How to get married on the net...
Being a hopeless romantic, I handed my girlfriend (now wife) a Subway sandwich and a diamond ring when she'd just gotten out of the shower.
It was not really the extravaganza she was looking for, but I was still able to convince her.
That was 7 years ago, and it never occurred to me to do something geeky on the internet.
But now we have a guide, 5 Geeky Ways To Ask Someone To Marry You On The Internet
You can make a Youtube video, build a website, or email her a GPS hunt.
It brings a tear to my eye it does.
Curt has 7 patents and is the CEO of a timesheet software company in Austin, Texas.
What Exactly Is A Netbook, Anyway?
If you think that's a dumb question, then you are in a minority according to a new survey put out by the NPD Group.
Netbooks have been the darling of the PC industry over the past year or two. When you look at desktop and laptop sales, it is easy to see why. Desktop and laptops have tanked right along with the economy, while netbooks have soared.
But what is a netbook and what is their benefit?
Consider the survey results:
1. 60% of the people surveyed say that they only use their netbooks at home, as opposed to taking it on the go.
2. The same 60% say they bought their netbook for using on the go. Hmmm.. and what happened?
3. For those that went shopping for a notebook and ended up coming home with a netbook, 58% said they were ultimately not happy with their decision (duh!). Meantime, 70% who said they went shopping for a netbook and came home with a netbook are ultimately happy with what they got (duh, part duh!)
Maybe part of the problem is the definition of "netbook", which seems to be a moving target.
When netbooks came out, originally, they were exclusively loaded with open source operating systems, which kept the price down by avoiding pricey Windows software.
Netbooks typically had seven to eight inch screens. Then the size crept up to ten inches and are well on the way to 12 inches. You can also get them with Windows XP.
Tell me again, what is the difference?
Originally, they were supposed to be something different than a notebook and not just a baby notebook. Well guess what? Notebooks appear to have a little brother now.
Additional, theories:
If so many netbook buyers started out as notebook shoppers; could it be that the real appeal is a) the right price in the wrong economy and/or b) Windows XP on a 10 inch screen is more appealing than Vista on a 15 inch screen?
I'm just saying...
How to Prevent IT Project Failure (3 of 3)
3. Data for the CXO
For executives, it is impossible to make effective decisions without knowing what people are working on or how the projects are doing. Additionally, if strategic projects do not have priority for critical, scarce resources, it will cause stress for the organization as a whole. Many organizations feel that it is enough to track project progress on a percentage complete basis. Unfortunately, this is not consistent with established methodologies, which nearly always suggest that the only accurate measure of progress is tracking work effort (i.e., time).
It is extremely important to present project data to management in an easily consumable way. Executives just want to know, at a glance, what is broken or about to be broken. They are problem solvers, and they can only succeed if they have up-to-date, accurate information. Such data will also allow executives to prioritize projects based on their value to the organization and its core strategy.
Curt Finch is the founder & CEO of a resource management software company.
Microsoft's New Deal Style Help
I often give Microsoft a hard time on this blog. Not so this time. I want to give their program, "Elevate America" a mention.
Elevate America is Microsoft's way of helping American workers get a leg up and perhaps get off the unemployment line in the midst of this tough economy.
Here's what the program has to offer:
- Microsoft is offering free or low cost tech training and even certification opportunities for up to two million people over the next three years, some of it is directly available through Microsoft. Other offerings are in partnership with a number of states that have already signed on to the program. Those states include, so far, Washington, New York, Florida, Virginia.
- It offers basic technology skills training that covers how to put together a resume and send it out electronically to fundamental web site design.
- There are vouchers for tuition to certification course work and even the exams.
- It also includes special training for college students and grads, along with job placement assistance.
Yes, one could interpret all of this as a bit self-serving; a way to further expand the Microsoft IT army giving businesses more reason to stick with Windows, etc.and avoid open source solutions. Take a step back on this one, however. Microsoft is a business, after all. Their job is making money. Businesses don't do anything without getting something out of it in return, even if it's just a play for some good public relations.
