Hello all,
I have been out in Provo, Utah for the past few days attending the TTP, Academic Technology Transfer Partners, Mindworks (http://mindworksuk.com/ttp.html). I have to say I am convinced more than ever that NOVELL IS DEAD!
I have been using Novell products since 1992. Novell has long been associated/saddled with its flagship networking platform, Netware. It 'was' the premier platform that everyone was running. To be a CNE, Certified Netware Engineer, was to write your own ticket just about anywhere.
In Spring, 2011, Novell was acquired by Attachmate. Novell brought all of its products to the table, including Netware, Zenworks Configuration Management, GroupWise, and SuSE Linux. Attachmate brought NetIQ and all sorts of other technology products.
I sat through a talk with the new President, Bob Flynn, and all I can say is, "WOW!"
Over the past 10+ years, there has been a lot of leadership changes at Novell. With each new leadership regime, it seems the common theme has been, "We're going to do better, everything is fine, we are not going anywhere, business as usual..." Not this time.
Bob came in and talked with us and shared with us his thoughts, ideas and vision for the future. It was anything but business as usual. He is an honest man with integrity. The kind that can look you in the eye and trust his word. He shared with us that as a company, having pretty much cleaned house, they have an honest perspective of the past failures, know where they currently stand, and have a great vision for the future to do what is right for their customers.
As the next few months will show, I believe it is going to be a complete transformation and invigoration of some of the best technology products in the world. The best thing that can happen to any company that has great products for a great price is for businesses and education to take a close look at what they are doing from a technology standpoint and honestly evaluate the cost value of what is happening. Are we really doing the right thing and getting the best product for the best price? If you honestly evaluate products, Attachmate wins!
No, it is definitely NOT business as usual for Novell. It is DEAD. They have torn down the old, worn out building and and rebuilding a brand new one in its place. It won't look the same, walk the same, talk the same. For the first time in a long time, I am excited to see the transformation of a company right before my eyes. Attachmate is swinging for the fence. With its proven business track record, I am betting on a home run with this one.
Novell is DEAD! The caterpillar is about to become a beautiful butterfly. Just wait and see!
More to come in the next few days.
Tom
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Celebrating our Independence, "...One nation, under God.."
Hello all,
This weekend, here in the United States, we celebrate our independence. It was back in the 1776 time frame that we officially declared to be an independent and self governed people. Or did we?
Many recent events in my life have been causing me to take notice of where we are at as society in the US. Knowing that I have readers from around the world, allow me to share a few things, a few observations I have noticed happening in my world.
When I was younger things were different. Integrity, honor, self discipline, hard work, honesty, trust, and all sorts of traits that we called "character" were lived as a part of every day life. Sure, there were a few bad apples in the bunch, but for the most part people were decent.
When the milk man delivered milk, we knew that he was delivering good milk, and he knew that we'd have the money in the milk shoot when he dropped it off. Everyone did it. Everyone put their money in the milk shoot for the milk man. There wasn't even a key on the milk shoot.
We'd also go to the store and buy everything on credit. There was this place in Random Lake called "Hill's Superette" They would total it all up and they would write down the total on a piece of paper. Typically on Friday my mom and dad would go in and settle up the account. We kids would go in and buy fresh made sandwiches and a soda and put it on the tab. If mom and dad didn't know about it or didn't approve of it, they would pay the bill and deal with us later.
I remember many times when my mom would go to the local gas station and fill up our car and forget to pay for it. They would call us and tell us that mom forgot to pay again. Usually I would have to ride my bike down to the gas station with the money. While I was down there I would buy a burrito with my paper route money.
I also remember one specific transaction that happened with my uncle and another man. They were talking about selling a car. When my uncle sold it, as the man was driving away with it, I asked him how much he got for the car. He said the amount and I asked to see it. He said that he didn't have it and the guy was going to come back on Friday with the money. I asked him how he knew the guy was going to come back and pay. Simple, my uncle said, we looked each other in the eye and shook on it.
The idea of people doing the right thing was just expected. People are going to make mistakes and everyone knows it, but most everyone seemed to want to do the right thing.
So how does this all fit in with Independence day. As we celebrate Independence Day here in the United States, I also believe we are also celebrating Dependence Day. Wars have been fought, people died, lives sacrificed so that we can say:
"I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, UNDER GOD, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
So while we express our independence as a nation, free to be self governed, or founding fathers also had a basis, an over arching framework, from whom our freedom and liberties come and are dependent. God!
Several times recently I have been chastised for bringing up God in public. There is a time for religion and God, but not when you are working or are dealing with people in public or work. Yet every time we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we acknowledge that we are one nation, under God and most people don't think twice about it. (I know veterans do!) Then I realized, that is a problem! My God is all integrity, honor, trust, self discipline, hard work, and love. I have noticed, as we try harder and harder to remove God from everyday life and keep Him only for Sunday mornings, mid week bible studies, and the occasional wedding and funeral, it seems that we are losing all those things we call "character" in everyday life.
I long to see the good old days again. A day where we can leave our doors unlocked, where we can let our kids outside to play and know they are safe, where when we shake someones hand in a transaction there is meaning and integrity behind both people. It is getting to the point where we are going to need a lawyer to buy a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk.
So this July 4th, Independence Day, let us in the United States remember our Dependence now and daily as "...one nation, under GOD!...."
Have a Blessed holiday,
Tom
This weekend, here in the United States, we celebrate our independence. It was back in the 1776 time frame that we officially declared to be an independent and self governed people. Or did we?
Many recent events in my life have been causing me to take notice of where we are at as society in the US. Knowing that I have readers from around the world, allow me to share a few things, a few observations I have noticed happening in my world.
When I was younger things were different. Integrity, honor, self discipline, hard work, honesty, trust, and all sorts of traits that we called "character" were lived as a part of every day life. Sure, there were a few bad apples in the bunch, but for the most part people were decent.
When the milk man delivered milk, we knew that he was delivering good milk, and he knew that we'd have the money in the milk shoot when he dropped it off. Everyone did it. Everyone put their money in the milk shoot for the milk man. There wasn't even a key on the milk shoot.
We'd also go to the store and buy everything on credit. There was this place in Random Lake called "Hill's Superette" They would total it all up and they would write down the total on a piece of paper. Typically on Friday my mom and dad would go in and settle up the account. We kids would go in and buy fresh made sandwiches and a soda and put it on the tab. If mom and dad didn't know about it or didn't approve of it, they would pay the bill and deal with us later.
I remember many times when my mom would go to the local gas station and fill up our car and forget to pay for it. They would call us and tell us that mom forgot to pay again. Usually I would have to ride my bike down to the gas station with the money. While I was down there I would buy a burrito with my paper route money.
I also remember one specific transaction that happened with my uncle and another man. They were talking about selling a car. When my uncle sold it, as the man was driving away with it, I asked him how much he got for the car. He said the amount and I asked to see it. He said that he didn't have it and the guy was going to come back on Friday with the money. I asked him how he knew the guy was going to come back and pay. Simple, my uncle said, we looked each other in the eye and shook on it.
The idea of people doing the right thing was just expected. People are going to make mistakes and everyone knows it, but most everyone seemed to want to do the right thing.
So how does this all fit in with Independence day. As we celebrate Independence Day here in the United States, I also believe we are also celebrating Dependence Day. Wars have been fought, people died, lives sacrificed so that we can say:
"I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, UNDER GOD, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
So while we express our independence as a nation, free to be self governed, or founding fathers also had a basis, an over arching framework, from whom our freedom and liberties come and are dependent. God!
