Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Mike's Manic Minute 02 Jan 06   The joys. . And pains of web-based applications. . . I've read, recently, of a number of web-based applications having major outages.  First there was TypePad from Six Apart, (http://www.sixapart.com/typepad/news/2005/12/update_on_typep.html) and now Salesforce (http://www.regdeveloper.co.uk/2005/12/22/salesforce_outage/).   It's one thing to have your blog missing a few updates but it's another thing entirely to have your business shut down.  Now I've been on both sides of this issue as a developer and manager and I still feel that any online-only application has to have a way for me, as a customer, to save my data locally.  I also want non-web-based (think system tray) applications to give me notifications so I don't need to have my browser open constantly.   Phrases never used on the Manic Minute. . . Lake Superior State University (http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php) has published it's list of banned phrases.  The top 5 (out of a list of 17) are:   SURREAL – One part opiate of the masses, 13 parts overuse. Oddly, news anchor and television small talk is becoming more surreal. “Dreams are surreal, not daily adjectives.” – Tracy from Murray, Ky. HUNKER DOWN – To brace oneself, in anticipation of media onslaught. Trotted out in reports about everything from politics to hurricanes. “I have a hankering to ban all of this hunkering.” – Kate Rabe Forgach, Fort Collins, Colo. PERSON OF INTEREST – Found within the context of legal commentary, but seldom encountered at cocktail parties. “People with guns want to talk with you.” – Melissa Carroll from Greensboro, NC. “Does this mean the rest of us are too boring to deal with?” – Patricia Johnson from Mechanicsville, Va. COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS – A five-dollar phrase on a nickel-errand. Value-added into many higher education mission statements. “Not to be confused with ‘school.'” – Jim Howard from Mishawa, Ind. UP OR DOWN VOTE – A casualty of today's partisanship. No discussion on this one; the committee just tossed a coin. “I see a bright future for ex-senators as elevator operators.” — Allan Dregseth, Fargo, ND.   Podcast of the day. . . The New Scientist http://www.newscientist.com/podcastfeed.ns A weekly 12 minute science-focused podcast.   And that's your Manic Minute for January 2nd, 2006! 1:03:41 PM    comment []

Mike's Manic Minute 01 Jan 06   UFOs. . .are real? According to the KGB that is!  The India times http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/6063.asp Reports that the so-called Blue Folder of the KGB, which purports to contain evidence of UFOs and a conclusion, from 1968 no less, that the USSR government acknowledged the existing of UFOs and supported official UFO research.   The year ahead. . .at Microsoft This year at Microsoft will bring many new releases and challenges.  The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/254147_software02.html) has a detailed breakdown of the opportunities and challenges ahead.  It's going to be a very interesting year to be a Technical Evangelist!   Speaking of Evangelism. . . While my official title is "Technical Evangelist", and while the word Evangelist means something quite different to everyone outside the technology industry, the very first technical evangelist, Guy Kawasaki, is now blogging http://blog.guykawasaki.com/.  May be we can engage Guy in helping us all find a new name?   Podcast of the day. . . Literary Law for Writers http://www.tmelaw.net/litlawpodcast.htm Hosted by noted literary and IP lawyer Tonya Evans-Walls this podcast covers hot topics about copyright, trademark, publishing, other contracts and more so that writers can protect and prosper from their work.   And that's your Manic Minute for January 1st, 2006! 1:02:31 PM    comment []

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