Bosses: You can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them. Like it or not, most of us must deal with a boss, and the way we do so affects not just our career advancement and our salary, but also our mental well-being. Here are some tips on how to get along better with your boss.
#1: Remember that your boss just might have useful insights
Think you have a clueless boss? Remember the words of Mark Twain, who once said that when he was 14, his father was so stupid it was unbearable. Then, he continued, when he became 21, he was amazed at how much his father had learned in just seven years. Your boss might be smarter than you think, and maybe later in your career, you will appreciate that fact. Regardless, a bad boss can still offer good advice.
I remember what a boss from years ago told me about the workplace. He said I should be aggressive and find out what people needed done rather than sit back and wait for assignments.
Think of it this way: You still can learn from a bad boss. Analyze why that boss is a bad boss and then resolve to avoid those things if you ever become a boss yourself. As the cynic reminds us, even a stopped clock is correct twice a day.
#2: Know your boss’ objectives
Software developers often concern themselves with “traceability.” The requirements for a software system must directly or indirectly be tied, or traced, to the objectives of the company. In theory, therefore, any requirement that lacks such traceability should be considered irrelevant and removed.
In the same way, try to see the bigger picture. You need to know what the boss expects of you (see the next tip). But at the same time, you need to understand how your job helps the boss. Make sure that what you’re doing not only meets your own job description but helps the boss achieve his or her own objectives.
#3: Know what your boss expects of you
When I was young, I once complained to my mother that I had nothing to do. “Calvin,” she answered, “Why don’t you practice piano?” That was the last time I ever complained to her about that topic.
Ignorance of your parents’ wishes may be fine when you’re a child, but ignorance (willful or otherwise) of your boss’s expectations can kill your career. How can you expect a good performance evaluation if you’re unaware of how you’re going to be measured? If you know your objectives, are they quantifiable? If so, both of you will have an easier time during your evaluation.
Every once in a while, check with your boss about what you’re doing and what you’ve accomplished and make sure your boss has that same understanding. If your boss has issues with your performance, it’s better for both of you that you know sooner rather than later, so you have time to make adjustments.
In a perfect world, no surprises should arise during your performance review. If they do, either your boss didn’t communicate the objectives or you failed to understand them. Don’t let that happen to you.
#4: Be low maintenance
Don’t be the “problem employee,” the one the boss always has to check up and follow up on. Instead, try to be the one the boss can depend on. It might not be apparent immediately, but a good boss will recognize and appreciate that trait.
Are you going to be perfect in your work? Of course not. You’re probably going to make a mistake or create a problem at least once. However, when that happens, and you go to your boss (as you should, as mentioned below), try to go not just with the report of the problem. Think of some solutions and be prepared to offer your recommendations to your boss.
#5: Don’t surprise your boss
Don’t let your boss be blindsided by bad news. In other words, “fee up” if you created a problem or made a mistake. It’s better that bad news about you should come from you — not from a customer, not from a co-worker, and absolutely not from your boss’s boss. Did you have a negative interaction with an abusive caller or customer? As soon as the call is finished, call your boss and give a briefing. Tell the boss who you spoke with, why that person is upset, and what the boss can expect to hear from that person. Also give your side of the story.
The same advice applies to good news as well. Let your boss know about your successes. Otherwise, your boss might give the impression of being unaware of them when his or her own boss offers congratulations.
#6: Acknowledge your boss in your successes
The moment has arrived: You’re in front of your group, receiving an award or other recognition from your boss or your boss’ boss. An appropriate thing to do at this point is to recognize the people who made it possible, in particular your boss. It’s easy to do if your boss really did help you. What about the “difficult” boss, though? You should try to say something, but at the same time you probably should be truthful as well.
Remember what we discussed above — that even a bad boss can provide good insights and examples. Did your boss discourage you or make things difficult? Maybe, in that case, you could thank your boss for helping you “keep things in perspective” or for “serving as a sanity check” or for helping you “see the problem from multiple points of view.” Don’t push things, or you may start sounding cute and insincere. However, do try to say something about your boss’ help.
#7: Don’t take criticism personally
Because most of us are so involved with our work, it’s hard to separate ourselves from it. So when someone criticizes our work, we view that criticism as a personal attack. Reacting that way can hinder our development and our progress. The next time your boss (or anyone else) criticizes your work, try pretending that the work was done by someone else. Then, examine it as a third party would and test the validity of the criticism.
A smart boss realizes that your success is tied to his or her own success. Therefore, the boss has an interest in your doing well. Furthermore, criticism from the boss could be a sign that the boss has high expectations from you. When I first began working, I was upset because my boss had given me a task that I thought was too hard. I discussed my concern with a friend of my father, who worked in the same area as I did. Though it happened years ago, I still remember that friend’s advice. “Calvin,” he said, “[name of boss] gave you that task because he thinks you can do a good job.”
#8: Remember your boss has a boss
We discussed earlier the importance of knowing your boss’ objectives. In the same vein, be aware that your boss has a boss as well. You can use that fact to build a collaborative relationship with your own boss, because both of you have a common objective of making the boss’ boss happy and making your boss look good. Having that collaborative relationship gives your boss a better impression of you and gives you visibility to your boss’ boss.
#9: Don’t upstage your boss
Upstaging your boss can limit your career mobility. Therefore, be careful of correcting your boss in public, as someone did to my father once. While he was making a group presentation, he referred to Worcester Polytechnic Institute. In doing so, he correctly pronounced it as “Woo-ster.” This person spoke up, saying, “Wellington, you’re wrong. It’s ‘Woo-ches-ter.’” Fortunately, my father was smart, deflecting the comment with the following answer: “I’m sorry. Please forgive me. English is only my fifth language.” My father humorously defused the situation. However, the fact that after all these years I still hear this story tells you what my father thought of that correction and the person who made it.
There’s one instance when it’s okay to correct your boss in public: when your boss mistakenly thinks he or she made a mistake but really didn’t. Suppose your boss quotes a figure while giving a presentation. He or she then stops and says, “I’m sorry, I think I made a mistake.” If you know the boss was originally correct, it’s fine at that point to interrupt and say, “No, [boss’ name], you’re correct.”
#10: Manage your boss when necessary
Getting ahead in your career requires more than just sitting back and waiting for assignments. You must take initiative, looking for opportunities and problems to be solved. In doing so, take advantage of any organizational power your boss might have. Explain to your boss your plans and why they represent a good business decision. Then, ask your boss to fight any bureaucratic battles that may arise and to run interference for you. In doing so, you recognize the boss is the boss. However, you are directing your boss, in taking advantage of pull that you possibly lack.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
10 things to look for in an offsite backup provider
Automated offsite backup services are all the rage. Remote Data Backups, and Online Backup are among some of the best-known contenders.
Unlike online storage services, offsite backup providers offer not only gigabytes of offsite file storage but also automated backup software designed to automatically back up the data you specify. That’s a critical difference that should be noted: Online storage services don’t provide automated backup functionality. Sure, online storage services are cheaper. But they’re useless in protecting your data if you forget to manually back up files every day as they change or as new files are created.
Unfortunately, not all offsite backup services are created equal. Some of the services work better than others, and pricing varies, as does the quality of the automated backup software. Here are some things to keep in mind as you evaluate offsite backup providers.
#1: Reliable software
Backup firms, like any other service provider, will promise the world. But actually delivering on all the promises (simple backup configuration, HIPAA-compliant security, easy recovery, seamless integration in Windows, etc.) is another matter altogether.
I’ve sampled and deployed automated backup services from a number of providers. Some that propose to provide easy 1-2-3 backup operations fail to run, prove incompatible on server platforms, or generate cryptic errors.
Backups are too important to trust to chance. Make sure that the backup software you deploy works well on the OS platforms you require. Many automated offsite backup services run best on Windows XP, while others perform well on Windows Vista and Windows server OSes. The only way to really know is to test a service’s application before rolling it out on production systems. That’s why item #8 (free trials) is so important, but more on that in a moment.
#2: Storage plans that meet your needs
Some offsite backup services bill by the gigabyte. That’s fine. There’s no trouble there, other than the fact that the fee structure makes budgeting backup costs more difficult.
Other service providers, though, sell accounts with specific storage limits (100MB, 4GB, 10GB, etc.) and flat fees. Those plans work well and simplify budgeting, at least until organizations unexpectedly exceed their storage limits.
Look for service providers with storage limits or pricing plans that meet your organization’s needs while also proving flexible. Remote Data Backups, for example, makes it easy (just a few clicks) to upgrade from a 4GB account to a 10GB plan (or from a 10GB to a 30GB account). Clients need only pay the difference between the two storage plans (not start from scratch).
#3: Stellar reporting tools
A leading benefit of automated backup services is peace of mind. Knowing critical data is automatically being backed up offsite is more than just a relief. With critical data safely secured, you can move on to addressing other tasks.
IT professionals, though, are typically (and rightfully so) a skeptical crowd. So they want, or require, more than just a promise that critical data is being backed up; they need confirmation.
Only with detailed and accurate backup reporting (Figure A) can you be sure that systems and data are being properly backed up. Insist on file-level reporting with any backup service provider. In addition to a daily list of every file that’s backed up, look for reporting tools that list file sizes, time of transfer, and any error details.
Figure A
Remote Data Backups creates log files that track numerous details about each file that’s backed up.
#4: An approachable backup application
The backup application itself must be easy to use and as close to foolproof as possible. Many leverage Windows Explorer-like interfaces (Figure B), where you just need to check boxes for those files and folders that require backing up.
Take advantage of a trial period. Work first hand with the software. Confirm the service’s backup application and interface are sufficiently simple to avoid confusion but flexible enough to meet the organization’s needs.
Figure B
The Mozy Backup tool features a simple Explorer-like interface for specifying which files/folders should be backed up.
In most cases, backup software isn’t Microsoft Exchange aware (or can’t properly back up active databases). In such circumstances, confirm that you can automate an Exchange or database backup (using Windows’ built-in or another locally installed backup program) and have the alternative backup program park copies of the backups it creates in folders the backup provider’s software can accommodate. Better yet, seek backup applications that can manage active database and e-mail systems’ data (but be prepared to pay handsomely for the privilege — I’ve yet to find one that justifies the cost).
#5: Simple recovery
When hard disks fail, users accidentally delete files, or other systems errors occur, IT professionals need to be able to recover files quickly. Conduct tests of backup providers’ recovery functions to confirm that file recovery is simple, fast, and secure.
In other words, make sure it’s easy for you to recover data that’s been backed up offsite but that unauthorized parties won’t be able to do the same.
#6: Secure file transfer
Security has always been an issue with backups. Whether strategies involved giving one set of IT pros backup rights and another set restoration privileges, organizations have always struggled for a reasonable balance between security and operational efficiency when addressing backup issues.
Security remains a concern when selecting an automated offsite backup provider. Insist on deploying a service that meets HIPAA and SOX/Accounting security requirements. Most backup providers support at least 128-bit AES encryption and SSL security. Don’t work with a provider offering anything less.
Further, when creating automated offsite backup accounts, protect the account information (and recovery hashes or passwords) carefully. Distribute such keys sparingly and change them whenever technology employees leave the organization.
#7: 24/7 support
Disk failures and other data loss episodes don’t always occur during office hours, and they almost always require repair and recovery operations after hours (to minimize disruption to other users). Thus, you should confirm that your backup service provider’s technicians will be available when you need them most. Many backup providers boast 24/7 support. Before signing any contracts or purchasing service, make sure you’ll be able to reach its support personnel during odd hours should troubleshooting assistance ever be required.
#8: Free trials
The best way to determine whether an offsite backup provider works well for your organization is to sample its wares. Not only should you test the backup software application, support procedures, and reporting tools, but you should conduct a test recovery as well.
Only by walking through the process (creating an account, installing the backup client application, running backup operations, contacting technical support, reviewing report files, and performing a data restore) can you accurately determine whether a backup service provider offers an approachable backup program, quality support, and reliable reporting and recovery processes. Also, potential incompatibilities (between data files, databases, Windows, and the actual backup software itself) are too numerous to ever reasonably forecast, so the process of testing online backup tools on systems with similar configurations to those running in production environments will help eliminate any surprises and potential downtime when the time for real-world deployment arrives.
#9: Version tracking
Several backup providers support the ability to maintain multiple file versions. The ability to go back and reference several versions of a particular file can prove quite valuable.
When simple backup operations run, files from the previous backup (such as those backed up the night before) are written over. Most organizations back up data daily (at night). With such backup schedules, little time exists to discover errors (such as an accountant realizing he or she entered incorrect data in a budget file). If such errors aren’t caught within a day, of course, the budget file with the correct data will be written over by the file containing errors that night. With versioning file systems, several versions (or historical copies) of the same file can be maintained to recover from just such mistakes.
Look for this feature. It can bail out harried users who mistakenly corrupt good data.
#10: E-mail alerts
Numerous distractions demand IT professionals’ attention. Whether failed routers, nonfunctioning remote connections, new user accounts, or other common break/fix issues arrest your workday, backup operations must still be monitored. Unfortunately, in the heat of putting out fires and attending other crises, it’s easy to overlook backup issues until it’s too late.
Some offsite backup providers support sending alerts, bringing your attention to problems via e-mail. Without this feature, you might remain unaware that backups are failing or larger issues exist. By insisting on selecting a backup provider that supports forwarding e-mail alerts when backups fail or encounter errors, organizations can ensure their IT staff stays on top of backup operations and receive SOS messages when troubles do arise.
Unlike online storage services, offsite backup providers offer not only gigabytes of offsite file storage but also automated backup software designed to automatically back up the data you specify. That’s a critical difference that should be noted: Online storage services don’t provide automated backup functionality. Sure, online storage services are cheaper. But they’re useless in protecting your data if you forget to manually back up files every day as they change or as new files are created.
Unfortunately, not all offsite backup services are created equal. Some of the services work better than others, and pricing varies, as does the quality of the automated backup software. Here are some things to keep in mind as you evaluate offsite backup providers.
#1: Reliable software
Backup firms, like any other service provider, will promise the world. But actually delivering on all the promises (simple backup configuration, HIPAA-compliant security, easy recovery, seamless integration in Windows, etc.) is another matter altogether.
I’ve sampled and deployed automated backup services from a number of providers. Some that propose to provide easy 1-2-3 backup operations fail to run, prove incompatible on server platforms, or generate cryptic errors.
Backups are too important to trust to chance. Make sure that the backup software you deploy works well on the OS platforms you require. Many automated offsite backup services run best on Windows XP, while others perform well on Windows Vista and Windows server OSes. The only way to really know is to test a service’s application before rolling it out on production systems. That’s why item #8 (free trials) is so important, but more on that in a moment.
#2: Storage plans that meet your needs
Some offsite backup services bill by the gigabyte. That’s fine. There’s no trouble there, other than the fact that the fee structure makes budgeting backup costs more difficult.
Other service providers, though, sell accounts with specific storage limits (100MB, 4GB, 10GB, etc.) and flat fees. Those plans work well and simplify budgeting, at least until organizations unexpectedly exceed their storage limits.
Look for service providers with storage limits or pricing plans that meet your organization’s needs while also proving flexible. Remote Data Backups, for example, makes it easy (just a few clicks) to upgrade from a 4GB account to a 10GB plan (or from a 10GB to a 30GB account). Clients need only pay the difference between the two storage plans (not start from scratch).
#3: Stellar reporting tools
A leading benefit of automated backup services is peace of mind. Knowing critical data is automatically being backed up offsite is more than just a relief. With critical data safely secured, you can move on to addressing other tasks.
IT professionals, though, are typically (and rightfully so) a skeptical crowd. So they want, or require, more than just a promise that critical data is being backed up; they need confirmation.
Only with detailed and accurate backup reporting (Figure A) can you be sure that systems and data are being properly backed up. Insist on file-level reporting with any backup service provider. In addition to a daily list of every file that’s backed up, look for reporting tools that list file sizes, time of transfer, and any error details.
Figure A
Remote Data Backups creates log files that track numerous details about each file that’s backed up.
#4: An approachable backup application
The backup application itself must be easy to use and as close to foolproof as possible. Many leverage Windows Explorer-like interfaces (Figure B), where you just need to check boxes for those files and folders that require backing up.
Take advantage of a trial period. Work first hand with the software. Confirm the service’s backup application and interface are sufficiently simple to avoid confusion but flexible enough to meet the organization’s needs.
Figure B
The Mozy Backup tool features a simple Explorer-like interface for specifying which files/folders should be backed up.
In most cases, backup software isn’t Microsoft Exchange aware (or can’t properly back up active databases). In such circumstances, confirm that you can automate an Exchange or database backup (using Windows’ built-in or another locally installed backup program) and have the alternative backup program park copies of the backups it creates in folders the backup provider’s software can accommodate. Better yet, seek backup applications that can manage active database and e-mail systems’ data (but be prepared to pay handsomely for the privilege — I’ve yet to find one that justifies the cost).
#5: Simple recovery
When hard disks fail, users accidentally delete files, or other systems errors occur, IT professionals need to be able to recover files quickly. Conduct tests of backup providers’ recovery functions to confirm that file recovery is simple, fast, and secure.
In other words, make sure it’s easy for you to recover data that’s been backed up offsite but that unauthorized parties won’t be able to do the same.
#6: Secure file transfer
Security has always been an issue with backups. Whether strategies involved giving one set of IT pros backup rights and another set restoration privileges, organizations have always struggled for a reasonable balance between security and operational efficiency when addressing backup issues.
Security remains a concern when selecting an automated offsite backup provider. Insist on deploying a service that meets HIPAA and SOX/Accounting security requirements. Most backup providers support at least 128-bit AES encryption and SSL security. Don’t work with a provider offering anything less.
