come to see our continued reliance on carbon-based fuels as a real threat to our economy, political stability, and environment.
I will pay a decent premium for my next car to be a usable electric or plug-in hybrid car. If I had to buy a car now, I would give serious consideration to a Tesla roadster, which would be a financial stretch. My wife and I are also keenly interested in replacing her Mazda Protege with a Chevy Volt. Kudos to GM for seriously looking at the big picture.
And for those of you who think I'm just replacing oil with coal, for more than two years I've participated in Xcel Energy's Wind Source program. IIRC, Xcel is now the largest wind energy provider in the US. I see paying a premium for clean energy as no different than paying a premium for organic and whole foods.
"Looking round room, I can tell that you Are the most beautiful girl in the...room. In the whole wide room Oooh.
And when you're on the street Depending on the street I bet you are definitely in the top three Good looking girls on the street Depending on the street..."
Give me "up to" 50 mbps and I'll gladly pay "up to" $150/month... Hell, as a disgruntled Comcast business user, I'd be happy to buy a 1.5Mbps T1 at that price. Because the T1 connection has consistent speeds. That is simply not the case for our Comcast "Business" cable line. The overly aggressive network management has been causing issues at our small MN office, and we don't use P2P.
Wrong. Our MN office does currently use have the fastest and most expensive Comcast so-called *Business* line offered prior to today's announcement.
Unfortunately, we *have* experienced repeated issues with throttling (affecting large files and long sessions) since late last year, and Comcast support is of no help.
I'm also in the Twin Cities of MN, and Comcast "network management" has been a source of issues and frustration in the small company with which I work. The basic speed tests, including speakeasy, will NOT show you the issue.
Doing anything that requires a sustained connection, however, will demonstrate the issue (downloading or uploading a large file, large amount of Lotus Notes replication, etc) to some degree. But the amount of throttling depends on 1) where you are on the Comcast network and 2) how congested that network segment is at any given time and 3) how long your persistent connection is active. Even when transferring files from some of our fiber-equipped offices, I have seen download speeds in MN fall to under 100Kbps for large enough files - even at offices equipped with 8Mbps "business" grade service.
After hours on the phone with Comcast and being run up several levels of support, me and several of our employees have ditched Comcast at home in the last several months, opting for DSL and/or mobile broadband. We're in the process of culling them for business use as well, as the speed of their service has become so varied and unreliable since October of last year.
Frankly, I don't care what there claimed speeds are anymore, because those peak speeds are only good for stop and go usage like surfing the internet. Small business have other things that need to get done over their network.
I purchase all of the computers for my company. All of the Dell workstations and notebooks I've been buying lately have been licensed to include "Vista Business with XP Professional downgrade". They come pre-installed with XP Pro, include XP Pro recovery media, but also have a Certificate of Authenticity and license string for Vista Business.
I do this because we continue to utilize Windows XP for the foreseeable future (so far SP1 does not address the things that stopped us from deploying Vista), but I don't want have to pay through the nose to switch to Vista if and when that time comes.
When I started at my current job a little over a year ago, I was neutral on the subject of MS security. Read: *not* a zealot. I was originally brought on board as the lead programmer/analyst, but since it's a small company I now wear quite a few hats, including administering several servers. During THIS last year (not 10 years ago, not 5 years ago, but NOW), my opinion of Microsoft Windows as a server OS (whether 2000 or 2003) has completely tanked.
I'll give you one case in point: one of the Win 2003 servers which was infected by a root kit. It turned out that neither the latest service packs, the monthly "malicious software utility", a strong windows password, nor current Symantec Anti-Virus were enough to keep the root kit out. I had to download and use "Ice Sword" just to deal with the RK. After checking all of the above, I tightened up the firewall. Eventually I found the RK's log files and traced the problem back to Microsoft SQL server. The root kit system had compromised the SA account of SQL server, and was then able to manipulate SQL Server (a mere RDMS, mind you) to install itself on the machine and circumvent the kernel. I couldn't even see the RK using windows explorer; I could only see it with Ice Sword. That is just poor design, and that was with a current patched MS Server product.
I also found and resolved problems with other Windows servers, and it didn't take long for me to realize that NONE of the *nix servers had any issues. Zip. Zero. Nada.
