Business www.business.com DESCRIPTION OF SITE A revolution is underway http://kindel.com/blogs/charlie/archive/2007/05/19/3953.aspx Soma's post announcing Popfly got me thinking. He uses the word "evolution". I say it's a revolution.

Over 25 years ago I was part of a movement in the computer industry and didn't even realize it. I was just a kid doing things on my Apple ][ I didn't realize I had no business doing. I was a hobbyist developer. 

A bit later, in college, I wrote some of the earliest freeware & shareware for Windows. I am not ashamed to say I became a complete Microsoft fanboy. By my sophomore year in college I knew I wanted to work at Microsoft. I had gotten sucked into this because of the amazing power Microsoft put into my hands with it's products (primarily Codeview and the Windows SDK) and the fantastic support they provided the "community" (CompuServe forums).  They let me help them and I thought that was cool.

My first 9 years at Microsoft was spent 100% focused on 3rd party developers. In 1991 it was my job to make sure WordPerfect was successful porting to Windows. I wrote something like 200 KB articles about the Windows SDK. I was one of the cultish Microsoft Developer Relations Group evangelists. I was "the COM guy". I was in cahoots with dozens of great people who were amazingly passionate about enabling people to do great things with the platform.

And then we lost sight of the independent developer. What happened to DRG? Where was the strong community? Where where the cool products "for the little guys"?

I don't know where they went, or why we lost sight of our roots.

But I do know we have regained our commitment to that community. To you. The enthusiast. The hobbyist. The maker. The dreamer. The kid who doesn't really know that the things you are building are impossible to build.

Silverlight, Popfly, Visual Studio Express, Windows Home Server, Spaces, Expression, XNA, Robotics Studio, blogs.msdn.com, blogs.technet.com, MVPs, MIX, ... this list goes on.

BobMu gets it. Soma gets it. Scott Guthrie gets it. Dan Fernandez gets it. Dare gets it. John Montgomery. I get it. The list goes on.... It's a revolution and we're serious about it. Join us.

]]> 1179584040 Antique Business News #20 April 2004 http://www.tias.com/newsletter/merchant-assists-tiasstuff/2865 Antique Business News #20 April 2004 ... 1208840400 Antique Business News #21 January 2005 http://www.tias.com/newsletter/merchant-assists-tiasstuff/4299 Antique Business News #21 January 2005 ... 1208840400 Antique Business News #22 May 2005 http://www.tias.com/newsletter/merchant-assists-tiasstuff/4766 Antique Business News #22 May 2005 Onli... 1208840400 Antique Business News #23 August 2005 http://www.tias.com/newsletter/merchant-assists-tiasstuff/5075 Antique Business News #23 August 2005 O... 1208840400 Antique Business News#24 January 2006 http://www.tias.com/newsletter/merchant-assists-tiasstuff/5663 Antique Business News#24 January 2006 O... 1208840400 Antique Business News #25 February 2006 http://www.tias.com/newsletter/merchant-assists-tiasstuff/6848 Antique Business News #25 February 2006 ... 1208840400 Antique Business News (ABN) #29 January 2008 http://www.tias.com/newsletter/merchant-assists-tiasstuff/7723 Antique Business News (ABN) #29 January ... 1208840400 Jack Gudenkauf on the CLR and Add-In Model for ISVs http://blogs.msdn.com/jvast/archive/2007/08/15/jack-gudenkauf-on-the-clr-and-add-in-model-for-isvs.aspx read more)]]> 1187205540 Deryk King Reponse http://rob.infinitepigeons.org/blog/2008/02/16#deryk-king-response The Mop & Pail, in all its infinite wisdom, neglected to print my brilliant reply to Deryk King's opinion article, "Carbon tax or cap and trade?". So I've decided to print my reply where it will get even more readers -- yes, right here, on my blog.

In "Carbon tax or cap and trade?" (Business, Feb 8 2008) Deryk King expresses several fallacies in the carbon tax vs. cap and trade debate. First, he says that setting a carbon price is a game of "not too high...not too low". Both cap and trade and carbon taxes require a careful policy choice; only a few paragraphs later, Mr. King mentions the disastrous fall-out of the European Carbon Trading System (ETS) because the cap was set too high.

Mr. King later alludes to the income problem: with both auctioned credits (the flavour he rightly proposes as the best variety of cap and trade) and taxes, the government has a new stream of revenue. With both, this money must be either spent, or used to reduce other income sources. In both cases, a revenue neutral solution is best.

Mr. King's comparison to the highly effective sulfur cap and trade markets of the 1980s is also dubious: sulfur is an incidental side-effect of many industrial processes (mostly coal burning); carbon dioxide is a chemically necessary result of energy extraction from fossil fuels.

Finally, the business case. Carbon markets set an unpredictable price on carbon. In times of economic downturn, the price will plummet and the incentive to reduce pollution will disappear. If the government sets the cap too low, the price could shoot sky-high, and require careful policy intervention. Carbon taxes provide a steady schedule for the price on carbon, and a steady, predictable incentive towards reducing emissions.

Since writing this, I've decided that the implication of feature-equivalence between auctioned cap and trade and carbon taxes is incorrect. There is one important place where carbon taxes differ: pure sequestration projects, like the recently defunct Planktos, who plan(ned) to seed the ocean with iron filings -- which happen to be the limiting reagent in algae growth -- so that an algae bloom would form, and then sink to the bottom, allegedly safely sequestering the carbon. There are many other, less zany possibilities, and they would go unfunded under carbon taxes, unless you either subsidized them out of band, or allowed them to offset taxes, in a sort of "tax and trade" system.

Yes, I just coined a term. Even though I stole it from a private email with Fergal.

In other news, Clare and I are off to NYC for the (long) weekend. Overnight bus there, should be fun. Hopefully we can sleep. If you're one of my New York readers, let me know so I can come say hi. Not that I have any New York readers, but I figure the possibility might be self-fulfilling. Toodles.

]]> 1207976400 Soulmate http://carmeeh.blog.com/67198/ Once upon a time, there was a teacher and his student lying down under a
big tree near a big grass area. Then, suddenly, the student asked the
teacher.