Further, when creating automated offsite backup accounts, protect the account information (and recovery hashes or passwords) carefully. Distribute such keys sparingly and change them whenever technology employees leave the organization.
#7: 24/7 support
Disk failures and other data loss episodes don’t always occur during office hours, and they almost always require repair and recovery operations after hours (to minimize disruption to other users). Thus, you should confirm that your backup service provider’s technicians will be available when you need them most. Many backup providers boast 24/7 support. Before signing any contracts or purchasing service, make sure you’ll be able to reach its support personnel during odd hours should troubleshooting assistance ever be required.
#8: Free trials
The best way to determine whether an offsite backup provider works well for your organization is to sample its wares. Not only should you test the backup software application, support procedures, and reporting tools, but you should conduct a test recovery as well.
Only by walking through the process (creating an account, installing the backup client application, running backup operations, contacting technical support, reviewing report files, and performing a data restore) can you accurately determine whether a backup service provider offers an approachable backup program, quality support, and reliable reporting and recovery processes. Also, potential incompatibilities (between data files, databases, Windows, and the actual backup software itself) are too numerous to ever reasonably forecast, so the process of testing online backup tools on systems with similar configurations to those running in production environments will help eliminate any surprises and potential downtime when the time for real-world deployment arrives.
#9: Version tracking
Several backup providers support the ability to maintain multiple file versions. The ability to go back and reference several versions of a particular file can prove quite valuable.
When simple backup operations run, files from the previous backup (such as those backed up the night before) are written over. Most organizations back up data daily (at night). With such backup schedules, little time exists to discover errors (such as an accountant realizing he or she entered incorrect data in a budget file). If such errors aren’t caught within a day, of course, the budget file with the correct data will be written over by the file containing errors that night. With versioning file systems, several versions (or historical copies) of the same file can be maintained to recover from just such mistakes.
Look for this feature. It can bail out harried users who mistakenly corrupt good data.
#10: E-mail alerts
Numerous distractions demand IT professionals’ attention. Whether failed routers, nonfunctioning remote connections, new user accounts, or other common break/fix issues arrest your workday, backup operations must still be monitored. Unfortunately, in the heat of putting out fires and attending other crises, it’s easy to overlook backup issues until it’s too late.
Some offsite backup providers support sending alerts, bringing your attention to problems via e-mail. Without this feature, you might remain unaware that backups are failing or larger issues exist. By insisting on selecting a backup provider that supports forwarding e-mail alerts when backups fail or encounter errors, organizations can ensure their IT staff stays on top of backup operations and receive SOS messages when troubles do arise.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Address large-scale disasters with the Business Continuity Planning trinity
Takeaway: Large-scale disaster planning and recovery must address three areas: human resources, facilities management, and information technology. Joint planning is crucial for these groups to work together in a crisis.
How well can your organization deal with an emergency? Automatically sign up for our free Disaster Recovery newsletter, delivered each Tuesday, and make sure you're prepared for the next catastrophe.
In any column dealing with Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and Disaster Recovery (DR), there will no doubt come a time when the discussion must turn to large-scale disasters. There has been a great deal of press and awareness of man-made disasters, and lately there has been a true surge in coverage of natural disasters with hurricane after hurricane slamming into multiple cities again and again. Both types of disasters can and do cause massive loss of systems, even entire locations, not to mention the loss of life involved in the wake of these events. How will your organization handle this type of disaster?
No organization can claim readiness for large-scale disasters without addressing the trinity of BCP: Human Resources, Facilities Management, and Information Technology. This trio must work in concert to properly overcome a disaster's impact, so you will not be able to do this alone as an IT professional. It would seem that even with all three groups working together, you will still have an overwhelming task ahead of you, but if you break the tasks down into component parts, you can manage the event and maintain your business systems.
The first order of business is to get good information flowing in. In the wake of a major disaster--natural or man-made--you will no doubt find a wealth of information that you will need to sift through to verify what is real, versus what is either imagined or simply exaggerated. Case in point: After the initial shock of the power failures in the northeast United States in August 2003, many people were absolutely convinced it was a terrorist attack, when in fact it was simply a large-scale technology failure across several systems. Finding out what happened and what resources you still have available is a vital first step in the process of dealing with a disaster.
Your next priority is to get good information flowing out. Make sure everyone who needs to be in the loop during the initial recovery process is available, or that substitutes are brought in. It may sound easy on the surface, but remember that physical and mobile phone service may be interrupted, e-mail systems will probably be offline, and other communication systems may be acting erratically. Find the systems that are still working and get the word out as soon as possible.
Hopefully, you have already determined your Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) for your various systems before the disaster struck. If not, there is very little you can do but try to bring everything back up as soon as you can. If you do have RTO numbers, start working with the shortest recovery times and bring those systems up in alternate locations first, and leave all the other systems for later--no matter how much people start yelling at you to bring them up sooner.
At this point, you must concentrate your staff on the most important systems first, regardless of the apparent urgency that already panicked staffers may express to you regarding other systems that everyone agreed were less important prior to the actual disaster. Keep in mind that this may mean finding alternate data-center space and acquiring new hardware if you haven't already planned for these eventualities. This is where Facilities Management comes in to make sure you have a location to set all this up.
Finally, after all the urgent issues have been addressed, you can then begin to bring up other data-systems as time and equipment will allow. If you're in a smaller shop, HR, Facilities, and IT may all be the same person, making your job somewhat easier and harder at the same time, but all three groups must be brought into the equation.
Dealing with a large-scale disaster is something that everyone would prefer not to have to deal with. Recent events have proven that it is--unfortunately--an eventuality that no organization can afford to ignore.
How well can your organization deal with an emergency? Automatically sign up for our free Disaster Recovery newsletter, delivered each Tuesday, and make sure you're prepared for the next catastrophe.
In any column dealing with Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and Disaster Recovery (DR), there will no doubt come a time when the discussion must turn to large-scale disasters. There has been a great deal of press and awareness of man-made disasters, and lately there has been a true surge in coverage of natural disasters with hurricane after hurricane slamming into multiple cities again and again. Both types of disasters can and do cause massive loss of systems, even entire locations, not to mention the loss of life involved in the wake of these events. How will your organization handle this type of disaster?
No organization can claim readiness for large-scale disasters without addressing the trinity of BCP: Human Resources, Facilities Management, and Information Technology. This trio must work in concert to properly overcome a disaster's impact, so you will not be able to do this alone as an IT professional. It would seem that even with all three groups working together, you will still have an overwhelming task ahead of you, but if you break the tasks down into component parts, you can manage the event and maintain your business systems.
The first order of business is to get good information flowing in. In the wake of a major disaster--natural or man-made--you will no doubt find a wealth of information that you will need to sift through to verify what is real, versus what is either imagined or simply exaggerated. Case in point: After the initial shock of the power failures in the northeast United States in August 2003, many people were absolutely convinced it was a terrorist attack, when in fact it was simply a large-scale technology failure across several systems. Finding out what happened and what resources you still have available is a vital first step in the process of dealing with a disaster.
Your next priority is to get good information flowing out. Make sure everyone who needs to be in the loop during the initial recovery process is available, or that substitutes are brought in. It may sound easy on the surface, but remember that physical and mobile phone service may be interrupted, e-mail systems will probably be offline, and other communication systems may be acting erratically. Find the systems that are still working and get the word out as soon as possible.
Hopefully, you have already determined your Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) for your various systems before the disaster struck. If not, there is very little you can do but try to bring everything back up as soon as you can. If you do have RTO numbers, start working with the shortest recovery times and bring those systems up in alternate locations first, and leave all the other systems for later--no matter how much people start yelling at you to bring them up sooner.
At this point, you must concentrate your staff on the most important systems first, regardless of the apparent urgency that already panicked staffers may express to you regarding other systems that everyone agreed were less important prior to the actual disaster. Keep in mind that this may mean finding alternate data-center space and acquiring new hardware if you haven't already planned for these eventualities. This is where Facilities Management comes in to make sure you have a location to set all this up.
Finally, after all the urgent issues have been addressed, you can then begin to bring up other data-systems as time and equipment will allow. If you're in a smaller shop, HR, Facilities, and IT may all be the same person, making your job somewhat easier and harder at the same time, but all three groups must be brought into the equation.
Dealing with a large-scale disaster is something that everyone would prefer not to have to deal with. Recent events have proven that it is--unfortunately--an eventuality that no organization can afford to ignore.
Monday, December 10, 2007
10 pieces of hardware you should replace rather than repair
Any time a computer component stops working, or just becomes unstable — as we all know will happen from time to time — we have to decide whether to replace it, have it repaired, or just get by as is with perhaps a temporary fix. Repair or just getting by will nearly always be the cheapest solution, at least in the short run. Replacement, however, will usually provide a good opportunity to upgrade. In fact, given the rate at which the various technologies behind computer hardware are advancing, unless you replace something a week after you buy it, you may almost be forced to upgrade.Following are a few items which, if replaced (and generally upgraded), can provide excellent benefits, from an enhanced user experience to additional compatibility, greater longevity, and stability for the whole system.
#1: Power supply
One of the most overlooked pieces of computer hardware is the power supply unit (PSU). Computer enthusiasts often brag about their blazing fast processors, top-of-the- line video cards, and gigs upon gigs of RAM, but rarely about their great PSUs.
The truth is, the power supply is the last thing we should skimp on when choosing components for our system. If a computer’s brain is its processor, its heart is the power supply. And having one that is worn out, underpowered, unstable, or just generally cheap can be a major cause of hardware failure.
Every computer’s power requirements are different, but a good minimum for a modern PC is 450 watts. Some systems, especially those with multiple high-end video cards or lots of add-on cards and peripherals may require a PSU rated at 800 watts or more. Replacing a failing or inadequate power supply can make a previously unstable system stable.
Aside from supplying enough power, that power must be supplied stably. A common cause of “unexplained” lockups and system crashes is a drop in voltage supplied to the system when under load, caused by a poorly manufactured PSU. The easiest way to find a quality PSU is to stick to the consistently top brands such as Antec, EnerMax, and PC Power & Cooling.
#2: Fans
As computers have gotten more powerful over the last decades, they have also gotten hotter. Gone are the days of a passively cooled Pentium 100; now we have fans on our massive CPU heatsinks, on our monster video cards, and on intake and outtake vents to our computer cases. All of these fans are playing important roles by keeping our computers safely cooled, and we should try to ensure that they continue doing so.
Fans are one of the few parts that when replaced will not usually be replaced with something better. But they deserve mention because:
As one of the few moving parts in our system, they are one of the most likely to actually break.
When they break, it’s likely to pass unnoticed or not cause much concern.
Also, fans are cheap and easy to replace. It generally takes about 10 dollars, 15 minutes, and a screwdriver to install a new one, so there’s really no good excuse for not doing so.
#3: Surge protector / UPS
This is another item that keeps our computers safe and should not be neglected. A surge protector can be a stand-alone power strip, but one is also built into virtually every uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The surge protector guards our devices against spikes in energy that occur in our circuits at the home or office, usually due to lightning or the powering up of high-powered devices, such as hair dryers or refrigerators. Repairing a surge protector would be difficult and expensive at best; replacement is almost always the best option.
It can be tricky to know when it’s time to replace a surge protector, because the component inside that diverts excess power from surges to the ground simply wears out with repeated use. However, there is often no interruption of power or other indication that it’s done. You may still have juice but not be protected. The cheapest protectors may wear out after fewer than 10 small surges, while the better ones can last through hundreds. The safest thing to do is to get higher quality protectors but still replace them occasionally.
#4: Video card
The video card is one of the most important elements in the performance of your system and overall user experience. Even though it is also one of the priciest components, there are two good reasons to replace it should your old one bite the dust.
First, video cards are one of the components that are being improved upon seemingly every day. Just like with CPUs, a video card that’s two years old simply isn’t as fast as a current one and won’t have the newest features (such as support for DirectX 10).
Also, the video card is the number one hardware stopgap as we migrate to Vista. Manufacturers just aren’t providing new Vista-compatible drivers for lots of their old video cards. This means that many of us will have to replace our video cards whether they are broken or not, if we plan to switch to Vista.
#5: Flash media reader
All kinds of devices use flash cards these days: cameras, MP3 players, even cell phones. These small devices let us take our data anywhere easily. Since it seems as if every device uses a different format of flash media, most of us have all-in-one type card readers. If the reader breaks or gets lost (which seems to happen a lot), there are two excellent reasons for upgrading to a newer model instead of trying to repair the old one.
First, many old card readers are USB 1.1. The newer ones use USB 2.0 instead, which is 40 times faster. This is more than enough reason to replace an old reader, even if it’s not broken.
In addition, new formats are constantly coming out for flash cards, and when they do, you need a new reader to use them. For example, Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) and xD from Fujifilm are not supported by older readers.
#6: CD/DVD drives
Considering that it has moving, spinning parts, the average CD/DVD drive is actually fairly robust. Because of that, however, many people are still using old read-only (or CD RW) drives instead of amazingly cheap (and handy) DVD writers. If you’re still using an old drive and it finally gives up the ghost, you’ll probably be glad it did when you replace it with a DVD/CD RW combo drive for less than 50 dollars.
#7: Hard drives
The computer component we all least want to fail is the hard drive. It’s easier to cope with the loss of the much more expensive processor or video card as long as we still have our precious data, so your first instinct is to try to repair it. But if you’ve been practicing good backup habits, you can actually come out of the situation better off when you replace the old drive with something bigger and faster.
The “giant” 100-GB hard drive of a few years ago is no longer so large. Today, you can get 750 GB for less than 200 bucks. In addition to being much, much larger, newer hard drives will generally be Serial ATA II (SATA II), which has a maximum data transfer rate of about 300 MB/s as opposed to SATA I’s 150 MB/s and the older Parallel ATA (PATA) rate of 133 MB/s. SATA II is fairly new, so many motherboards don’t support it. But even if yours doesn’t, the SATA II drives generally have a jumper that can put them in SATA I mode.
TIP: Right now, most SATA II hard drives ship with this limiting jumper in place by default, so if your board does support SATA II, be sure to change the jumper before you install the drive.
#8: Monitor
With the exception of servers, a computer isn’t much good without a monitor. Monitors rarely make it all the way to the stage of completely not working, because we replace them when they start to fade. If you replace a monitor that’s more than a few years old, the new will likely not much resemble the old.
Any reluctance you may have had to switch from the giant 50-pound cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor to a slim and featherweight liquid crystal display (LCD) should be gone by now. The gap in performance in terms of color rendering and refresh rates between CRTs and LCDs is very small. Unless you’re a graphics designer who needs a multi-thousand dollar large screen CRT, the benefits of size, weight, power consumption, and less eye fatigue that LCDs enjoy will far outweigh any small performance advantages of a CRT. With the exception of the extremely high and extremely low end markets, it’s quite hard to find a new CRT monitor anyway.
If you were already using an LCD that’s a few years old, when you replace it you’ll enjoy those leaps in performance that the LCDs have made in the last few years.
#9: Keyboard
Since so many of us spend hours every day banging away at them, it’s important to have a keyboard that’s comfortable and efficient. And since we use them so much and often so brutally, it is no wonder that they break often. Keys come off, get stuck, or just get really dirty. When these things happen, you should usually go ahead and replace the keyboard rather than live with the hassle.
Today’s keyboards have new, handy features. Some have built in user-defined macro keys for often-repeated commands; some can fold up for easy transportability; some have built-in ports so they can double as USB hubs. There is a keyboard with some unique feature to suit nearly anyone’s needs.
#10: Motherboard and processor
Replacing the motherboard is always the most involved upgrade. Since it usually means “starting over” with a clean installation of the operating system, lots of people are reluctant to change to a newer board even when the old one gives up the ghost, preferring instead to replace it with the exact same model, thus avoiding having to wipe the OS. However, since a motherboard upgrade is the most involved, it also can give the widest range of benefits.
First and foremost, replacing the motherboard usually gives us the chance to upgrade to the latest processor technology. Today, you can get the benefits of a dual or even quad CPU setup with only one processor, thanks to multi-core technology, in which more than one processing core is placed on a single wafer. In a multitasking or multithreaded environment, this effectively increases your computer’s performance by a factor of two or four.
Additionally, upgrading the motherboard gives you access to new technologies for other components. PATA and SATA I hard drives (and optical drives) can be upgraded to SATA II. AGP video cards can be upgraded to PCI-E. USB 1.1 ports become USB 2.0. The list goes on for virtually every component. Sometimes, even though it can be a pain, starting over can be the best thing.
#1: Power supply
One of the most overlooked pieces of computer hardware is the power supply unit (PSU). Computer enthusiasts often brag about their blazing fast processors, top-of-the- line video cards, and gigs upon gigs of RAM, but rarely about their great PSUs.
The truth is, the power supply is the last thing we should skimp on when choosing components for our system. If a computer’s brain is its processor, its heart is the power supply. And having one that is worn out, underpowered, unstable, or just generally cheap can be a major cause of hardware failure.
Every computer’s power requirements are different, but a good minimum for a modern PC is 450 watts. Some systems, especially those with multiple high-end video cards or lots of add-on cards and peripherals may require a PSU rated at 800 watts or more. Replacing a failing or inadequate power supply can make a previously unstable system stable.
Aside from supplying enough power, that power must be supplied stably. A common cause of “unexplained” lockups and system crashes is a drop in voltage supplied to the system when under load, caused by a poorly manufactured PSU. The easiest way to find a quality PSU is to stick to the consistently top brands such as Antec, EnerMax, and PC Power & Cooling.