So I don't laugh at Microsoft security, but I sure as hell don't trust it. I have concluded that MS has *earned* their horrid security reputation for many YEARS through SEVERAL generations of products (including the current MS Windows 2003). Yet for YEARS they continually touted their improved security. Ever hear of the boy that cried wolf?
In THIS last year I've also concluded that Solaris and Linux work beautifully, thank you. Not only have they proven themselves more secure, but they're more reliable *and* less expensive to purchase and maintain.
The feature with the hieroglyphs had two functions. One is explained elsewhere in this thread (connecting to server remotely over a low bandwidth connection). The second came out of Lotus working with the CIA: it's an anti-spoofing feature so you know that the password dialog you're using actually belongs to Lotus Notes. The hieroglyphs correspond to the characters you type in... but the character mapping is unique to the private key contained in the Notes ID.
That hall of shame piece has several inaccuracies, and is QUITE old (1999, for Notes v4.x; it's now 2007 and Notes is at v8). Do you go around criticizing Linux for issues it had EIGHT years ago?
As for the inaccuracies, just about everything in that article concerning the mail interface is BS because the screenshots were for a very nasty customized mail template. Their criticism of that mail template was correct, but that interface wasn't the one supplied by Lotus.
I recently upgraded our company from R5 (very irritating) to Lotus Domino 7.0.2, and I'm amazed at how far Notes/Domino has come along. Here are a few things that have really impressed me: - The Domino server actually runs very nicely on older hardware. - While we're currently running our Domino servers on Windows 2000, I'm planning to move them to either Linux or Solaris 10 once it comes time to buy new hardware. Domino offers that flexibility. - The Notes mail and calendaring in 7 is actually quite good. - The web client is very nice, and works perfectly with Firefox. - I've configured our Domino mail server to also work with POP3 and IMAP, and I have users reliably accessing their Domino mail with: 1) Notes clients on PCs and Macs 2) Various browsers on various OSs. 3) Palm and Windows Mobile Devices. 4) Microsoft Outlook clients.
I'm just really impressed with how flexible it is. I'm also currently configuring a Blackberry Enterprise Server to integrate with our Domino mail infrastructure. That will apparently allow push e-mail and calendaring to Blackberry devices, as well as Palm, Symbian, and select Samsung devices running the Blackberry connect client.
If you were ever put off by older versions of Notes, it's worth another look IMHO. And the public Beta of Notes 8 is very impressive, indeed.
I subscribe to the Microsoft Action Pack, so I also have access to Vista and Office 2007. Because some of the software I use doesn't yet work with Vista, I was holding off on installing it.
Regardless I popped into a computer store and test drove a new laptop PC with Vista for about 205 minutes. Perhaps I'm getting old, but I found myself getting annoyed with many of the changes. I pondered, "Where's 'Run...'? What did the do to the Start menu? Can I change it to the XP style?" Sadly, it appears you can change it to 'Classic' but not XP-style. Then I tried changing the resolution (right clicking on the desktop), then tried tinkering with a couple more items. More annoyances and confusion. They've moved so many things around I was getting pretty damn annoyed. Just my opinion, but some very basic tasks required waaay too much time to figure out.
One of my techs installed Vista and a trial version of Office 2007 on his PC. He was excited at first, but after two weeks he wiped and reinstalled XP. Further, he HATES the ribbon interface in Office 2007, and I'm... unimpressed. I'm usually excited about new software, and I've previously been an early adopter of MS OSs. I remember running "Memphis", the codename for what eventually became Windows 98 - it was terrific - that beta version was actually more reliable and usable than Windows 95 was (a sad commentary on Win 95, I guess)....how things have changed.
So even though I have legitimate copies of Vista and Office 2007, I'm not using them.
I have to agree. It might not be popular with the slashdot crowd, but Lotus Notes/Domino is quite robust, extremely secure, and offers an immense amount of functionality outside of just e-mail and calendaring. Sometime midway through the R5 codestream, it's web interface for mail became world class, and the Domino server will run on Windows, Linux, AS400, AIX, etc.