*Student :* Teacher, I'm confused, how can we find our soul-mate? Can
you please help me?
*Teacher : *(Silent for few second, than he answer) Well, it's a pretty
hard and easy question.
*Student :* (Thinking hard) Huh???
*Teacher :* Look on that way, there are a lot of grass there, why don't
you walk there but please never walk backward, just walk straight ahead.
On your way, try to find a beautiful grass and pick it up then give it
to me. But just one.
*Student : *Well, ok then... wait for me... (walked straight ahead to
the grass field).

A few minutes later...

*Student : *I'm back.
*Teacher : *Em, well I don't see any beautiful grass on your hand.
*Student : *On my journey, I found few beautiful grass, but I thought
that I would find a better one, so I didn't pick it up. But I didn't
realize that I'm at the end of the field, and I hadn't picked up any.
Cause you told me not to go back, so I didn't go back.
*Teacher : *That's what happened in real life.

What is the message of this story?

* Grass - is people around you

* Beautiful Grass - is people that attract you

* Grass Field - is time

* In looking for your soulmate, please don't always compare and hope
that there will be a better one. By doing that, you'll waste your
lifetime, cause remember "Time Never Goes Back".

It applies the same in finding your ideal life partner, your suitable
career or business, therefore the morale is LOVE & grab hold of the
opportunity that you have now, don't waste time!

~There Can Be Only One~

]]> 1100750820 The Copyfight.ca http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/cmusings/2008/02/14/the-copyfightca/ December 2007: Copyright for Canadians

Feb. 13, 2008, Google Public Policy blog: “Here in Canada, where there is an ongoing debate about how to best implement the WIPO Copyright Treaty, Google has joined with a number of other Canadian and international companies who have a shared vision of balanced copyright. The Business Coalition for Balanced Copyright has issued a two-page position paper calling for a ‘balanced ‘package’ approach for a strong Canadian copyright regime.’”

Feb 13, 2008, Michael Geist: “Canadian DMCA on Hold?”

Stay tuned….

]]> 1203026185 FINALLY A New Project! http://networking.ittoolbox.com/r/rss.asp?url=http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/bi/admin/archives/finally-a-new-project-10785 It seems like it has been AGES since I've had something new to work on. Maintaining the old, keeping what isn't broke working and there has been one MARATHON project that just seemed like it would never end. Let me rephrase that, the cube had been built, but the testing and subsequent feedback that turned into additional requirements never seemed to end. However, in the end, my primary business user has a huge smile on his face whenever he passes by and always says "Hello" often accompanied b 1154120522 CLIMBING INTO THE BUSINESS LOGIC http://networking.ittoolbox.com/r/rss.asp?url=http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/bi/admin/archives/climbing-into-the-business-logic-8424 Easier said than done. My most recent project has involved alot of really bizarre data. Things named things that do not have the behavior for what you would expect. Lots of holes, not sure of how things should be grouped, what level of granularity is needed and even the timing value in unknown. 1143139972 TERMS http://networking.ittoolbox.com/r/rss.asp?url=http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/bi/admin/archives/terms-7254 Isn't it funny how things always seem to have to be on someone's terms -whether they are your own or someone else's standards? Certainly, we need to have and know some of them, but when does it become okay for one to define them specifically for another. To clue you in a little more to specifically what I mean, Business Intelligence has a lot of terms that make sense to the developer and administrator. Many of these do not carry over to the user. Not because they are poorly named, inappropri 1137003620 A NEW LEAF http://networking.ittoolbox.com/r/rss.asp?url=http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/bi/admin/archives/a-new-leaf-7195 The new year has finally opened up a time slot for me to sit down and write here again. Things are going well...it's nice when you know you're making progress. Completed Business Intelligence projects, people using what you've put together and taught them to do as well as more new projects on the horizon. 1136573389 How to Drive Microsoft out of the O/S Business http://networking.ittoolbox.com/r/rss.asp?url=http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/dw/architect/archives/how-to-drive-microsoft-out-of-the-os-business-21039 In a surprise coincidence, yesterday two readers sent me comments on my suggestion of a class action suit against Microsoft over the bugs in Windows. One of them, Payton Byrd, disliked the idea, suggesting that instead a legal action which could drag on for fifty years, a solution be found, instead. Good point, Payton, and the fact is that a few years ago in one of my blog postings, I did approach this question. Here are some paragraphs I plucked from that original posting, an outline of how a 1196856847 Database Design - Better Business Intelligence = Don't Lose a Keystroke http://networking.ittoolbox.com/r/rss.asp?url=http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/dw/architect/archives/database-design-better-business-intelligence-dont-lose-a-keystroke-20636 When we're looking for some general principles of software design, here's an important one. Never lose a single keystroke by the user. Every time he types in a query, it ought to be memorized so that he doesn't have to ever type it again. That's the whole point of using a computer, but most software ignores it. Most databases, if the server software crashes, will lose the record you're working on, or at least whatever you've written in the current field. Sorry, but that's simply poor des 1195468794 Battelle nabs 2 defense contracts http://www.topix.net/city/aberdeen-md/2008/04/battelle-nabs-2-defense-contracts?fromrss=1 Battelle has been awarded two U.S. Department of Defense contracts, one of which will have the Columbus research and development firm competing with five other firms for as much as $100 million in work at ... via Business First of Columbus

]]> 1207169480 Antique Business News (ABN) #28 June 2007 http://www.tias.com/newsletter/merchant-assists-tiasstuff/7134 Antique Business News (ABN) #28 June 2... 1208840400 BRAC jobs spur $44.2M sale of Howard office park http://www.topix.net/city/aberdeen-proving-ground-md/2008/04/brac-jobs-spur-44-2m-sale-of-howard-office-park?fromrss=1 Baltimore Business Journal - by Ryan Sharrow Staff The anticipated relocation of thousands of military-related jobs to the region spurred the $44.2 million sale of a Howard County business park this month. via Commercial Real Estate

]]> 1208203631 Truckers feel pinch as diesel cost soars http://www.topix.net/city/acme-pa/2008/03/truckers-feel-pinch-as-diesel-cost-soars?fromrss=1 "I'm lucky that I work for a company that pays the fuel bills; otherwise, I'd be out of business"

The price of diesel fuel hit an all-time high in Lancaster County on Sunday as it soared to an average of $3.99 per gallon, according to AAA. via LancasterOnline