#2: Fans
As computers have gotten more powerful over the last decades, they have also gotten hotter. Gone are the days of a passively cooled Pentium 100; now we have fans on our massive CPU heatsinks, on our monster video cards, and on intake and outtake vents to our computer cases. All of these fans are playing important roles by keeping our computers safely cooled, and we should try to ensure that they continue doing so.
Fans are one of the few parts that when replaced will not usually be replaced with something better. But they deserve mention because:
As one of the few moving parts in our system, they are one of the most likely to actually break.
When they break, it’s likely to pass unnoticed or not cause much concern.
Also, fans are cheap and easy to replace. It generally takes about 10 dollars, 15 minutes, and a screwdriver to install a new one, so there’s really no good excuse for not doing so.
#3: Surge protector / UPS
This is another item that keeps our computers safe and should not be neglected. A surge protector can be a stand-alone power strip, but one is also built into virtually every uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The surge protector guards our devices against spikes in energy that occur in our circuits at the home or office, usually due to lightning or the powering up of high-powered devices, such as hair dryers or refrigerators. Repairing a surge protector would be difficult and expensive at best; replacement is almost always the best option.
It can be tricky to know when it’s time to replace a surge protector, because the component inside that diverts excess power from surges to the ground simply wears out with repeated use. However, there is often no interruption of power or other indication that it’s done. You may still have juice but not be protected. The cheapest protectors may wear out after fewer than 10 small surges, while the better ones can last through hundreds. The safest thing to do is to get higher quality protectors but still replace them occasionally.
#4: Video card
The video card is one of the most important elements in the performance of your system and overall user experience. Even though it is also one of the priciest components, there are two good reasons to replace it should your old one bite the dust.
First, video cards are one of the components that are being improved upon seemingly every day. Just like with CPUs, a video card that’s two years old simply isn’t as fast as a current one and won’t have the newest features (such as support for DirectX 10).
Also, the video card is the number one hardware stopgap as we migrate to Vista. Manufacturers just aren’t providing new Vista-compatible drivers for lots of their old video cards. This means that many of us will have to replace our video cards whether they are broken or not, if we plan to switch to Vista.
#5: Flash media reader
All kinds of devices use flash cards these days: cameras, MP3 players, even cell phones. These small devices let us take our data anywhere easily. Since it seems as if every device uses a different format of flash media, most of us have all-in-one type card readers. If the reader breaks or gets lost (which seems to happen a lot), there are two excellent reasons for upgrading to a newer model instead of trying to repair the old one.
First, many old card readers are USB 1.1. The newer ones use USB 2.0 instead, which is 40 times faster. This is more than enough reason to replace an old reader, even if it’s not broken.
In addition, new formats are constantly coming out for flash cards, and when they do, you need a new reader to use them. For example, Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) and xD from Fujifilm are not supported by older readers.
#6: CD/DVD drives
Considering that it has moving, spinning parts, the average CD/DVD drive is actually fairly robust. Because of that, however, many people are still using old read-only (or CD RW) drives instead of amazingly cheap (and handy) DVD writers. If you’re still using an old drive and it finally gives up the ghost, you’ll probably be glad it did when you replace it with a DVD/CD RW combo drive for less than 50 dollars.
#7: Hard drives
The computer component we all least want to fail is the hard drive. It’s easier to cope with the loss of the much more expensive processor or video card as long as we still have our precious data, so your first instinct is to try to repair it. But if you’ve been practicing good backup habits, you can actually come out of the situation better off when you replace the old drive with something bigger and faster.
The “giant” 100-GB hard drive of a few years ago is no longer so large. Today, you can get 750 GB for less than 200 bucks. In addition to being much, much larger, newer hard drives will generally be Serial ATA II (SATA II), which has a maximum data transfer rate of about 300 MB/s as opposed to SATA I’s 150 MB/s and the older Parallel ATA (PATA) rate of 133 MB/s. SATA II is fairly new, so many motherboards don’t support it. But even if yours doesn’t, the SATA II drives generally have a jumper that can put them in SATA I mode.
TIP: Right now, most SATA II hard drives ship with this limiting jumper in place by default, so if your board does support SATA II, be sure to change the jumper before you install the drive.
#8: Monitor
With the exception of servers, a computer isn’t much good without a monitor. Monitors rarely make it all the way to the stage of completely not working, because we replace them when they start to fade. If you replace a monitor that’s more than a few years old, the new will likely not much resemble the old.
Any reluctance you may have had to switch from the giant 50-pound cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor to a slim and featherweight liquid crystal display (LCD) should be gone by now. The gap in performance in terms of color rendering and refresh rates between CRTs and LCDs is very small. Unless you’re a graphics designer who needs a multi-thousand dollar large screen CRT, the benefits of size, weight, power consumption, and less eye fatigue that LCDs enjoy will far outweigh any small performance advantages of a CRT. With the exception of the extremely high and extremely low end markets, it’s quite hard to find a new CRT monitor anyway.
If you were already using an LCD that’s a few years old, when you replace it you’ll enjoy those leaps in performance that the LCDs have made in the last few years.
#9: Keyboard
Since so many of us spend hours every day banging away at them, it’s important to have a keyboard that’s comfortable and efficient. And since we use them so much and often so brutally, it is no wonder that they break often. Keys come off, get stuck, or just get really dirty. When these things happen, you should usually go ahead and replace the keyboard rather than live with the hassle.
Today’s keyboards have new, handy features. Some have built in user-defined macro keys for often-repeated commands; some can fold up for easy transportability; some have built-in ports so they can double as USB hubs. There is a keyboard with some unique feature to suit nearly anyone’s needs.
#10: Motherboard and processor
Replacing the motherboard is always the most involved upgrade. Since it usually means “starting over” with a clean installation of the operating system, lots of people are reluctant to change to a newer board even when the old one gives up the ghost, preferring instead to replace it with the exact same model, thus avoiding having to wipe the OS. However, since a motherboard upgrade is the most involved, it also can give the widest range of benefits.
First and foremost, replacing the motherboard usually gives us the chance to upgrade to the latest processor technology. Today, you can get the benefits of a dual or even quad CPU setup with only one processor, thanks to multi-core technology, in which more than one processing core is placed on a single wafer. In a multitasking or multithreaded environment, this effectively increases your computer’s performance by a factor of two or four.
Additionally, upgrading the motherboard gives you access to new technologies for other components. PATA and SATA I hard drives (and optical drives) can be upgraded to SATA II. AGP video cards can be upgraded to PCI-E. USB 1.1 ports become USB 2.0. The list goes on for virtually every component. Sometimes, even though it can be a pain, starting over can be the best thing.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
10 types of programmers you’ll encounter in the field
Programmers enjoy a reputation for being peculiar people. In fact, even within the development community, there are certain programmer archetypes that other programmers find strange. Here are 10 types of programmers you are likely to run across. Can you think of any more?
#1: Gandalf
This programmer type looks like a short-list candidate to play Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. He (or even she!) has a beard halfway to his knees, a goofy looking hat, and may wear a cape or a cloak in the winter. Luckily for the team, this person is just as adept at working magic as Gandalf. Unluckily for the team, they will need to endure hours of stories from Gandalf about how he or she to walk uphill both ways in the snow to drop off the punch cards at the computer room. The Gandalf type is your heaviest hitter, but you try to leave them in the rear and call them up only in times of desperation.
#2: The Martyr
In any other profession, The Martyr is simply a “workaholic.” But in the development field, The Martyr goes beyond that and into another dimension. Workaholics at least go home to shower and sleep. The Martyr takes pride in sleeping at the desk amidst empty pizza boxes. The problem is, no one ever asked The Martyr to work like this. And he or she tries to guilt-trip the rest of the team with phrases like, “Yeah, go home and enjoy dinner. I’ll finish up the next three week’s worth of code tonight.”
#3: Fanboy
Watch out for Fanboy. If he or she corners you, you’re in for a three-hour lecture about the superiority of Dragonball Z compared to Gundam Wing, or why the Playstation 3 is better than the XB 360. Fanboy’s workspace is filled with posters, action figures, and other knick-knacks related to some obsession, most likely imported from Japan. Not only are Fanboys obnoxious to deal with, they often put so much time into the obsession (both in and out of the office) that they have no clue when it comes to doing what they were hired to do.
#4: Vince Neil
This 40-something is a throwback to 1984 in all of the wrong ways. Sporting big hair, ripped stonewashed jeans, and a bandana here or there, Vince sits in the office humming Bon Jovi and Def Leppard tunes throughout the workday. This would not be so bad if “Pour Some Sugar on Me” was not so darned infectious.
Vince is generally a fun person to work with, and actually has a ton of experience, but just never grew up. But Vince becomes a hassle when he or she tries living the rock ‘n roll lifestyle to go with the hair and hi-tops. It’s fairly hard to work with someone who carries a hangover to work every day.
#5: The Ninja
The Ninja is your team’s MVP, and no one knows it. Like the legendary assassins, you do not know that The Ninja is even in the building or working, but you discover the evidence in the morning. You fire up the source control system and see that at 4 AM, The Ninja checked in code that addresses the problem you planned to spend all week working on, and you did not even know that The Ninja was aware of the project! See, while you were in Yet Another Meeting, The Ninja was working.
Ninjas are so stealthy, you might not even know their name, but you know that every project they’re on seems to go much more smoothly. Tread carefully, though. The Ninja is a lone warrior; don’t try to force him or her to work with rank and file.
#6: The Theoretician
The Theoretician knows everything there is to know about programming. He or she can spend four hours lecturing about the history of an obscure programming language or providing a proof of how the code you wrote is less than perfectly optimal and may take an extra three nanoseconds to run. The problem is, The Theoretician does not know a thing about software development. When The Theoretician writes code, it is so “elegant” that mere mortals cannot make sense of it. His or her favorite technique is recursion, and every block of code is tweaked to the max, at the expense of timelines and readability.
The Theoretician is also easily distracted. A simple task that should take an hour takes Theoreticians three months, since they decide that the existing tools are not sufficient and they must build new tools to build new libraries to build a whole new system that meets their high standards. The Theoretician can be turned into one of your best players, if you can get him or her to play within the boundaries of the project itself and stop spending time working on The Ultimate Sorting Algorithm.
#7: The Code Cowboy
The Code Cowboy is a force of nature that cannot be stopped. He or she is almost always a great programmer and can do work two or three times faster than anyone else. The problem is, at least half of that speed comes by cutting corners. The Code Cowboy feels that checking code into source control takes too long, storing configuration data outside of the code itself takes too long, communicating with anyone else takes too long… you get the idea.
The Code Cowboy’s code is a spaghetti code mess, because he or she was working so quickly that the needed refactoring never happened. Chances are, seven pages’ worth of core functionality looks like the “don’t do this” example of a programming textbook, but it magically works. The Code Cowboy definitely does not play well with others. And if you put two Code Cowboys on the same project, it is guaranteed to fail, as they trample on each other’s changes and shoot each other in the foot.
Put a Code Cowboy on a project where hitting the deadline is more important than doing it right, and the code will be done just before deadline every time. The Code Cowboy is really just a loud, boisterous version of The Ninja. While The Ninja executes with surgical precision, The Code Cowboy is a raging bull and will gore anything that gets in the way.
#8: The Paratrooper
You know those movies where a sole commando is air-dropped deep behind enemy lines and comes out with the secret battle plans? That person in a software development shop is The Paratrooper. The Paratrooper is the last resort programmer you send in to save a dying project. Paratroopers lack the patience to work on a long-term assignment, but their best asset is an uncanny ability to learn an unfamiliar codebase and work within it. Other programmers might take weeks or months to learn enough about a project to effectively work on it; The Paratrooper takes hours or days. Paratroopers might not learn enough to work on the core of the code, but the lack of ramp-up time means that they can succeed where an entire team might fail.
#9: Mediocre Man
“Good enough” is the best you will ever get from Mediocre Man. Don’t let the name fool you; there are female varieties of Mediocre Man too. And he or she always takes longer to produce worse code than anyone else on the team. “Slow and steady barely finishes the race” could describe Mediocre Man’s projects. But Mediocre Man is always just “good enough” to remain employed.
When you interview this type, they can tell you a lot about the projects they’ve been involved with but not much about their actual involvement. Filtering out the Mediocre Man type is fairly easy: Ask for actual details of the work they’ve done, and they suddenly get a case of amnesia. Let them into your organization, though, and it might take years to get rid of them.
#10: The Evangelist
No matter what kind of environment you have, The Evangelist insists that it can be improved by throwing away all of your tools and processes and replacing them with something else. The Evangelist is actually the opposite of The Theoretician. The Evangelist is outspoken, knows an awful lot about software development, but performs very little actual programming.
The Evangelist is secretly a project manager or department manager at heart but lacks the knowledge or experience to make the jump. So until The Evangelist is able to get into a purely managerial role, everyone else needs to put up with his or her attempts to revolutionize the workplace.
#1: Gandalf
This programmer type looks like a short-list candidate to play Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. He (or even she!) has a beard halfway to his knees, a goofy looking hat, and may wear a cape or a cloak in the winter. Luckily for the team, this person is just as adept at working magic as Gandalf. Unluckily for the team, they will need to endure hours of stories from Gandalf about how he or she to walk uphill both ways in the snow to drop off the punch cards at the computer room. The Gandalf type is your heaviest hitter, but you try to leave them in the rear and call them up only in times of desperation.
#2: The Martyr
In any other profession, The Martyr is simply a “workaholic.” But in the development field, The Martyr goes beyond that and into another dimension. Workaholics at least go home to shower and sleep. The Martyr takes pride in sleeping at the desk amidst empty pizza boxes. The problem is, no one ever asked The Martyr to work like this. And he or she tries to guilt-trip the rest of the team with phrases like, “Yeah, go home and enjoy dinner. I’ll finish up the next three week’s worth of code tonight.”
#3: Fanboy
Watch out for Fanboy. If he or she corners you, you’re in for a three-hour lecture about the superiority of Dragonball Z compared to Gundam Wing, or why the Playstation 3 is better than the XB 360. Fanboy’s workspace is filled with posters, action figures, and other knick-knacks related to some obsession, most likely imported from Japan. Not only are Fanboys obnoxious to deal with, they often put so much time into the obsession (both in and out of the office) that they have no clue when it comes to doing what they were hired to do.
#4: Vince Neil
This 40-something is a throwback to 1984 in all of the wrong ways. Sporting big hair, ripped stonewashed jeans, and a bandana here or there, Vince sits in the office humming Bon Jovi and Def Leppard tunes throughout the workday. This would not be so bad if “Pour Some Sugar on Me” was not so darned infectious.
Vince is generally a fun person to work with, and actually has a ton of experience, but just never grew up. But Vince becomes a hassle when he or she tries living the rock ‘n roll lifestyle to go with the hair and hi-tops. It’s fairly hard to work with someone who carries a hangover to work every day.
#5: The Ninja
The Ninja is your team’s MVP, and no one knows it. Like the legendary assassins, you do not know that The Ninja is even in the building or working, but you discover the evidence in the morning. You fire up the source control system and see that at 4 AM, The Ninja checked in code that addresses the problem you planned to spend all week working on, and you did not even know that The Ninja was aware of the project! See, while you were in Yet Another Meeting, The Ninja was working.
Ninjas are so stealthy, you might not even know their name, but you know that every project they’re on seems to go much more smoothly. Tread carefully, though. The Ninja is a lone warrior; don’t try to force him or her to work with rank and file.
#6: The Theoretician
The Theoretician knows everything there is to know about programming. He or she can spend four hours lecturing about the history of an obscure programming language or providing a proof of how the code you wrote is less than perfectly optimal and may take an extra three nanoseconds to run. The problem is, The Theoretician does not know a thing about software development. When The Theoretician writes code, it is so “elegant” that mere mortals cannot make sense of it. His or her favorite technique is recursion, and every block of code is tweaked to the max, at the expense of timelines and readability.
The Theoretician is also easily distracted. A simple task that should take an hour takes Theoreticians three months, since they decide that the existing tools are not sufficient and they must build new tools to build new libraries to build a whole new system that meets their high standards. The Theoretician can be turned into one of your best players, if you can get him or her to play within the boundaries of the project itself and stop spending time working on The Ultimate Sorting Algorithm.
#7: The Code Cowboy
The Code Cowboy is a force of nature that cannot be stopped. He or she is almost always a great programmer and can do work two or three times faster than anyone else. The problem is, at least half of that speed comes by cutting corners. The Code Cowboy feels that checking code into source control takes too long, storing configuration data outside of the code itself takes too long, communicating with anyone else takes too long… you get the idea.
The Code Cowboy’s code is a spaghetti code mess, because he or she was working so quickly that the needed refactoring never happened. Chances are, seven pages’ worth of core functionality looks like the “don’t do this” example of a programming textbook, but it magically works. The Code Cowboy definitely does not play well with others. And if you put two Code Cowboys on the same project, it is guaranteed to fail, as they trample on each other’s changes and shoot each other in the foot.
Put a Code Cowboy on a project where hitting the deadline is more important than doing it right, and the code will be done just before deadline every time. The Code Cowboy is really just a loud, boisterous version of The Ninja. While The Ninja executes with surgical precision, The Code Cowboy is a raging bull and will gore anything that gets in the way.
#8: The Paratrooper
You know those movies where a sole commando is air-dropped deep behind enemy lines and comes out with the secret battle plans? That person in a software development shop is The Paratrooper. The Paratrooper is the last resort programmer you send in to save a dying project. Paratroopers lack the patience to work on a long-term assignment, but their best asset is an uncanny ability to learn an unfamiliar codebase and work within it. Other programmers might take weeks or months to learn enough about a project to effectively work on it; The Paratrooper takes hours or days. Paratroopers might not learn enough to work on the core of the code, but the lack of ramp-up time means that they can succeed where an entire team might fail.