Several times recently I have been chastised for bringing up God in public. There is a time for religion and God, but not when you are working or are dealing with people in public or work. Yet every time we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we acknowledge that we are one nation, under God and most people don't think twice about it. (I know veterans do!) Then I realized, that is a problem! My God is all integrity, honor, trust, self discipline, hard work, and love. I have noticed, as we try harder and harder to remove God from everyday life and keep Him only for Sunday mornings, mid week bible studies, and the occasional wedding and funeral, it seems that we are losing all those things we call "character" in everyday life.
I long to see the good old days again. A day where we can leave our doors unlocked, where we can let our kids outside to play and know they are safe, where when we shake someones hand in a transaction there is meaning and integrity behind both people. It is getting to the point where we are going to need a lawyer to buy a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk.
So this July 4th, Independence Day, let us in the United States remember our Dependence now and daily as "...one nation, under GOD!...."
Have a Blessed holiday,
Tom
Saturday, July 2, 2011
If I were to run a tech business like this! My Sears Auto Center story
Hey All,
I am going to share a bit about my experience with the Sears Auto Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. If ANY tech were to run a business like this, they will be out of business in a short time. Beware of using Sears Auto Center!
Here is the message I sent to Sears,
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to you to share about an awful experience that I had at the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Sears automotive center. I am expecting that some sort of investigation be done and that I am compensated for my wasted time and frustration.
On July 1st at 4 pm, I dropped off my 1996 Cadillac Sedan DeVille for a front end alignment, tire rotation and balance, much like I have done for the past 1 1/2 years. I shared with them I had recently put in a few new parts (Shocks, struts, springs and brakes) and am planning to take a trip out to Utah and want to make sure that everything is okay. The steering wheel is off center and it pulls to the left.
I went shopping and to get dinner. I came back at 6:30 and one of the mechanics (Brian) shared with me that they are not able to do the alignment because their machine doesn't work with my style car. I asked if this is the same machine that they had 4 months ago when I got it aligned, he said yes. Then I looked at what he was doing and told him to loosen up the sensor, rotate it 90 degrees and it will work just fine. His response, "Oh yes, that will work". So he told me it would be about another hour so I waiting in the two chair waiting area.
At 7 pm he came to me again and told me that they couldn't do the alignment because they needed a special bolt on the strut in order to adjust it. I asked him if this was the same bolt that I purchased from them in February 2011? He looked on his computer and saw that indeed it was the exact same bolt that they needed to do the adjustment. So, he said, now that they took off all of the alignment stuff, it would be another hour to get it done.
Right about now I am not feeling too confident in the mechanic's ability to do much more than change oil and swap batteries, so I asked to speak to the manager. To ladies came out and I shared the story with them. One was named Kim. She said that she would check into the problem and would make sure everything is okay.
At 8:30 he came to me again and said that they couldn't do the alignment because they needed to cut into the upper fender to adjust something that was out of whack. They showed me on their computer where they needed to cut. I again asked, is this the same cut that was done back in Feb 2011? He again looked at his computer and said, "Oh yes!" But this time he said that he could not get it done before the store would close and that the car was not drivable.
So, I live about 50 miles from this Sears and I am stranded. I kept going back to this particular Sears because I had a friend who was the manager. Jeff Ritt always took very good care of me and I am said for me that he is going, but happy for him. His last day was June 30th. DRAT!
I called a friend who came to rescue me.
The Manager, Kim, said that she would have their best mechanic, Chris, work on it first thing in the morning.
I was tired from doing other things the day before and slept until nearly noon. I was expecting to get a call around 10 am if they were going to start working on it at 8 am.
I finally got a call around noon from a Jake who told me that everything was done but the adjustment to the camber or caster and that they would need to cut out a part in the fender to do the adjustment. New guy! I shared with him the same thing I shared with the past guy, Brian, and he said, "Oh yes, that will work."
At 2 pm I got a call telling me that everything was okay. Phew, right? WRONG.
I get to Sears and share with them that I want to take it for a ride before I pay for it, just to make sure. They told me no problem, if there is anything wrong, you have a 6000 mile warranty and can bring it back to be fixed for free. (question marks going up all over the place.) So I didn't pay yet, and went out to take it for a ride with my friend. Right away I notice that the floor, floor mat, steering wheel, door , arm rest, and seat is COVERED in grease. Not just a little, A LOT! Before I even left I went back into Sears and asked to talk with the Manager again. This time it was Colton. I literally said, "What in the Hell is going on here? My car is covered in grease!" By this time, Brian, the first mechanic that I talked with came over and explained that the other mechanic didn't follow protocol and put down seat covers, floor mats or anything. Pam and Colton agreed to pay to have the car cleaned but what a pain. I now have to take time out to get my filthy car cleaned.
So, I take the car for a ride with my friend. Literally, the words that came out of my mouth were, "WTF!!!!" Now I am pissed, really pissed. Not only does the car pull the the right, but the steering wheel is slanted at about a 45 degrees going straight!
I pulled the car back into Sears and say, "WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING! DON'T YOU HAVE ANY COMPETENT MECHANICS!" By now it is 3 pm ish. They said that they were going to have another guy work on it. Chris never touched the car. They had Brian, the very first mechanic work on it!
At 5:50, Jake called and told me that they will not be able to finish the car today at all and that they would need another day to work on it. GREAT. A THIRD DAY!
At 5:55 I get a call from the store manager, Colton, who shared with me that they just can not get the car into alignment. There might be something up with their machine and I might be better off taking it someplace else to get it fixed.
I arrive at Sears a little after 6 pm to pick up my car. I talk with Jake and Kim and ask them if it is safe to drive. Jake said yes, however that at highway speed it might be a little dangerous because it will pull one way or another, like into oncoming traffic. And it does! Kim apologized and told me that they would cover the cost of cleaning, that I am suppose to submit my bill to them.
Now, I didn't have to pay for the alignment and I wouldn't expect to pay for a job not done.
In 1999, Sears refused to replace a craftsman screwdriver because they said it looked like it was used to pry something open. Yes it was as I just purchase 30 gallons of paint to paint my new house. Since then I have vowed to never purchase any other Craftsman tools. Now, because of this incident, I have lost complete confidence in the Sears Auto Center and don't expect that I will be using their service or purchasing tires or any other product. And while I understand that there was significant turn over in the auto center, I expect that if they say they can do something, they are able to do it! If they don't have adequate staff to do the job, don't do the job!
I have wasted nearly two days of my time trying to get my car fixed, and now, not only do I have to still get my car fixed, but I have to get it cleaned too because someone didn't follow protocol!
I expect to be compensated not only for the cleanings but for my troubles as well. I will also be filing a report to the Better Business Bureau.
You may call me or email me to discuss this issue,
Sincerely,
Tom Hafemann
I am going to share a bit about my experience with the Sears Auto Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. If ANY tech were to run a business like this, they will be out of business in a short time. Beware of using Sears Auto Center!
Here is the message I sent to Sears,
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to you to share about an awful experience that I had at the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Sears automotive center. I am expecting that some sort of investigation be done and that I am compensated for my wasted time and frustration.
