For the past week, my main multi-paged mindmap has been held hostage by my NovaMind mindmapping software. It contains project tracking details I’ve been working on for weeks. It worked great until earlier in the week when an update to the Novamind software was released. Now it crashes on open. Emails with tech support have been exchanged, nothing. It looks like my data is lost. The cost to me is considerably more than the $129 I paid for this software.
This brings me to today’s thought we should all pause and consider. How much of your data is locked up in a format you don’t have any control over? Is it in a web service that could close their doors tomorrow without a data export option? Do yourself a favor and give it a thought for a second or two.
From now on, all of my critical data stays in Open Source software (even wordpress is open source) and Open Data formats. I know better, and I’ve been bitten. Shame on me.
September 10th, 2007
mike
Somehow, I think through my excellent magic skills, I’ve managed to have NEVER used Microsoft Outlook. I’ve been designing systems since 1995 and never, ever used it in production anything for my own email account.
It’s been a few years since I even tested it…
I’m designing a system for a client and I setup a Windows XP box inside VMWare and installed Outlook. On starting it for the first time, I got 90% of the way though the new mail wizard and Outlook crashed. When I try to start it again, it gives me a “cannot open mail stores” and exits.
Yep, fresh XP install (patched of course), new Outlook install.
Completely useless.
I don’t know how you Windows admins even wake up and go to work in the morning, I really don’t.
A number of hardware and software vendors use BlueRoads for their partner management functions.
I got a signup from a vendor today (who I’ll not name), and promptly got a “BlueRoads is Only Supported on Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0” on login.
First of all, no Firefox support is just stupid. Second, we only have one Windows box, it’s Vista, and it has IE 7. You know, IE 7, the newest version of Internet Explorer.
Get with the program BlueRoads!
Is your marketing department letting you down, or do you make average products for average people?
Make a change.
Make something that people WANT to talk about.
It doesn’t matter what it is.
If it’s really good, you wont have to market it.
When was the last time you saw a Google ad on prime time TV?
Think they need it? They don’t.
You’re having lunch with someone and their cell phone rings.
If they pick it up, they’re saying that a cell phone call is more important than the face to face with you.
Now, there are exceptions to this rule, but they’re obvious. Servers crashing might be a good excuse.
Do everyone a favor and make the in person meetings your priority.
I just tried to log into a service I haven’t used in a while. My password doesn’t work and it’s not obvious how to request a reset. It was easier to search on Google for their competitor and sign up than to reset my password on the other service.
In your business, are the easy things easy? You’re loosing customers if they aren’t.
Typical headline— “::Insert big name vendor here:: just released an ISA-based, hardened Windows appliance…”
I get chills when I think of what a disaster this could be.
I’m a fan of lightweight and flexible appliances that do something really well.
ISA on “hardened Windows” is an obese system trying to look good in a sun dress. Most good sysadmins have been trying to harden their Windows systems for years.
If you’re one of these people, raise your hand if you’re sure this “hardening” worked.
Anyone? Bueller?
Okay, you in the back with the Microsoft employee badge on, put your hand down.
I think they should tell the truth:
“Hi. We developed a cool solution but used a really inflexible technology to build it. Instead of doing the right thing and moving it to a good platform, we’re going to shoehorn it into this half thought out plan and call it ‘a rapidly deployable system’”
Typical headline— “::Insert big name vendor here:: just released an ISA-based, hardened Windows appliance…”
I get chills when I think of what a disaster this could be.
I’m a fan of lightweight and flexible appliances that do something really well.
ISA on “hardened Windows” is an obese system trying to look good in a sun dress. Most good sysadmins have been trying to harden their Windows systems for years.
If you’re one of these people, raise your hand if you’re sure this “hardening” worked.
Anyone? Bueller?
Okay, you in the back with the Microsoft employee badge on, put your hand down.
I think they should tell the truth:
“Hi. We developed a cool solution but used a really inflexible technology to build it. Instead of doing the right thing and moving it to a good platform, we’re going to shoehorn it into this half thought out plan and call it ‘a rapidly deployable system’”
Typical headline— “::Insert big name vendor here:: just released an ISA-based, hardened Windows appliance…”
I get chills when I think of what a disaster this could be.
I’m a fan of lightweight and flexible appliances that do something really well.
ISA on “hardened Windows” is an obese system trying to look good in a sun dress. Most good sysadmins have been trying to harden their Windows systems for years.
If you’re one of these people, raise your hand if you’re sure this “hardening” worked.
Anyone? Bueller?
Okay, you in the back with the Microsoft employee badge on, put your hand down.
I think they should tell the truth:
“Hi. We developed a cool solution but used a really inflexible technology to build it. Instead of doing the right thing and moving it to a good platform, we’re going to shoehorn it into this half thought out plan and call it ‘a rapidly deployable system’”
Him: People are willing to look at and buy this because it’s what is popular right now.
Me: This doesn’t actually provide any security, it’s an illusion product.
Him: Who cares, people will pay a large amount of money for this. The margin is great.
Me: Isn’t this like stealing? I’m more interested in actual solutions, not snowballing people into something that doesn’t actually work.
Him: ::Goes on 20 minute spew on them vs competitor ending with:: “and it will stop information leaving your network via http POST”
Me: So if I submit to a form submit via GET what happens?
Him: Well we don’t block that.
Me: So I just circumvented your very expensive system just from listening to your pitch. What other parts aren’t going to work?
Yep, that really happened.