Frustrations About Posting Frustrations

In case you haven’t already noticed, I’m a bit of a Facebook junkie. If you were to track my time on the web and break it down by site, I’m certain Facebook would be by far the site I use more often. I love being able to share and connect with friends, and I’m generally open to friending almost anyone.

However, that right there can be a problem. Because some of my Facebook friends are clients of mine.

The problem isn’t the obvious one – posting incriminating photos. I’m generally OK with those types of things, and I make sure to clear out the ones that I don’t want on Facebook. The real problem is I’ve grown to enjoy posting frustrations on Facebook. But what if one of those frustrations is with a client.

As a perfect example, I recently delivered a project to a client per their specifications. I mean, exactly what they asked for. In fact, before I built it I confirmed with the client that what I was about to deliver was in fact what they were asking for. However, after I actually handed it over I was informed they wanted something different.

My first instinct was to post “loves it when he delivers what a customer wants only to be told that’s not what they want.” But the two people I was interfacing with during this project are both friends of mine on Facebook, and would have known I was talking about them.

Part of the reason I like posting frustrations is it gives me a quick place to vent. Plus, I have enough developer friends that can relate to just that story.

But you really can’t bash a client on a public forum.

Can’t post that to Facebook.

Fortunately, though, they don’t read the blog.

How About Having an Expert Available?

This morning the FAA released the voice recorder from US Airways flight 1549, the flight that landed safely in the Hudson. And as luck would have it, I happened to have CNN on right when the tape was released. And CNN being CNN wanted to put it on the air immediately.

I’ll give CNN credit for a couple of things here. They really did try to make this whole thing work. They brought on a survivor from the crash so the survivor could hear the recording for the first time on the air. They played the tape from start to finish right after it was released with no editing.

Only they forgot one small little piece to put the whole thing together – someone that actually understood what was on the voice recorder.

For those of you not familiar with how the voice recorder on a plane works, it simply works on an endless loop, recording all transmissions the plane sends and receives for the last few minutes. As a result, the tape contains not only communications intended for that plane, but all air traffic control (ATC) communications on that frequency that the plane picked up.

When they started playing the voice recorder tape on the air this morning, the first few minutes had normal ATC chatter, with planes being given instructions on altitudes, headings and who to contact next. And it was 30 seconds in that the entire plan fell apart.

The anchor that was on the air did not understand what she was hearing. And the producers clearly didn’t understand either, and nobody gave her information as to what it was she was hearing. As a result, as she didn’t understand that the first part contained chatter for other planes; instead she informed the viewers that “obviously” the pilot was trying to figure out what to do with the plane and that everyone was calm. Well, yes, everyone was calm – because it wasn’t flight 1549 that was communicating with anyone at this point. And this continued for the bulk of the airing of the tape, until they finally got to the very end when the flight went into the Hudson.

I will give 24 hour news networks credit for trying to get actual news on the air as quickly as possible. But what I don’t understand is how they don’t prepare themselves to be in a situation where they can give accurate information. Every network has contacts that are experts in nearly every subject. Why didn’t CNN get a pilot on the phone either during the airing of the tape or beforehand to prep the anchor on what it was she was about to hear?

At the end of the day, accurate information is much more important to the populous than rushing it to the air.

The Death of Traditional Media

I’ve blogged before about my issues with the state of 24 hour news. Not only is there simply not enough news to fill up 24 hours on the 5+ networks dedicated to this format, the level of sensationalism has reached an all time high as each network competes for viewers and, in turn, advertising dollars. We’ve now reached the point where if one simply wants a traditional news show outside of one of the “big three” networks it’s nowhere to be found. On a personal level, it’s that part that frustrates me the most, as I find television news a convenient way to have the day’s larger headlines broken down into a very easy to consume format.

A sign of the changing landscape in another form of media came this week as it was announced this week that the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News would discontinue home delivery of the newspaper except for the most popular three days of the week (Thursday, Friday and Sunday). As an alternative, the newspapers are moving home subscribers to the online version of the paper. While some may want to spin this as a sign of a troubled economy, that could not be further from the truth. The fact is that the Detroit newspapers are facing the exact same problem as every other newspaper in the nation – competition with the Internet.