On July 1st at 4 pm, I dropped off my 1996 Cadillac Sedan DeVille for a front end alignment, tire rotation and balance, much like I have done for the past 1 1/2 years. I shared with them I had recently put in a few new parts (Shocks, struts, springs and brakes) and am planning to take a trip out to Utah and want to make sure that everything is okay. The steering wheel is off center and it pulls to the left.
I went shopping and to get dinner. I came back at 6:30 and one of the mechanics (Brian) shared with me that they are not able to do the alignment because their machine doesn't work with my style car. I asked if this is the same machine that they had 4 months ago when I got it aligned, he said yes. Then I looked at what he was doing and told him to loosen up the sensor, rotate it 90 degrees and it will work just fine. His response, "Oh yes, that will work". So he told me it would be about another hour so I waiting in the two chair waiting area.
At 7 pm he came to me again and told me that they couldn't do the alignment because they needed a special bolt on the strut in order to adjust it. I asked him if this was the same bolt that I purchased from them in February 2011? He looked on his computer and saw that indeed it was the exact same bolt that they needed to do the adjustment. So, he said, now that they took off all of the alignment stuff, it would be another hour to get it done.
Right about now I am not feeling too confident in the mechanic's ability to do much more than change oil and swap batteries, so I asked to speak to the manager. To ladies came out and I shared the story with them. One was named Kim. She said that she would check into the problem and would make sure everything is okay.
At 8:30 he came to me again and said that they couldn't do the alignment because they needed to cut into the upper fender to adjust something that was out of whack. They showed me on their computer where they needed to cut. I again asked, is this the same cut that was done back in Feb 2011? He again looked at his computer and said, "Oh yes!" But this time he said that he could not get it done before the store would close and that the car was not drivable.
So, I live about 50 miles from this Sears and I am stranded. I kept going back to this particular Sears because I had a friend who was the manager. Jeff Ritt always took very good care of me and I am said for me that he is going, but happy for him. His last day was June 30th. DRAT!
I called a friend who came to rescue me.
The Manager, Kim, said that she would have their best mechanic, Chris, work on it first thing in the morning.
I was tired from doing other things the day before and slept until nearly noon. I was expecting to get a call around 10 am if they were going to start working on it at 8 am.
I finally got a call around noon from a Jake who told me that everything was done but the adjustment to the camber or caster and that they would need to cut out a part in the fender to do the adjustment. New guy! I shared with him the same thing I shared with the past guy, Brian, and he said, "Oh yes, that will work."
At 2 pm I got a call telling me that everything was okay. Phew, right? WRONG.
I get to Sears and share with them that I want to take it for a ride before I pay for it, just to make sure. They told me no problem, if there is anything wrong, you have a 6000 mile warranty and can bring it back to be fixed for free. (question marks going up all over the place.) So I didn't pay yet, and went out to take it for a ride with my friend. Right away I notice that the floor, floor mat, steering wheel, door , arm rest, and seat is COVERED in grease. Not just a little, A LOT! Before I even left I went back into Sears and asked to talk with the Manager again. This time it was Colton. I literally said, "What in the Hell is going on here? My car is covered in grease!" By this time, Brian, the first mechanic that I talked with came over and explained that the other mechanic didn't follow protocol and put down seat covers, floor mats or anything. Pam and Colton agreed to pay to have the car cleaned but what a pain. I now have to take time out to get my filthy car cleaned.
So, I take the car for a ride with my friend. Literally, the words that came out of my mouth were, "WTF!!!!" Now I am pissed, really pissed. Not only does the car pull the the right, but the steering wheel is slanted at about a 45 degrees going straight!
I pulled the car back into Sears and say, "WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING! DON'T YOU HAVE ANY COMPETENT MECHANICS!" By now it is 3 pm ish. They said that they were going to have another guy work on it. Chris never touched the car. They had Brian, the very first mechanic work on it!
At 5:50, Jake called and told me that they will not be able to finish the car today at all and that they would need another day to work on it. GREAT. A THIRD DAY!
At 5:55 I get a call from the store manager, Colton, who shared with me that they just can not get the car into alignment. There might be something up with their machine and I might be better off taking it someplace else to get it fixed.
I arrive at Sears a little after 6 pm to pick up my car. I talk with Jake and Kim and ask them if it is safe to drive. Jake said yes, however that at highway speed it might be a little dangerous because it will pull one way or another, like into oncoming traffic. And it does! Kim apologized and told me that they would cover the cost of cleaning, that I am suppose to submit my bill to them.
Now, I didn't have to pay for the alignment and I wouldn't expect to pay for a job not done.
In 1999, Sears refused to replace a craftsman screwdriver because they said it looked like it was used to pry something open. Yes it was as I just purchase 30 gallons of paint to paint my new house. Since then I have vowed to never purchase any other Craftsman tools. Now, because of this incident, I have lost complete confidence in the Sears Auto Center and don't expect that I will be using their service or purchasing tires or any other product. And while I understand that there was significant turn over in the auto center, I expect that if they say they can do something, they are able to do it! If they don't have adequate staff to do the job, don't do the job!
I have wasted nearly two days of my time trying to get my car fixed, and now, not only do I have to still get my car fixed, but I have to get it cleaned too because someone didn't follow protocol!
I expect to be compensated not only for the cleanings but for my troubles as well. I will also be filing a report to the Better Business Bureau.
You may call me or email me to discuss this issue,
Sincerely,
Tom Hafemann
Saturday, June 18, 2011
And why would anyone do this?!?!
Well...I got this wonderful email message early this morning. "Hey! Wake up....." At first I thought it was some sort of prank until I realized it was I that programmed this emergency alert into a server in case something extremely bad happens. It did.
So I go to work 3 times and really don't see anything wrong. Three times I reboot all the servers and they all come up. Then it hits me! DOH!
A number of years ago when I was experimenting with server virtualization I thought (usually my first mistake) 'I wonder if you can virtualize a virtualized server?' It is like making a copy of a copy. This reminds me of the 1996 movie "Multiplicity". Good movie if you haven't seen it.
Anyway, I got started on my virtualization of my virtualization server. Honestly it worked very slick. However, the networking made me scratch my head several times. Anyone who has worked with virtualization knows that the networking piece is generally the area that causes most problems.
So as I am looking at the servers I see that all the virtual machines come up. Done, right? WRONG. The first layer of VM's came up just fine...but none of the VM's inside the VM's came up. UGH!
Eventually I figured out that a snapshot grew too large. Delete the snapshot (2 hrs) and all is well again in the crazy VM world.
The short of it....Don't virtualize a virtualized world unless you really want the men (and women) in the white jackets to come take you away...HA HA! They are coming to take me away, HA HA, HO HO, HE HE!
Tom
So I go to work 3 times and really don't see anything wrong. Three times I reboot all the servers and they all come up. Then it hits me! DOH!
A number of years ago when I was experimenting with server virtualization I thought (usually my first mistake) 'I wonder if you can virtualize a virtualized server?' It is like making a copy of a copy. This reminds me of the 1996 movie "Multiplicity". Good movie if you haven't seen it.
Anyway, I got started on my virtualization of my virtualization server. Honestly it worked very slick. However, the networking made me scratch my head several times. Anyone who has worked with virtualization knows that the networking piece is generally the area that causes most problems.
So as I am looking at the servers I see that all the virtual machines come up. Done, right? WRONG. The first layer of VM's came up just fine...but none of the VM's inside the VM's came up. UGH!
