I started wondering, while watching a bunch of kids devour a pizza, about how what we eat has changed over the long term. In particular, I wondered, economically, how has our relationship to this basic sustenance changed since my grandparents day.
The Amazon-ification of the Enterprise
Ever since I read Steve Yegge’s thoughtful “Platform Rant” about his time at Amazon and specific frustration at Google, I have been fascinated by the this largely unreported, titanic shift in IT thinking that underlies all the buzzwords of ‘Cloud’, ‘Apps’, ‘APIs’ and ‘X as a Service’. In my mind I think of it as the ‘Amizonification’ of the enterprise… but I’m sure there are catchier names.
Battlestar Security Plan
How my wife's buggy Windows laptop, a presentation I had to give on enterprise security, and a classic episode of Battlestar Galactica lead to a new level of clarity on cybersecurity.
My Personal Information Funnel Solution
Trying to keep up-to-date on all the news and developments going around, while still trying to actually do work and be with my family, is a struggle I think a lot of us share. For me, it has led to experimentation with tool after tool. Frustratingly, all those early trials had been failures for me. But now, after several weeks of using my new mini-system I can say that, for me at least, I have found the solution!
Peeking Out Our Cosmic Window
The existing of extra solar planets, planets beyond the 8 plus Pluto that we've all grown up with, is just a fact of life now. It's worth appreciating that just a few short years ago it was conjecture rather than fact that other planets existed around other stars. Sure, everyone was certain they were out there, but arguments raged about how many, what types, and whether our little solar system was pretty common place or a rare, fortuitous gem.
So I sat down at a local charity breakfast/funding pitch recently. It was a packed room for a great charity (Doorways for Women & Families) and there was brief small talk and coffee before the presentation began. When it started I quickly became engrossed in the work they were doing (help for those suffering domestic abuse). They went over the tragic need for their services, how they differentiate themselves by providing a range of help, and then highlighted their success rate. It was a perfect pitch and if you take out the tearful, emotional moments, it was just a damn good business investment pitch:
Stirring Up a Hive of Trouble
If you ever have to evaluate a network, whether it is a network of IT hardware, individuals or chemical interactions you have many options for visualizing how that network functions. Until recently, however, there was never any clear way to see what that network was doing. Hive plots are just that missing tool, and are something you need to learn to use.
Vacation in the Sun, But Get a Job in the Snow!
Everyone has advice on how to stand out or what the one 'secret' is to break through the noise. Well, it turns out you can turn the odds in your favor by simply heading for the cold. Yes it could be this simple. Employment rates vary by the average annual temperature of where you're looking!
Our Children's Next Future: An open letter to fellow parents
I am a dad. We have 2 great kids. In 20 years when my kids are both adults the world is going to be a fundamentally different place than I know. I'm not talking the usual generational changes, but fundametally different in a way that human kind has not seen since the dawn of agriculture. These are changes that will make the world of their adulthood to be something so foreign that I believe we owe it to our kids to help them prepare for this new world. I think most of us are sadly lacking the basic facts and context to do that prepatory work. Some of us aren't prepared because we aren't aware of the changes looming, while others of us might be aware but don't have the right context as to what to do. This post is an attempt to start addressing that gap.
Biologically Inspired Service Model
One concept that has been a lingering ambition of mine is to find a way to create truly new User Experiences (UX) in applications based upon adaptation. The concept is deceptively simple, and that is that the application you are using, whether it is a web site, a mobile app, or an enterprise ERP system, should change its user interface based upon your circumstances.