Our world and our reality has changed greatly over the last 10 years. Information has become more pervasive than any time before in our history. People have more resources at their disposal than ever. And the Internet acts as a leveler for the playing field, allowing anyone with a computer to share their thoughts for all the world to see (i.e. – this blog). The fact of the matter is, people are turning towards other resources for their news.

All media outlets are businesses and must make money. As competition increases for customers these businesses must find other ways to turn a profit. Television has handled this by (on the whole) casting aside any level of journalistic integrity and sense of neutrality in search of ratings. Newspapers have a limited capability to do that due to the format of that medium. Some newspaper companies are beginning to succumb to the pressures - the parent company for the Chicago Tribune recently declared bankruptcy. Others, like the aforementioned Detroit newspapers, are trying to reshape themselves to Internet based media companies.

What worries me about all of this is the impact it will have on the general population. This is an age when someone can have a respected news site despite only scooping one more story in its history than I have (Matt Drudge), or another that has a very obvious agenda can be given credence in the main stream media (The Huffington Post). We seem to be losing all sight of journalism and neutrality, and the general populous seems to be losing its ability (if it ever had one to begin with) to filter out this bias.

FactCheck.org, a non-partisan organization dedicated to fishing out falsehoods in political ads and spin, posted an article recently about the electorate’s level of misinformation. As it turns out, about half of the population believed two falsehoods told about the two major candidates in the election (McCain making cuts to Medicare and Obama taxing small business owners). Clearly, the truth doesn’t appear to be getting out there in a fashion consumable by a sizeable chunk of the population.

Our population is receiving their information from talking heads on television and the Internet in blogs who are concerned more about their own opinions and advertising than anything resembling journalism. And as is human nature, when something’s in print or on television, our instinct is to give it some level of credence even when none is deserved.

I wonder if we will continue down this path, or if at some point there will be a societal correction as more people demand unbiased truth from media outlets.

Packaging gone wild

The cable for my Zune had a piece break off of it recently. No problem, order another. Off to Amazon I go (Amazon Prime - best investment I ever made) and I get my cable today. The cable is at the lower portion of the picture. The rest is the packaging it came in. A little excessive, maybe?

For those of you scoring at home (or even if you're alone) that's one main box, a piece of cardboard with plastic to hold the cable's box in place, a box for the cable, which contained two plastic pieces for display, TWO instruction manuals (there's two sides to the cable, one for the computer, the other for the Zune, and the connectors don't look a thing alike), and a packing slip. Oh, and the cable. (The red thing around the cable is a Velcro tie (everyone who travels should have these for their cables.))

Maybe next time just toss the cable in a padded envelope, throw it in the mail, and call it good?

Don't deliver to an intoxicated person

So Karin and I ordered some wine recently from wine.com (they had a sale we just couldn't refuse) which arrived today. On the label was the following:

I grok why they would want someone at least 21 years old, and why they don't want to simply leave the package.

What Karin and I really love is the "Do not deliver to an intoxicated person".

Vaporware

Vaporware is a term in the computer industry for a piece of hardware or software that is announced, touted, but never completed or released to market.  It's often used to distract competitors or to generate good publicity for a company.

Recently Chevy has been airing commercials touting cars that run on fuel cells, hydrogen, and longer running batteries. Sounds revolutionary. And it is.

But read the fine print. The fine print that's normally reserved to telling you it's a driver on a closed course, or not to spin your truck in a centrifuge. This time around it, it says the cars don't actually exist.

Chevy is marketing cars that don't exist with technologies that haven't been invented. I suppose next month they'll start showing off flying cars. Chevy is trying to take credit for something they haven't even done yet.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for investing in technologies that will reduce carbon emissions. But just have something done first.

What's in a Name?

This might surprise a couple of you, but my real name isn't "jersey". No really, it's not. My full name is Christopher Patrick Harrison. It's the longest 3-name combination I've come across. So long, that my last name is on the next line of my license, which causes a small issue about once every 5th time someone looks at it.