Eventually I figured out that a snapshot grew too large. Delete the snapshot (2 hrs) and all is well again in the crazy VM world.
The short of it....Don't virtualize a virtualized world unless you really want the men (and women) in the white jackets to come take you away...HA HA! They are coming to take me away, HA HA, HO HO, HE HE!
Tom
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Brainshare 2011, Going to be GREAT
Hey all,
I am so very excited to see Novell back in the groove. It is going to be spectacular with Attachemate! All the new additions and synergy is just what is needed. The world is getting the message that Identity Matters! And one of the best products out there is Identity Management 4 from Novell.
And the best product for managing your infrastructure, by far, is Zenworks 11. I have looked at LanDesk, Altiris, and SCCM. While they have their ups and down, Zenworks Configuration Manager 11 is the best overall package for all platforms...now including Apple! Did I just say Apple....Ooops, my bad :)
If you would like to attend this year, and for your sake, I hope you do, use this registration portal.
https://www.novellbrainshare.com/slc2011/portal/registration/GZWTAH
I will share with you some of the other benefits if you email me. I will give you all kinds of hints, tips and tricks to save money while in Salt Lake City. We might even do something all together as a group.
One thing I am definitely looking forward to is the Crown Burger. One of the best burgers I have ever had!
Hope to see you all this October in Utah!
Tom
I am so very excited to see Novell back in the groove. It is going to be spectacular with Attachemate! All the new additions and synergy is just what is needed. The world is getting the message that Identity Matters! And one of the best products out there is Identity Management 4 from Novell.
And the best product for managing your infrastructure, by far, is Zenworks 11. I have looked at LanDesk, Altiris, and SCCM. While they have their ups and down, Zenworks Configuration Manager 11 is the best overall package for all platforms...now including Apple! Did I just say Apple....Ooops, my bad :)
If you would like to attend this year, and for your sake, I hope you do, use this registration portal.
https://www.novellbrainshare.com/slc2011/portal/registration/GZWTAH
I will share with you some of the other benefits if you email me. I will give you all kinds of hints, tips and tricks to save money while in Salt Lake City. We might even do something all together as a group.
One thing I am definitely looking forward to is the Crown Burger. One of the best burgers I have ever had!
Hope to see you all this October in Utah!
Tom
Monday, June 6, 2011
Free and VERY EXCELLENT Computer Training for Schools...K-20!
Yes, this is a truly free conference and well worth your time. This is OUTSTANDING for free!
Two things...You have to sign up for the Novell TTP group (free for schools), and then you have to register for the conference @ www.mindworksuk.com/ttp-events.html. All you have to do is sign up for the conference, and if you want...the individual classes.
There are already 8 people from Wisconsin signed up an going. We are planning on car pooling and having room mates to save on those costs. There are some VERY cool things planning that I am willing to share off list. You will not regret going to this! There is a preliminary agenda if you wish to have someone attend that needs approval. Contact me offline.
Hi ALL,
We're doing it again. A full week of training on the products you know and love. This year is especially exciting! We'll have a full line up of sessions covering the Novell, NetIQ and SUSE BUs. And, you'll get to hear from leaders in the Novell and NetIQ BUs (Bob Flynn, President of the Novell BU and Jay Gardner, President of the NetIQ BU are scheduled to speak).
The cost to attend is $0.00. You read that right...there is no registration fee. We've also negotiated a low rate that includes breakfast at the Fairfield Marriott or Hampton Inn. These hotels are within walking distance of the Novell campus. Instructions for making your reservation can be found on the website.
The dates are July 10 - 15. If you have a bit of training budget, you can also take advantage of some hands-on training. All the information, including the link to register, can be found here .
We hope you can join us.
The TTP Team
Two things...You have to sign up for the Novell TTP group (free for schools), and then you have to register for the conference @ www.mindworksuk.com/ttp-events.html. All you have to do is sign up for the conference, and if you want...the individual classes.
There are already 8 people from Wisconsin signed up an going. We are planning on car pooling and having room mates to save on those costs. There are some VERY cool things planning that I am willing to share off list. You will not regret going to this! There is a preliminary agenda if you wish to have someone attend that needs approval. Contact me offline.
Hi ALL,
We're doing it again. A full week of training on the products you know and love. This year is especially exciting! We'll have a full line up of sessions covering the Novell, NetIQ and SUSE BUs. And, you'll get to hear from leaders in the Novell and NetIQ BUs (Bob Flynn, President of the Novell BU and Jay Gardner, President of the NetIQ BU are scheduled to speak).
The cost to attend is $0.00. You read that right...there is no registration fee. We've also negotiated a low rate that includes breakfast at the Fairfield Marriott or Hampton Inn. These hotels are within walking distance of the Novell campus. Instructions for making your reservation can be found on the website.
The dates are July 10 - 15. If you have a bit of training budget, you can also take advantage of some hands-on training. All the information, including the link to register, can be found here .
We hope you can join us.
The TTP Team
Saturday, March 26, 2011
WARNING! - Mobile devices (iPad, Zoom, etc) may be hazardous to your (psychological and financial) health
Hey All,
I am in the middle of rebuilding my entire NDPS printing system so I thought I would take a little break. So I pick up my iPad, read a little, I turn on my laptop connected to my TV and play a little music. And then it happened, and I realized I am going crazy.
I heard this little "bing". I have about 45 apps, some free, some purchased, on my iPad. It is so easy, even a 2nd grader can do it.
I look down at my iPad and there are 22 application updates. The book I was reading was suddenly gone. Six of the applications would not install. They were needing and "upgrade" for a price. NO WAY! I'll just keep using the version I have, right? WRONG. Every two minutes or so I get a little pop-up letting me know that there is an upgrade to the app that will improve performance, fix bugs, and remove the reminder of the upgrade. Try reading anything with an annoying update ever two minutes.
So..I bit the bullet and typed in my password which is tied to my credit card. About $50 later all is good. However, I noticed that the music stopped. I looked over at the laptop and saw that my 'subscription' has expired and if I want to continue listening beyond the 2 hr limit, I would have to "upgrade" my subscription. AHHHH!
I think these mobile devices are bringing us back to the past. There was a time when we had to manage HUNDREDS/THOUSANDS of installed applications on workstations. Many things would conflict with each other, DLL issues, screen resolution, hardware problems. YUK! Take away administrative rights and we are golden again. Someone had the great idea of web enabling, providing SaaS, and other options requiring some plug ins. Overall, not a bad idea.
I am pretty sure programmers don't like being restricted, so, they come up with this neat novel devices that truly can not be administered very well as they are intended to be personal devices. Yet, many organizations require personal devices to be managed. So....HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU MANAGE something that was never intended to be managed!!! Answer.....You don't! Personal devices should be personal.
But I digress. I can see these devices becoming free someday as the applications themselves are going to consume more money, and time, than the devices themselves.
So now it has been an hour or so and my applications FINALLY are updated and the music is back on. Time to get back to work.
I am in the middle of rebuilding my entire NDPS printing system so I thought I would take a little break. So I pick up my iPad, read a little, I turn on my laptop connected to my TV and play a little music. And then it happened, and I realized I am going crazy.
I heard this little "bing". I have about 45 apps, some free, some purchased, on my iPad. It is so easy, even a 2nd grader can do it.