It's an extremely mature product, now at version 7 (http://www.lotus.com/lotus/general.nsf/wdocs/nd7c ontent). There's a huge install base, and you should be able to easily find a number of IBM business partners and consultants that can get you on the right path. Speaking of the right path... I would recommend you avoid IBM Global Services. They pay poorly and no longer attract the talent they used to. Their administrators also tend to drag their feet on upgrades. YMMV.
should Congress make it illegal for companies to give up your personal information to law enforcement without your consent (or a court order)?
No. If you are on your company's network and PC, those resources are not yours. The company is paying for them; they should be able to do with them as they please.
Re:Don't be a part of the problem - Cisco fix
on
Fight Virus With Virus?
·
· Score: 2, Informative
FYI, I have a normally reliable Cisco 675 router that Was repeatedly being infected with Code Red, requiring a reboot each time. Here's the easy fix:
1) From the "cbos#" prompt*, input the command "set web disabled". I think you'll have to follow that up with the "write" command. That shuts off the router admin web-interface. If you really must have that interface, you can change the port instead.
2) Upgrade the CBOS to version 2.4.1. See http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-code-re d-worm-pub.shtml for more, and check your ISP's web site for the actual patch.
Hope that helps...
*Note: to get to the "cbos#" prompt, input the command "enabled" at the "cbos>" prompt.
Slashdot Mirror
There's are plenty of things that are great about Ruby on Rails, but I don't recommend *Rails* as a starting point. Without any background in programming, SQL, HTML, or JavaScript, there's a good chance you'll overwhelmed, or at least confused. RoR covers a LOT of ground. I think Ruby, Python, and Groovy would all be good languages to start with, but don't worry about picking "THE" technology yet or a full framework. Even if you do pick the "right" technology that you make into a career, there will be plenty else to learn, now and in the future.
Here's are some specific recommendations:
A) First, there is no need to quit your job yet. Consistently use some of your evenings and weekends to explore and learn. If you find out you don't like one of the technologies I've recommended, don't sweat it. It may not be for you, or it just might be the wrong time.
B) Try some programming, and see how you like the logic and puzzle-solving part of it. Here are two books I'd recommend to get started, in no particular order:
1) "Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science" (Second Edition) by John Zelle
2) "Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby" by _Why the Lucky Stiff - http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/
C) Try some web development and see how you like the design, layout, and organization of it. Start with the book "Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML" by Elisabeth Freeman & Eric Freeman. You'll learn HTML the new school way, where presentation and structure are separated (and the web is better off for it).
D) Try visiting some user groups for different technologies, like Ruby on Rails, Groovy on Grails, Java, Python, .NET, MySQL Adobe Flex, whatever. You'll get a feel for the culture while learning new things.
E) Once you finish the above, there are several directions you can take:
1) Want to program more? Sign up for a college class on programming. It doesn't matter whether it's C, Java, shell scripting, or whatever. Just take a class to continue developing your programming skills and develop an appreciation for the different aspects of the world of programming. And a class at a community or technical college can be perfect for this.
2) If you're continuing down the programming path, buy another book on Ruby, Python, or try something new like Java, JavaScript or PHP. If you want something more hardcore, check out "The Joy of C" by Lawrence Miller and Alexander Quilici.
3) If you continue progressing in programming, and/or if you really want to get into Ruby on Rails, Groovy on Grails, Spring, or any framework, you'll probably want to take a class on Intro to Databases or just pickup a book on SQL. If you liked Head First HTML book, then check out Head First SQL, and/or get the very concise "My SQL Crash Course" by Ben Forta. Knowing basic SQL and database essentials will make you better with Rails, Grails, Spring, or any framework. Or if you really like SQL and organizing things, database development and/or administration can become an entire career. And you may get into data mining or data ETL (over the years I've been exposed to Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, MySQL, Oracle, Informatica, and lately to Microsoft SSIS).
F) If you've made it this far, you've probably picked your path, and possibly found a programming language you love. Your next steps may be one of the following:
1) Dive fully into Rails, Grails, Django, Spring, JSF, force.com, or another framework.
2) OR Learn more HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Play with JQuery, Dojo, or another JavaScript library.
3) OR keep taking college courses, perhaps hardcore CS with Calculus, Physics. That's not the only route, but this will take you from good to great in programming. Don't overlook other options, including a BA in Computer Technology.