]]> 1205263098 PriceGrabber drives into the car business http://onlineshopping.about.com/b/a/115153.htm Fueling consumers' growing appetite for using the web to shop for a car, PriceGrabber.com today launched a service that lets shoppers configure a desired automobile and request bids from dealers.... 1208840400 Getting Bigger Reach Through Speech http://acmqueue.com/modules.php?name=Queuecasts&id=28 Developers have a chance to significantly expand the appeal and reach of their applications by voice-enabling their applications, but is that going to be enough? Mark Ericson, vice president of product strategy for BlueNote Networks argues that in order to take advantage of new voice technologies you have to have a plan for integrating that capability directly into the applications that drive your existing business processes. Read the Transcript 1183132181 Taking the kids along http://www.topix.net/music/acid-jazz/2008/04/taking-the-kids-along?fromrss=1 "People work more than ever, and they want to spend more time with their kids, too"

Companies provide child care options during conventions and business meetings Business First of Louisville - by Mary Ellen Hill Eisner & Associates wins AAAA award [Baltimore] Meetings, discussion groups, ... via Business First of Louisville

]]> 1207761402 Strict smoking ban heads to Culver http://www.topix.net/city/ackworth-ia/2008/04/strict-smoking-ban-heads-to-culver?fromrss=1 "I think you'll see business will go up, because I think more people will enjoy going out in a smoke-free environment"

Restaurants, bars and most other public places in Iowa must be smoke-free starting July 1 under a bill Iowa's governor is expected to sign. via Des Moines Register

]]> 1207790568 Bjorn Borg Recruits Top Manager from Whyred http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/topix/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080424005487&newsLang=en&ndmConfigId=1000639&vnsId=41 Martin Sj o str o m has been recruited to the position of Business Area Manager for clothing, Bj o rn Borg ' s largest product area, and will be a member of the management team. 1209028417 Human trafficking outlawed http://www.topix.net/city/abiquiu-nm/2008/02/human-trafficking-outlawed?fromrss=1 "It's a very lucrative business"

School board meets today and Thursday The Los Alamos School Board will hold a Special Board Meeting today at 4 p.m. in the district boardroom at 751 Trinity Drive. via Los Alamos Monitor

]]> 1204297459 Ceradyne gets $41.1M Army order for ceramic inserts http://www.topix.net/city/aberdeen-proving-ground-md/2008/04/ceradyne-gets-41-1m-army-order-for-ceramic-inserts?fromrss=1 "We are pleased with this recent side plate delivery order which continues to provide future shipment visibility. Based on non-binding discussions with the Army, we believe there will be further delivery orders in the second quarter"

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals On Tuesday, Ceradyne Inc. received a $41.1 million order for ceramic body armor inserts from the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. via Bizjournals

]]> 1207399217 Microsoft Launches Document Interoperability Initiative http://www.activewin.com/mac/comments.asp?HeadlineIndex=42966 Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of its Document Interoperability Initiative, which is aimed at promoting user choice among document formats and expanded opportunity for developers, partners and competitors. The launch of this initiative is an important step in Microsofts commitment to implement a set of strategic changes in its technology and business practices to expand interoperability through the implementation of its interoperability principles. The Document Interoperability Initiative focuses on bringing vendors together to promote interoperability between document format implementations through testing and refining those implementations, creation of format implementation test suites, and the creation of templates designed for optimal interoperability between different formats. 0 Law amp;amp; Order http://www.topix.net/city/adah-pa/2007/12/law-order-2?fromrss=1 Michael R. Haines, 24, of Uniontown was charged with disorderly conduct after an incident involving Tonya Nicklow, also of Uniontown, at a business in South Union Township at 3:40 p.m. Wednesday, state police ... via Herald-Standard

]]> 1197708386 #749 Daily Source Code for Friday April 18th 2008 http://radio.weblogs.com/0001014/categories/dailySourceCode/2008/04/18.html#a365

#749 Daily Source Code for Friday April 18th 2008

drop.io: simple private sharing

The theme of today's Fubar Friday Freight Train Maxmimum Music Extravaganza is twofold: Putting out Own House In Order, and freakin' out to awesome music, from the political to the popidol, it's all represented. Special thanks to The Kid From Brooklyn and Jan Polet

Music in this episode:

Loverboy - Working For The Weekend
Amphibians - New Day (I Feel Alone)
Spearhead - Yell Fire
The Guess Who - When The Band Was Singin', Shakin' All Over
DJBC - Message For The City
Paris - What Would You Do?
Jedi Mind Tricks - Shadow Business
Overdub - FIve Step
Party Ben - Dunproofin'

Here[base ']s the DSC Demographics survey link

Get up to 70% discount on life insurance with AccuQuote.com give them a call: 1800-410-7214

Get 35 Free Songs at eMusic.com, no obligation, yours to keep!

Call Anytime:

+12016256357 or +442076813753

Direct Link to the show.

Comment

]]> 1208533087 Public relations, press release distribution, investor relations, SEC filing http://www.topix.net/city/addison-al/2008/04/public-relations-press-release-distribution-investor-relations-sec-filing?fromrss=1 Scientific Learning Corporation invites investors and members of the public to listen to a broadcast of the Company's - 04/22/2008 - 05:00 PM ADDISON, Ala.-- --Cavalier Homes, Inc. via Business Wire

]]> 1208988704 Mooyah beefs up with stores in Houston, Austin http://www.topix.net/city/addison-tx/2008/04/mooyah-beefs-up-with-stores-in-houston-austin?fromrss=1 Dallas Business Journal - by Lauren D'Avolio Staff Writer Jake Dean STEERING GROWTH: Robert Andersen, co-founder, at Mooyah's Addison location. via Dallas Business Journal

]]> 1208640056 The cost of tax breaks http://www.topix.net/city/addyston-oh/2007/10/the-cost-of-tax-breaks?fromrss=1 "We have statistics that show that abatements, as far as employment are way above what the companies say. Investments too"

Computer parts wholesaler Winotek Ltd. promised in 1998 to expand its Evendale business over eight years - and keep 20 people employed. via The Cincinnati Enquirer

]]> 1191713032 Somethin's in the oven http://www.topix.net/city/adelphi-oh/2008/05/somethins-in-the-oven?fromrss=1 "With six boys and two girls, you would have thought we'd have a construction business or something"

ADELPHI - In the late 1980s, Adelphi became home to a young couple with dreams of opening a children's home. via Chillicothe Gazette

]]> 1209724443 Microsoft releases new version of Web design tools http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9081778&source=rss_news10 ITIL Best Practices Zone BMC provides the ITIL solutions you need to drive business value through better management of technology and IT processes. 1209643200 Adobe Announces Webcast of its Financial Analyst Meeting - MSN MoneyCentral http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=BW&date=20080428&id=8551940 Adobe Systems Incorporated ADBE today announced it will Webcast its 2008 Financial Analyst Meeting on Thursday, May 1, 2008. At the meeting, Adobe's management team will outline the company's business strategy. What: Adobe 2008 Financial Analyst ... 1209409140 Curl moves to take on Adobe Air in offline RIA business http://www.topix.net/com/adbe/2008/04/curl-moves-to-take-on-adobe-air-in-offline-ria-business?fromrss=1 "Nitro is constrained to a sandbox, but yet it can still have local storage."