#9: Mediocre Man
“Good enough” is the best you will ever get from Mediocre Man. Don’t let the name fool you; there are female varieties of Mediocre Man too. And he or she always takes longer to produce worse code than anyone else on the team. “Slow and steady barely finishes the race” could describe Mediocre Man’s projects. But Mediocre Man is always just “good enough” to remain employed.
When you interview this type, they can tell you a lot about the projects they’ve been involved with but not much about their actual involvement. Filtering out the Mediocre Man type is fairly easy: Ask for actual details of the work they’ve done, and they suddenly get a case of amnesia. Let them into your organization, though, and it might take years to get rid of them.
#10: The Evangelist
No matter what kind of environment you have, The Evangelist insists that it can be improved by throwing away all of your tools and processes and replacing them with something else. The Evangelist is actually the opposite of The Theoretician. The Evangelist is outspoken, knows an awful lot about software development, but performs very little actual programming.
The Evangelist is secretly a project manager or department manager at heart but lacks the knowledge or experience to make the jump. So until The Evangelist is able to get into a purely managerial role, everyone else needs to put up with his or her attempts to revolutionize the workplace.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
10 ways to avoid age-bias landmines during the interview process
The IT industry can be a cruel career sector. According to an industry survey just a few years ago, tech professionals are viewed as old and seniors (in terms of age) when they hit their early to mid-40s. And that isn’t the worst of it — while older professionals in most industries are valued for having more experience and expertise, it’s the opposite within the tech community.
If you fall into the category of older IT pros, you may encounter subtle age bias in questions and comments from interviewers. The trick is to identify the questions and know the best way to answer them, dismissing concerns about age right off the bat. Here are nine practice questions and suggested replies.
#1: Tell me about yourself
Focus on your experiences and goals that relate to the specific job for which you’re applying. Many experienced workers make the mistake of talking too much about their experience, especially the irrelevant parts. There’s no need to recap your entire resume. Keep it to five minutes or less and leave some space for the interviewer to ask follow-up questions.
#2: How would you describe yourself?
The employer may be concerned about your fitting in with younger workers, taking direction from a younger supervisor, and coping with a hectic schedule. Research studies by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) have found that many employers think older workers lack flexibility and adaptability, are reluctant to accept new technology, and have difficulty learning new skills.
Demonstrate a high energy level throughout the interview. Highlight examples of your willingness to learn and take on new projects, your latest technology skills, and your ability to remain flexible and/or handle stress.
#3: How old are you?
Although this is not an illegal question, it is a stupid question for an interviewer to ask. If you’re 40 or older, you’re protected by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). If the interviewer asks this question and does not hire you, he or she needs to be able to prove that you were passed over because you lacked the qualifications and not because of your age.
This question could also be a way to try to get an applicant to volunteer other personal information, such as family status or the desire to get pregnant, which are illegal questions. If you really want this position and feel that the interviewer has no discriminatory intentions, do not react negatively. Stress your skills and abilities to get the job done.
#4: You seem overqualified; why do you want this job?
This is the question that often cloaks subtle age discrimination. The employer may be questioning your goals or challenging your long-term commitment to the job. Also, a younger hiring manager might be intimidated by your experience or be uncomfortable supervising someone older. This question may give the interviewer the opportunity to ask about your salary, which leads to the cost excuse needed, or to say that you’d be “bored in this position.”
Indicate your sincere interest in working for the organization. Emphasize your unique attitudes, abilities, and interests that led you to apply for the job. Express your enthusiasm for the job and for the opportunity to learn. De-emphasize your many years of experience, but do stress the skills that relate to this particular position.
#5: Will you be comfortable working for someone younger?
Some employers may be concerned that midlife and older workers will be reluctant to accept younger people as managers and bosses. Age should not be a determining factor in leadership; both younger and older people are capable of leading and managing.
One response that can be very effective for dispelling this concern is, “I’ve had other managers who were younger than I am, and just like the older ones, some are better than others,” or “I’ve learned something from every manager I’ve had.”
#6: You haven’t worked for a long time; are you sure you can handle this job?
Give a quick all-purpose reason and then focus on what you’ve been doing in your downtime — upgrading skills, learning about new industries, etc.
#7: How is your health?
If you have an obvious physical disability that might affect your ability to do the particular job, you may want to indicate how you manage the disability for top job performance. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), this question is illegal during the pre-offer stage. What the employer has a right to know at this point is whether the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. Due to the ADA, most employers are legally bound not to discriminate against persons with disabilities. Those who can be accommodated in the workplace have strong protections against employment discrimination.
Once a company hires you, it may not ask for specific medical information unless it affects your job performance. You need to know the HR policies regarding medical leave and what information needs to be communicated.
#8: We don’t have many employees who are your age; would that bother you?
Although federal law bars employers from considering a candidate’s age in making any employment decision, it’s possible that you’ll be asked age-related questions in an interview, perhaps out of the interviewer’s ignorance or perhaps to test your response.
Explain that you believe your age would be an asset to the organization. Emphasize that you’re still eager to learn and improve, and it doesn’t matter who helps you. The age of the people you work with is irrelevant. Be sure that you know your rights under the ADEA.
#9: What are your salary requirements?
Try to postpone responding to this question until a job offer has been made. If asked, provide a salary range that you’ve found during your job market investigation. You can obtain salary ranges by talking to people who work in the same field, reviewing industry journals and Internet sites, and analyzing comparable jobs. Based on your research, you can provide a salary range in line with the current market.
If you don’t have the range and you’re asked this question, ask the interviewer, “What salary range are you working with?” Chances are 50/50 that the interviewer will tell you. If the interviewer continues to press for an answer, say something like, “Although I’m not sure what this particular job is worth, people who do this sort of job generally make between $___ and $___.”
Be prepared
The issue of age discrimination in the tech industry isn’t new, and it’s certainly not dissipating any time soon. Although various federal agencies urge employers to look beyond myths and ages, pointing out that “many mid-career workers have a breadth of experience that could benefit many young IT companies,” a lot more can still be done on the regulatory and enforcement end.
In the meantime, older, skilled, experienced workers will continue to struggle to find full-time employment. But by learning to identify potential age bias, and knowing how best to respond to related questions, you can make a strong attempt to get past the age-issue hurdle.
If you fall into the category of older IT pros, you may encounter subtle age bias in questions and comments from interviewers. The trick is to identify the questions and know the best way to answer them, dismissing concerns about age right off the bat. Here are nine practice questions and suggested replies.
#1: Tell me about yourself
Focus on your experiences and goals that relate to the specific job for which you’re applying. Many experienced workers make the mistake of talking too much about their experience, especially the irrelevant parts. There’s no need to recap your entire resume. Keep it to five minutes or less and leave some space for the interviewer to ask follow-up questions.
#2: How would you describe yourself?
The employer may be concerned about your fitting in with younger workers, taking direction from a younger supervisor, and coping with a hectic schedule. Research studies by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) have found that many employers think older workers lack flexibility and adaptability, are reluctant to accept new technology, and have difficulty learning new skills.
Demonstrate a high energy level throughout the interview. Highlight examples of your willingness to learn and take on new projects, your latest technology skills, and your ability to remain flexible and/or handle stress.
#3: How old are you?
Although this is not an illegal question, it is a stupid question for an interviewer to ask. If you’re 40 or older, you’re protected by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). If the interviewer asks this question and does not hire you, he or she needs to be able to prove that you were passed over because you lacked the qualifications and not because of your age.
This question could also be a way to try to get an applicant to volunteer other personal information, such as family status or the desire to get pregnant, which are illegal questions. If you really want this position and feel that the interviewer has no discriminatory intentions, do not react negatively. Stress your skills and abilities to get the job done.
#4: You seem overqualified; why do you want this job?
This is the question that often cloaks subtle age discrimination. The employer may be questioning your goals or challenging your long-term commitment to the job. Also, a younger hiring manager might be intimidated by your experience or be uncomfortable supervising someone older. This question may give the interviewer the opportunity to ask about your salary, which leads to the cost excuse needed, or to say that you’d be “bored in this position.”
Indicate your sincere interest in working for the organization. Emphasize your unique attitudes, abilities, and interests that led you to apply for the job. Express your enthusiasm for the job and for the opportunity to learn. De-emphasize your many years of experience, but do stress the skills that relate to this particular position.
#5: Will you be comfortable working for someone younger?
Some employers may be concerned that midlife and older workers will be reluctant to accept younger people as managers and bosses. Age should not be a determining factor in leadership; both younger and older people are capable of leading and managing.
One response that can be very effective for dispelling this concern is, “I’ve had other managers who were younger than I am, and just like the older ones, some are better than others,” or “I’ve learned something from every manager I’ve had.”
#6: You haven’t worked for a long time; are you sure you can handle this job?
Give a quick all-purpose reason and then focus on what you’ve been doing in your downtime — upgrading skills, learning about new industries, etc.
#7: How is your health?
If you have an obvious physical disability that might affect your ability to do the particular job, you may want to indicate how you manage the disability for top job performance. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), this question is illegal during the pre-offer stage. What the employer has a right to know at this point is whether the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. Due to the ADA, most employers are legally bound not to discriminate against persons with disabilities. Those who can be accommodated in the workplace have strong protections against employment discrimination.
Once a company hires you, it may not ask for specific medical information unless it affects your job performance. You need to know the HR policies regarding medical leave and what information needs to be communicated.
#8: We don’t have many employees who are your age; would that bother you?
Although federal law bars employers from considering a candidate’s age in making any employment decision, it’s possible that you’ll be asked age-related questions in an interview, perhaps out of the interviewer’s ignorance or perhaps to test your response.
Explain that you believe your age would be an asset to the organization. Emphasize that you’re still eager to learn and improve, and it doesn’t matter who helps you. The age of the people you work with is irrelevant. Be sure that you know your rights under the ADEA.
#9: What are your salary requirements?
Try to postpone responding to this question until a job offer has been made. If asked, provide a salary range that you’ve found during your job market investigation. You can obtain salary ranges by talking to people who work in the same field, reviewing industry journals and Internet sites, and analyzing comparable jobs. Based on your research, you can provide a salary range in line with the current market.
If you don’t have the range and you’re asked this question, ask the interviewer, “What salary range are you working with?” Chances are 50/50 that the interviewer will tell you. If the interviewer continues to press for an answer, say something like, “Although I’m not sure what this particular job is worth, people who do this sort of job generally make between $___ and $___.”
Be prepared
The issue of age discrimination in the tech industry isn’t new, and it’s certainly not dissipating any time soon. Although various federal agencies urge employers to look beyond myths and ages, pointing out that “many mid-career workers have a breadth of experience that could benefit many young IT companies,” a lot more can still be done on the regulatory and enforcement end.
In the meantime, older, skilled, experienced workers will continue to struggle to find full-time employment. But by learning to identify potential age bias, and knowing how best to respond to related questions, you can make a strong attempt to get past the age-issue hurdle.
Friday, December 7, 2007
10 common Web design mistakes to watch out for
When you start designing a Web site, your options are wide open. Yet all that potential can lead to problems that may cause your Web site to fall short of your goals. The following list of design mistakes addresses the needs of commercial Web sites, but it can easily be applied to personal and hobby sites and to professional nonprofit sites as well.
#1: Failing to provide information that describes your Web site
Every Web site should be very clear and forthcoming about its purpose. Either include a brief descriptive blurb on the home page of your Web site or provide an About Us (or equivalent) page with a prominent and obvious link from the home page that describes your Web site and its value to the people visiting it.
It’s even important to explain why some people may not find it useful, providing enough information so that they won’t be confused about the Web site’s purpose. It’s better to send away someone uninterested in what you have to offer with a clear idea of why he or she isn’t interested than to trick visitors into wasting time finding this out without your help. After all, a good experience with a Web site that is not useful is more likely to get you customers by word of mouth than a Web site that is obscure and difficult to understand.
#2: Skipping alt and title attributes
Always make use of the alt and title attributes for every XHTML tag on your Web site that supports them. This information is of critical importance for accessibility when the Web site is visited using browsers that don’t support images and when more information than the main content might otherwise be needed.
The most common reason for this need is accessibility for the disabled, such as blind visitors who use screen readers to surf the Web. Just make sure you don’t include too much text in the alt or title attribute — the text should be short, clear, and to the point. You don’t want to inundate your visitors with paragraph after paragraph of useless, vague information in numerous pop-up messages. The purpose of alt and title tags is, in general, to enhance accessibility.
#3: Changing URLs for archived pages
All too often, Web sites change URLs of pages when they are outdated and move off the main page into archives. This can make it extremely difficult to build up significantly good search engine placement, as links to pages of your Web site become broken. When you first create your site, do so in a manner that allows you to move content into archives without having to change the URL. Popularity on the Web is built on word of mouth, and you won’t be getting any of that publicity if your page URLs change every few days.
#4: Not dating your content
In general, you must update content if you want return visitors. People come back only if there’s something new to see. This content needs to be dated, so that your Web site’s visitors know what is new and in what order it appeared. Even in the rare case that Web site content does not change regularly, it will almost certainly change from time to time — if only because a page needs to be edited now and then to reflect new information.
Help your readers determine what information might be out of date by date stamping all the content on your Web site somehow, even if you only add “last modified on” fine print at the bottom of every content page. This not only helps your Web site’s visitors, but it also helps you: The more readers understand that any inconsistencies between what you’ve said and what they read elsewhere is a result of changing information, the more likely they are to grant your words value and come back to read more.
#5: Creating busy, crowded pages
Including too much information in one location can drive visitors away. The common-sense tendency is to be as informative as possible, but you should avoid providing too much of a good thing. When excessive information is provided, readers get tired of reading it after a while and start skimming. When that gets old, they stop reading altogether.
Keep your initial points short and relevant, in bite-size chunks, with links to more in-depth information when necessary. Bulleted lists are an excellent means of breaking up information into sections that are easily digested and will not drive away visitors to your Web site. The same principles apply to lists of links — too many links in one place becomes little more than line noise and static. Keep your lists of links short and well-organized so that readers can find exactly what they need with little effort. Visitors will find more value in your Web site when you help them find what they want and make it as easily digestible as possible.
#6: Going overboard with images
With the exception of banners and other necessary branding, decorative images should be used as little as possible. Use images to illustrate content when it is helpful to the reader, and use images when they themselves are the content you want to provide. Do not strew images over the Web site just to pretty it up or you’ll find yourself driving away visitors. Populate your Web site with useful images, not decorative ones, and even those should not be too numerous. Images load slowly, get in the way of the text your readers seek, and are not visible in some browsers or with screen readers. Text, on the other hand, is universal.
#7: Implementing link indirection, interception, or redirection
Never prevent other Web sites from linking directly to your content. There are far too many major content providers who violate this rule, such as news Web sites that redirect links to specific articles so that visitors always end up at the home page. This sort of heavy-handed treatment of incoming visitors, forcing them to the home page of the Web site as if they can force visitors to be interested in the rest of the content on the site, just drives people away in frustration. When they have difficulty finding an article, your visitors may give up and go elsewhere for information. Perhaps worse, incoming links improve your search engine placement dramatically — and by making incoming links fail to work properly, you discourage others from linking to your site. Never discourage other Web sites from linking to yours.
#8: Making new content difficult to recognize or find
In #4, we mentioned keeping content fresh and dating it accordingly. Here’s another consideration: Any Web site whose content changes regularly should make the changes easily available to visitors. New content today should not end up in the same archive as material from three years ago tomorrow, especially with no way to tell the difference.
New content should stay fresh and new long enough for your readers to get some value from it. This can be aided by categorizing it, if you have a Web site whose content is updated very quickly (like Slashdot). By breaking up new items into categories, you can ensure that readers will still find relatively new material easily within specific areas of interest. Effective search functionality and good Web site organization can also help readers find information they’ve seen before and want to find again. Help them do that as much as possible.
#9: Displaying thumbnails that are too small to be helpful
When providing image galleries with large numbers of images, linking to them from lists of thumbnails is a common tactic. Thumbnail images are intended to give the viewer an idea of what the main image looks like, so it’s important to avoid making them too small.
It’s also important to produce scaled-down and/or cropped versions of your main images, rather than to use XHTML and CSS to resize the images. When images are resized using markup, the larger image size is still being sent to the client system — to the visitor’s browser. When loading a page full of thumbnails that are actually full-size images resized by markup and stylesheets, a browser uses a lot of processor and memory resources. This can lead to browser crashes and other problems or, at the very least, cause extremely slow load times. Slow load times cause Web site visitors to go elsewhere. Browser crashes are even more effective at driving visitors away.
#10: Forgoing Web page titles
Many Web designers don’t set the title of their Web pages. This is obviously a mistake, if only because search engines identify your Web site by page titles in the results they display, and saving a Web page in your browser’s bookmarks uses the page title for the bookmark name by default.
A less obvious mistake is the tendency of Web designers to use the same title for every page of the site. It would be far more advantageous to provide a title for every page that identifies not only the Web site, but the specific page. Of course, the title should still be short and succinct. A Web page title that is too long is almost as bad as no Web page title at all.
Achieving success
These considerations for Web design are important, but they’re often overlooked or mishandled. A couple of minor failures can be overcome by successes in other areas, but it never pays to shoot yourself in the foot just because you have another foot to use. Enhance your Web site’s chances of success by keeping these design principles in mind.
#1: Failing to provide information that describes your Web site
Every Web site should be very clear and forthcoming about its purpose. Either include a brief descriptive blurb on the home page of your Web site or provide an About Us (or equivalent) page with a prominent and obvious link from the home page that describes your Web site and its value to the people visiting it.