4) OR if you're not not digging hardcore programming, school, and/or you cr
I've been in IT over 15 years and have several software-specific certifications on my resume. My certifications cover both proprietary and FOSS, and none of them are from Microsoft. I've put in a lot of hard work of over the years to study, learn, and earn those certifications. Why do I bother?
1) To improve my chances of continuing to earn a good living.
2) Because each time I take on a new vendor certification, I use the vendor's outline of what they think I need to know to get organized and create a study plan outline for myself. And then I use my evenings and weekends studying EVERYTHING on my outline, including whatever as many hands-on exercises as I need to become grounded in that technology. So when I take a certification test, it's to make sure I learned the concepts and the nuances that vendor thinks are important. But I always end up learning quite a bit of extra stuff along the way, and all of this always makes me better at what I do.
My 2 bits.
As Roger pointed out, quantum physics led to the development of silicon-based semiconductors, so it would be difficult to overstate the contribution quantum physics has made to human civilization.
To simply look at the economic impact of quantum physics:
- According to Scientific America in 2001, "...an estimated 30 percent of the U.S. gross national product is based on inventions made possible by quantum mechanics, from semiconductors in computer chips to lasers in compact-disc players, magnetic resonance imaging in hospitals, and much more." - http://www.sciamdigital.com/index.cfm?fa=Products.ViewIssuePreview&ARTICLEID_CHAR=BA5565B3-F0C3-4227-AA52-5C83A901C02
- Mary Kay Plantes tweeted, "35% US GDP derives from quantum physics..." - http://twitter.com/mkplantes/status/30090442213163008
I could go on, but my wife is calling me for dinner. [note setup for joke about Slashdot users versus women]
Actually, language DOES help define culture within a society. Certain concepts simply do not exist or translate well in some languages. Here are two examples where there are translations, but the are imperfect; where something of the essence of the concept is truly "lost in translation":
- "Liberty" does not have a perfect 1:1 translation in Russian.
- "Personal space" does not have a perfect 1:1 translation in Japanese.
If something cannot be expressed in language, it cannot be communicated between people, and it usually is not part of the culture.
Sadly, the concept of being an a**hole to somebody that can't speak our native language seems to be shared by English and French speakers alike.
You obviously haven't tried the new MBP.
I've been a PC guy for 15 years, and I always hated the one-button mouse - and NO, I do NOT want to add a USB mouse to my laptop to have something functional. I want the built-in mouse to do the job.
But I played with a new MBP recently, and I was seriously impressed. The huge new multi-touch trackpad is sweet. The gestures make perfect sense, and you can even configure it (through an intuitive GUI) to have virtual left and right mouse buttons at the bottom corners, yet retain all of the multi-touch gestures.
It's really well done.
Mod parent up. I have two Dell laptops, I've been a PC guy for 15 years, but after playing with a new MBP recently, I'm seriously considering one for my next laptop. I always hated the one-button mouse (and NO, I do NOT want to add a USB mouse to my laptop to have something functional. I want the built-in mouse to do the job.
The huge new multi-touch trackpad is sweet. The gestures make perfect sense, and you can even configure it (through an intuitive GUI) to have virtual left and right mouse buttons at the bottom corners, yet retain all of the multi-touch gestures.
Very well done, Apple. Now make a Bluray drive available on the MBP, and you'll have a new customer.
The Notes "database" was one of the strengths and weaknesses of Lotus Notes.
Background - speaking strictly about the native Notes Storage Facility (.nsf) format (and not to newer options for RDMS virtualization or or DB2 backend for custom development):
- Everything in Lotus Notes is stored in a "note", each of which has an XML-like data structure. Keep in mind that there was no such thing as XML, or even the internet, when Lotus Notes was first developed.
- User data notes are usually called "documents".
- The components of the design of Lotus Notes application are also stored as XML-like data notes, and are usually called "design elements". So even forms, views, images, script libraries, etc, are stored in "notes".
- The data notes are not dependent on the underlying design elements for their existence. This is a really weird concept for SQL DBAs, where the data is bound to tables for its structure. Drop a table in the SQL world, and you lose your data. In the Notes world, if you delete a field from a form (a design element), the form itself, or even delete views (also design elements)... and the data is unaffected.
- All of the data and design "notes" for a Lotus Notes "database" are stored together a self-contained NSF file.
