An open letter to all web admins (once known as "web masters" -- cool title):
You've got 3 seconds. If your web page is so riddled with ads, tracking code, and flash that the actual content doesn't load in 3 seconds, I'm out. Possibly in 1 or 2 seconds. I understand the need for ads. I understand the need for analytics. Blah blah blah. It's 2015 people. There are millions of places for people to get the same exact content (yes, including my bloviating blog), so if it's slow people will simply go elsewhere.
Oh, and if you're still doing popup ads I'm gone even faster and I probably won't be back.
But hey, that's just me. I could be wrong.
What do you think?
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Monday, December 29, 2014
The Wheels of Progress
There is a
subtle danger in a man thinking that he is "fixed" for life. It
indicates that the next jolt of the wheel of progress is going to fling him
off.
~Henry Ford
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Squawking Printasaurs
I had a brief business meeting yesterday with someone I'd never met before. As normal course of action, we performed the archaic act of the business cards exchange. Sure, I'll keep the business card for no particular reason other than to clutter my already-too-small drawer space. And today, I got around to adding him into my contacts.
Name, business, title, check.
Business address, check.
Email address, check.
Office and cell phones, check and check.
Fax number, check.
Wait, what? Fax number? Hold it right there.Why on earth do I continue to keep fax numbers? I realize there are plenty of businesses that continue to hang on to their squawking Printasaur but I'm not one of them. I can't fathom why anyone does. They are slow, inconvenient to use, produce horrendous quality, and error prone.
No more. From this day forward don't ask me to feed your Printasaur. I won't even save your fax number. It's not worth the 80-bits of storage.
Name, business, title, check.
Business address, check.
Email address, check.
Office and cell phones, check and check.
Fax number, check.
Wait, what? Fax number? Hold it right there.Why on earth do I continue to keep fax numbers? I realize there are plenty of businesses that continue to hang on to their squawking Printasaur but I'm not one of them. I can't fathom why anyone does. They are slow, inconvenient to use, produce horrendous quality, and error prone.
No more. From this day forward don't ask me to feed your Printasaur. I won't even save your fax number. It's not worth the 80-bits of storage.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Kudos to HP
I have used HP servers before. Generally speaking, though, I am a software guy not a hardware guy, so when I say I've used such-and-such hardware I usually mean that I've used Linux and other software on that piece of gear.
In the last week I have had an opportunity to touch the hardware, first to rack a handful of DL360s, then last night to add memory. In both cases I've been impressed and they have made a fan out of me.
Installing the servers was a breeze because the rails are terrific. They install with "click", front and back, and then the servers slip on to the rails. I've dealt with other rails in the past which were a convoluted combination of gravity, insertions, and screws. And worse yet, some can make uninstalling a server a chore. HP wins this one hands down. Click, click. Ingenious.
Adding memory had a little less wow factor but I did like how the lid slips on and off with the little lever. And the DIMMs fit in nice and securely, again with a click click.
In the last week I have had an opportunity to touch the hardware, first to rack a handful of DL360s, then last night to add memory. In both cases I've been impressed and they have made a fan out of me.
Installing the servers was a breeze because the rails are terrific. They install with "click", front and back, and then the servers slip on to the rails. I've dealt with other rails in the past which were a convoluted combination of gravity, insertions, and screws. And worse yet, some can make uninstalling a server a chore. HP wins this one hands down. Click, click. Ingenious.
Adding memory had a little less wow factor but I did like how the lid slips on and off with the little lever. And the DIMMs fit in nice and securely, again with a click click.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Best Common Practices
Software vendors, they all do it.
Large-scale applications can and often do become enormously complex to configure, maybe not for the end user but certainly for the administrator. And so, The software vendors develop a set of best common practices (BCPs). And most of the time these BCPs are very useful. So why the %#^*+ are they not the default settings?
Large-scale applications can and often do become enormously complex to configure, maybe not for the end user but certainly for the administrator. And so, The software vendors develop a set of best common practices (BCPs). And most of the time these BCPs are very useful. So why the %#^*+ are they not the default settings?
Thursday, December 12, 2013
The Boy That Cries Wolf -- Why Symantec Will Cause My PC To Become Infected
Fairly recently, in the last few months anyway, Symantec's Endpoint Protection (the enterprise desktop anti-virus software) began to tell me every time I opened an app that has changed. This seems like a good idea, right? In many cases it can be. The idea is that it warns you that something about the application has changed and it blocks that app from reaching the Internet until you say it's ok. This can be a good thing, it can warn you when something just isn't right and it can prevent a massive virus outbreak.
But the problem with this approach is that browsers, for example, update so often, most times without asking, that Symantec warns me about Chrome every other day, it seems. When this first started I tracked the version number of Chrome to make sure that it was a Chrome update and not something else, such as an add-on that maybe I hadn't added on. And, as it turned out, it was indeed Google doing some minor update to the browser.
