Seems like ages since I touched this blog, was I so busy? Naah, just didn't get to straightening my mind out in a fashion I could write it down. English very much remains a foreign language. All despite of all the seminars I speak at, it still takes some more processing cycles, definitelly when writing down - so don't start on all my spelling errors :-)

Nevertheless a week in review:

• my favourite IDEAliance employee send me a congratulation e-mail explaining my workshop (Java and XML, what else) was selected for the upcoming XMLEurope conference... an event that caused Steven to point me to James, which in return made me send an email about applying for the 'financial assistance package'.
• spent some time trying to get into the code of the javax.swing.text.html.HTMLEditorKit since I'm hoping it could be a basis for some XMLEditorKit? Anyone else on it, it's back-of-my-head for me, but the itch is steadily growing.
• brushed up and gave my Java & XML: API's - seminar to a small but attentive audience. Had a great time with lots of enteresting questions about real life problems people are facing. Which means they are actually doing it! (Last May the audience on the same topic would of have been more people of the 'considering on doing it' - type)
• ... got struck by how little of http://jakarta.apache.org/* and http://xml.apache.org/* are known to the broader audience of ICT professionals... guess we need to do some more apache-advocating in this country. I don't consider the apache community as an 'inner circle', but that's maybe cause I'm close enough to it? Odly enough not everyone wants to be that close up to what they are doing (themselves)...
• so on the advocating: I'm actively thinking about a less api oriented and more tools oriented version of my speech: more showcase tutorials then API-caveats is probably what people need first anyways? Ideas welcome.
• supported from the side line (you know: this kinda stuff) the new python explorations of Steven. (Freaky what a back-surgery can do to one's mind :-))
• and we do seem to have customers :-), so overall I just did some work:
  • brushing up my java-xml examples for a course next week,
  • doing some investigation into SVG for a prospect,
  • trying to catch up with all the design documents my immensly productive colleages are writing for a new project
  • thinking about new ways to extend and promote the xreporter. (Steven did this, and Bruno is actively helping the early adopters on the mailing list)
  • and sent out invoices... YEAH!

9:48:35 AM    

Somebody else is making the link between monopolies and taxes :-)

And then this dear friend made me see that there is some change forthcoming.

8:57:13 AM