The loosely structured nature of a native Lotus Notes database means it is both VERY flexible, but lacks some of the rigor (and related benefits) associated with a true RDBMS. Oh, and you can't use SQL to do cool things like left and right outer joins. Instead, you use a Lotus formula language, LotusScript (very similar to Visual Basic), or Java to "lookup" data for display or for repeated storage within a note.
Even Notes data types are much more flexible/loosey-goosey than found in the RDBMS world. They can be boiled down to:
- Text (stored as the equivalent of varchar(32768) in the SQL world)
- Numbers (no need to define integers, floats, or doubles)
- Date/Time
- Rich Text (including attachments, formatting, tables, etc)
- "Name" type fields, which are related to Lotus Notes security.
The loose structure also lowers the barriers of entry to slap together a Notes database. A person can know enough to be productive/dangerous without having a clue about referential integrity, primary keys, or tables.
Disclaimer: During a different stage of my IT career, I was a certified Lotus Domino Application Developer -and- System Administrator.
The Lotus Notes UI WAS overdue for a significant overhaul. For years, it wasn't horrible interface design, but LACK of design that led to the meandering mess that most people experienced in the last two decades.
As of August 2007, IBM finally released a truly well-designed Lotus Notes mail client: Lotus Notes version 8.0, which is, IMHO, the most comprehensive remaking of the Lotus Notes client and its e-mail interface since Notes began. Every client release up until now had UI changes that were evolutionary at best.
The new client itself now sits on top of the Eclipse Rich Client Framework, and will consequently run on Windows and Linux (Mac support coming shortly with 8.5). And you can still access all the same Lotus Notes corporate applications that range considerably in quality. And in fact, the Notes 8.x client can still access Domino 7.x mail files, and they will look exactly the same as they did before (although client menus have changed).
But if you run Domino 8.x servers, with the 8.x mail template, and are using Notes 8.x, the e-mail UI is a ground-up redesign that is far superior to anything that came before it. If you've ever whined about Lotus Notes mail in the past, you should check it out - that complaint is now outdated.
My 2 bits...
I also live in Twin Cities metro area (Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN), and think you should give DSL another look.
I was an early adopter of Qwest DSL in the mid-1990s, and used it for years. Sometime in the last 5 years I decided to switch to the highest speed residential Comcast cable line I could get. In late 2007 I started getting really upset with my Comcast cable line. Their overzealous network management was negatively impacting legitimate data transfers, including uploads, downloads, and use of Lotus Notes. Since I often work from my home office, this was a big issue for me. My Comcast line was also having hiccuping while streaming On Demand video from Netflix.
In October 2007 I *upgraded* from Comcast cable to the fastest residential DSL service I could get at home. My new DSL (which included a new modem) is *much* faster than my original 90s DSL service. Further, although it doesn't advertise higher speeds than Comcast cable, in practice I find it works much better. Large downloads and uploads are transferred with consistent speeds, and I never have any issues with Netflix On Demand.
BTW, the latest standard, ADSL2+, can deliver up to 24Mb speeds, and there's research going on to push DSL speeds over 100Mbps.
So check out DSL again.
One more thing: To make an analogy to the audio world, it occured to me last year that the advertised speeds for Comcast Cable lines are similar to the advertising for Bevada Power Boosters in the 1980s. They would advertise a huge amount of power (500 Watts Max!) for really cheap ($29.95). Well, they could theoretically push out that much power for a split second at extremely high distortion levels... but they just weren't very usable.
Personally, I don't care if gas/petrol comes back down to US $1.00/gallon. During this decade I have come to see our continued reliance on carbon-based fuels as a real threat to our economy, political stability, and environment.
I will pay a decent premium for my next car to be a usable electric or plug-in hybrid car. If I had to buy a car now, I would give serious consideration to a Tesla roadster, which would be a financial stretch. My wife and I are also keenly interested in replacing her Mazda Protege with a Chevy Volt. Kudos to GM for seriously looking at the big picture.
And for those of you who think I'm just replacing oil with coal, for more than two years I've participated in Xcel Energy's Wind Source program. IIRC, Xcel is now the largest wind energy provider in the US. I see paying a premium for clean energy as no different than paying a premium for organic and whole foods.
"Looking round room,
I can tell that you
Are the most beautiful girl in the...room.