It’s even important to explain why some people may not find it useful, providing enough information so that they won’t be confused about the Web site’s purpose. It’s better to send away someone uninterested in what you have to offer with a clear idea of why he or she isn’t interested than to trick visitors into wasting time finding this out without your help. After all, a good experience with a Web site that is not useful is more likely to get you customers by word of mouth than a Web site that is obscure and difficult to understand.
#2: Skipping alt and title attributes
Always make use of the alt and title attributes for every XHTML tag on your Web site that supports them. This information is of critical importance for accessibility when the Web site is visited using browsers that don’t support images and when more information than the main content might otherwise be needed.
The most common reason for this need is accessibility for the disabled, such as blind visitors who use screen readers to surf the Web. Just make sure you don’t include too much text in the alt or title attribute — the text should be short, clear, and to the point. You don’t want to inundate your visitors with paragraph after paragraph of useless, vague information in numerous pop-up messages. The purpose of alt and title tags is, in general, to enhance accessibility.
#3: Changing URLs for archived pages
All too often, Web sites change URLs of pages when they are outdated and move off the main page into archives. This can make it extremely difficult to build up significantly good search engine placement, as links to pages of your Web site become broken. When you first create your site, do so in a manner that allows you to move content into archives without having to change the URL. Popularity on the Web is built on word of mouth, and you won’t be getting any of that publicity if your page URLs change every few days.
#4: Not dating your content
In general, you must update content if you want return visitors. People come back only if there’s something new to see. This content needs to be dated, so that your Web site’s visitors know what is new and in what order it appeared. Even in the rare case that Web site content does not change regularly, it will almost certainly change from time to time — if only because a page needs to be edited now and then to reflect new information.
Help your readers determine what information might be out of date by date stamping all the content on your Web site somehow, even if you only add “last modified on” fine print at the bottom of every content page. This not only helps your Web site’s visitors, but it also helps you: The more readers understand that any inconsistencies between what you’ve said and what they read elsewhere is a result of changing information, the more likely they are to grant your words value and come back to read more.
#5: Creating busy, crowded pages
Including too much information in one location can drive visitors away. The common-sense tendency is to be as informative as possible, but you should avoid providing too much of a good thing. When excessive information is provided, readers get tired of reading it after a while and start skimming. When that gets old, they stop reading altogether.
Keep your initial points short and relevant, in bite-size chunks, with links to more in-depth information when necessary. Bulleted lists are an excellent means of breaking up information into sections that are easily digested and will not drive away visitors to your Web site. The same principles apply to lists of links — too many links in one place becomes little more than line noise and static. Keep your lists of links short and well-organized so that readers can find exactly what they need with little effort. Visitors will find more value in your Web site when you help them find what they want and make it as easily digestible as possible.
#6: Going overboard with images
With the exception of banners and other necessary branding, decorative images should be used as little as possible. Use images to illustrate content when it is helpful to the reader, and use images when they themselves are the content you want to provide. Do not strew images over the Web site just to pretty it up or you’ll find yourself driving away visitors. Populate your Web site with useful images, not decorative ones, and even those should not be too numerous. Images load slowly, get in the way of the text your readers seek, and are not visible in some browsers or with screen readers. Text, on the other hand, is universal.
#7: Implementing link indirection, interception, or redirection
Never prevent other Web sites from linking directly to your content. There are far too many major content providers who violate this rule, such as news Web sites that redirect links to specific articles so that visitors always end up at the home page. This sort of heavy-handed treatment of incoming visitors, forcing them to the home page of the Web site as if they can force visitors to be interested in the rest of the content on the site, just drives people away in frustration. When they have difficulty finding an article, your visitors may give up and go elsewhere for information. Perhaps worse, incoming links improve your search engine placement dramatically — and by making incoming links fail to work properly, you discourage others from linking to your site. Never discourage other Web sites from linking to yours.
#8: Making new content difficult to recognize or find
In #4, we mentioned keeping content fresh and dating it accordingly. Here’s another consideration: Any Web site whose content changes regularly should make the changes easily available to visitors. New content today should not end up in the same archive as material from three years ago tomorrow, especially with no way to tell the difference.
New content should stay fresh and new long enough for your readers to get some value from it. This can be aided by categorizing it, if you have a Web site whose content is updated very quickly (like Slashdot). By breaking up new items into categories, you can ensure that readers will still find relatively new material easily within specific areas of interest. Effective search functionality and good Web site organization can also help readers find information they’ve seen before and want to find again. Help them do that as much as possible.
#9: Displaying thumbnails that are too small to be helpful
When providing image galleries with large numbers of images, linking to them from lists of thumbnails is a common tactic. Thumbnail images are intended to give the viewer an idea of what the main image looks like, so it’s important to avoid making them too small.
It’s also important to produce scaled-down and/or cropped versions of your main images, rather than to use XHTML and CSS to resize the images. When images are resized using markup, the larger image size is still being sent to the client system — to the visitor’s browser. When loading a page full of thumbnails that are actually full-size images resized by markup and stylesheets, a browser uses a lot of processor and memory resources. This can lead to browser crashes and other problems or, at the very least, cause extremely slow load times. Slow load times cause Web site visitors to go elsewhere. Browser crashes are even more effective at driving visitors away.
#10: Forgoing Web page titles
Many Web designers don’t set the title of their Web pages. This is obviously a mistake, if only because search engines identify your Web site by page titles in the results they display, and saving a Web page in your browser’s bookmarks uses the page title for the bookmark name by default.
A less obvious mistake is the tendency of Web designers to use the same title for every page of the site. It would be far more advantageous to provide a title for every page that identifies not only the Web site, but the specific page. Of course, the title should still be short and succinct. A Web page title that is too long is almost as bad as no Web page title at all.
Achieving success
These considerations for Web design are important, but they’re often overlooked or mishandled. A couple of minor failures can be overcome by successes in other areas, but it never pays to shoot yourself in the foot just because you have another foot to use. Enhance your Web site’s chances of success by keeping these design principles in mind.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
10 things you should do if you get laid off
When faced with a layoff, you have two kinds of needs. The first is to live within your means until you get a new job. The second is to get that new job. Here are some ways you can pursue both goals.
#1: Get everything the company owes you
Tie up lose ends to collect any money the company owes you. If you’re still on the job for a couple of weeks, be sure to file any remaining expense reports. To make sure you receive any remaining vacation or PTO pay for which you are eligible, compare your time-off records with those of the HR department and iron out any discrepancies.
If you have stock options, the company may vest more of your shares in the event of a layoff. Read the fine print on exercising these options. There could be a window of time when you must exercise the options or lose them.
#2: Get your resume updated and out the door
You’ll be sending out some unsolicited resumes as you notify your network that you are available. Brevity and relevance are most likely to catch the eye of busy people. Tailor your cover letters to the needs of hiring managers. Emphasize that you are a self-starter who’s ready to get back to work.
These TechRepublic resources can help:
Nineteen words that don’t belong in your resume
10 things you should know about creating a resume for a high-level IT position
Resume do’s and don’ts for IT consultants
3 things your resume could do without
#3: Search company Web sites
Not all jobs are advertised on the big boards or in newspapers. One way to find these jobs is to go to the Web sites of companies where you’d like to work, then look for a Careers or Jobs link. Although it’s more likely that internal candidates will compete for these jobs, it’s still a good idea to monitor them. Find out about good companies by word of mouth, researching regional business publications for “top companies.”
#4: List your sources of income
Companies that lay off employees rarely contest unemployment claims. Unemployment insurance programs are administered by the states, and companies usually provide you with the basic rules and contact information for the program.
Think about these questions when you assess your potential income:
How far can you stretch your severance package (remaining pay, unused vacation pay, etc.)?
If applicable, how far will your spouse’s income go in covering expenses?
If your cash will be scarce and your expenses high, should you take any job — even flipping burgers — to head off more a serious shortfall? At what point would you have to make that decision?
#5: Prioritize expenses
Do you have the proverbial liquid savings to meet six months of expenses? If so, congratulations — you’re avoiding a major stress of losing a job. If not, well, you’re in good company.
Mortgage companies are foreclosing with glee these days, so if you have house payments, do your best to keep up with them. Water, power, and insurance are usually the largest and most critical expenses after house payments or rent. After all, getting a utility cut off and paying to be reconnected will cost you more money than paying the bill in the first place.
Try to save by cutting out services and purchase that may be nice but aren’t necessary. The usual suspects include dining out, cable TV (especially premium channels), and $5.00 coffees.
#6: Don’t forget insurance
Ned Flanders doesn’t have insurance because it’s a form of gamb-diddly-ambling, but you shouldn’t take as much risk as the prudish Simpsons character. You might be surprised to find that your employer contributed so much to your health insurance. A $45 deduction on your biweekly paycheck might end up costing you a monthly payment of $400 or more if you elect to continue your current coverage through COBRA. With family plans, of course, the cost is even higher.
Even if you feel you can’t afford COBRA, don’t do without basic health insurance. Get quotes on individual coverage from several companies. If you don’t need expensive medications, you probably don’t need prescription coverage. Choosing a higher deductible — $1,000 or more — will save on your monthly payments and prevent a financial catastrophe if you (or members of your family) have a serious illness or injury before finding your next job.
#7: Don’t burn bridges
If you have an exit interview, it’s tempting to vent about the company, your boss, even your former co-workers. It also may be tempting to slack off in your final days of employment rather than documenting your system or finishing other tasks. Don’t give in to your urge to get even. After all, you may end up working with or for some of the people who were left behind.
#8: Avoid raiding your investments
Yes, you can borrow money from your 401(k), but in practice, you’ll almost certainly end up losing money. When you pay the money back, you’ll be using after-tax dollars. So you’ll pay tax on the money twice — once as you pay back the loan and again when you make retirement withdrawals. You also may miss out on gains while the money is out of the market. And even if you borrow the money with the best intentions of paying it back, it may take a lot of self-discipline to follow through. If you fail to repay the loan in the time required (usually five years), you’ll pay an additional 10% penalty.
If you have investments in a regular (non-retirement) brokerage account, you could sell some stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Again, think about taxes. If you make a profit on what you sell, you’ll pay capital gains taxes. The rates are usually lower than on other income, but cashing in profitable holdings can cause a hardship when it’s time to pay your taxes. On the other hand, you could choose to sell investments that have lost value and claim up to $3,000 per year as a net capital loss on Schedule D.
#9: Get out
Playing a first-person shooter game in your pajamas doesn’t count as dealing with stress. Exercise, working on home projects, and helping others can give you the sense of accomplishment you miss from your job. Remember that free things can be fun. Check into meetings that you’ve wanted to attend. In addition to reading the help wanted section, check out your area’s free and cheap festivals.
#10: Keep up with your debt
Anyone who has listened to a personal finance show probably knows how expensive it is to pay interest on credit card balances. For example, paying the minimum each month on a $1,000 credit card balance will take 153 months — and you’ll pay $1,115.41 in interest. Even if money is very tight, try to do without before you add to your credit card debt. Get the payments in on time to avoid high late fees and do your best to pay off the monthly balance.
Again, with the rise in foreclosures, don’t put your house in jeopardy by skipping payments If you rent and are having difficulty paying, carefully read your contract to see how late you can be before the landlord can evict you.
Like your home, your car can be repossessed, so it’s a priority if you’re making payments.
And here’s a bonus tip…
#11: Pay attention to your feelings
Although most folks working in IT are relentlessly logical on the job, an unexpected layoff can cause even the most Vulcan employee to show anger or sadness. Even if the job loss is in no way your fault — say, your company is moving jobs offshore to cut costs — it’s easy to get down on yourself. Unfortunately, searching for a job is much more difficult when you lack self-confidence. Not only is it difficult to speak comfortably in a job interview when you lack confidence, but it’s also difficult to deal with the nearly inevitable rejection that is part of a job search. After all, only the luckiest job seekers are offered a perfect job after a single interview.
Along with problems of self-confidence, job loss may also precipitate clinical depression. Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, problems with sleeping, weight loss or gain, and loss of interest in favorite activities. Men, in particular, may feel anger rather than sadness. If the feelings persist longer than two weeks, it’s wise to discuss it with a counselor or physician. Untreated depression is likely to sabotage your job search with feelings of hopelessness, low self-esteem, and procrastination.
#1: Get everything the company owes you
Tie up lose ends to collect any money the company owes you. If you’re still on the job for a couple of weeks, be sure to file any remaining expense reports. To make sure you receive any remaining vacation or PTO pay for which you are eligible, compare your time-off records with those of the HR department and iron out any discrepancies.
If you have stock options, the company may vest more of your shares in the event of a layoff. Read the fine print on exercising these options. There could be a window of time when you must exercise the options or lose them.
#2: Get your resume updated and out the door
You’ll be sending out some unsolicited resumes as you notify your network that you are available. Brevity and relevance are most likely to catch the eye of busy people. Tailor your cover letters to the needs of hiring managers. Emphasize that you are a self-starter who’s ready to get back to work.
These TechRepublic resources can help:
Nineteen words that don’t belong in your resume
10 things you should know about creating a resume for a high-level IT position
Resume do’s and don’ts for IT consultants
3 things your resume could do without
#3: Search company Web sites
Not all jobs are advertised on the big boards or in newspapers. One way to find these jobs is to go to the Web sites of companies where you’d like to work, then look for a Careers or Jobs link. Although it’s more likely that internal candidates will compete for these jobs, it’s still a good idea to monitor them. Find out about good companies by word of mouth, researching regional business publications for “top companies.”
#4: List your sources of income
Companies that lay off employees rarely contest unemployment claims. Unemployment insurance programs are administered by the states, and companies usually provide you with the basic rules and contact information for the program.
Think about these questions when you assess your potential income:
How far can you stretch your severance package (remaining pay, unused vacation pay, etc.)?
If applicable, how far will your spouse’s income go in covering expenses?
If your cash will be scarce and your expenses high, should you take any job — even flipping burgers — to head off more a serious shortfall? At what point would you have to make that decision?
#5: Prioritize expenses
Do you have the proverbial liquid savings to meet six months of expenses? If so, congratulations — you’re avoiding a major stress of losing a job. If not, well, you’re in good company.
Mortgage companies are foreclosing with glee these days, so if you have house payments, do your best to keep up with them. Water, power, and insurance are usually the largest and most critical expenses after house payments or rent. After all, getting a utility cut off and paying to be reconnected will cost you more money than paying the bill in the first place.
Try to save by cutting out services and purchase that may be nice but aren’t necessary. The usual suspects include dining out, cable TV (especially premium channels), and $5.00 coffees.
#6: Don’t forget insurance
Ned Flanders doesn’t have insurance because it’s a form of gamb-diddly-ambling, but you shouldn’t take as much risk as the prudish Simpsons character. You might be surprised to find that your employer contributed so much to your health insurance. A $45 deduction on your biweekly paycheck might end up costing you a monthly payment of $400 or more if you elect to continue your current coverage through COBRA. With family plans, of course, the cost is even higher.
Even if you feel you can’t afford COBRA, don’t do without basic health insurance. Get quotes on individual coverage from several companies. If you don’t need expensive medications, you probably don’t need prescription coverage. Choosing a higher deductible — $1,000 or more — will save on your monthly payments and prevent a financial catastrophe if you (or members of your family) have a serious illness or injury before finding your next job.
#7: Don’t burn bridges
If you have an exit interview, it’s tempting to vent about the company, your boss, even your former co-workers. It also may be tempting to slack off in your final days of employment rather than documenting your system or finishing other tasks. Don’t give in to your urge to get even. After all, you may end up working with or for some of the people who were left behind.
#8: Avoid raiding your investments
Yes, you can borrow money from your 401(k), but in practice, you’ll almost certainly end up losing money. When you pay the money back, you’ll be using after-tax dollars. So you’ll pay tax on the money twice — once as you pay back the loan and again when you make retirement withdrawals. You also may miss out on gains while the money is out of the market. And even if you borrow the money with the best intentions of paying it back, it may take a lot of self-discipline to follow through. If you fail to repay the loan in the time required (usually five years), you’ll pay an additional 10% penalty.
If you have investments in a regular (non-retirement) brokerage account, you could sell some stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Again, think about taxes. If you make a profit on what you sell, you’ll pay capital gains taxes. The rates are usually lower than on other income, but cashing in profitable holdings can cause a hardship when it’s time to pay your taxes. On the other hand, you could choose to sell investments that have lost value and claim up to $3,000 per year as a net capital loss on Schedule D.
#9: Get out
Playing a first-person shooter game in your pajamas doesn’t count as dealing with stress. Exercise, working on home projects, and helping others can give you the sense of accomplishment you miss from your job. Remember that free things can be fun. Check into meetings that you’ve wanted to attend. In addition to reading the help wanted section, check out your area’s free and cheap festivals.
#10: Keep up with your debt
Anyone who has listened to a personal finance show probably knows how expensive it is to pay interest on credit card balances. For example, paying the minimum each month on a $1,000 credit card balance will take 153 months — and you’ll pay $1,115.41 in interest. Even if money is very tight, try to do without before you add to your credit card debt. Get the payments in on time to avoid high late fees and do your best to pay off the monthly balance.
Again, with the rise in foreclosures, don’t put your house in jeopardy by skipping payments If you rent and are having difficulty paying, carefully read your contract to see how late you can be before the landlord can evict you.
Like your home, your car can be repossessed, so it’s a priority if you’re making payments.
And here’s a bonus tip…
#11: Pay attention to your feelings
Although most folks working in IT are relentlessly logical on the job, an unexpected layoff can cause even the most Vulcan employee to show anger or sadness. Even if the job loss is in no way your fault — say, your company is moving jobs offshore to cut costs — it’s easy to get down on yourself. Unfortunately, searching for a job is much more difficult when you lack self-confidence. Not only is it difficult to speak comfortably in a job interview when you lack confidence, but it’s also difficult to deal with the nearly inevitable rejection that is part of a job search. After all, only the luckiest job seekers are offered a perfect job after a single interview.
