January 3, 2009 by alan.

Welcome to 2009! In the beginning of a new year it seems a good time to see what others are expecting to happen in the upcoming year. It will also provide an article next year of what happened, what didn’t and how much expectations met or missed reality.

Here is an article by Nancy Weil regarding IT Predictions for 2009. Some of the highlights:
- Netbooks drop to $200 - $300
- Quotes IDC as saying will be a grim year for mobile gadgets
- Windows 7 will be released early (4th quarter)
- SaaS and Clouds will grow and the emergence of ‘Private Clouds’
- Oh yeah, there will be security vulnerabilities as well…

Also, here is a link to the Green-tech article by Ted Samson with predictions for 2009 by notables such as:

-Robert Aldrich, director of datacenter solutions, Cisco
-Subodh Bapat, vice president and distinguished engineer, Sun Microsystems
-Lewis Curtis, infrastructure architect and advisor, Microsoft
-Dr. Albert Esser, vice president of datacenter infrastructure, Dell
-Steve Sams, vice president of site and facilities services, IBM Global Technology Services
-Ted Samson, senior analyst, InfoWorld
-Will Swope, vice president and general manager, Corporate Sustainability Group, Intel
-Roger Tipley, director, The Green Grid
-Larry Vertal, senior strategist, AMD
-Doug Washburn, analyst, Infrastructure and Operations, Forrester Research

Either way, I hope the new year treats you well and you are able to make your own reality happen in 2009.

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August 21, 2007 by alan.

As an interviewer I like to scan interview question lists for two things. One, to determine if there are some interesting subjects I’m missing in my normal interview and two, has the interviewee also drank from the same spigot? It doesn’t really matter if they have or haven’t but it’s interesting how many candidates use the same lists.

I read recently that an interviewer’s mind is made up in the first 10 Minutes. I certainly hope not and try to look past the first impression. However, I think it is often true. The first five minutes of real questions in an interview I am looking for a quality I call “frankness”. Will the person be open and honest? Do they add up to their ‘paper’? Is there a personality fit with my team? So, in a sense, yes, the first ten minutes are important.

Anyway, while trying to find out the answer to a technical database question I came across this site at GeekInterview.com (really like that name) that might be useful to you if you are looking for interview ideas or answers. Enjoy!

Here are some of my favorite subjects:
Accounting - Yes, Geeks can know accounting
Data Warehousing
Testing
Database
Oracle
Microsoft

Also, there is a good number of FAQs

Well, that’s enough for one 0 calorie lunch. Remember, Geeks don’t let friend Geeks drive a point home without facts.

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August 17, 2007 by alan.

It’s friday and I’m thinking of the weekends I’ve spent whitewater rafting in summers past. It made me realize that many of the projects I’ve been on have correlations to nature’s waters.

Most of the projects I’ve been on are like a river. They twist and turn and there are occasional obstructions in the current. There are fast currents, choppy waters and some stretchs of easy drifting with progress stalling eddies swirling behind rocks and in the slow curves.

Other projects are like a lake. Vast and mostly calm unless there is a big storm. Man made with a Dam at one end (called the budget) that must be closely monitored.

Finally there is the Swamp and Marsh. The same you say? Not quite. Definitively, as my son once pointed out, a Marsh has grasses and a Swamp trees. Either way progress is not going to be quick and if you are not punished by mosquitos the leeches and reptiles may get you.

So, it’s lunchtime, geek. What does the I.T. Survivor man do in these situations? Rule 1, don’t work up a sweat; Rule 2 follow the guidelines below and; Rule 3 See Rule 1.

Guidelines for the River:
You can’t control it. Respect it. Keep your team in the raft. Have a lookout spot the rocks and currents. Have a skipper steer the raft. Work as at team to stay in the current. Keep the nose of the raft pointed down river and the raft in the current. Paddle when you need to and stay alert for when you can rest. Remember, there might be another set of rapids around the next curve to navigate. Most importantly, never panic. Your life vest is your professional and interpersonal skills. Make sure you always have them on. To make good progress a tight team, the correct tools, respect for the surroundings and confidence based on experience dampened with the humility of your small influence over the universe will go along way to an enjoyable trip.

Guidelines for the Lake:
As long as the dam holds (budget) you have a wide opportunity. Explore the boundaries and learn the depths. Watch out for speeding watercraft. Wear sunblock and always keep your life preserver near. Determine where you need to go and enjoy the trip.

Guidelines for the Swamp or Marsh:
Watch out for the crocs and alligators. Try to find a river and go downstream. By all means get out. Alternatively, if you have enough time and money turn it into a Lake and make it a place for all your colleagues to go.

For more reading the following article, Management by Procrastination by Thomas Cutting is of interest. I appreciated his direct approach; Identify. Prioritize. Deliver.

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August 9, 2007 by alan.

Alan Nash - Phd. University of California

Discusses challenges and solutions for Data Integration and Data Exchange in the Information Integration Space.

He speaks on Certain Answer Symantics, Universal Solutions and homomorphism. In addition, he addresses the Data Exchange Problem.

View the presentation in it’s entirety for an indepth overview of challenges, concepts and approaches to solving issues associated with Information Integration.
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On another front there is much discussion about Compliance Issues beyond Sarbanes-Oxley. This has been a hot issue recently, however, on closer examination much of the requirement is just enforcement of good I.T. Practice.

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August 9, 2007 by alan.

Every day we come across nuggets of information, chewy bites of interest, and knowledge of real value.  This blog is an attempt to put some of it somewhere so it can jog my memory and keep note.  Hope you enjoy.

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August 1, 2007 by alan.

Command line reference for Oracle

Command line reference for SQL Server

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