And there's the problem. We become accustomed to the Symantec's pop up and we just accept it. Symantec has become the boy that cries wolf. Sooner or later there will be an exploit to Chrome and I will allow it to happen. I will blindly click OK to the pop because I've stopped looking out for the real wolf.
But the problem with this approach is that browsers, for example, update so often, most times without asking, that Symantec warns me about Chrome every other day, it seems. When this first started I tracked the version number of Chrome to make sure that it was a Chrome update and not something else, such as an add-on that maybe I hadn't added on. And, as it turned out, it was indeed Google doing some minor update to the browser.
And there's the problem. We become accustomed to the Symantec's pop up and we just accept it. Symantec has become the boy that cries wolf. Sooner or later there will be an exploit to Chrome and I will allow it to happen. I will blindly click OK to the pop because I've stopped looking out for the real wolf.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Google Glass is Loon-y
Google Glass
I was recently in San Jose and while in an Irish pub I met a woman who said she worked for Google (I had no reason to think otherwise). She was wearing Google Glass. Fascinated, I probably spent too long badgering her with questions and begging to try them. (She wouldn't let me. I don't blame her, I wouldn't have let me either.) Nevertheless, she was able to show me what she was seeing via a connection the glasses had to her Droid phone. Pretty cool stuff.
But it got me wondering if I would actually wear them if I could get them and if they resembled affordable. I don't think I would.
While we've become accustomed to having the world at our fingertips through mobile devices, we've also become, as a society, a little bit rude in that we will whip out our phones and live our social lives online while in the presence of real, live people! Crazy.
But more importantly, while Glass allows you to have constant access, I believe it to be a red herring. That is, while it appears that Google is offering the world to you, it is actually the opposite. You are offering yourself to the world. The world of Google, that is.
Think about it. While you are looking up, say, the menu of the restaurant you are standing outside of, Google will now know whether you like (or are in the mood for) that particular cuisine by using GPS to know whether you went inside, whether can afford the price, what items on the menu you spent the most time looking at, and ultimately, what you decided to eat. Google will be collecting your every move in exchange for instant information. Paranoid? Perhaps, but I think Google's real intent is to feed their core business of gathering marketable information.
Google Glass, Part 2, and the Loon Project
Google is currently doing a pilot test where they propose to give Internet access to the millions that do not have it, and they are doing it with solar-powered balloons. Certainly an interesting idea.
I really want to believe this is at least partly altruistic, where they really do want to share the wealth of information (and cute cat videos) on the Internet, knowing full well that, if successful, this will also be good for their bottom line. Hey, I'm ok with them making a buck, and I'm more than ok with the humanitarian desire to enlighten the world.
Obviously Loon is wrought with challenges, not the least of which is whether certain countries will shoot their balloons out of the sky. It will be interesting to see how this progresses. For more info on Loon, go to http://www.google.com/loon/
So, how does Loon have anything to do with Glass? Technically, it doesn't really, other than the fact that they offered photographer Trey Ratcliff a chance to chronicle the story in pictures. While shooting stills, he was also wearing Google Glass which captured surprisingly extraordinary video. And, as always, Mr. Ratcliff's photos are truly fantastic. To see the video and pictures, go to http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2013/06/14/google-internet-balloons/
I was recently in San Jose and while in an Irish pub I met a woman who said she worked for Google (I had no reason to think otherwise). She was wearing Google Glass. Fascinated, I probably spent too long badgering her with questions and begging to try them. (She wouldn't let me. I don't blame her, I wouldn't have let me either.) Nevertheless, she was able to show me what she was seeing via a connection the glasses had to her Droid phone. Pretty cool stuff.
But it got me wondering if I would actually wear them if I could get them and if they resembled affordable. I don't think I would.
While we've become accustomed to having the world at our fingertips through mobile devices, we've also become, as a society, a little bit rude in that we will whip out our phones and live our social lives online while in the presence of real, live people! Crazy.
But more importantly, while Glass allows you to have constant access, I believe it to be a red herring. That is, while it appears that Google is offering the world to you, it is actually the opposite. You are offering yourself to the world. The world of Google, that is.
Think about it. While you are looking up, say, the menu of the restaurant you are standing outside of, Google will now know whether you like (or are in the mood for) that particular cuisine by using GPS to know whether you went inside, whether can afford the price, what items on the menu you spent the most time looking at, and ultimately, what you decided to eat. Google will be collecting your every move in exchange for instant information. Paranoid? Perhaps, but I think Google's real intent is to feed their core business of gathering marketable information.
Google Glass, Part 2, and the Loon Project
Google is currently doing a pilot test where they propose to give Internet access to the millions that do not have it, and they are doing it with solar-powered balloons. Certainly an interesting idea.