In the whole wide room
Oooh.
And when you're on the street
Depending on the street
I bet you are definitely in the top three
Good looking girls on the street
Depending on the street..."
-Flight of the Conchords
Wrong. Our MN office does currently use have the fastest and most expensive Comcast so-called *Business* line offered prior to today's announcement.
Unfortunately, we *have* experienced repeated issues with throttling (affecting large files and long sessions) since late last year, and Comcast support is of no help.
We will be ditching them soon.
I'm also in the Twin Cities of MN, and Comcast "network management" has been a source of issues and frustration in the small company with which I work. The basic speed tests, including speakeasy, will NOT show you the issue.
/or mobile broadband. We're in the process of culling them for business use as well, as the speed of their service has become so varied and unreliable since October of last year.
Doing anything that requires a sustained connection, however, will demonstrate the issue (downloading or uploading a large file, large amount of Lotus Notes replication, etc) to some degree. But the amount of throttling depends on 1) where you are on the Comcast network and 2) how congested that network segment is at any given time and 3) how long your persistent connection is active. Even when transferring files from some of our fiber-equipped offices, I have seen download speeds in MN fall to under 100Kbps for large enough files - even at offices equipped with 8Mbps "business" grade service.
After hours on the phone with Comcast and being run up several levels of support, me and several of our employees have ditched Comcast at home in the last several months, opting for DSL and
Frankly, I don't care what there claimed speeds are anymore, because those peak speeds are only good for stop and go usage like surfing the internet. Small business have other things that need to get done over their network.
I purchase all of the computers for my company. All of the Dell workstations and notebooks I've been buying lately have been licensed to include "Vista Business with XP Professional downgrade". They come pre-installed with XP Pro, include XP Pro recovery media, but also have a Certificate of Authenticity and license string for Vista Business.
I do this because we continue to utilize Windows XP for the foreseeable future (so far SP1 does not address the things that stopped us from deploying Vista), but I don't want have to pay through the nose to switch to Vista if and when that time comes.
When I started at my current job a little over a year ago, I was neutral on the subject of MS security. Read: *not* a zealot. I was originally brought on board as the lead programmer/analyst, but since it's a small company I now wear quite a few hats, including administering several servers. During THIS last year (not 10 years ago, not 5 years ago, but NOW), my opinion of Microsoft Windows as a server OS (whether 2000 or 2003) has completely tanked.
I'll give you one case in point: one of the Win 2003 servers which was infected by a root kit. It turned out that neither the latest service packs, the monthly "malicious software utility", a strong windows password, nor current Symantec Anti-Virus were enough to keep the root kit out. I had to download and use "Ice Sword" just to deal with the RK. After checking all of the above, I tightened up the firewall. Eventually I found the RK's log files and traced the problem back to Microsoft SQL server. The root kit system had compromised the SA account of SQL server, and was then able to manipulate SQL Server (a mere RDMS, mind you) to install itself on the machine and circumvent the kernel. I couldn't even see the RK using windows explorer; I could only see it with Ice Sword. That is just poor design, and that was with a current patched MS Server product.
I also found and resolved problems with other Windows servers, and it didn't take long for me to realize that NONE of the *nix servers had any issues. Zip. Zero. Nada.
So I don't laugh at Microsoft security, but I sure as hell don't trust it. I have concluded that MS has *earned* their horrid security reputation for many YEARS through SEVERAL generations of products (including the current MS Windows 2003). Yet for YEARS they continually touted their improved security. Ever hear of the boy that cried wolf?
In THIS last year I've also concluded that Solaris and Linux work beautifully, thank you. Not only have they proven themselves more secure, but they're more reliable *and* less expensive to purchase and maintain.
The feature with the hieroglyphs had two functions. One is explained elsewhere in this thread (connecting to server remotely over a low bandwidth connection). The second came out of Lotus working with the CIA: it's an anti-spoofing feature so you know that the password dialog you're using actually belongs to Lotus Notes. The hieroglyphs correspond to the characters you type in... but the character mapping is unique to the private key contained in the Notes ID.
That hall of shame piece has several inaccuracies, and is QUITE old (1999, for Notes v4.x; it's now 2007 and Notes is at v8). Do you go around criticizing Linux for issues it had EIGHT years ago?
