Posts from 2006

I am interested in IT, technology and gadgets. Not obsessed but interested and curious.

Recently, I find colleagues making increasing use of technology in the workplace to try to help distributed teams to communicate more effectively. Or maybe they're just geeks who are afraid to pick up a telephone.

People use Web conferencing to share desktops.

This is an excellent use of technology. For example, I recently tried to help a customer in Copenhagen by remotely accessing the servers over the network from my ~~kitchen~~ fully equipped home office. The speed was slightly sluggish and the experience was a little frustrating at times but certainly much better than laboriously dictating ('l' 's' 'space' 'slash' 't' 'm' 'p') over the phone or getting on a plane.

I have also used Web conferencing using VOIP which was fantastic as it freed up the fingers to do the actual typing as well as pleasing the financial director.

People also use chat conferencing either instead of, or curiously in conjunction with, the ubiquitous (and much loved) telephone conference calls. I am always a little nervous here in case I direct the wrong words to the wrong person, particularly with my sense of 'humour'.

People also have a increasing tendency to use instant messaging rather than email to communicate internally.

This last development is the one I am slightly uncomfortable with for reasons I find it hard to articulate but I'll try:

• The opening line 'Hi', 'Hello' or 'Are you busy ?'. It's like a blind date. What do you say without sounding idiotic ?
• Sometimes, if you are busy, this interruption and context switch can be unwelcome. Setting your status to 'Busy' doesn't always work.
• The person initiating the conversation normally wants something. It is easier to ignore or defer an email. I find it impossible to ignore an IM indefinitely.
• Sometimes the conversation is so long winded and interactive, a simple phone call would have been 10 times more effective and quicker. Waiting on tenterhooks, with baited breath, in suspense watching 'Alan is typing...' for 2 minutes.
• The termination of the 'conversation' isn't always clear. Have we finished ? Is the dialogue over ? Are they still thinking ? Or are they waiting for you to respond ? Can I close your IM window yet ?
• And finally, the real reason, I suspect - using Instant Messaging conjures up images of angst ridden, spotty teenagers messaging away in txt speak together. You feel slight soiled by the experience. In fact, I am sorely tempted to address #5 by signing off 'C U L8R, M8!'

Take my advice. Never buy flowers for your wife. Ever.

I am working at home, trying to finish a report. I dont have a home office so I work on the kitchen table.

For the last couple of days, two things have been slowly nagging away at me like a dripping tap.

My wireless mouse sometimes loses the will to carry on working at such a frantic pace. It squeakily demands a cup of coffee or just half an hour of 'Richard and Judy'. I stoutly refuse so the mouse pointer slowly descends vertically down the screen which is fairly irritating and virus-like.

So I took the poorly rodent for a 'Well-Mouse Executive Health Check' and the vet insisted that the mouse is in perfect health and the battery level is 'High'. I changed the battery anyway to no avail so now we have to adjourn for 'Richard and Judy' with a coffee every morning. After that, the mouse works fine.

Secondly, there was a horrible, persistent odour disturbing my concentration. I opened the windows. I opened the doors. I even had a shower and used deodorant. Eventually, I capitulated and cleaned the downstairs toilet. But the lingering smell stubbornly persisted.

Finally, I gave in, summoned my daughter and cleaned the gerbil out. The full works. Clean water, new sawdust, change of food, full steam valet and high pressure jet wash on the windows.

Phew - that's better. Sit down to check my email...

God - what is that damned smell ?

And then it struck me. Right under my nose (literally) for the past few days. A vase of (dead) flowers sitting in smelly, stagnant water.

So, next time, beautiful, colourful, fragrant flowers appear on the kitchen table and it turns out Julia brought them when she came round for coffee, don't say 'Oh - how lovely, darling' but 'Just make sure you chuck them out when they're dead.'

Last nights Money Program was about the increasing consumer demand for broadband services and the various options available from the suppliers.

Broadband services from the major players (Carphone Warehouse, BT, NTL and newcomer Sky) were all reviewed for various households with different requirements.

British Telecom has an incredibly strong brand with the older generation. One grandmother on the show simply opted for a BT Video Phone because she implicitly trusts that the service will work because 'it is from BT'.

Another family opted for 'Free Broadband For Life' from Carphone Warehouse. The kids were excited - lightning downloads, more MSN'ing, online gaming. Mum was excited - she could actually use the phone again for hours on end. Even Dad was excited - he was going to save 36GBP every single month. Quite why he was still paying 15GBP per month for dial-up wasn't clear.

In fact, they all thought it was too good to be true. And so it proved. They are still waiting for the engineer to arrive despite Charles Dunstone moving them to the top of the massive waiting list.

I have had broadband (Telewest) for so long I had to go and look it up - April 2002.

OK. I own up. Although I have superb taste in music, I cant help but hum along whenever I hear No. 2 on this list.

'Don't Fear The Reaper' by Blue Oyster Cult also falls into the same category.

I really enjoyed this comedy co-written by Steve Coogan.

The opening sequence features Coogan struggling to keep his calm in an 'Anger Management' course and is always hilarious.

Unfortunately, the final episode of the series was on Monday night but, no doubt, it will be endlessly repeated on BBC3 in the near future.

I just watched this but I am starting to wish I hadnt.

Knowledge management presents a difficult challenge particularly when you work in a relatively small department of highly intelligent, technical consultants who are scattered around the globe and travel a lot.

I just started another blog as an experiment to see whether we can try to improve the way in which we share knowledge and communicate with each other. Searching email archives is so 1990's, don't you think ?

The blogging interface and the set of CMS features isn't as rich as WordPress (or alternative Content Management Systems) but that's not really the point.

Oh and another thing. Unless you happen to work for Oracle Corporation, you can't actually see this embryonic blog. Sorry.

Arrived at a clients offices in Birmingham this morning just as Radio Five news reported a major power cut affecting businesses and homes in the area.

Apparently, vandals had set fire to two tyres and rolled them into the electricity sub-station last night.

Whatever happened to the good old days of getting drunk, singing songs and placing red cones on top of traffic lights.

Still, the outage freed up two hours for an interesting discussion about disaster recovery.

As predicted, another fantastic weekend.

Far, far away by Slade, from 1974, as the music used to entertain customers placed on hold.

Hats off to Vodafone corporate. I was actually a little disappointed to miss the end of the song when my conversation with the agent resumed.