I look down at my iPad and there are 22 application updates. The book I was reading was suddenly gone. Six of the applications would not install. They were needing and "upgrade" for a price. NO WAY! I'll just keep using the version I have, right? WRONG. Every two minutes or so I get a little pop-up letting me know that there is an upgrade to the app that will improve performance, fix bugs, and remove the reminder of the upgrade. Try reading anything with an annoying update ever two minutes.
So..I bit the bullet and typed in my password which is tied to my credit card. About $50 later all is good. However, I noticed that the music stopped. I looked over at the laptop and saw that my 'subscription' has expired and if I want to continue listening beyond the 2 hr limit, I would have to "upgrade" my subscription. AHHHH!
I think these mobile devices are bringing us back to the past. There was a time when we had to manage HUNDREDS/THOUSANDS of installed applications on workstations. Many things would conflict with each other, DLL issues, screen resolution, hardware problems. YUK! Take away administrative rights and we are golden again. Someone had the great idea of web enabling, providing SaaS, and other options requiring some plug ins. Overall, not a bad idea.
I am pretty sure programmers don't like being restricted, so, they come up with this neat novel devices that truly can not be administered very well as they are intended to be personal devices. Yet, many organizations require personal devices to be managed. So....HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU MANAGE something that was never intended to be managed!!! Answer.....You don't! Personal devices should be personal.
But I digress. I can see these devices becoming free someday as the applications themselves are going to consume more money, and time, than the devices themselves.
So now it has been an hour or so and my applications FINALLY are updated and the music is back on. Time to get back to work.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
So...you want to play tech? RIGHT!
Hey all,
So...you want to play tech, eh?
Most of my friends know that I am a combination of Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Smart), Monk (OCD), Cal Lightman (knows better), and Greg House (just a smart ass with relationship and intimacy issues, who is usually right and pisses a lot of people off along the way!) Most either hate me or love me. Either way, I am a pretty darn good systems engineer. So when I hear people talking about technology by throwing in big words every now and again to make it sound like they know what they are talking about, or trying to confuse people who don't know any better, my eyes widened, my heart starts to race, and I think... "Oh boy, this is going to be fun!" I can spot a phony bologna tech like a blood hound dog tracking a french bathed whore.
I get calls from people all over the world asking for help on this or that. It plays nicely with my ego when someone calls for help from New Zealand or Jordan, but it doesn't agree with sleep. However the majority of the calls and emails I receive are right here in Wisconsin. I know a bunch of the techs across the state. There are my tight friends that we share a lot of what we do with each other. Then there are those who I know and respect their talents that I am not so tight with. Then there is the majority. These would be the people, who by some divine miraculous intervention, have arrived in a place of responsibility and authority in technology. They would be the people who would turn off DNS because it was not approved software.....And so our story begins...
I never pick up my phone unless I know the phone number. If someone wants to leave a message I'll get back to them. I have learned what "I have a quick question" and "May I have a moment of you time?" actually mean. I got 6 calls in a row from the same number. The 6th time, they left a message. I looked up the number, found out where it was from, and didn't know anybody at the place. However, as I said, I help out people from time to time so I called them back. The message was something like "Tom!!! We could really use your help. NOTHING WORKS, please call!" My blood hound sense peaked. "Nothing works!" is the key.
So I called to figure out what is going on. Here is a little background for you to walk through with me. This is a complete Microsoft shop with a combination of Windows 2000, 2003, and 2008 running A/D. There is about 15 servers, nothing virtual. Nothing ever gets updated or patched unless there is a problem. Why patch anything if it is working, right? After all, patching isn't important; the only thing that is important is the time and what happens in the classroom, right? (oops, a little more information that necessary... :) ).
And now..."nothing works". Translated, nobody can login, not even on the servers, services are not starting, etc. Just about as close to nothing working without being powered down.
This begs the question, "What happened, what changed" And I got the answer I expected....."nothing!" So, I do what can be predicted. I respond, "YOU LIE!" If you have worked with computers or technology for any period of time, you know that the only constant is change.
"Think hard, think really hard! Did you or someone else add, change, move or remove anything?"
Along with a lot of other questions, I began to realize that this person was in charge of technology, did a few things like adds/moves/changes, and was probably pretty good at that, but really had no clue on how technology works. I also realize that this person has a role in their organization that made them completely responsible for the design and engineering of the infrastructure. And yet, they had never really had any technology training beside the seminars and weekend things.
After about an hour on the phone in the evening...I was able to pry out of her that she had removed an old server from the network that they have not used in years. It was an old Windows 2000 server that did absolutely nothing. Someone told them that it was important one time but it was in the way and nobody ever connected to it anymore.
Hum.....(thinking, thinking, thinking). It went something like this
Me: So..."When you took out this server, is that about the same time all the problems started?"
Her: "Come to think of it, maybe?"
Me: "What server is your DC?"
Her: "What?"
Me: "What server or servers have the FSMO rolls attached to it?"
Her: "That IT! I remember FSMO! That is what that server was, FSMO! What is that?"
Me: "By chance, do you still have that server lying around anywhere?"
Her: "No, we recycled it, was that bad?"
Me: "Well, do you work with any technology consultant?"
Her: "Nope, I do it all, I have my degree in information technology so I run it all"
Me: "Okay, well....do you have ANY other server that you know of that contained ANY of the DC FSMO rolls, Backups, ANYTHING?"
Her: "Nope, is this bad? Can't we just put in another server for FSMO? Can you help me with this over the phone?"
Me: "Ah, nope...you are pretty much screwed now. I can't help you anymore. You are going to have to call someone in to do some major work."
Her: (Angry and sarcastic) "Okay, but I thought you were really good, better than that? And you can't fix it?
Me: "Well, I am good, but I can't fix stupid, 'here's you sign!' "
Her: "Thanks anyway, but I am going to try to fix it myself. Can I call you if I need any help?"
Me: "No hablo ingles!"
So...what did she learn?
There are these things called FSMO rolls, 5 of them to be exact, that are UBER important. Along with DNS, AD can not live without them. Before you take down a server, you need to MOVE them to another server and keep the downed server offline for a while before disposing of it.
That is what I would hope she would have learned. What I think she really learned is that I don't know anything about technology. :) Maybe she won't call anymore either.
So, if you want to play tech, find your AD server with a FSMO roll and pull it out of the network. And you can do this ONLY if you have a degree in Information Technology, because that gives you the right to do it! :D
FUNNY STUFF!
So...you want to play tech, eh?
Most of my friends know that I am a combination of Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Smart), Monk (OCD), Cal Lightman (knows better), and Greg House (just a smart ass with relationship and intimacy issues, who is usually right and pisses a lot of people off along the way!) Most either hate me or love me. Either way, I am a pretty darn good systems engineer. So when I hear people talking about technology by throwing in big words every now and again to make it sound like they know what they are talking about, or trying to confuse people who don't know any better, my eyes widened, my heart starts to race, and I think... "Oh boy, this is going to be fun!" I can spot a phony bologna tech like a blood hound dog tracking a french bathed whore.
I get calls from people all over the world asking for help on this or that. It plays nicely with my ego when someone calls for help from New Zealand or Jordan, but it doesn't agree with sleep. However the majority of the calls and emails I receive are right here in Wisconsin. I know a bunch of the techs across the state. There are my tight friends that we share a lot of what we do with each other. Then there are those who I know and respect their talents that I am not so tight with. Then there is the majority. These would be the people, who by some divine miraculous intervention, have arrived in a place of responsibility and authority in technology. They would be the people who would turn off DNS because it was not approved software.....And so our story begins...