In the mean time, I don't mind being called "Chris" or "jersey". But when I'm doing work, I prefer "Christopher". Maybe it's just a separation for me between my personal and professional lives, but it's what I prefer.

One of the things I've noticed, though, is that it's very rare that people are willing to use my full name. I notice that names like "Michael" and "Matthew" are commonly left as is, but I'm always "Chris", even if I haven't said I want to be called "Chris".

I don't know if it's the 3 syllables, or the fact that most every "Christopher" goes by "Chris", but I can never have my full name be respected.

Not a big thing, just something I've noticed.

They don't know I'm not a terrorist

With these last three weeks excepted, I fly once a week now for work. Which means that twice a week I find myself dealing with the joy that is airport security. And unlike what seems like a majority of Americans, I don't mind it.

Now don't get me wrong - it is inconvenient. I did wind up having to change airlines one week at the last minute, which garnered me the dreaded "SSSSSSSS" on my ticket, meaning that I received extra special treatment at the security line. I also travel with a lot of electronics, meaning my bag gets extra scanning on a regular basis.

My personal favorite was the cooling pad I use for my laptop bothering the security folks. It took 5 TSA employees to look at the X-ray picture of my bag until they finally did a bag check, swabbing every last item. Because my last name is Harrison, the fan set off the bomb residue detector, meaning I got a pat-down as an added bonus.

The entire time, I was very friendly, talking with the TSA folks, and asking what I should do next time since I knew I'd be back again the following week. (Take the cooling pad out, BTW, is the correct answer.) I always give myself plenty of time, so I had no added stress at the moment.

I understand the folks at TSA are simply trying to do their job. They need to confirm that I am not a terrorist. Now, I know I'm not a terrorist, and everyone who knows me knows I'm not a terrorist. But they don't know that. They need to confirm for themselves that I'm not a terrorist.

What I don't understand is people who haven't figured this out on their own. I often hear people complain about TSA folks spending time with kids and "old ladies", pulling them aside for extra screening. The question is often asked, "Can't you tell they're not a terrorist?" Actually, no, I can't, and neither can the security personnel.

Let's remember that the second worst terrorist attack on US soil was perpetrated by a couple of middle-aged white guys. There is no definition of what a terrorist looks like. After all, up until a couple years ago, Islamic terrorists were always men - but that has long since changed, as boys and girls, men and women, have all blown themselves up in the name of jihad. The simple fact is if we stop scanning little old ladies, or people in pilot's uniforms, or anyone else who "doesn't look like a terrorist", the terrorists will then start enlisting people that fall under those categories. Everyone must be treated as a terrorist until we can confirm they're not.

The next time you find yourself getting "wanded", just remember the fine TSA person is simply trying to confirm that you are not a terrorist.

Happy Chrismahanakwanzaka

I love the holiday season. From about the week before Thanksgiving through the final college football game, it's possibly my favorite time of the year. I find this time of year even more enjoyable knowing I won't have to follow it up with 4 months of winter, but that's another story.

The one thing I don't like one bit is the annual controversies over what to say to someone to wish them a happy whatever. One side complains because this is some vast conspiracy to eliminate Christmas, and in turn Christianity. Others complain about Christmas, and in turn Christianity, being "forced" down their throat. (I find both positions rather ironic since Christmas is a remarkably secular holiday, even banned by the first settlers to what became the United States, with Christian ideals bolted on at a much later date, but that's a subject for another posting.)

Almost every major religion and culture has some form of a holiday around this time of year. Most of them revolve around celebrating the harvest or the solstice, or simply the need to have a holiday to make the harsh winter a little more bearable, even if for just one day. And just about every one is represented in this country by some portion of society.

This has led a lot of society, for whatever reason, to want to avoid offending people by wishing them something that doesn't match the holiday they celebrate. Somehow speaking in generalities has become the way to respect other people's beliefs.

We're supposed to be a melting pot. We're supposed to celebrate each other's beliefs. What better way to celebrate another's beliefs than to find out what it is they actually believe and share that part of ourselves? And a great start is to say "Happy ____" or "Merry ____".