Along with problems of self-confidence, job loss may also precipitate clinical depression. Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, problems with sleeping, weight loss or gain, and loss of interest in favorite activities. Men, in particular, may feel anger rather than sadness. If the feelings persist longer than two weeks, it’s wise to discuss it with a counselor or physician. Untreated depression is likely to sabotage your job search with feelings of hopelessness, low self-esteem, and procrastination.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
10 tips for dealing with change in the workplace
10-megabyte hard disks… DOS… 5 1/4-inch floppy drives….The technology of the 1980s and 1990s bears almost no resemblance to what we have today. In the same way, our jobs and organizations probably bear little resemblance to that time. Companies reduce their staffs, outsource their operations, rearrange their organizational structure, and upgrade their platforms and tools. Dealing with all of this change can be daunting. Yet being able to do so is vital to your career.
As I began to think about tips I could share on handling change, I realized that reactions to those changes mirror the reactions to the death of a loved one. In particular, I kept thinking about a tragedy that struck a south Texas family I met whose young son Ivan had been killed in an accident, and the amazing way they dealt with it. Their actions helped me put together the following tips on dealing with change. (For the story of Ivan and his resilient and generous family, see this post in my personal blog.)
#1: Recognize that change does happen
When we were children, as the saying goes, we thought, acted, and spoke like children. When we became adults, though, we put childish ways behind us. Our own personal lives change as we grow older. Why should our careers and jobs be any different? Denying that change is or will be occurring, and continuing to live in the past (something my daughters allege about me), only makes things more difficult.
When I teach classes on customer service, I emphasize the importance of setting and managing the expectations of the customer. That principle applies to us personally as well. The more we understand that change will happen, the less upset and surprised we will be when we encounter that change.
#2: Be aware of your surroundings
In his classic work The Art of War, author and military strategist Sun Tzu wrote about the importance of observing signs of the enemy. For example, he wrote that movement among trees in a forest indicated that the enemy is advancing, and that dust that rose in a high column indicated the approach of chariots.
Few armies fight with chariots these days, but the principles Sun Tzu wrote about apply just as much to your job situation. Recognizing that change happens is desirable. It’s even better, though, to recognize when change might be occurring in your own specific situation. Keep alert to subtle clues. For example, are you being excluded from important meetings? Does your boss seem more distant? Is the rumor mill engaged?
#3: Recognize the stages
Because reactions to organizational change resemble those to the death of a loved one, many studies on change cite the work of psychologist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, who identified several specific stages in the latter. The early stages include shock and denial (refusing to believe what has happened and instead believing everything will be all right), guilt (at not having done or said more or for not being the decedent), and anger (at the decedent or at God).Later, one passes through the stages of acceptance (acknowledging what has happened) and moving on.
With respect to organizational change, an additional “negotiations” stage can occur, in which the affected person offers to work harder as a way of preventing or forestalling the change.
All the stages don’t necessarily occur. The progression might not be a smooth linear one, and different amounts of time may be involved with the different stages. Regardless, the quicker you get to the acceptance and moving on stages, the better it will be for you.
#4: Communicate with others
Communications is always important, but especially so when you face change. A lack of communications from others can have a negative impact, while effective communications can have a positive one. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, you need details about the change, so that you can determine how it affects you. Don’t just sit back and wait for things to happen. Talk to your boss, your boss’s boss, and your co-workers to get their understanding. When dealing with co-workers, however, be aware that news can be distorted and can be mixed with rumor.
Part of the fear of change involves dealing with the unknown. If possible, try to minimize this factor by talking to others who have undergone such a change. What difficulties did they experience and how did they deal with them? How can you adapt their experiences to your own situation? As the philosopher Santayana said, “Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”
Your communications should involve more than just people in your own department or company. They should involve people in other companies as well. They might have experienced the same change, so their advice has value. They might also serve as contacts should you decide to change jobs.
#5: Do a self assessment
Companies, in planning for the future, often conduct an analysis for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). That type of SWOT analysis can be just as helpful to you. What skills and strengths do you have? Where do you need to improve? By understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, and knowing as much as you can about the new situation, you have a better chance of finding a place to fit in.
#6: Be flexible
Change requires flexibility. The better able you are to adapt to change, the greater your chances of being successful. After you complete your self-assessment, take a look at the requirements of the new situation. Maybe your current job doesn’t fit exactly into it. However, what skills, from your old role, can you apply to the new situation? In other words, instead of focusing on differences, focus on similarities.
Suppose you were a football coach at a university. One day the president told you the football program was going away, and you would either have to coach basketball (something you never did before) or leave the university.
How would you react if you wanted to stay? Football and basketball have important differences, in number of players, size of playing area, and shape of ball. However, they also have similarities. In both sports, you want to outscore the opponent. In both, a coach must motivate players to achieve peak performance and must deal when necessary with discipline issues. In both, strategy, planning, and preparation are vital to success. If you wanted to make this change successful, you would look at the similarities and leverage existing knowledge. You’d then recognize shortcomings (e.g., lack of coaching experience in or knowledge of basketball) and make appropriate plans to address them.
Think in the same way about how you can adapt your own skills to the new environment.
#7: Continue to do your work
I’ve been through reorganizations, and they’re no fun. Regardless, resist if you can the temptation to just sit there. It’s easy to have that attitude, because you don’t know if your work is going to mean anything tomorrow or the next week. Still, you’re being paid to work, so try to do so. Furthermore, that attitude could impress a future boss.
#8: Be positive in actions and attitude
I don’t want to sound like Pollyanna, but keeping a positive attitude can help you deal with the uncertainties of change. For example, instead of worrying about changes you will have to make, focus instead on how you can leverage your existing skills and experience, as in the example of the football-turned-basketball coach. Looking for opportunities in the new organization, and becoming involved, will hasten your adjustment.
#9: Maintain your network
Your network of contacts, both inside and outside your company, can serve a valuable function. They can share with you their own experiences of change and tell you of job opportunities. More important, they can be a sounding board for your ideas and share with you their emotions about the change.
Build your network by keeping in touch with school and college classmates, former co-workers, bosses, and subordinates and by meeting colleagues at conferences and conventions.
#10: See the big picture
We discussed the example of the football coach who had to become a basketball coach. That person has a better chance of success by looking not at the small picture, i.e., specific differences between the sports, but rather at their similarities as athletic activities.
Change can be frightening, and disruptive. However, with the right attitude and actions, you can find opportunities in that change.
As I began to think about tips I could share on handling change, I realized that reactions to those changes mirror the reactions to the death of a loved one. In particular, I kept thinking about a tragedy that struck a south Texas family I met whose young son Ivan had been killed in an accident, and the amazing way they dealt with it. Their actions helped me put together the following tips on dealing with change. (For the story of Ivan and his resilient and generous family, see this post in my personal blog.)
#1: Recognize that change does happen
When we were children, as the saying goes, we thought, acted, and spoke like children. When we became adults, though, we put childish ways behind us. Our own personal lives change as we grow older. Why should our careers and jobs be any different? Denying that change is or will be occurring, and continuing to live in the past (something my daughters allege about me), only makes things more difficult.
When I teach classes on customer service, I emphasize the importance of setting and managing the expectations of the customer. That principle applies to us personally as well. The more we understand that change will happen, the less upset and surprised we will be when we encounter that change.
#2: Be aware of your surroundings
In his classic work The Art of War, author and military strategist Sun Tzu wrote about the importance of observing signs of the enemy. For example, he wrote that movement among trees in a forest indicated that the enemy is advancing, and that dust that rose in a high column indicated the approach of chariots.
Few armies fight with chariots these days, but the principles Sun Tzu wrote about apply just as much to your job situation. Recognizing that change happens is desirable. It’s even better, though, to recognize when change might be occurring in your own specific situation. Keep alert to subtle clues. For example, are you being excluded from important meetings? Does your boss seem more distant? Is the rumor mill engaged?
#3: Recognize the stages
Because reactions to organizational change resemble those to the death of a loved one, many studies on change cite the work of psychologist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, who identified several specific stages in the latter. The early stages include shock and denial (refusing to believe what has happened and instead believing everything will be all right), guilt (at not having done or said more or for not being the decedent), and anger (at the decedent or at God).Later, one passes through the stages of acceptance (acknowledging what has happened) and moving on.
With respect to organizational change, an additional “negotiations” stage can occur, in which the affected person offers to work harder as a way of preventing or forestalling the change.
All the stages don’t necessarily occur. The progression might not be a smooth linear one, and different amounts of time may be involved with the different stages. Regardless, the quicker you get to the acceptance and moving on stages, the better it will be for you.
#4: Communicate with others
Communications is always important, but especially so when you face change. A lack of communications from others can have a negative impact, while effective communications can have a positive one. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, you need details about the change, so that you can determine how it affects you. Don’t just sit back and wait for things to happen. Talk to your boss, your boss’s boss, and your co-workers to get their understanding. When dealing with co-workers, however, be aware that news can be distorted and can be mixed with rumor.
Part of the fear of change involves dealing with the unknown. If possible, try to minimize this factor by talking to others who have undergone such a change. What difficulties did they experience and how did they deal with them? How can you adapt their experiences to your own situation? As the philosopher Santayana said, “Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”
Your communications should involve more than just people in your own department or company. They should involve people in other companies as well. They might have experienced the same change, so their advice has value. They might also serve as contacts should you decide to change jobs.
#5: Do a self assessment
Companies, in planning for the future, often conduct an analysis for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). That type of SWOT analysis can be just as helpful to you. What skills and strengths do you have? Where do you need to improve? By understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, and knowing as much as you can about the new situation, you have a better chance of finding a place to fit in.
#6: Be flexible
Change requires flexibility. The better able you are to adapt to change, the greater your chances of being successful. After you complete your self-assessment, take a look at the requirements of the new situation. Maybe your current job doesn’t fit exactly into it. However, what skills, from your old role, can you apply to the new situation? In other words, instead of focusing on differences, focus on similarities.
Suppose you were a football coach at a university. One day the president told you the football program was going away, and you would either have to coach basketball (something you never did before) or leave the university.
How would you react if you wanted to stay? Football and basketball have important differences, in number of players, size of playing area, and shape of ball. However, they also have similarities. In both sports, you want to outscore the opponent. In both, a coach must motivate players to achieve peak performance and must deal when necessary with discipline issues. In both, strategy, planning, and preparation are vital to success. If you wanted to make this change successful, you would look at the similarities and leverage existing knowledge. You’d then recognize shortcomings (e.g., lack of coaching experience in or knowledge of basketball) and make appropriate plans to address them.
Think in the same way about how you can adapt your own skills to the new environment.
#7: Continue to do your work
I’ve been through reorganizations, and they’re no fun. Regardless, resist if you can the temptation to just sit there. It’s easy to have that attitude, because you don’t know if your work is going to mean anything tomorrow or the next week. Still, you’re being paid to work, so try to do so. Furthermore, that attitude could impress a future boss.
#8: Be positive in actions and attitude
I don’t want to sound like Pollyanna, but keeping a positive attitude can help you deal with the uncertainties of change. For example, instead of worrying about changes you will have to make, focus instead on how you can leverage your existing skills and experience, as in the example of the football-turned-basketball coach. Looking for opportunities in the new organization, and becoming involved, will hasten your adjustment.
#9: Maintain your network
Your network of contacts, both inside and outside your company, can serve a valuable function. They can share with you their own experiences of change and tell you of job opportunities. More important, they can be a sounding board for your ideas and share with you their emotions about the change.
Build your network by keeping in touch with school and college classmates, former co-workers, bosses, and subordinates and by meeting colleagues at conferences and conventions.
#10: See the big picture
We discussed the example of the football coach who had to become a basketball coach. That person has a better chance of success by looking not at the small picture, i.e., specific differences between the sports, but rather at their similarities as athletic activities.
Change can be frightening, and disruptive. However, with the right attitude and actions, you can find opportunities in that change.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
10 signs that you aren’t cut out to be a developer
Programmers make big bucks. Software developers dress casual every day of the week. Anyone can teach themselves to be a programmer. These are just a few of the reasons why people say they want to become a developer. Unfortunately, the job market is littered with people who may have had the raw intelligence or maybe even the knowledge, but not the right attitude or personality to become a good programmer. Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether you should become a software developer.
#1: You’d rather be trained than self-teach
In most development shops, there is rarely any training, even if the company has a training program in place for other employees. At best, the company might reimburse you for a book you buy. Programmers are expected to arrive on their first day with all (or at least most ) of the skills they need. Even worse, the assumption is that programmers are really smart people who are good at problem solving. That assumption leads upper management to believe that good programmers do not need training. Finally, training for developers is extremely expensive. The result? When you change positions, you will need to figure out what is going on yourself, and you will probably need to teach yourself.
#2: You like regular working hours
Software development projects are notorious for being late. Even the projects that are delivered on time always seem to run behind schedule at some point. If you don’t like (or can’t handle) irregular or fluctuating demands on your time by your employer, development is not for you. When crunch time comes, your employer is more concerned with getting the product in the hands of a million-dollar client than with your child’s soccer game or the new TV program you wanted to watch.
#3: You prefer regular raises to job-hopping
The world of development is one of continual erosion of skill value. Unless you are working at a shop that deals with slow-to-change technologies, chances are, your skill set is less valuable every day. The state of the art is changing rapidly, and the skills that are hot today will be ho-hum tomorrow. As a result, it is difficult to sit at the same desk doing the same work every day and expect a raise that exceeds a cost of living increase. You need to keep your skills up to date just to maintain your current value. In addition, if you want to boost your paycheck, you need to expand your skill set significantly and either earn an internal promotion or go to another company.
#4: You do not get along well with others
It’s one thing to be an introverted person or to prefer to work by yourself. It’s another thing to be unable to get along with others, and it can sink you as a developer. Not only that, your manager may well be a nontechnical person (or a technical person who has not worked hands-on in some time), so you need to be able to express yourself to nontechnical people.
#5: You are easily frustrated
Software development is often quite frustrating. Documentation is outdated or wrong, the previous programmer wrote unreadable code, the boss has rules to follow that make no sense… the list is endless. At the end of the day, no one wants to be working next to someone who is always cursing under his or her breath or screaming at the monitor. If you are the kind of person who goes insane spending eight hours to do what appears to be 10 minutes’ worth of work, this is not a career for you.
#6: You are close-minded to others’ ideas
In programming, there are often problems that have only more than one “right” answer. [Update: Corrected by author] If you do not handle criticism well, or do not care to hear the suggestions of others, you might miss something important. For example, a few weeks ago, one of our junior-level people made a suggestion to me. After considering it for a bit, I decided to try it. It turned out that he was right and I was wrong, and his suggestion brought the time to execute a piece of code from multiple days to a few hours. Ignoring this person due to the difference in our experience levels would have been foolish.
#7: You are not a “details person”
Programming is all about the details. If you get lost in a movie more complex than Conan the Barbarian or have a hard time filling out a rebate voucher, you probably won’t do very well in the development world. Sometimes, something as simple as a missing period can mean the difference between random failure and perfect success. If you are the type of person who might not figure out where the missing period is, your career will be limited in range, at best.
#8: You do not take personal pride in your work
Sure, it’s possible to program by the book and do a passable job. The problem is, the book keeps getting rewritten. Software development is not a factory job where you tighten the same bolt all day long, where a touch too much or too little torque makes no difference. It requires independent thought, which in turn requires the people doing the work to take pride in it. Furthermore, it’s easy to do something the wrong way and have it work just well enough to end up in production. That “little error” you turn a blind eye to since it doesn’t seem to cause any problems will cause problems. Programmers who do not treat each project as something to be proud of turn out poor quality work, which in turn makes their careers short-lived.
#9: You prefer to shoot first and ask questions later
Software developers, at least the good ones, spend a lot more time planning what they’re going to type than actually typing. Usually, when coders just open up their code editor and start banging away at the keyboard, most of what they write gets ripped out later. Programmers who ponder, think, consider, and plan write better code in less time with fewer problems. There’s a reason so many programmers barely know how to type properly: The hard part of the job is knowing what to type. People who do not invest the time up front in their zeal to get started with the “real work” are actually skimping on the “real work.” If you are a doer and not a thinker, software development is probably not a good career choice for you.
#10: You do not like the geek type of person
For a bunch of reasons (some legitimate), a lot of people just do not enjoy being around the engineer or techie personality. If you have a hard time with the Dilbert or Weird Al personality type, do not even consider going into programming. Are all developers like that? Of course not. But they comprise a large enough portion of the workforce that you would be miserable in the industry.
#1: You’d rather be trained than self-teach
In most development shops, there is rarely any training, even if the company has a training program in place for other employees. At best, the company might reimburse you for a book you buy. Programmers are expected to arrive on their first day with all (or at least most ) of the skills they need. Even worse, the assumption is that programmers are really smart people who are good at problem solving. That assumption leads upper management to believe that good programmers do not need training. Finally, training for developers is extremely expensive. The result? When you change positions, you will need to figure out what is going on yourself, and you will probably need to teach yourself.
#2: You like regular working hours
Software development projects are notorious for being late. Even the projects that are delivered on time always seem to run behind schedule at some point. If you don’t like (or can’t handle) irregular or fluctuating demands on your time by your employer, development is not for you. When crunch time comes, your employer is more concerned with getting the product in the hands of a million-dollar client than with your child’s soccer game or the new TV program you wanted to watch.