I never pick up my phone unless I know the phone number. If someone wants to leave a message I'll get back to them. I have learned what "I have a quick question" and "May I have a moment of you time?" actually mean. I got 6 calls in a row from the same number. The 6th time, they left a message. I looked up the number, found out where it was from, and didn't know anybody at the place. However, as I said, I help out people from time to time so I called them back. The message was something like "Tom!!! We could really use your help. NOTHING WORKS, please call!" My blood hound sense peaked. "Nothing works!" is the key.
So I called to figure out what is going on. Here is a little background for you to walk through with me. This is a complete Microsoft shop with a combination of Windows 2000, 2003, and 2008 running A/D. There is about 15 servers, nothing virtual. Nothing ever gets updated or patched unless there is a problem. Why patch anything if it is working, right? After all, patching isn't important; the only thing that is important is the time and what happens in the classroom, right? (oops, a little more information that necessary... :) ).
And now..."nothing works". Translated, nobody can login, not even on the servers, services are not starting, etc. Just about as close to nothing working without being powered down.
This begs the question, "What happened, what changed" And I got the answer I expected....."nothing!" So, I do what can be predicted. I respond, "YOU LIE!" If you have worked with computers or technology for any period of time, you know that the only constant is change.
"Think hard, think really hard! Did you or someone else add, change, move or remove anything?"
Along with a lot of other questions, I began to realize that this person was in charge of technology, did a few things like adds/moves/changes, and was probably pretty good at that, but really had no clue on how technology works. I also realize that this person has a role in their organization that made them completely responsible for the design and engineering of the infrastructure. And yet, they had never really had any technology training beside the seminars and weekend things.
After about an hour on the phone in the evening...I was able to pry out of her that she had removed an old server from the network that they have not used in years. It was an old Windows 2000 server that did absolutely nothing. Someone told them that it was important one time but it was in the way and nobody ever connected to it anymore.
Hum.....(thinking, thinking, thinking). It went something like this
Me: So..."When you took out this server, is that about the same time all the problems started?"
Her: "Come to think of it, maybe?"
Me: "What server is your DC?"
Her: "What?"
Me: "What server or servers have the FSMO rolls attached to it?"
Her: "That IT! I remember FSMO! That is what that server was, FSMO! What is that?"
Me: "By chance, do you still have that server lying around anywhere?"
Her: "No, we recycled it, was that bad?"
Me: "Well, do you work with any technology consultant?"
Her: "Nope, I do it all, I have my degree in information technology so I run it all"
Me: "Okay, well....do you have ANY other server that you know of that contained ANY of the DC FSMO rolls, Backups, ANYTHING?"
Her: "Nope, is this bad? Can't we just put in another server for FSMO? Can you help me with this over the phone?"
Me: "Ah, nope...you are pretty much screwed now. I can't help you anymore. You are going to have to call someone in to do some major work."
Her: (Angry and sarcastic) "Okay, but I thought you were really good, better than that? And you can't fix it?
Me: "Well, I am good, but I can't fix stupid, 'here's you sign!' "
Her: "Thanks anyway, but I am going to try to fix it myself. Can I call you if I need any help?"
Me: "No hablo ingles!"
So...what did she learn?
There are these things called FSMO rolls, 5 of them to be exact, that are UBER important. Along with DNS, AD can not live without them. Before you take down a server, you need to MOVE them to another server and keep the downed server offline for a while before disposing of it.
That is what I would hope she would have learned. What I think she really learned is that I don't know anything about technology. :) Maybe she won't call anymore either.
So, if you want to play tech, find your AD server with a FSMO roll and pull it out of the network. And you can do this ONLY if you have a degree in Information Technology, because that gives you the right to do it! :D
FUNNY STUFF!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Wisconsin Budget Bill, Unions, technology and kids.
Hello all,
I’m going to depart from the technology world for a bit. Please indulge me.
It doesn't matter who you are. If you read this, you will probably be offended in some way. If you have the intelligence to debate reasonably, the capacity to discern, and the wisdom bring them together, read on.
I work at a school district as a Director of Information Systems and Technology. I own my own technology business too and have worked in the military and private sector for 15 years before coming to a school. I know both sides of this conversation. I have seen people without any employment courtesies get fired, without warning, simply because they did not refill a supply cabinet correctly. I have also seen people who have done horrific things on the job; sleep on the job, and, because of their "rights", little to nothing was done concerning their employment status.
Let me put all my cards on the table. I have been reading, hearing, and listening to anyone who will talk to me about the Wisconsin Budget bill. I have yet to hear anyone who is not polarized to either the right or the left side of this issue. With that, the stories are as far apart as the East is from the West. Each side makes compelling points and counter points.
I can honestly say I do not caucus with either the left or the right. I am concerned greatly on how we are treating each other. We act and treat the person right next to us as if they were the enemy. It's not as if we only disagree or dislike them. It really seems as if we are willing to war, and yes even kill those with opposing viewpoints. Shame on us all! With that, let's talk about a few things.
Let me start with a few observations. Agree or not, it is where I stand. Don't shoot me.
First, the budget plan has nothing really to do with balancing the budget. Financial concessions are willing to be made to balance the budget. It is about breaking labor and Unions, and ultimately the Democratic party. If it were about balancing the budget, it would have been done along time ago. It is all about collective bargaining.
Second, eliminating collective bargaining appears to be the political way to allow employers (the state) to remove workers who, for whatever reason, are not working out at their current position. (Right or wrong, 'I am just saying')
Third, it is a stretch to throw 'the kids' into this discussion. Everything affects 'the kids'. If a family loses a job it is easy to talk about how it affects 'the kids'. I believe we are all connected more closely and intimately than we care think about or admit. How this or that affects the kids seems to only be a political hot button that gets thrown out on topics that someone wants to make "untouchable". I can just as easily say "We need to save the rain forest. Do it for the kids! And if you don't, do you not love children? If you don't, you must be heartless and not love kids...." The whole argument of bringing kids into any debate is little more than emotional pawn that should be left out of play.
Finally, in all of this, take everything away from employee's of the state, and pay them whatever is the going rate; just like in the private world. Make them pay into their own benefit plan, BUT then, they need to be paid comparable wages to those with Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees in the private work world. (As an IT executive, I do miss the fringe benefits, bonuses, and perks that I am not allowed to and don't accept in public service)
To my "right"-leaning friends. Please get all the facts and do not believe everything you hear. I am sure there is at least a little truth in what is being said and told, with a generous helping of deception and truth massaging.
One of the first things I hear from my right friends is that it is about time that public employee's suffer just like 'the rest of us'. Seriously, how do you know that public employees have NOT been suffering? Do you really not think or believe that poor economic times rolls into and affects the lives of those in service to us? Do you have actual hard numbers and facts (not twisted or massaged), or are your thoughts only perceived inklings? YES, every public service employee is affected by what is happening to our economy without bringing into play this current budget plan.
To my 'left"-leaning friends. Please get all the facts and do not believe everything you hear. I am sure there is at least a little truth in what is being said and told, with a generous helping of deception and truth massaging.