I really want to believe this is at least partly altruistic, where they really do want to share the wealth of information (and cute cat videos) on the Internet, knowing full well that, if successful, this will also be good for their bottom line. Hey, I'm ok with them making a buck, and I'm more than ok with the humanitarian desire to enlighten the world.
Obviously Loon is wrought with challenges, not the least of which is whether certain countries will shoot their balloons out of the sky. It will be interesting to see how this progresses. For more info on Loon, go to http://www.google.com/loon/
So, how does Loon have anything to do with Glass? Technically, it doesn't really, other than the fact that they offered photographer Trey Ratcliff a chance to chronicle the story in pictures. While shooting stills, he was also wearing Google Glass which captured surprisingly extraordinary video. And, as always, Mr. Ratcliff's photos are truly fantastic. To see the video and pictures, go to http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2013/06/14/google-internet-balloons/
Friday, May 3, 2013
Provisioning Servers in the Cloud... Literally
It usually takes a lot to impress a techie with technology. Today, it happened to me at work... with our own stuff!
Check it out at http://blog.evolveip.net/index.php/2013/05/03/provisioning-servers-in-the-cloud-literally/
Ever have one of those "WOW" moments? If so, please share in the comments.
Check it out at http://blog.evolveip.net/index.php/2013/05/03/provisioning-servers-in-the-cloud-literally/
Ever have one of those "WOW" moments? If so, please share in the comments.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Are Outages The New Normal?
Spoiler alert: I don't think so.
Read my guest blog on TMC here: http://blog.tmcnet.com/on-rads-radar/2013/04/are-outages-the-new-normal.html
Read my guest blog on TMC here: http://blog.tmcnet.com/on-rads-radar/2013/04/are-outages-the-new-normal.html
Friday, February 15, 2013
Evolve IP Releases OSSmosis Enterprise Cloud Manager Based on Red Hat’s ManageIQ Technologies
Groundbreaking infrastructure automation tool allows customers to monitor, manage, and access virtual resources in the cloud
WAYNE, Pa.—February 14, 2013 – Evolve IP, The Cloud Services Company™, today announced it has released the OSSmosis enterprise cloud manager (ECM) to help customers take better advantage of its award-winning cloud services platform. Evolve IP’s cloud manager was developed with ManageIQ software, which was acquired by Red Hat, Inc. in December 2012, as its foundation. It provides real-time information on a customer’s virtual resources along with the ability to easily modify and control them.
An Inc. 500 company, Evolve IP provides organizations with a unified option for cloud services. Today, tens of thousands of users across the globe depend daily on Evolve IP for cloud services like virtual servers, virtual desktops, disaster recovery, unified communications, contact centers, and more.
Evolve IP’s OSSmosis ECM provides a number of intelligent services and a platform for new features to be rolled out quickly. Initially, customers can control the power states of their virtual servers and manage them with resource allocation and direct console access from anywhere. Customers also can self-serve existing production computing environments or procure reserved pools of infrastructure by the unit and build on-demand.
“While every IT professional understands the cost savings associated with moving their servers to the cloud, they may not realize they have the same ability to control and manage them,” said Scott Kinka, Chief Technology Officer at Evolve IP. “Evolve IP’s proprietary OSSmosis enterprise cloud manager takes it a step farther and provides an intuitive, high visibility tool that enables IT pros to manage servers just like they were in their own data center.”
“We’re excited to collaborate with Evolve IP on its compelling enterprise cloud manager,” said Bryan Che, general manager, Cloud Business Unit at Red Hat. “Having ManageIQ software deployed on Evolve IP’s award-winning private cloud platform demonstrates the flexibility and power of the ManageIQ technologies. We look forward to continuing our work with Evolve IP and other industry leaders.”
“These new capabilities further Evolve IP’s position as a market leader in consumable and predictable private cloud infrastructure,” said Joe Corvaia, Evolve IP’s Vice President of Cloud Computing. “The portal allows businesses to meet changing requirements rapidly and economically in a pay-as-you-go environment. It also helps leaders enforce business and IT policies through secure, role-driven access and simplifies the self-service life cycle.”
For more information about Evolve IP’s suite of cloud services, visit www.EvolveIP.net. For more discussion about how cloud services can improve business, visit Cloud IQ at blog.EvolveIP.net.
ABOUT EVOLVE IP
Evolve IP is The Cloud Services Company™. Designed from the beginning to provide organizations with a unified option for cloud services, Evolve IP enables decision-makers to migrate all or select IT technologies to its award-winning cloud platform. Evolve IP's combination of security, stability, scalability and lower total cost of ownership makes its services fundamentally superior to outdated legacy systems and other cloud offerings. Today, tens of thousands of users around the world rely daily on Evolve IP for cloud services, including virtual servers, virtual desktops, disaster recovery, unified communications, contact centers, and more. Visit www.EvolveIP.net or http://blog.EvolveIP.net.
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