#3: You prefer regular raises to job-hopping
The world of development is one of continual erosion of skill value. Unless you are working at a shop that deals with slow-to-change technologies, chances are, your skill set is less valuable every day. The state of the art is changing rapidly, and the skills that are hot today will be ho-hum tomorrow. As a result, it is difficult to sit at the same desk doing the same work every day and expect a raise that exceeds a cost of living increase. You need to keep your skills up to date just to maintain your current value. In addition, if you want to boost your paycheck, you need to expand your skill set significantly and either earn an internal promotion or go to another company.
#4: You do not get along well with others
It’s one thing to be an introverted person or to prefer to work by yourself. It’s another thing to be unable to get along with others, and it can sink you as a developer. Not only that, your manager may well be a nontechnical person (or a technical person who has not worked hands-on in some time), so you need to be able to express yourself to nontechnical people.
#5: You are easily frustrated
Software development is often quite frustrating. Documentation is outdated or wrong, the previous programmer wrote unreadable code, the boss has rules to follow that make no sense… the list is endless. At the end of the day, no one wants to be working next to someone who is always cursing under his or her breath or screaming at the monitor. If you are the kind of person who goes insane spending eight hours to do what appears to be 10 minutes’ worth of work, this is not a career for you.
#6: You are close-minded to others’ ideas
In programming, there are often problems that have only more than one “right” answer. [Update: Corrected by author] If you do not handle criticism well, or do not care to hear the suggestions of others, you might miss something important. For example, a few weeks ago, one of our junior-level people made a suggestion to me. After considering it for a bit, I decided to try it. It turned out that he was right and I was wrong, and his suggestion brought the time to execute a piece of code from multiple days to a few hours. Ignoring this person due to the difference in our experience levels would have been foolish.
#7: You are not a “details person”
Programming is all about the details. If you get lost in a movie more complex than Conan the Barbarian or have a hard time filling out a rebate voucher, you probably won’t do very well in the development world. Sometimes, something as simple as a missing period can mean the difference between random failure and perfect success. If you are the type of person who might not figure out where the missing period is, your career will be limited in range, at best.
#8: You do not take personal pride in your work
Sure, it’s possible to program by the book and do a passable job. The problem is, the book keeps getting rewritten. Software development is not a factory job where you tighten the same bolt all day long, where a touch too much or too little torque makes no difference. It requires independent thought, which in turn requires the people doing the work to take pride in it. Furthermore, it’s easy to do something the wrong way and have it work just well enough to end up in production. That “little error” you turn a blind eye to since it doesn’t seem to cause any problems will cause problems. Programmers who do not treat each project as something to be proud of turn out poor quality work, which in turn makes their careers short-lived.
#9: You prefer to shoot first and ask questions later
Software developers, at least the good ones, spend a lot more time planning what they’re going to type than actually typing. Usually, when coders just open up their code editor and start banging away at the keyboard, most of what they write gets ripped out later. Programmers who ponder, think, consider, and plan write better code in less time with fewer problems. There’s a reason so many programmers barely know how to type properly: The hard part of the job is knowing what to type. People who do not invest the time up front in their zeal to get started with the “real work” are actually skimping on the “real work.” If you are a doer and not a thinker, software development is probably not a good career choice for you.
#10: You do not like the geek type of person
For a bunch of reasons (some legitimate), a lot of people just do not enjoy being around the engineer or techie personality. If you have a hard time with the Dilbert or Weird Al personality type, do not even consider going into programming. Are all developers like that? Of course not. But they comprise a large enough portion of the workforce that you would be miserable in the industry.
Monday, December 3, 2007
10+ Windows XP keyboard shortcuts to speed everyday tasks
How expansive is your repertoire of Windows XP keyboard shortcuts? A lot of users learn a handful of shortcuts but turn their backs on a host of other ones that could come in handy. Check out the selection of shortcuts below and see if there aren’t a couple you didn’t know about that could be saving you some real time.
The shortcuts
Keystroke Function
Alt + Tab Switches between open programs
Alt + F4 (in a program) Closes the program
Alt + F4 (from the desktop) Opens the Windows Shutdown/Restart dialog box
Alt + Enter Opens the Properties page of a selected item
Alt + Esc Cycles between open programs in the order they were opened
Alt + Spacebar In the active window, this brings up the corner dialog box for Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize, or Close
Shift + Insert a CD/DVD Inserts a CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun
Shift + Delete Permanently deletes an item (rather than sending it to the Recycle Bin)
Ctrl + Shift + Esc Opens the Windows Task Manager
Ctrl + drag an icon Copies that item
Ctrl + Shift + drag an icon Creates a shortcut for the item
Right-click + drag an icon Brings up a menu to copy, move, or create a shortcut for the item
F1 Opens Windows XP Help
F2 Highlights the label of a selected item for renaming
F3 Opens Windows search for files and folders
F5 (or Ctrl + R) Refreshes an Internet Explorer page or other window
F6 Cycles through the elements that can be selected in a screen or window
F10 Selects the menu bar in the active program (usually the File menu) so that you can use the arrow keys to navigate through the menus and the Enter key to display one
Shift + F10 Displays a shortcut menu for an item (like right-clicking with the mouse)
Ctrl + Esc Opens the Start menu
Roll your own shortcut
You can also create custom Windows XP shortcuts. Just right-click on the icon of a program or program shortcut, choose Properties, click the Shortcut tab, and enter a keystroke combination in the Shortcut Key field. Windows will let you assign only key combos that aren’t already taken.
The shortcuts
Keystroke Function
Alt + Tab Switches between open programs
Alt + F4 (in a program) Closes the program
Alt + F4 (from the desktop) Opens the Windows Shutdown/Restart dialog box
Alt + Enter Opens the Properties page of a selected item
Alt + Esc Cycles between open programs in the order they were opened
Alt + Spacebar In the active window, this brings up the corner dialog box for Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize, or Close
Shift + Insert a CD/DVD Inserts a CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun
Shift + Delete Permanently deletes an item (rather than sending it to the Recycle Bin)
Ctrl + Shift + Esc Opens the Windows Task Manager
Ctrl + drag an icon Copies that item
Ctrl + Shift + drag an icon Creates a shortcut for the item
Right-click + drag an icon Brings up a menu to copy, move, or create a shortcut for the item
F1 Opens Windows XP Help
F2 Highlights the label of a selected item for renaming
F3 Opens Windows search for files and folders
F5 (or Ctrl + R) Refreshes an Internet Explorer page or other window
F6 Cycles through the elements that can be selected in a screen or window
F10 Selects the menu bar in the active program (usually the File menu) so that you can use the arrow keys to navigate through the menus and the Enter key to display one
Shift + F10 Displays a shortcut menu for an item (like right-clicking with the mouse)
Ctrl + Esc Opens the Start menu
Roll your own shortcut
You can also create custom Windows XP shortcuts. Just right-click on the icon of a program or program shortcut, choose Properties, click the Shortcut tab, and enter a keystroke combination in the Shortcut Key field. Windows will let you assign only key combos that aren’t already taken.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
10 tips for getting the most out of your videoconferences
Meetings: We all hate them. But like death and taxes, they seem to be inevitable. Whether your company is a multi-site corporation or a one-person consulting operation, traveling to and from meetings can eat up a large chunk of your budget. But with today’s technology, there’s more than one way to conduct a meeting.Telephone conferences have been taking the place of face-to-face meetings for a long time, but they leave a lot to be desired. With multiple people talking “blindly,” it can be hard to discern who’s saying what. Online chats solve that problem but add a new one. Without being able to hear a person’s tone of voice, a lot of the meaning of their words may be lost.
Videoconferencing is the next best thing to being there. You’re able to communicate via facial expressions, body language, and vocal variances, as you do in person. But getting the most out of a videoconference requires some preparation and planning. In this article, we’ll discuss some best practices to help make your videoconferences more productive, whether you’re running the show or attending your first videoconference.
#1: Have the right hardware
Videoteleconferencing (VTC) systems are complex because they transmit both video and audio streams in real time, and in most cases, these streams are compressed and decompressed for more efficient travel over the network. Each participant needs a video camera or webcam and microphone to input data, and a monitor (or projector) and speakers for output of incoming data (and, of course, a sound card for the mic and speakers to plug into).
The easiest but most expensive way to ensure a high quality videoconference is to use a dedicated VTC system, such as those made by Polycom, Tandberg, and other companies. The less expensive method is to use desktop or laptop PCs with the appropriate peripherals. The low cost of webcams and the other necessary peripherals puts videoconferencing within almost everyone’s budget.
Either way, good quality equipment can make the difference between a productive conference and one in which you spend so much time adjusting the equipment and trying to get a good picture or sound that you miss the content of the conference.
Note that you’ll get the best sound quality if you use a good headset. When you have a microphone and speakers set up, it’s common to get feedback that’s unpleasant to listen to and that can obscure the conversation. Microphones that are built into webcams are usually low quality, too, even on high quality cameras. A headset almost always works best.
#2: Have the right software
Dedicated systems will come with their own software, but if you’re going the poor-man’s route with webcam-equipped PCs, you can choose from a variety of software programs. If you’re meeting with one person, you can use free software, such as Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, AIM, or Skype, among many others.
For multiperson video meetings on a tight budget, you can use free or low cost programs, such as iVisit, ineen, and SightSpeed Pro edition. Enterprise-level conferencing tools include WebEx and Windows Live Meeting software.
Many subscription-based Web conferencing services are available in a wide range of prices, such as HearMe and eBoardroom.
The most important factor in choosing software is to ensure that it will do what you need. Some conferencing software limits the number of conference participants, for example. If you need to be able to give PowerPoint presentations, transmit whiteboard diagrams, share applications or the desktop, distribute files to participants, etc., be sure that the software you pick supports those options.
#3: Check the equipment beforehand
Because a video conference is a somewhat complex operation, plenty of things can go wrong. Just because your equipment worked last week or even earlier today doesn’t guarantee that something hasn’t changed in your settings or on your network. Just as a pilot goes through a preflight checklist prior to every takeoff, you should test your equipment prior to every conference. It can be embarrassing and frustrating to have a dozen people waiting on you to troubleshoot a problem before you can join the conference.
#4: Check the firewall
A common cause for failure of videoconferencing software is that the protocols it uses are being blocked by the firewall. If you don’t have sole control over your company’s firewalls, you could find yourself in this position at any time. For instance, if your conferencing software uses the H.323 protocols and the firewall is not H.323 aware, it will block the conferencing traffic. You’ll need to open the appropriate ports on the firewall.
Professional conferencing products can work around this problem. For example, Tandberg’s Expressway solution traverses firewalls without creating a security risk.
#5: Deal with bandwidth problems
Videoconferencing puts big bandwidth demands on your Internet connection. If you have a low bandwidth connection (or a high bandwidth connection that’s being shared by many users), you may have trouble transmitting clear video and audio signals.
Many people don’t realize that the more movement the camera has to record, the higher the data rate. If you’re in a limited bandwidth situation, you should make an effort to avoid excess movement (such as “talking with your hands”).
#6: Use the self-view window
Most videoconferencing client software lets you see yourself (as seen by your camera) in a self-view window. Use this feature to check how you appear to others in the conference. Ensure that you’re not too close or too far away from the camera, that you aren’t off center, that part of your face isn’t obscured, that a light source isn’t lighting you up harshly, that you aren’t in shadows, that you aren’t looking up into the camera, and that it isn’t looking up at you from below.
You should check all this before the conference actually starts and make adjustments as needed to present the most professional appearance, but it’s also a good idea to keep checking throughout the conference. However, don’t make large, obvious adjustments while the conference is going on, as this can be disruptive to the meeting.
#7: Remove distractions ahead of time
Before the conference starts, remove distractions — or potential distractions. If you’re at your desk at work, close your office door and lock it if possible or consider placing a sign on it to prevent co-workers from bursting in during the conference. Turn off the ringers on your phones (including cell phones).
If you’re videoconferencing from home, it’s especially important to deal with possible interruptions beforehand. Let your spouse and kids know that you’re going to be in a business meeting and should not be disturbed for anything short of a real emergency. Lock pets out of the room; even the most well-behaved animals seem to have a knack for barking/meowing or jumping up onto your lap at just the wrong time when you’re on camera.
Whether at work or at home, close computer applications that may play sounds at inopportune times (such as the chime your e-mail program plays when mail is received). It’s often a good idea to mute your audio completely when you aren’t speaking, especially if there are a large number of participants.
#8: Dress the part
The nice thing about a telephone conference is that it doesn’t matter how you look. You can conduct business when your hair’s a mess and you’re wearing your grungiest sweats. That’s not so for a videoconference. Even if you’re working from home, the best practice is to dress professionally, as you would if you were meeting with these people face to face.
Some folks try to get away with “half dress.” Because the camera will normally be focused on your face and upper body, you might be tempted to wear a dress shirt and jacket over cut-off shorts and bare feet. Usually, you can get away with it. But what if something unexpected happens and you have to get up while the camera’s running or the camera itself falls over and shows the rest of the meeting attendees what your bottom half looks like? It’s easier to just dress in normal business attire — for all parts of your body. You also might want to take a tip from the TV news folks: Light, solid-color clothing (such as pale blue) looks best on video.
#9: Don’t multitask
Because you’re at your desk with your computer in front of you, you might be tempted to work on other items, read your e-mail, or surf the Web during lulls, such as when someone else is talking/presenting. Don’t. Even when you aren’t speaking, others may be watching your facial expression to gauge your reaction, and it’s best to appear interested. Besides, you may miss important parts of the discussion and thus be unprepared when it is your turn to speak.
Checking your Blackberry during a normal meeting is rude, and it’s just as rude to attend to other things while you’re in a videoconference.
#10: Observe standard meeting etiquette
All the same rules apply as when attending a “real” meeting: Don’t be late; don’t interrupt or speak when others are speaking; don’t get emotional. Introduce yourself the first time you speak (unless it’s a one-to-one meeting with someone you know well). State your positions or comments clearly and concisely — don’t ramble on or hog the floor, and don’t bring up issues that aren’t related to the agenda of the conference.
Videoconferencing is the next best thing to being there. You’re able to communicate via facial expressions, body language, and vocal variances, as you do in person. But getting the most out of a videoconference requires some preparation and planning. In this article, we’ll discuss some best practices to help make your videoconferences more productive, whether you’re running the show or attending your first videoconference.
#1: Have the right hardware
Videoteleconferencing (VTC) systems are complex because they transmit both video and audio streams in real time, and in most cases, these streams are compressed and decompressed for more efficient travel over the network. Each participant needs a video camera or webcam and microphone to input data, and a monitor (or projector) and speakers for output of incoming data (and, of course, a sound card for the mic and speakers to plug into).
The easiest but most expensive way to ensure a high quality videoconference is to use a dedicated VTC system, such as those made by Polycom, Tandberg, and other companies. The less expensive method is to use desktop or laptop PCs with the appropriate peripherals. The low cost of webcams and the other necessary peripherals puts videoconferencing within almost everyone’s budget.
Either way, good quality equipment can make the difference between a productive conference and one in which you spend so much time adjusting the equipment and trying to get a good picture or sound that you miss the content of the conference.
Note that you’ll get the best sound quality if you use a good headset. When you have a microphone and speakers set up, it’s common to get feedback that’s unpleasant to listen to and that can obscure the conversation. Microphones that are built into webcams are usually low quality, too, even on high quality cameras. A headset almost always works best.
#2: Have the right software
Dedicated systems will come with their own software, but if you’re going the poor-man’s route with webcam-equipped PCs, you can choose from a variety of software programs. If you’re meeting with one person, you can use free software, such as Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, AIM, or Skype, among many others.
For multiperson video meetings on a tight budget, you can use free or low cost programs, such as iVisit, ineen, and SightSpeed Pro edition. Enterprise-level conferencing tools include WebEx and Windows Live Meeting software.
Many subscription-based Web conferencing services are available in a wide range of prices, such as HearMe and eBoardroom.
The most important factor in choosing software is to ensure that it will do what you need. Some conferencing software limits the number of conference participants, for example. If you need to be able to give PowerPoint presentations, transmit whiteboard diagrams, share applications or the desktop, distribute files to participants, etc., be sure that the software you pick supports those options.
#3: Check the equipment beforehand
Because a video conference is a somewhat complex operation, plenty of things can go wrong. Just because your equipment worked last week or even earlier today doesn’t guarantee that something hasn’t changed in your settings or on your network. Just as a pilot goes through a preflight checklist prior to every takeoff, you should test your equipment prior to every conference. It can be embarrassing and frustrating to have a dozen people waiting on you to troubleshoot a problem before you can join the conference.
#4: Check the firewall
A common cause for failure of videoconferencing software is that the protocols it uses are being blocked by the firewall. If you don’t have sole control over your company’s firewalls, you could find yourself in this position at any time. For instance, if your conferencing software uses the H.323 protocols and the firewall is not H.323 aware, it will block the conferencing traffic. You’ll need to open the appropriate ports on the firewall.
Professional conferencing products can work around this problem. For example, Tandberg’s Expressway solution traverses firewalls without creating a security risk.
#5: Deal with bandwidth problems
Videoconferencing puts big bandwidth demands on your Internet connection. If you have a low bandwidth connection (or a high bandwidth connection that’s being shared by many users), you may have trouble transmitting clear video and audio signals.
Many people don’t realize that the more movement the camera has to record, the higher the data rate. If you’re in a limited bandwidth situation, you should make an effort to avoid excess movement (such as “talking with your hands”).
#6: Use the self-view window
Most videoconferencing client software lets you see yourself (as seen by your camera) in a self-view window. Use this feature to check how you appear to others in the conference. Ensure that you’re not too close or too far away from the camera, that you aren’t off center, that part of your face isn’t obscured, that a light source isn’t lighting you up harshly, that you aren’t in shadows, that you aren’t looking up into the camera, and that it isn’t looking up at you from below.