Curl next week plans to unveil a beta version of a runtime tool that it said will help large organizations extend Rich Internet Applications to run on the desktop. via ComputerWorld

]]> 1208649954 Adult Entertainment is Big Business http://www.sex-adult-xxx.com/?p=9 Sex industry > Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“The sex industry is the term given to the industry formed of commercial enterprises which employ men and women in various capacities, generally relating to what is described as adult entertainment or erotica, as it comprises a number of forms of entertainment not considered suitable for children”

2007 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo
“It’s Sexy. It’s Powerful. It’s Business!  It’s the world of adult and it’s waiting for you!  Evolving at a rapid pace, the adult entertainment industry breaks new ground daily.  Utilizing the latest, cutting-edge advancements in technology, coupled with new innovations and a steady stream of releases has established adult entertainment as one of the most profitable industries in the world.  It’s an industry that everyone is watching and the world of adult entertainment is now a segment of the mainstream business.”

]]> 1155489950 Business Line http://www.topix.net/city/advance-in/2008/03/business-line?fromrss=1 Meridian Services has announced that it plans a national grant writing seminar in Muncie in April. via Star-Press

]]> 1206792416 Tom Cruise talks to Oprah about image, faith, family http://www.topix.net/movies/adventure/2008/05/tom-cruise-talks-to-oprah-about-image-faith-family?fromrss=1 "We are very proud of this timeless classic and the film that became his breakthrough role."

Tom Cruise's two-part interview on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" includes a snowmobile ride and a frank discussion of his rocky media image, followed by an in-studio celebration of "Risky Business" 25 years ago, a ... via Celebrity Mound

]]> 1209699242 Euro RSCG wins Jaguar's global digital business http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/806798/Euro-RSCG-wins-Jaguars-global-digital-business/ NEW YORK - Jaguar has awarded its global digital business to Euro RSCG Worldwide following a competitive review. 1209730800 BSkyB Adds More Customers But Posts Q1 Loss http://www.warc.com/news/topnews.asp?ID=23352 LONDON: UK satellite provider BSkyB added 56,000 subscribers during the first quarter of 2008, bringing its total number of customers to 8.88 million and fuelling confidence for full-year targets. The News Corporation-controlled business says its 10.5% level of churn was at a four-year low during the... 1209612600 How to make marketing's contribution to business growth more transparent http://www.ipa.co.uk/news/news_archive/displayitem.cfm?itemid=2259 How to make marketing's contribution to business growth more transparent 1208908800 Free net monitoring tool gets a makeover - Computerworld http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyId=18&articleId=9081138&intsrc=hm_topic Recommended BMC provides the ITIL solutions you need to drive business value through better management of technology and IT processes. Learn more in the BMC ITIL Best Practices Zone. April 30, 2008 (Network World) Spiceworks on Tuesday introduced an ... 1209567600 Attendance Tracking Solution Cuts Payroll Costs Helping Businesses... http://www.prweb.com/releases/attendance-tracking/time-clock-software/prweb889134.htm Kneson Software releases Clock Real Time time clock software to help business owners control payroll costs. 1209107657 Show Business 1991-2000 - Kommersant http://www.kommersant.com/t310116/r_3/n_41/Show_Business_1991-2000/ The market share of pirated audio products in Russia last year was 64%, which is an increase compared to 2000. Experts believe that the resulting losses to owners of the legal rights to audio recordings could exceed $500 million. Nevertheless, show ... 1209870000 1ShoppingCart: A Review of 1ShoppingCart, and a discount/promo code for 1 ShoppingCart's services http://www.affiliateadvice.us/1shoppingcart_a_review_of_1shoppingcart_and_a_discount-promo-code.html 1ShoppingCart

What Norton Utilities is to maintaining a hard drive, 1ShoppingCart is to running an ecommerce business: a suite of all-inclusive programs designed to do everything that's necessary for the task.

Side note: Go to www.ZShoppingCart.com for a thirty-day trial for only $3.95.

Founded in January 2000 in Eugene, Oregon, One Shopping Cart's major component is the shopping cart software, designed to plug into a new or existing website and allow businesses to sell up to 10,000 products of their own.

This also includes an option for automatic ebook delivery/digital product downloads.

1ShoppingCart calculates shipping and sales tax, allows coupons and discounts, prints invoices and packing slips, and sends customers an email receipt while notifying the seller and his drop-shipper. It also contains a database for affiliates and existing and prospective customers for broadcast emailing, all with high data security fully certified by Visa.

An additional level of ecommerce utility is provided by 1ShoppingCart's Internet marketing tools. Their autoresponder facility harvests email subscribers via online forms, scores emails for spam prior to sending, broadcasts emails and newsletters, and automatically identifies undeliverable ones.

Other marketing tools include ad effectiveness tracking, a pop-up wizard, affiliate tracking software capable of handling multiple sales programs (though 1ShoppingCart's affiliate module can take a little time to learn), up-sell and cross-sell modules ("Would you like fries with that?"), and a questionnaire facility for market research.

This is a powerful ecommerce software suite, and coupled with a credit card acceptance account (also available through 1ShoppingCart), it's basically a "business in a box" all you do is supply the product and the marketing to make the tool sell your stuff for you.