By saying "Happy" whatever, you're doing two things. You're, of course, wishing well upon the person, in a very personal way, and what's better than that? On top of that, you're sharing a bit of yourself by declaring what it is you celebrate.

I would much prefer someone wishing me "Happy Hanukah" when I see them on the street than just "Happy Holidays". Same goes with the employee at JC Penney's. Or my coworker. Or anyone else for that matter.

Rather than everyone hiding what they celebrate, let's celebrate what each individual celebrates. Wish people what you normally would, and graciously thank them when they wish you their normal blessing. And who knows - maybe you'll learn something about a culture you never knew.

So with that, I wish all of my readers a Merry Christmas, and a very enjoyable New Year.

Do we really need this waste?

One of the things my main client in Houston decided to do was pick up the rent on the apartment we were using out here, which certainly does give me more space to spread out in. So I got back to the apartment last night, and there was a phonebook sitting here.

I had to stretch my brain to think of the last time I've used a phonebook. A quick search on the Internet, or mobile Google Maps, and I can pretty much find whatever I want. How many times a month/year do people actually still use phonebooks?

With all this focus on outlawing plastic bags and the like, how about changing phonebook delivery to opt-in? Just a thought.

How about a description?

I'm not sure how many brewers are going to read this, but...

I rather enjoy beer. As such, I love trying new beers from all sorts of different microbreweries. The one thing I will never understand is why small breweries often don't have any description of the beer on the bottle.

Any beer drinker will tell you there is a large variation between styles of beer. While an IPA will normally be hoppier than say a Pale Ale and lighter than say a Brown Ale, there are still differences between different brewers' interpretations.

As a result, when I grab a six-pack of some unknown brewery, it would be nice to have a description. I understand that a label doesn't give you a lot of room, but you have a whole box. A simple 2 sentence description of the beer: Hoppiness, kinds of hops, color, flavor, approachable, intense, aromas, something! And on a personal note, if there's a story behind the recipe, maybe a quick description there as well.

If you want me to buy your beer, tell me what to expect.

I hate packing

That is all

What indication did I give you that this was OK?

I swung by Borders tonight to pick up a book on SharePoint Server 2007, seeing as how I'll be teaching on it pretty soon. I walk up to the counter and the guy asks me, "What is SharePoint?"

I give him a quick explanation on what it is (it's a portal/collaboration server), rather quickly and coldly, because I know what's about to come. I'm bracing myself. I'm hoping it doesn't.

"Do you know anything about web development?", he asks.

"A little..." I'm a little more aggressive on the "I really don't want to talk" attitude, but still being polite - and being polite is pretty much always my mistake.

"Can I ask you what a good tool is for editing web sites?..."

CRAP! There it is. I knew it was coming from the very beginning, but I was really hoping I could dodge the bullet. I guess not. CRAP!

This vent that is forthcoming is not directed towards friends or family. If are related to me or my friend, and I am happy to help.

Why is it that if you work in computers, complete strangers will suddenly decide that you are now their personal computer consultant? Do people mention that they're a doctor and have the person respond, "Really? I have this cyst..." Now don't get me wrong - I love what I do. I get to play with technology, I get to impart knowledge on others, I get to help others. But that doesn't mean I'm interested in talking technology 24 hours a day, at any random moment, with any random person.

It's gotten to the point that when people ask me what I do for a living, I don't want to say anything. Half the time the answer leads me into a 20 minute conversation about this wireless router that isn't working correctly, or some other such problem. My favorite people are the ones that get upset with me when I can't troubleshoot their computer through conversation.

I finally posted a message in the MCT newsgroups about how to answer this question. The best answer was to say that I'm an astronaut, or some other impossible job. When asked what I really do, say I'm really a computer trainer, but I don't like to say that because I then get asked about the person's computer issues. Makes sense, and it's been successful.

Except in a situation like this. I have no choice. I'm trapped. I can either help him, or be completely rude. But then I'm suddenly the jackass.

Ugh.

Do the world a favor. If you meet someone who does <fill in job where you might have personal questions here>, don't just start asking them questions. Let them make the offer first. It's the polite thing to do.

Done venting. You may now go on with the rest of your day.