You should check all this before the conference actually starts and make adjustments as needed to present the most professional appearance, but it’s also a good idea to keep checking throughout the conference. However, don’t make large, obvious adjustments while the conference is going on, as this can be disruptive to the meeting.
#7: Remove distractions ahead of time
Before the conference starts, remove distractions — or potential distractions. If you’re at your desk at work, close your office door and lock it if possible or consider placing a sign on it to prevent co-workers from bursting in during the conference. Turn off the ringers on your phones (including cell phones).
If you’re videoconferencing from home, it’s especially important to deal with possible interruptions beforehand. Let your spouse and kids know that you’re going to be in a business meeting and should not be disturbed for anything short of a real emergency. Lock pets out of the room; even the most well-behaved animals seem to have a knack for barking/meowing or jumping up onto your lap at just the wrong time when you’re on camera.
Whether at work or at home, close computer applications that may play sounds at inopportune times (such as the chime your e-mail program plays when mail is received). It’s often a good idea to mute your audio completely when you aren’t speaking, especially if there are a large number of participants.
#8: Dress the part
The nice thing about a telephone conference is that it doesn’t matter how you look. You can conduct business when your hair’s a mess and you’re wearing your grungiest sweats. That’s not so for a videoconference. Even if you’re working from home, the best practice is to dress professionally, as you would if you were meeting with these people face to face.
Some folks try to get away with “half dress.” Because the camera will normally be focused on your face and upper body, you might be tempted to wear a dress shirt and jacket over cut-off shorts and bare feet. Usually, you can get away with it. But what if something unexpected happens and you have to get up while the camera’s running or the camera itself falls over and shows the rest of the meeting attendees what your bottom half looks like? It’s easier to just dress in normal business attire — for all parts of your body. You also might want to take a tip from the TV news folks: Light, solid-color clothing (such as pale blue) looks best on video.
#9: Don’t multitask
Because you’re at your desk with your computer in front of you, you might be tempted to work on other items, read your e-mail, or surf the Web during lulls, such as when someone else is talking/presenting. Don’t. Even when you aren’t speaking, others may be watching your facial expression to gauge your reaction, and it’s best to appear interested. Besides, you may miss important parts of the discussion and thus be unprepared when it is your turn to speak.
Checking your Blackberry during a normal meeting is rude, and it’s just as rude to attend to other things while you’re in a videoconference.
#10: Observe standard meeting etiquette
All the same rules apply as when attending a “real” meeting: Don’t be late; don’t interrupt or speak when others are speaking; don’t get emotional. Introduce yourself the first time you speak (unless it’s a one-to-one meeting with someone you know well). State your positions or comments clearly and concisely — don’t ramble on or hog the floor, and don’t bring up issues that aren’t related to the agenda of the conference.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
10 things to look for in a laptop
Laptops are all the rage. Once reserved for mobile professionals and elite executives, notebook PCs are replacing desktop computers in many organizations and homes. Driven by changing habits and the ease of locating and joining wireless networks, sales of laptop computers began exceeding those for desktop models in mid-year 2005. The trend shows no signs of easing.However, just buying a laptop doesn’t ensure you automatically become an effective mobile computer user. In fact, the odds are you’ll end up with a subpar PC if you purchase a model directly from many retailers’ shelves.
Due to competitive pressures, many office supply and electronics chains aggressively market very low prices for laptop computers. The problem is, because of cost constraints, many of those PCs aren’t well-equipped for most real-world computing. Here are 10 things to look for in your next laptop to help you choose a model that readily meets your needs.
#1: Operating system
Most PCs sold in office supply and major big box electronics stores come preloaded with Microsoft’s consumer operating system. Deploying PCs powered by Windows XP Home or Vista Home Basic might not appear problematic, at least at first. In many cases, it may even appear beneficial. Why pay for the more expensive business edition if all you really need to do is write documents, crunch spreadsheets, send and receive e-mail, and use the Internet?
As so many organizations and users have discovered in the real world, the business versions of Microsoft’s operating system offer many features that may well become necessities down the road. Many a client has found the migration from a workgroup environment to a client-server system complicated by the need to purchase new Windows XP Professional or Vista Business licenses (not too mention the time and cost associated with upgrading each user computer).
Microsoft’s consumer operating systems typically don’t support joining server domains. Nor have they readily enabled hosting remote desktop connections. For this reason, when purchasing a laptop PC, be sure it comes preloaded with the Microsoft operating system that will meet all your professional computing requirements.
#2: CPU
Laptop models advertised at attractive price points often don’t have potent CPUs. When selecting a portable computer, buy a model with a CPU tailored to the rigors of mobile computing. Fail to do so, and you could end up with a PC that takes seven to eight minutes to fully boot into Windows, provides minimal battery life, and can’t reasonably power the applications you use.
Intel’s new Core 2 Duo CPUs (Figure A) perform exceptionally well. In addition to packing considerable processing power, these chips use less energy (resulting in improved battery life) and generate less heat than previous Pentium CPUs. Laptops featuring these chips (2.0 GHz and higher) should meet most users’ computing needs for the next three or four years (the timeframe in which accountants amortize information technology assets).
Figure A
Intel’s Core 2 Duo CPU is a potent CPU that’s the favorite of many road warriors.
#3: RAM
Many Windows Vista laptops are marketed as having a full 1 GB of RAM. While 1 GB of RAM works well for most Windows XP installations, it typically isn’t enough to enable a Vista system to work smoothly. Any users planning to run multiple applications simultaneously on a Windows Vista laptop should consider loading the notebook with 2 GB of RAM.
While most users don’t think of themselves as power users, 2 GB of RAM should be the norm for individuals planning to maintain multiple Office application windows while surfing the Internet and checking e-mail. Anyone planning to edit digital photographs or play more advanced games on a Vista system should also upgrade to 2 GB of RAM.
#4: Video card
Video performance is notoriously shortchanged on laptop computers. This is especially true for $500 notebooks frequently featured on the front covers of electronics and office supply store circulars.
Windows Vista operating systems, in particular, require potent video cards to maximize the system’s many new features (including its resource-demanding Aero interface, translucent menus, and Flip 3D technologies). Windows XP computers that must power three-dimensional engineering and drafting programs also require strong video cards, as do gaming systems, regardless of OS.
When preparing to purchase a laptop computer, consider selecting a model with at least 128 MB of onboard RAM. If you plan to run drafting and engineering applications, video production software, or games, you should upgrade to video adapters with 256 MB of RAM.
#5: Ports
Many users assume that any modern laptop computer has numerous USB ports, as well as VGA, DVI, serial, and parallel ports. Those same users may learn a painful lesson; increasingly, in another effort at managing costs, laptop manufacturers are reducing the number of ports found on their PCs.
Budget notebook computers often ship with only a pair of USB ports, with no serial, parallel, or DVI ports and only a single VGA port (if a video port is even included). When purchasing a laptop, review the model’s technical specifications and make sure that the chassis includes the ports you require. While most PCs now include integrated wired NICs, they don’t always have PC Card slots, so that’s an additional factor to consider before purchasing a new unit.
#6: Screen size
Carefully review your monitor needs before ordering a new notebook. You may think that a 17-inch widescreen display is just what you need. Ultimately, that may prove to be too big.
How’s that?
Think about how you’ll be using the laptop. If the computer will truly be used most often on the road, placing the notebook in a protective case, lugging it onto a cramped airplane, removing it for baggage inspectors, carrying it into a meeting room, and transporting it wherever else you go is made exponentially more difficult for each inch of display size beyond 12 inches.
Models with 12-inch displays are much easier to carry through doorways, into tight airline seats, and in coffee shops. They’re also much lighter.
If your laptop will see only occasional travel, a larger model may be just what you need. But if not, consider purchasing a 12-inch model. You can always mate it to a 22-inch widescreen on your desk. Just be sure the laptop offers the correct ports to do so, as described in item #5.
#7: Integrated wireless
There should almost be a rule that any laptop sold today include an integrated 802.11g wireless (WiFi) adapter. But of course there is no rule, and not all models include one.
Make sure that the laptop you’re considering includes the WiFi technology you use. For many, that will soon mean that the laptop includes integrated 802.11n compatibility. Read specifications closely to verify that the model you’re buying provides the wireless connectivity you require.
#8: Integrated Bluetooth
Integrated Bluetooth technology used to be a luxury in laptops. Most users associate Bluetooth now with the wireless hands-free headsets used with cellular telephones, but Bluetooth is also growing in importance when it comes to connecting handheld devices to laptops.
Bluetooth technology enables synchronizing cell phone contacts, e-mail, calendars, and tasks lists wirelessly with a laptop. The same Bluetooth technology can also be used to add a wireless mouse to a notebook.
#9: Track pad
Most every laptop now comes equipped with a track pad mouse and corresponding click buttons. Some models include a simple track pad, while others include a track pad and an integrated pointer (usually nestled between the G and H keys). These so-called pencil-eraser pointers (Figure B) have long been popular, gracing everything from older Toshiba models to newer ThinkPads.
Figure B
The “pencil-eraser” pointer (shown here in blue) is the favorite of many mobile users.
It’s not important to choose a laptop computer that includes a sophisticated track pad and pencil-eraser pointer. Just make sure you select a notebook PC that features the pointing device you prefer.
Some models permit scrolling pages when two fingers are used versus scrolling within the currently displayed page when a single finger is used (such as with Apple laptops). Other laptops feature track pads that contain two separate tracking areas, such as are found on Compaq Presarios, for scrolling entire pages versus the contents of those pages.
Review the model you’re preparing to buy to confirm you find its track pad agreeable. Even if you plan to use an external mouse, there are times when you’ll be without it and the track pad is all you’ll have.
#10: Battery life
Battery life is a critical consideration but not a deal breaker. When purchasing a laptop, if the only battery option doesn’t provide the lifespan you require, you can always buy a second battery.
Many users, however, don’t want the hassle that comes with carrying multiple batteries. In such cases, upgrade laptop orders to include 12-cell batteries (if available) instead of a standard six- or nine-cell battery. Bigger batteries almost always last longer, which is usually a key factor for mobile professionals traveling by air.
Just be aware that the larger cell batteries often have a greater footprint. In other words, they could violate a notebook’s aesthetic look. But no one ever said functionality doesn’t come at a price.
Summary
Laptops, increasingly, are decreasing in price. But a cheap laptop isn’t necessarily a good laptop. Ensure that the laptop you buy meets your computing needs by carefully considering these 10 factors before making a purchase.
Due to competitive pressures, many office supply and electronics chains aggressively market very low prices for laptop computers. The problem is, because of cost constraints, many of those PCs aren’t well-equipped for most real-world computing. Here are 10 things to look for in your next laptop to help you choose a model that readily meets your needs.
#1: Operating system
Most PCs sold in office supply and major big box electronics stores come preloaded with Microsoft’s consumer operating system. Deploying PCs powered by Windows XP Home or Vista Home Basic might not appear problematic, at least at first. In many cases, it may even appear beneficial. Why pay for the more expensive business edition if all you really need to do is write documents, crunch spreadsheets, send and receive e-mail, and use the Internet?
As so many organizations and users have discovered in the real world, the business versions of Microsoft’s operating system offer many features that may well become necessities down the road. Many a client has found the migration from a workgroup environment to a client-server system complicated by the need to purchase new Windows XP Professional or Vista Business licenses (not too mention the time and cost associated with upgrading each user computer).
Microsoft’s consumer operating systems typically don’t support joining server domains. Nor have they readily enabled hosting remote desktop connections. For this reason, when purchasing a laptop PC, be sure it comes preloaded with the Microsoft operating system that will meet all your professional computing requirements.
#2: CPU
Laptop models advertised at attractive price points often don’t have potent CPUs. When selecting a portable computer, buy a model with a CPU tailored to the rigors of mobile computing. Fail to do so, and you could end up with a PC that takes seven to eight minutes to fully boot into Windows, provides minimal battery life, and can’t reasonably power the applications you use.
Intel’s new Core 2 Duo CPUs (Figure A) perform exceptionally well. In addition to packing considerable processing power, these chips use less energy (resulting in improved battery life) and generate less heat than previous Pentium CPUs. Laptops featuring these chips (2.0 GHz and higher) should meet most users’ computing needs for the next three or four years (the timeframe in which accountants amortize information technology assets).
Figure A
Intel’s Core 2 Duo CPU is a potent CPU that’s the favorite of many road warriors.
#3: RAM
Many Windows Vista laptops are marketed as having a full 1 GB of RAM. While 1 GB of RAM works well for most Windows XP installations, it typically isn’t enough to enable a Vista system to work smoothly. Any users planning to run multiple applications simultaneously on a Windows Vista laptop should consider loading the notebook with 2 GB of RAM.
While most users don’t think of themselves as power users, 2 GB of RAM should be the norm for individuals planning to maintain multiple Office application windows while surfing the Internet and checking e-mail. Anyone planning to edit digital photographs or play more advanced games on a Vista system should also upgrade to 2 GB of RAM.
#4: Video card
Video performance is notoriously shortchanged on laptop computers. This is especially true for $500 notebooks frequently featured on the front covers of electronics and office supply store circulars.
Windows Vista operating systems, in particular, require potent video cards to maximize the system’s many new features (including its resource-demanding Aero interface, translucent menus, and Flip 3D technologies). Windows XP computers that must power three-dimensional engineering and drafting programs also require strong video cards, as do gaming systems, regardless of OS.
When preparing to purchase a laptop computer, consider selecting a model with at least 128 MB of onboard RAM. If you plan to run drafting and engineering applications, video production software, or games, you should upgrade to video adapters with 256 MB of RAM.
#5: Ports
Many users assume that any modern laptop computer has numerous USB ports, as well as VGA, DVI, serial, and parallel ports. Those same users may learn a painful lesson; increasingly, in another effort at managing costs, laptop manufacturers are reducing the number of ports found on their PCs.
Budget notebook computers often ship with only a pair of USB ports, with no serial, parallel, or DVI ports and only a single VGA port (if a video port is even included). When purchasing a laptop, review the model’s technical specifications and make sure that the chassis includes the ports you require. While most PCs now include integrated wired NICs, they don’t always have PC Card slots, so that’s an additional factor to consider before purchasing a new unit.
#6: Screen size
Carefully review your monitor needs before ordering a new notebook. You may think that a 17-inch widescreen display is just what you need. Ultimately, that may prove to be too big.
How’s that?
Think about how you’ll be using the laptop. If the computer will truly be used most often on the road, placing the notebook in a protective case, lugging it onto a cramped airplane, removing it for baggage inspectors, carrying it into a meeting room, and transporting it wherever else you go is made exponentially more difficult for each inch of display size beyond 12 inches.
Models with 12-inch displays are much easier to carry through doorways, into tight airline seats, and in coffee shops. They’re also much lighter.
If your laptop will see only occasional travel, a larger model may be just what you need. But if not, consider purchasing a 12-inch model. You can always mate it to a 22-inch widescreen on your desk. Just be sure the laptop offers the correct ports to do so, as described in item #5.
#7: Integrated wireless
There should almost be a rule that any laptop sold today include an integrated 802.11g wireless (WiFi) adapter. But of course there is no rule, and not all models include one.
Make sure that the laptop you’re considering includes the WiFi technology you use. For many, that will soon mean that the laptop includes integrated 802.11n compatibility. Read specifications closely to verify that the model you’re buying provides the wireless connectivity you require.
#8: Integrated Bluetooth
Integrated Bluetooth technology used to be a luxury in laptops. Most users associate Bluetooth now with the wireless hands-free headsets used with cellular telephones, but Bluetooth is also growing in importance when it comes to connecting handheld devices to laptops.
Bluetooth technology enables synchronizing cell phone contacts, e-mail, calendars, and tasks lists wirelessly with a laptop. The same Bluetooth technology can also be used to add a wireless mouse to a notebook.
#9: Track pad
Most every laptop now comes equipped with a track pad mouse and corresponding click buttons. Some models include a simple track pad, while others include a track pad and an integrated pointer (usually nestled between the G and H keys). These so-called pencil-eraser pointers (Figure B) have long been popular, gracing everything from older Toshiba models to newer ThinkPads.
Figure B
The “pencil-eraser” pointer (shown here in blue) is the favorite of many mobile users.
It’s not important to choose a laptop computer that includes a sophisticated track pad and pencil-eraser pointer. Just make sure you select a notebook PC that features the pointing device you prefer.
Some models permit scrolling pages when two fingers are used versus scrolling within the currently displayed page when a single finger is used (such as with Apple laptops). Other laptops feature track pads that contain two separate tracking areas, such as are found on Compaq Presarios, for scrolling entire pages versus the contents of those pages.
Review the model you’re preparing to buy to confirm you find its track pad agreeable. Even if you plan to use an external mouse, there are times when you’ll be without it and the track pad is all you’ll have.
#10: Battery life
Battery life is a critical consideration but not a deal breaker. When purchasing a laptop, if the only battery option doesn’t provide the lifespan you require, you can always buy a second battery.
Many users, however, don’t want the hassle that comes with carrying multiple batteries. In such cases, upgrade laptop orders to include 12-cell batteries (if available) instead of a standard six- or nine-cell battery. Bigger batteries almost always last longer, which is usually a key factor for mobile professionals traveling by air.
Just be aware that the larger cell batteries often have a greater footprint. In other words, they could violate a notebook’s aesthetic look. But no one ever said functionality doesn’t come at a price.
Summary
Laptops, increasingly, are decreasing in price. But a cheap laptop isn’t necessarily a good laptop. Ensure that the laptop you buy meets your computing needs by carefully considering these 10 factors before making a purchase.
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