One of the first things I hear from my left friends is about their "rights" and how they are being violated and taken away. If we don't stand up for our rights we will lose them. (funny how the 'left' talks about their 'rights') Do you really know how unstable and fragile employment is for most people? Do you understand that people who are just fortunate to have a job, are working 10-18 hrs per day just to make ends meet. And even then, ends don't get meet. They are losing their homes, their entire life savings and investments just to live another week. They are doing things that they never thought they would have to do, taking jobs, if available, to meet the basics in life. I have a friend who shares with me that he doesn't know how to make rent next month. He is working temporary $8/hr jobs with absolutely no benefits. His car has over 200K miles, he needs shoulder surgery, and has to decide between gas for his car and pain medication.
I know many disagree with what Governor Walker is trying to do. Again, I restate, I am neither on the 'left' or 'right' on this issue. I will share this.
I was against "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" when it was discussed and debated. It was passed into law on March 30th, 2010. Debate, argue, discuss, repeat. But now that it is signed into law, get behind it and support it!
Admittedly, I am not in agreement with our current President on some issues, however, HE IS MY PRESIDENT and I WILL SUPPORT HIM! He deserves our respect, appreciation, and support as President. The people have spoken in the elections and collectively agree that this is the direction our nation should take.
On the opposite side, concerning Governor Walker, we need to debate, argue, discuss, and repeat. This needs to be done with respect for one another, intelligence, discernment and wisdom. At the end of all this, regardless of what happens, the people of Wisconsin have spoken in the elections and collectively agreed that this is the direction our state should take. If the current budget bill passes, I hope that we will all support, appreciate, and respect our Governor.
I reiterate, I really don't know about what is right and true concerning the Wisconsin Budget Bill. I do know that I am a little tired of hearing all the hate going back and forth. I am tired of neighbors and coworkers looking at each other as the enemy. I am tired of seeing all the envy and jealousy because someone has more than someone else (and maybe didn't deserve it).
No matter what happens, tomorrow I will work, eat, and sleep. I will do something and consider myself blessed by my Father for the good things I have and the bad things I don't have in my life. Each day is a new adventure and blessing.
Sincerely,
Tom
I’m going to depart from the technology world for a bit. Please indulge me.
It doesn't matter who you are. If you read this, you will probably be offended in some way. If you have the intelligence to debate reasonably, the capacity to discern, and the wisdom bring them together, read on.
I work at a school district as a Director of Information Systems and Technology. I own my own technology business too and have worked in the military and private sector for 15 years before coming to a school. I know both sides of this conversation. I have seen people without any employment courtesies get fired, without warning, simply because they did not refill a supply cabinet correctly. I have also seen people who have done horrific things on the job; sleep on the job, and, because of their "rights", little to nothing was done concerning their employment status.
Let me put all my cards on the table. I have been reading, hearing, and listening to anyone who will talk to me about the Wisconsin Budget bill. I have yet to hear anyone who is not polarized to either the right or the left side of this issue. With that, the stories are as far apart as the East is from the West. Each side makes compelling points and counter points.
I can honestly say I do not caucus with either the left or the right. I am concerned greatly on how we are treating each other. We act and treat the person right next to us as if they were the enemy. It's not as if we only disagree or dislike them. It really seems as if we are willing to war, and yes even kill those with opposing viewpoints. Shame on us all! With that, let's talk about a few things.
Let me start with a few observations. Agree or not, it is where I stand. Don't shoot me.
First, the budget plan has nothing really to do with balancing the budget. Financial concessions are willing to be made to balance the budget. It is about breaking labor and Unions, and ultimately the Democratic party. If it were about balancing the budget, it would have been done along time ago. It is all about collective bargaining.
Second, eliminating collective bargaining appears to be the political way to allow employers (the state) to remove workers who, for whatever reason, are not working out at their current position. (Right or wrong, 'I am just saying')
Third, it is a stretch to throw 'the kids' into this discussion. Everything affects 'the kids'. If a family loses a job it is easy to talk about how it affects 'the kids'. I believe we are all connected more closely and intimately than we care think about or admit. How this or that affects the kids seems to only be a political hot button that gets thrown out on topics that someone wants to make "untouchable". I can just as easily say "We need to save the rain forest. Do it for the kids! And if you don't, do you not love children? If you don't, you must be heartless and not love kids...." The whole argument of bringing kids into any debate is little more than emotional pawn that should be left out of play.
Finally, in all of this, take everything away from employee's of the state, and pay them whatever is the going rate; just like in the private world. Make them pay into their own benefit plan, BUT then, they need to be paid comparable wages to those with Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees in the private work world. (As an IT executive, I do miss the fringe benefits, bonuses, and perks that I am not allowed to and don't accept in public service)
To my "right"-leaning friends. Please get all the facts and do not believe everything you hear. I am sure there is at least a little truth in what is being said and told, with a generous helping of deception and truth massaging.
One of the first things I hear from my right friends is that it is about time that public employee's suffer just like 'the rest of us'. Seriously, how do you know that public employees have NOT been suffering? Do you really not think or believe that poor economic times rolls into and affects the lives of those in service to us? Do you have actual hard numbers and facts (not twisted or massaged), or are your thoughts only perceived inklings? YES, every public service employee is affected by what is happening to our economy without bringing into play this current budget plan.
To my 'left"-leaning friends. Please get all the facts and do not believe everything you hear. I am sure there is at least a little truth in what is being said and told, with a generous helping of deception and truth massaging.
One of the first things I hear from my left friends is about their "rights" and how they are being violated and taken away. If we don't stand up for our rights we will lose them. (funny how the 'left' talks about their 'rights') Do you really know how unstable and fragile employment is for most people? Do you understand that people who are just fortunate to have a job, are working 10-18 hrs per day just to make ends meet. And even then, ends don't get meet. They are losing their homes, their entire life savings and investments just to live another week. They are doing things that they never thought they would have to do, taking jobs, if available, to meet the basics in life. I have a friend who shares with me that he doesn't know how to make rent next month. He is working temporary $8/hr jobs with absolutely no benefits. His car has over 200K miles, he needs shoulder surgery, and has to decide between gas for his car and pain medication.
I know many disagree with what Governor Walker is trying to do. Again, I restate, I am neither on the 'left' or 'right' on this issue. I will share this.
I was against "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" when it was discussed and debated. It was passed into law on March 30th, 2010. Debate, argue, discuss, repeat. But now that it is signed into law, get behind it and support it!
Admittedly, I am not in agreement with our current President on some issues, however, HE IS MY PRESIDENT and I WILL SUPPORT HIM! He deserves our respect, appreciation, and support as President. The people have spoken in the elections and collectively agree that this is the direction our nation should take.
On the opposite side, concerning Governor Walker, we need to debate, argue, discuss, and repeat. This needs to be done with respect for one another, intelligence, discernment and wisdom. At the end of all this, regardless of what happens, the people of Wisconsin have spoken in the elections and collectively agreed that this is the direction our state should take. If the current budget bill passes, I hope that we will all support, appreciate, and respect our Governor.
I reiterate, I really don't know about what is right and true concerning the Wisconsin Budget Bill. I do know that I am a little tired of hearing all the hate going back and forth. I am tired of neighbors and coworkers looking at each other as the enemy. I am tired of seeing all the envy and jealousy because someone has more than someone else (and maybe didn't deserve it).
No matter what happens, tomorrow I will work, eat, and sleep. I will do something and consider myself blessed by my Father for the good things I have and the bad things I don't have in my life. Each day is a new adventure and blessing.
Sincerely,
Tom
Thursday, February 3, 2011
"But teacher, I can not remember my password!"
