November 2006
People and organizations often resist change. It's easy to think of reasons to avoid doing something new - don't have the time, we'll lose control, can't see the value, unproven technology, what happens if something goes wrong - the list is endless. This applies to the emergence of a new set of digital communication channels - e.g. blogs, podcasts, wikis and social networks. Bring up the topic and you'll most likely run into a brick wall of doubt. The common denominator is that these people haven't taken the time to understand what's happening and how it can be used to their advantage. Check out Eric Lundquist's piece, "Let Freedom Ring," in the current issue of eWeek. He's right on the money when he writes, "You can develop a capability for podcasts, blogs and social networks, or you can see your users turn to outside alternatives."
Find some time to learn a little about each of these new approaches and think of ways they can help your business. Digital communications offer great opportunities to get your message out - use them to your advantage.
Posted by John Moran on November 29, 2006 at 11:08 AM
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Seeing everyone (even techies) is talking about last night's election results, here are a few observations.
1) The Republican Party deserved the beating it took. The GOP has been devoid of a real national leader since Reagan. Their biggest asset is that the Democrats have been so hapless at the national level. The lone exception was Bill Clinton - and the Republicans couldn't lay a glove on him for eight years.
2) Democrats didn't win because of a new found and well articulated strategy. People are fed up with the Administration - and Dems rode that horse to victory. Good for them, but the "we're not them" approach won't cut it in '08.
3) Nancy Pelosi may be this generation's Tip O'Neil - a House Speaker adored by the left but a useful foil for Republicans to use in future elections.
4) Hillary vs. Obama in the '08 Democratic primary - bring it on.
5) Now that W has been neutered by the electorate, look for McCain to really step into the national limelight.
OK, that was a nice break - back to software talk tomorrow.
Posted by John Moran on November 8, 2006 at 3:20 PM
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Check out Josh Reed's blog, "Josh in Antarctica." Josh left Iowa State in mid-October to spend three months working at McMurdo Station with a group of scientists, educators and students from the U.S., Germany, New Zealand, Italy and the U.K. The group is part of the ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) project. By drilling in to the earth's core, they hope to recover a history of paleoenvironmental changes - this could be helpful for providing guidance on future scenarios related to global warming.
Josh developed a graphic editing tool called the Paleontolical Stratigraphic Interval Construction and Analysis Tool (PSICAT). This application, based on the Eclipse rich-client platform (RCP), has been customized to the task of working with stratigraphic columns. PSICAT is being used for creating and viewing diagrams from drill cores and outcrops (think Photoshop or CorelDRAW on a higher level).
Josh updates his blog on a regular basis (including terrific pictures) and provides an interesting glimpse into work life on The Ice.
Posted by John Moran on November 7, 2006 at 8:33 AM
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On October 3, I wrote about Jonathan Schwartz's letter to the SEC regarding an update to Reg FD (Regulation Fair Disclosure). In a letter to SEC Chairman Christopher Cox, Sun's CEO made a compelling case for updating the guidelines in light of technology advances in recent years. It took a month, but Schwartz finally got a response - sort of.
Cox posted his response on Schwartz's blog yesterday and it is classic bureaucratic jive. Cox uses 503 words to say absolutely nothing - he thanks Schwartz for the letter and acknowledges that the world is changing. Wow, stop the presses! He never says "yes" or "no" to whether or not Reg FD should be changed. Deep in the fourth paragraph he does say if the rules are to be changed it will need to be determined if effective means exist "to guarantee that a corporation uses its website in ways that assure broad non-exclusionary access." Of course those means exist - we don't need an expensive, taxpayer-funded blue ribbon panel to figure that out. Just as the original law made very clear what communication channels constitute fair disclosure, an update could make equally clear how corporations would be required to maintain open access to all material information.
Cox offers one other question to be answered - he'd like to know "the extent to which a determination that particular methods are effective in that regard depends on the particular facts." Huh?!! This reminds me of a bit from comedian Kathleen Madigan - she once pointed out how Ross Perot would utter some bizarre, indecipherable phrase during a debate - this would bring everyone's brain to a screeching halt. Cox and Perot have alot in common.
Posted by John Moran on November 4, 2006 at 4:13 PM
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Take a couple of minutes to read "Medic Aids Fallen Marine with Skill and Prayer" in today's New York Times. The story centers on 22-year old Navy corpsman Dustin Kirby and the aid he provided to a 19-year old corporal who was shot by a sniper. It's both heartbreaking and inspirational.
The government has a web site, America Supports You, that contains links to over 150 non-profit organizations dedicated to helping our troops and their families. As we here at home look forward to the upcoming holiday season, it might be nice to check out one of these organizations. "Remember the troops" should be more than a slogan, it should be a call to action.
Posted by John Moran on November 2, 2006 at 8:14 AM
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