]]> 1201989069 rant about dumb faggots that need to mind their own business http://aofawgtamalgam.livejournal.com/146321.html
seriously, though: it's time to grow up and act like grown-ass men instead of insecure, bitchy 12 year old girls. that was cute in high school when you had your little fag hags and went shopping at the mall and flitted around listening to abba. it really was. i did it too. but it's time to grow up. nobody likes that anymore and you're too old to be running around hurting people's feelings for no reason.

i'm not saying to do that whole "straight-acting" bullshit. "Straight-acting" gay men are just as bad but more subversively. you can act as queeny and femme as your little heart desires, but just because you embrace your effeminacy doesn't give you just cause to be a bitch. let women be bitches, they're better at it anyway (and no, feminazis, that's not a bad thing, before you jump on your politically correct, anti-misogynistic bandwagons).

i never thought i would feel the need to write an entry like this.
people disappoint me.]]> 1203704669 Funny disaster recovery job posting http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABc/drDiskStorageConsultantsoBoring/~3/208451900/funny-disaster-recovery-job-posting.html Funny disaster recovery,IS security job posting


An unintentionally funny disaster recovery , IS security job posting,I came across today


Great job for Manager,Disaster recovery,IS security.Great compensation.Bonuses based on number of disaster recovery systems handled through the year


Organizations reward "creating" IT disaster recovery situations


As you can see on the disaster recovery job posting above,organizations reward people for "creating" IT disaster situations and handling the disaster recovery operations as a result


Wonder why there are no IT disasters and disaster recovery situations on Fridays?


There are no IT disaster recovery situations on Fridays :-)


All IT disaster recovery situations tend to occur on Mondays/Tuesdays so that the disaster recovery can be completed by the end of the week. IT Security and disater recovery managers can then "claim credit" for resolving the IT disasters before the weekend and of course celebrate with a blast


No business continuity,disaster recovery situations in December


Do you wonder why there are no IT disaster recovery situations in December and all the IT disasters converge in the second week of January? Well, its after all a question of priorities,would you rather spend time with your family or save the organization millions of dollars due to IT disater recovery,business continuity situations?


From a cynical business continuity, disaster recovery consultant

]]> 1171331940 So http://innocenz69.livejournal.com/286392.html
I told my company I'm able to work in Ontario as well and they'll probably move me across the country.

Makes no difference to Scott, though. Originally I was supposed to work in BC, at this place an hour's drive away from Scott's house.

Scott said we would break up then cuz it's too far for him.

And then I said I might move to this place that's just 40 minutes away from his house but he said that's too far as well and he would like to break up then.

So really, me moving across the country is no different.

I dunno, in a way I'm sick of moving. I just want to settle down and have babies.

Sacha said no babies till I'm 30, ahahah.

I suppose career comes first. I dunno in a way I just want to be like a regular admin clerk at some random office in downtown Vancouver, having Scott as my boyfriend and actually have a future together.

Instead I'm gonna break it off and go off to the business metropolis and be groomed to be a top level business executive, earning 2x what the average commerce grad earns.

Ambition is great, sure. Sometimes I just want to have a life, too.

I guess I'm just being too dramatic. I know things will work out in the end. I guess all I can do now is enjoy the time that Scott and I are gonna have together and be brave when it's time for me to move.

Dating with an expiry date, ahah. Such is life. I'll find love again.]]> 1208897013 Apparently, I need a slap in the head http://a-bit-too-personal.blogspot.com/2004_02_25_archive.html#107777350196331196 thinks I need a slap in the head. But he's closed the comments (why?), so I'm blogging my response.

So why do I need a slap in the head?

Apparently, because my other blog is purely about business. Because in it, I talk about the potential business value of keeping a blog, participating in social networks, and otherwise building professional business relationships on the internet. That's a topic that I'm passionate about -- that IS what I find interesting, and I'd do it even if I weren't getting paid for it. Wait a minute, I'm not getting paid for it! Sure -- there's the potential for some down-the-road income, and I'd love to sell a few copies of my book, but I write about it right now because I love it.

Isn't that what a blog's supposed to be about? Just because I get excited about helping people improve their business doesn't mean I deserve a slap in the head.

That's OK, I'm in good company... he also comes down on Dave Winer's view of blogging:
More proof blogs aren't parties, they're publications. If you try to make it social, about friends, and parties, you end up with a party where a lot of pre-adolescent males bark at each other, and a few hawkers try to sell penis enlargers, and no emotionally whole adult would be caught dead at. I been down this path. The road leads to Slashdot.
Personally, I happen to agree with Dave. It's not that I don't have a sense of humor, or that I don't have an interesting personal side, or that I'm trying to hide it. I just don't mix the two, any more than I would in real life.

The blog Stavros is bitching about is my office; this blog is my back yard. If someone really wants to get to know me, they can make the connection between the two. But I wouldn't go around my office lamenting the corporatization of the blogosphere and discussing the parallels between early blogging and punk rock. Or talking about Janet Jackson's nipple shield.

Why?

NOT, as Stavros suggests, because I'm "looking over my shoulder", but because I don't want to. I think it's inappropriate.

This is exactly the same issue danah boyd raises about boundaries and professional decorum.

I'm still a little unsure exactly what I did to be singled out... seems kind of inconsistent with his point of view that "even if you are puerile enough to believe that someone else 'selling out' hurts you somehow, well, that's pretty hard to justify, son."

So, Stavros (if you're reading this), if your post was a virtual slap in the head, consider this a virtual, "What the hell was that for?"]]> 1077771360 I pity the new blogger who's expecting visibility just by setting up a blog http://a-bit-too-personal.blogspot.com/2004_02_16_archive.html#107691906975009745 weblogs.com updates?

For starters, Blogger's default is that Weblogs.com notification is OFF. Even if someone figures out to turn that on, that's apparently not going to do much. This blog apparently isn't being picked up yet by Feedster, Daypop, Technorati, Bloglines, and many more.

Blogging promises so much by virtue of making web publishing easy -- accessible to low-tech users. But if you're trying to actually use it for business purposes to increase visibility, you're still back to a choice between climbing a big learning curve or hiring an expert. That's too bad.

I'd like to see Blogger add a feature to your Settings called "Blog Promotion", and have it just give you a checklist of the main blog search engines and similar tools, and make it as simple as checking them on the checklist. Of course, Google may not want to help the competition... ;-)]]> 1076918220 A bit too personal http://a-bit-too-personal.blogspot.com/2004_02_10_archive.html#107639629918846968 Blogger because I like the features I get for free better than LiveJournal or any others I've found.