One of the best things about winter in Wisconsin is the concept that when winter comes there is always the chance that we will get a "snow day" Winter 2011 hasn't disappointed with the 14" of snow and the 10-15 foot snow drifts.
With the Internet at my house down, the TV cable going off an on all day, a pot of home made chili in the crock pot, this past Wednesday gave me the opportunity to do something that I don't do too often. Reflect on the past and prognosticate on the future.
I went into my man cave, with all the pretty blue and green blinking lights, the hum of 1's and 0's moving around. And with the crystal ball, standard issue to any certified computer/network engineer, I began to gaze deeply into the future.
With a few moan and groans, and some chants to the computer gods, ("Oh spirit of IPv6, spirit of IPX, spirit of Virtualization and The Cloud, and spirit of IDE drives and AT keyboards, and all the others, lend me your wisdom") Okay, so I am a little over the top here. :)
I began to think where we have been, at least in particular to where I work now. We have gotten to the point where all of our network users have their own user name and password. They no longer "share" a common user name. And even at that, we still have issue with 1 user name and password.
So, where are we headed? It is pretty obvious to anyone in the technology field....TO THE CLOUD.
The first hurdle or obstacle to overcome is understand what "The Cloud" really means. After pondering for a good long time on this I realize that "the Cloud" is probably the most fitting name. Why, because no two clouds are the same, they are constantly changing, and predicting them is like being a Meteorologist where you can be wrong over 1/2 the time and still have a job. :)
But even saying all of that, there are still some truths that will remain. One of those truths is that no matter what the Cloud looks like, users will still need to access resources and stuff that are particular to them and their job function. These users need to be identified, in some fashion, to be able to gain access to these resources. In other words, no matter what the cloud is for you, there will still be some sort of password/authentication method.
Getting back to our school and what many other schools are talking about, text books and other resources ONLINE. Even now when we don't have many textbook, we still see the subscription of different resources popping up where users must have a user name and password to gain access.
Now, jump ahead 3-5-10 years when ALL of the student resources are online. Each teacher has a textbook or a series of online subscription resources that students must have access. How will they gain access?
Right now, each student must create for themselves a unique user name and password for each resource. And let's say, for the average high school student, each teacher has 2-4 online resources. That would create 10-20 different resources that students will have to create a user name and password. 10-20 different passwords with different criteria, with different expiration dates.
ICK ICK ICK!
"But teacher, I can not remember my password!" If you think this is a big deal now with ONE user name and password that your technology department has control over, what happens when you or your student/employees have dozens of user names and password that your tech department has NO control or influence over?
So...what is the answer, what is the fix? USER FEDERATION! Why not use and leverage what you already have in a directory, eDirectory in our case, or Active Directory, Open Directory, to maintain a single source of authentication. More importantly, instead of having to create ALL OF THESE ACCOUNT, there is a single source that will interface with these Cloud resources. And actually, instead of housing accounts on the Cloud system, you really only carve out a personal space where your users are truly YOUR users and the directory information is NOT contained in services such as Google, Yahoo, Accelerated Reader, or any of the online resources. There is NOTHING for these companies to sell or to be hacked by someone because the directory information is ONLY on your system. The Cloud simply uses your own directory as an authentication portal!
Now, your users have access to ALL the resources they want/need without being bothered by having to remember ALL OF THOSE PASSWORDS. Along with that, you, as a technology person, feel safe that your user information has not left your sphere of control, it is safe in your environment.
So, as we look forward to the future of "Going to the Cloud" think about how you are going to manage all of your users.
The userID is KEY in all of this! User federation along with some of the other cool sync products are going to either make or break your environment as you move to The Cloud!
I am so looking forward to the next snow day when I can dust off my crystal ball, go into the cone of knowledge, and be enlightened. Thank goodness I didn't have any of the Apple Kool-Aid! :)
With the Internet at my house down, the TV cable going off an on all day, a pot of home made chili in the crock pot, this past Wednesday gave me the opportunity to do something that I don't do too often. Reflect on the past and prognosticate on the future.
I went into my man cave, with all the pretty blue and green blinking lights, the hum of 1's and 0's moving around. And with the crystal ball, standard issue to any certified computer/network engineer, I began to gaze deeply into the future.
With a few moan and groans, and some chants to the computer gods, ("Oh spirit of IPv6, spirit of IPX, spirit of Virtualization and The Cloud, and spirit of IDE drives and AT keyboards, and all the others, lend me your wisdom") Okay, so I am a little over the top here. :)
I began to think where we have been, at least in particular to where I work now. We have gotten to the point where all of our network users have their own user name and password. They no longer "share" a common user name. And even at that, we still have issue with 1 user name and password.
So, where are we headed? It is pretty obvious to anyone in the technology field....TO THE CLOUD.
The first hurdle or obstacle to overcome is understand what "The Cloud" really means. After pondering for a good long time on this I realize that "the Cloud" is probably the most fitting name. Why, because no two clouds are the same, they are constantly changing, and predicting them is like being a Meteorologist where you can be wrong over 1/2 the time and still have a job. :)
But even saying all of that, there are still some truths that will remain. One of those truths is that no matter what the Cloud looks like, users will still need to access resources and stuff that are particular to them and their job function. These users need to be identified, in some fashion, to be able to gain access to these resources. In other words, no matter what the cloud is for you, there will still be some sort of password/authentication method.
Getting back to our school and what many other schools are talking about, text books and other resources ONLINE. Even now when we don't have many textbook, we still see the subscription of different resources popping up where users must have a user name and password to gain access.
Now, jump ahead 3-5-10 years when ALL of the student resources are online. Each teacher has a textbook or a series of online subscription resources that students must have access. How will they gain access?
Right now, each student must create for themselves a unique user name and password for each resource. And let's say, for the average high school student, each teacher has 2-4 online resources. That would create 10-20 different resources that students will have to create a user name and password. 10-20 different passwords with different criteria, with different expiration dates.
ICK ICK ICK!
"But teacher, I can not remember my password!" If you think this is a big deal now with ONE user name and password that your technology department has control over, what happens when you or your student/employees have dozens of user names and password that your tech department has NO control or influence over?
So...what is the answer, what is the fix? USER FEDERATION! Why not use and leverage what you already have in a directory, eDirectory in our case, or Active Directory, Open Directory, to maintain a single source of authentication. More importantly, instead of having to create ALL OF THESE ACCOUNT, there is a single source that will interface with these Cloud resources. And actually, instead of housing accounts on the Cloud system, you really only carve out a personal space where your users are truly YOUR users and the directory information is NOT contained in services such as Google, Yahoo, Accelerated Reader, or any of the online resources. There is NOTHING for these companies to sell or to be hacked by someone because the directory information is ONLY on your system. The Cloud simply uses your own directory as an authentication portal!
Now, your users have access to ALL the resources they want/need without being bothered by having to remember ALL OF THOSE PASSWORDS. Along with that, you, as a technology person, feel safe that your user information has not left your sphere of control, it is safe in your environment.
So, as we look forward to the future of "Going to the Cloud" think about how you are going to manage all of your users.
The userID is KEY in all of this! User federation along with some of the other cool sync products are going to either make or break your environment as you move to The Cloud!
I am so looking forward to the next snow day when I can dust off my crystal ball, go into the cone of knowledge, and be enlightened. Thank goodness I didn't have any of the Apple Kool-Aid! :)
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