As for the inaccuracies, just about everything in that article concerning the mail interface is BS because the screenshots were for a very nasty customized mail template. Their criticism of that mail template was correct, but that interface wasn't the one supplied by Lotus.
I recently upgraded our company from R5 (very irritating) to Lotus Domino 7.0.2, and I'm amazed at how far Notes/Domino has come along. Here are a few things that have really impressed me:
- The Domino server actually runs very nicely on older hardware.
- While we're currently running our Domino servers on Windows 2000, I'm planning to move them to either Linux or Solaris 10 once it comes time to buy new hardware. Domino offers that flexibility.
- The Notes mail and calendaring in 7 is actually quite good.
- The web client is very nice, and works perfectly with Firefox.
- I've configured our Domino mail server to also work with POP3 and IMAP, and I have users reliably accessing their Domino mail with:
1) Notes clients on PCs and Macs
2) Various browsers on various OSs.
3) Palm and Windows Mobile Devices.
4) Microsoft Outlook clients.
I'm just really impressed with how flexible it is. I'm also currently configuring a Blackberry Enterprise Server to integrate with our Domino mail infrastructure. That will apparently allow push e-mail and calendaring to Blackberry devices, as well as Palm, Symbian, and select Samsung devices running the Blackberry connect client.
If you were ever put off by older versions of Notes, it's worth another look IMHO. And the public Beta of Notes 8 is very impressive, indeed.
I subscribe to the Microsoft Action Pack, so I also have access to Vista and Office 2007. Because some of the software I use doesn't yet work with Vista, I was holding off on installing it.
...how things have changed.
Regardless I popped into a computer store and test drove a new laptop PC with Vista for about 205 minutes. Perhaps I'm getting old, but I found myself getting annoyed with many of the changes. I pondered, "Where's 'Run...'? What did the do to the Start menu? Can I change it to the XP style?" Sadly, it appears you can change it to 'Classic' but not XP-style. Then I tried changing the resolution (right clicking on the desktop), then tried tinkering with a couple more items. More annoyances and confusion. They've moved so many things around I was getting pretty damn annoyed. Just my opinion, but some very basic tasks required waaay too much time to figure out.
One of my techs installed Vista and a trial version of Office 2007 on his PC. He was excited at first, but after two weeks he wiped and reinstalled XP. Further, he HATES the ribbon interface in Office 2007, and I'm... unimpressed. I'm usually excited about new software, and I've previously been an early adopter of MS OSs. I remember running "Memphis", the codename for what eventually became Windows 98 - it was terrific - that beta version was actually more reliable and usable than Windows 95 was (a sad commentary on Win 95, I guess).
So even though I have legitimate copies of Vista and Office 2007, I'm not using them.
I have to agree. It might not be popular with the slashdot crowd, but Lotus Notes/Domino is quite robust, extremely secure, and offers an immense amount of functionality outside of just e-mail and calendaring. Sometime midway through the R5 codestream, it's web interface for mail became world class, and the Domino server will run on Windows, Linux, AS400, AIX, etc.
c ontent). There's a huge install base, and you should be able to easily find a number of IBM business partners and consultants that can get you on the right path. Speaking of the right path... I would recommend you avoid IBM Global Services. They pay poorly and no longer attract the talent they used to. Their administrators also tend to drag their feet on upgrades. YMMV.
It's an extremely mature product, now at version 7 (http://www.lotus.com/lotus/general.nsf/wdocs/nd7
Good luck!
should Congress make it illegal for companies to give up your personal information to law enforcement without your consent (or a court order)?
No. If you are on your company's network and PC, those resources are not yours. The company is paying for them; they should be able to do with them as they please.
FYI, I have a normally reliable Cisco 675 router that Was repeatedly being infected with Code Red, requiring a reboot each time. Here's the easy fix:e d-worm-pub.shtml for more, and check your ISP's web site for the actual patch.
1) From the "cbos#" prompt*, input the command "set web disabled". I think you'll have to follow that up with the "write" command. That shuts off the router admin web-interface. If you really must have that interface, you can change the port instead.
2) Upgrade the CBOS to version 2.4.1. See http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-code-r
Hope that helps...
*Note: to get to the "cbos#" prompt, input the command "enabled" at the "cbos>" prompt.