Since blogs aren't a safe space, I don't imagine I'll put anything here I'd be too embarrassed about if anyone from my business networks made the connection, but I still wanted a place to vent/rant/ramble about politics, religion, economics, and whatever else strikes my fancy.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes anyone to make the connection. Or, for that matter, if anyone even cares...]]> 1076394900 The best Thursday ever http://bokane.org/2008/02/29/the-best-thursday-ever/ Yesterday was the best Thursday ever. Consider:

  • After what felt like years but was actually years, I finally got my BA from Temple University. Cum laude, even, which was a pleasant surprise since I would’ve expected something more like pedicabo et irrumabo (my Latin is probably wrong there) . This wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of help from a lot of people who made it their business to see to it that I graduated, particularly Ruth Ost, Ben Stavis, Louis Mangione, and Craig Eisendrath, all at Temple.It’s super-nice to have this out of the way, and as an added benefit, my resume is now 90% less mendacious! (Previous versions said that my degree was “expected June 2005.” This wasn’t exactly a lie — I really did expect it.
  • A CD I got for sending a donation to This American Life also finally showed up on my parents’ doorstep.
  • I received the contract for a large, fun project that I’m not currently at liberty to discuss, and
  • William F. Buckley died.

Later in the day, a massive amount of work threatened to turn it into the Worst Thursday Ever, but then

  • I got an email from my mom saying that she was getting ready to send me a care package of butter rum/caramel chocolate bars.

As if that wasn’t enough, I heard that the China Daily was publishing an interview that they did with me at the start of February. (The article came out today, but I’m going to count it under Thursday anyway.) Surely there can be no higher honor.

]]> 1204284794 Pittsburgh politics, showing its stupidities once again! http://gwenix.livejournal.com/482900.html this short article on planned widening of East Carson. Actually, I'll summarize: they're going to spend two years widening East Carson just outside the new Southside Works because of congestion problems they attribute to the shopping complex. Well, while this sounds like a good idea, let me point out a few reasons why it's dumb:

1) The worst congestion in the Southside is not there, and not due to the shopping complex.

The main congestion that occur are during rush hour around the bridge exits, between the Hot Metal Bridge and Beck's Run Road, and between the 10th Street Bridge and the West End Bridge. These are because, well, people like to leave town and go home after work ends. Funny that.

The secondary congestion that occurs is between 1:30am and 2am between 14th and the Birmingham Bridge. This is because the drunks are leaving the bars and start driving home. Again, this has nothing to do with the Southside Works.

2) The Southside Works is attracting a lot of people to it now, but for how long? Given the lifespans of shopping complexes, and how they're often considerably hurt by localised construction (evidence what has happened with the Waterfront with the Homestead Bridge under construction), by the time this project is done, it's likely that the traffic flow to/from the shopping complex will be considerably less.

3) The main traffic for the Southside Works isn't even on East Carson. Most of the people who shop at that complex, in fact, seem to think that going as far as East Carson to park is a horribly dangerous thing to do, and like to drive right down the middle of the complex looking for a place to park.

Really, if they actually wanted to relieve traffic congestion in the area, they should be widening East Carson on that long stretch between 33rd and the Glenwood Bridge. But, that's probably nigh impossible with costs and tracks in the way.

So, yah, they'll be interrupting my daily business for construction of the street near where I live for a totally futile reason. Thanks guys. Another example of the brilliance that Pittsburgh puts into its traffic engineering.]]> 1201204395 Protecting Yourself from amp;quot;Identity Theftamp;quot; http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hfl/~3/70200022/protecting-yourself-from-identity-theft.html

Ever Had Your Wallet Stolen?

How about your whole financial life?

With over 300,000 cases reported per year, "Identity Theft" is a serious - and easy - business. In many cases, a driver's license and major credit card are all a thief needs to open new charge accounts in your name.

Find out how to protect yourself EVEN once your wallet has been stolen.

Full Text »

Health, Finance and Legal Matters...

]]> 1208001064 Business development http://absurdil.blogspot.com/2006/09/business-development.html There is one more company (let’s call it “Z”) on east coast of US. Z provides interactive games for C.
But there is something more than it. SEO of “Z” is “C” development team leader’s brother. And all those nice guys from C work in Z too. As consultants.
I like the way how Z captured the entire games niche in C. The just don’t provide information to another companies. Systems are upgraded, system libraries changed. No one say a single word. Z Company provides fixes and everything keeps working. Products of other companies – not.
Director makes simple decision: Z is better.
Such a nice business development.]]> 1158844680 Alarming Trends in Low-End Borrowing http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hfl/~3/238950352/alarming-trends-in-low-end-borrowing.html
Due to this lenient lending, defaults are now rampant across the country. Because of this, the low-end borrower is put into a situation where they may not get paid back for what they loan out. For those who used the loan for investment purposes, such as a rental property, small business loan or buying into stocks or commodities, they may find themselves in a situation where if the investment doesn’t work out, what they could end up owing is much more than the original borrowed amount.

Even those low-end borrowers who have no mortgage payments still feel the pinch of other financial obligations such as rent, car payments and bills. In some situations, the loan they took out could have been to funding housing during a semester at college or helping to pay off a car.

One industry that is able to remain steady is the payday loan industry. Payday lending is an area that will be able to thrive due to the fact that their consumers are able to hold jobs. While they aren’t taking out payday loans to buy houses, they are using payday loans to make ends meet when paychecks are sparse. Because of the new automation involved in payday lending, the payday loan company is able to directly withdraw what they are owed by the borrower, often ensuring that they will be paid back.


(Source: http://www.nationalpayday.com/)

Click here for more information about Payday lending:

Health, Finance and Legal Matters...

