Complex System Problem Solving
Topics: Technical
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What do you do when you need to make a change to a system used by several thousand people? When making a change to any complex system, there is always the possibility of unintended consequences. The answer is this: Test, Test, Test. When you’re done testing and you’re ready to deploy your change be sure to have a backup plan.

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The Universal Medium of Communication
Topics: Industry Trends
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We all communicate in one or more forms today:  email, text messages, phone calls, even a face-to-face conversation — utilized less than ever today.  Communication continues to evolve no matter which medium you choose to use.  Every one of these mediums started out independent of the Internet, but today, each of them can be accomplished (probably for free) via the Internet.  In my mind, this makes the Internet the universal medium for communication.

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Techy Anticipation
Topics: Fun Stuff
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I ordered some hardware so I could build my new PC earlier this week.  I wanted to take a moment to describe the anticipation that geeks nerds tech people go through when they order new computer hardware.  It usually involves checking the tracking numbers every few hours, starting only a few hours after making the initial order.  Personally, I also read reviews about the specific components I ordered to convince myself that it was worth the money spent.

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Collaborative Groups: The Power of Community
Topics: Community Involvement
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I’m going to take a break from my normally-technical blog posts.  Recently, I was reading through a few threads on one of the mailing lists I subscribe to, and I came across a wealth of information on a particular subject that I otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to.  The subject of the discussion threads is unimportant to the topic at hand; the key lesson here is that community involvement can tremendously help people stay informed in whatever field they’re involved.
I’m specifically advocating local community groups that share expertise in areas of mutual interest.  These groups can be something as simple as a mailing list on which people collaborate on issues they’re facing or topics they’d like to discuss with like-minded people.  Some groups have formal meetings where people give presentations and have Q&A sessions.  Some collaborative groups may even be sponsored by commercial entities that have a vested interest in ensuring that these groups continue to exist.
But don’t simply read the mailing list, or sit there passively in the meetings: get involved!  Offer assistance to people when you see they’re having problems.  If you have something you’ve found to be useful in your area of expertise, contribute to your local group(s).  The great thing about this concept is that it has been so successful in so many different fields.  Technical, business, artistic, and even hobby groups exist to help people collaborate.  I might even call it a viral concept.  I’ve personally benefitted a great deal by several groups in my area, and I hope I can also contribute something to these groups in the coming days.

I’m going to take a break from my normally-technical blog posts. Recently, I was reading through a few threads on one of the mailing lists I subscribe to, and I came across a wealth of information on a particular subject that I otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to.

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Don’t be password hacked
Topics: Technical
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So, it’s my turn to blog again, and while Apple preventing the Palm Pre from syncing music with iTunes was a very tempting topic, I kept on reading my news feeds this morning to find something even more interesting and just as predictable: Twitter employee’s Gmail is “hacked”, and confidential information is compromised. I placed the word “hacked” in quotes in order to point out that his Google account was not “hacked” in the traditional sense of the term; someone simply guessed his password.

Now would be the appropriate time for you, my dear reader, to think about your own Gmail/GoogleApps password, and decide whether or not it is easily-guessable by a would-be attacker.  Here’s a quick guide to ensuring password security:

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