I don't have a problem with that and this time Microsoft has earned some good PR.
Job training assistance in an economy where the unemployment rate is dancing around the double digit barrier is a site for sore eyes. This is not retraining for menial, low paying jobs. These skills are for good- salaried white collar professions. The skills are highly mobile, too.
At a time when so many Americans are out of work and yet there is a need to import workers from out of the country to fill good high tech positions; this is a great program to offer.
I hope other states will join the effort.
I hope businesses will join the effort. Perhaps instead of outsourcing work to other countries, some will instead consider pointing job candidates to this program and then hiring these new entry-level workers instead.
How to Prevent IT Project Failure (2 of 3)
2. Planning and executing projects
IT project managers are responsible for keeping scope, budget, and schedules on track, but can they really be expected to do so when they don’t know how many hours it takes to accomplish a task, or how many hours remain in the project? In this instance, actuals must be tracked in order to take a project from a plan to successful execution.
Let's put it this way: If 10% of a project's allocated budget has been spent and only 5% of the work has been completed, there is a problem. Those who track employee actuals and find this out early in the project have a fighting chance of recovery. Those who don't will find out much later on that their projects are drastically over budget. This is just one example of how real-time data enables project managers to fix problems before they start.
Curt holds 7 patents and is the CEO of a resource management software company.
What Kind Of Vacation Are You Taking This Summer?
It used to be that where you went on vacation was the big question. Now, the big question is are you actually going somewhere at all and if so just how much work are you taking with you.
Sigh...
Corporate America, shame on you.
Corporate workers, shame on you for letting them do it to you.
How often do people actually go away for a week or two anymore and leave all the electronic leashes at home?
Before you go away this summer, I propose making two lists. One list is the standard "what do I need to take" list; the other, however, is the "what should I leave at home" list.
The goal is to keep work commitments to an absolute minimum and family commitments to an absolute maximum. Can we agree on that?
Make the second list first.
What can you leave at home?
1. How about the laptop? If you limit yourself to e-mail on your smartphone; you may check e-mail more often, but your responses will be shorter, if you bother to answer at all. It's much easier to sit down at a laptop, look up two hours and three e-mails later and realize your family went hiking without you. Don't expect a warm reunion when they get back, either.
2. No briefcases, please! It's something to haul around that is a highly visual symbol to your family that you aren't quite all there with them. Put the absolute most necessary documents on a flash drive and strike a compromise to only use the hotel computers in the executive center once a day for a very limited time (like the hour before breakfast). Again, using some other way to access the Internet other than a laptop makes it more difficult to get lost in time and cheat on your promises of restraint.
3. Your work ethic! You've earned your vacation. You need your vacation. Your family makes enough sacrifices playing second fiddle to your long hours and distracted moods the rest of the year. So be a slacker and focus on having a good time with them.
What can you take on vacation, but leave in the hotel room when you're out with the family?
Your cell phone! Yes, your cell phone. Check your messages once or twice a day as needed. Put the office and colleagues on notice that you are going off the reservation for a time and plan around it. Nothing is more obnoxious or sad to watch a Mom, Dad or spouse taking business calls on a tour bus. FYI.. your family and everyone else on the bus will hate you and you deserve it.
What should you take?
- Sunscreen
- Bathing suit
- Something to wear out to dinner
- A trashy paperback
- Flip flops
Get the idea? Now, go have fun.
How to Prevent IT Project Failure (1 of 3)
1: Managing resources
IT project teams are made up of knowledge workers categorized by skill types or job functions, and finding the right person to assign to a project or task can often present challenges. Typically, quality staff is scarce and therefore heavily sought by competing projects. Project managers often don't know when IT workers will be taking vacation or spending time on non-project work, making it nearly impossible to schedule projects effectively.
In this case, they need real-time access to team member schedules, tasks and available time. The system must also be web-based, since the team is probably not all in one workspace 24 hours a day. This is why spreadsheets don't work very well. Not only are they unable to be audited, but they don't allow for global access from various participants.
Tomorrow we'll talk about planning...
Curt Finch is the author of a project management book and lives in Texas.