]]> 1208000861 number nine with my head on the bar http://to-disappear.livejournal.com/216404.html
so i not sure if i believe people are basicly evil. or if everyone has the potential for evil deep inside them, but are sometimes put in a place for that to manifest itself. like Himmler who was the head of the SS and the man who master minded the extermination of the concentration camps. If he had not been given the job to figure out a system for dealing with prisoners and getting rid of a lot of them would he have just been a brillant business man.

i know that i have potential for greatness or great evil. i have mind that can wrap its self around any possible means. i have a certain moral flexiblity. but is that wrong if i never use it for evil?

what is evil? define evil then i will find you evil everywhere.

if i were king.

something else i dont understand. girls. they are so quick to reassure other girls, who are often less attractive then them, that they are "so cute". or something like that. they talk about how cute another girl is, but just how not they are?

some people just aint cute. but that aint you.

also im so glad that i dont need to "out-cute" anyone. see i just live and let live. if ryan was a bit more ballin than me so be it. but i am pretty damn fine. girls often need to all be in the same range. its a mystery to me?

fashion is not something you buy. it is what you do with what you have.

friends are not people you know. they are the place you feel at home.

hears to a good trip. and feeling at home.

live long and prosper.

one nation under god.]]> 1208792692 Cute! http://sadsong.livejournal.com/162277.html

Just reading the local news, no effort at all...



But mom is right, this doing nothing business is for the dogs, it sucks!



Oh yes, bed rest...I know I heard that bed rest was a big rule! My favorite!



]]> 1141530152 Buy XSitePro V1 ... Get V2 Upgrade, Free. http://www.im4newbies.com/internet-marketing-blog/2007/06/buy-xsitepro-v1-get-v2-upgrade-free.htm How would you like to get your hands on one of the hottest

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And if you're worried that you might not be able to master this

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To Your Success,


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]]> 1181742000 renthead2004 @ 2005-02-07T22:42:00 http://renthead2004.livejournal.com/24379.html
I went to this womens day thing with some girls from PSU that I have never met before and it was basically a way to let women know that there is more to life and that you can look for it specifically through God. I didn't actually explain that very well but bassically it was AMAZING I left that day just feeling incredibly light. I felt like I was able to understand that I have been holding a lot of bitterness in my heart that I just need to let go of, I have to. The guest speaker was brilliant when she was talking about letting go of bitterness because of course we all know that it is HARD to do. It is very hard to forgive those that hurt me. It is hard to forgive, hard to forget, and it is hard to not take my bitterness out on those that are before me that do not deserve the pain that I may cause them, my bitterness hurts others and it also hurts God. Some of you are reading this not caring because you may not believe in God, or feel like you have been hurt by God, fair enough. But for me I feel like I have reaced a new level in my faith. I know that I have somewhere to turn when I am hurt, and when someone hurt me, it hurt God. When he told me that I was not pretty enough, that hurt God. Look at the birds outside, so free, not burdened by pain, guilt, or even business. The birds are so free that they fly, but know this God loves you so much more than he loves the birds not matter what, no matter what someone, anyone, says to you, no matter what you hear, what you do, what you say, whether you believe or not, you may choose to hate God with all your heart, and he will still love you, I believe that with all of heart and sole. Alright I have preached enough, I guess I got a little carried away.
Well, with all of that said I love you guys.]]> 1107846551 Business as usual ? http://wizpat.blogspot.com/2004/07/business-as-usual.html CBS Marketwatch : Never mind the signs of rising trouble in the Middle East, but ...

[Listening to: 113 - Summum (1) - 113  (03:49)]

]]> 1090590840 Google-Picasa-Hello-Gmail... Promising but still... http://wizpat.blogspot.com/2004/07/google-picasa-hello-gmail-promising.html Rob who granted me a Gmail account, being a real supporter of Google, and already using Hello, I was initiallly enthusiastic about the Google's take-over of Picasa too of course.

The Hello-stuff was better than nothing to upload some pics at my blog although I'm a bit desillusioned about the "take-it-or-leave-it" possibilities of it : some strange code is created on your blogpost and I can't figure out how to tamper it the html-compliant way for layout-reasons (the pics are just posted with your text above or underneath it but the vspace and hspace stuff doesn't work to wrap the text around your pics. A bit disappointed about it I must admit. Additionally, my Bloglines feed doesn't seem to recognize the pics either - very nasty !

So now I added the free Picasa with it. Not really THAT fancy but it organizes yours pics on your hard disk quite well, in such a way that it gave me some hints to re-organize all my picture folders.

Some hints for the Google-dudes there : make Hello a bit more html-compliant so we can make better layouts around uploaded pics, integrated it with Picasa and - of course - integrate it with my Gmail account so I can have an overview of archived pictures at my Gmail... probably I'm re-inventing hot water here coz I'm sure the Google-dudes already put that in their "business plan" already ;-)]]> 1090234740 Income Splitting Test Case http://teyc.blogspot.com/2005/12/income-splitting-test-case.html
ATO is pursuing other test cases. One involves discretionary trust distributions to the tax threshold limits of each beneficiary. Since when did tax minimization equates to tax avoidance?]]> 1135032180 Hello Everyone.lt;br /gt;lt;br /gt;I have been a busy pers http://jq2002.blogspot.com/2005/03/hello-everyone.html
I have been a busy person. So busy that I forgot to make payment on the fees with a certain auction site. Since it is one of my favorite auction sites, my debt to them will be paid, make no mistakes about that. I want to stay in business. Besides, I get to meet lots of interesting people this way.

With that said, I have just made arrangements for you to purchase the COLOR SECURITY CAMERA W/ 2-WAY INTERCOM at a very special price.

This item would be a great item to have to help protect your home.

Just goto http://jq2002.bravepages.com/products.html and make your purchase.

I also have other items there too that you might be interested in.

May everyone have a nice holiday!]]> 1111854960 lt;bgt;IT Blinderslt;/bgt; In response to this lt;a href=\quot; http://radio.weblogs.com/0100102/2002/07/21.html#a204 IT Blinders In response to this StickyMinds article, I wrote
Linda, While I believe your analysis holds true for software developed in-house or on-contract for a business customer, I don't think it's a good approach for other testing situations. Yes, testing against requirements (and testing the requirements) are part of customer-acceptance testing (or customer-acceptance testing by proxy, as would be the case for COTS, some OEM deals, and some embedded systems). But there is more to the testing (or QC) part of our jobs that relates directly to the process improvement (QA) part. Testing is a measurement activity. We should strive to know as much as possible, in quantifiable ways, about the software under test. These numbers can then be used for risk assessment and management (a project-wide activity), and as feedback for process improvement (more in line with QA). So *I* would want to hear you saying, "The cost of development of this product includes the cost of determining a risk profile, as well as the cost for us to measure our performance so that we can improve our efficiency on future projects." For projects with only one customer, the risk profile takes the form of the assurance you mentioned; for projects with many customers, it can take the form of a sales and profit projection (is it good enough so that we can see them at that price, and not lose our shirts of maintenance and support).
I hope it is not rejected by the editors.]]> 1027288263 By the Seat of My Pants http://abadoss.livejournal.com/235391.html
To celebrate, Jeremy and I went out to Claim Jumpers at Clackamas Town Center. The last time I went to a Claim Jumpers was in California, about fifteen years ago. Anyway, the food was amazing. Jeremy had the Widow Maker - which, to his surprise, made him feel really full - and I had some poached salmon. We knew it was going to be a little expensive going in, but I think I may not have thought things through a little. Jeremy's burger was about ten dollars. My salmon ended up being twenty-two dollars. You know you're in for an expensive dinner when the menu shows for the price, "market price." It was amazingly good, though, so well worth it. The thought of any desserts - which were massive portions in themselves - was simply too much for us. We paid and left.

I think I'm going to have to be frugal for a little while now. Today adds to the events of Saturday, monetarily. What happened Saturday? I had the day off and decided to spend the day with Jeremy. We went to see "The Bucket List" with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson - excellent movie, by the way - and made a trip to Classical Millennium. I'm sorry, but I can't walk into Classical Millennium without buying a CD. It's like a candy shop for me. My last time in, I picked up a copy of Astor Piazzolla and Francis Poulenc. Saturday, I picked up another Poulenc and some Shostakovich. Good stuff.]]> 1201077781 Graduation! http://abadoss.livejournal.com/234674.html
Anyway, I don't feel much different. I'm not suddenly smarter or more successful now that I've graduated - at least no more than I did the day before. I suspect that I will be much more aware of it once classes start for everyone else. I'm still living on campus through spring, so I'll get to see everyone trotting off to classes, while I pretty much just work and, hopefully, relax.

Of course, this is just until I am accepted to grad school. I've already sent off another application to New England Conservatory and I plan on sending ones off to Ithaca College, Longy School of Music, and University of Massachusetts Amherst. I'm really shooting for NEC, but my second choice would be Ithaca. Then, hopefully, after two years and another graduation, I'll have to decide about whether or not I want to pursue a doctorate. At that point, it's pretty much to see whether or not I can and to add a fancy title to my name. :P "Dr. Kenneth Keyn"... although, I don't know what my field is going to require. Perhaps, I might need it after all. Who knows? I'm not going to worry about it just yet.

Well, that's a quick summary for everyone. Take care.



(Oh, and I really hate bills...)]]> 1198057351 A New Facebook Application: Blog It Powered by TypePad http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TypePadNews/~3/271517008/announcing-a-ne.html Raise your hand if, in addition to your TypePad blog, you write and post about your life or business to several other places online. Yes, we all do it too. To make all this posting across the web even easier, Six Apart has just taken another step in an ongoing effort to create better tools for bloggers, no matter what publishing platform you use.

Blog ItWe’re excited to announce the launch of a brand new Facebook application — Blog It Powered by TypePad. Blog It brings some of the best social aspects of Facebook to blogging, making it easy to blog or micro-blog from within Facebook and let friends and colleagues around the web know what you’re posting. Unlike existing blogging tools within Facebook, Blog It is not limited to any one company’s blogging services, but instead works with nearly a dozen services including Blogger, TypePad, Twitter, Movable Type, Vox, and WordPress.

Blog It also offers the ability to notify friends and colleagues around the web about new posts. When writing a post, you can choose to automatically share it via Twitter and Pownce in addition to the Facebook Newsfeed. While many Facebook applications rely solely on the Newsfeed to share activity, Blog It is unique in that it helps bloggers share what they’re creating with people they know across the web.

A few TypePad users have already previewed the Blog It application to rave reviews. Michael Louie said, “No longer do I need to repetitiously input my updates into each separate social network. With one click from Blog It, all my friends from Facebook, Twitter, and the blog communities know what I’m doing.”

To get started, simply add the Blog It application on Facebook and take a minute to set up your account details — just like any other blogging client. From there you can create new posts and share them with friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Pownce, all just by ticking a few extra boxes. Watch this screencast to preview how Blog It works.

Why not give Blog It a try? For more information about Blog It powered by TypePad, please visit http://blogit.typepad.com/.

]]> 1208361749 Weather Forecasting: Myth or Reality http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AbcNews_2020/~3/271458880/story ]]> 1208572482 Is Growth Hormone the Fountain of Youth? http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AbcNews_WNT/~3/234042597/story ]]> 1202917160 Helping Wildlife; Charity or Boosting Business? http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AbcNews_WNT/~3/202447143/story ]]> 1198025628 Taxi, Train or Car? Business Travel Transportation Options http://businesstravel.about.com/b/2007/11/10/taxi-train-or-car-business-travel-transportation-options.htm On my first trip to New York, my new clients told me to avoid the subway. Being from another city, I would almost certainly get mugged, lost or stranded in... 1194696493 First Class Food: Airline Meals for Business Travelers http://businesstravel.about.com/b/2007/11/03/first-class-food-airline-meals-for-business-travelers.htm Airline food typically gets a bad rap. Truthfully speaking, the majority of airline travelers' experience airline food in coach. When traveling coach, you can expect either a bag of salted... 1194085953 Courtyard Marriott: Hotels for Business Travelers http://businesstravel.about.com/b/2007/10/26/courtyard-marriott-hotels-for-business-travelers.htm Many of my most recent stays have involved Courtyard Marriott hotels. These hotels are designed for business travelers with many key features and amenities that make a business trip easier... 1193387009 Booking Last-Minute Business Trips http://businesstravel.about.com/b/2007/10/02/booking-last-minute-business-trips.htm The end of the quarter is upon us (or at least many of us), and the mad travel rush begins between now and mid-November. This time period marks the... 1191364495 Three Unknown Hotel Amenities for Business Travelers http://businesstravel.about.com/b/2007/09/25/three-unknown-hotel-amenities-for-business-travelers.htm You may be familiar with amenities like wireless access and complimentary breakfast. You may even expect these amenities and more when you travel. Yet, there are several unsung amenities that... 1190745113 Hampton Inn and Suites: Business Travel Friendly Hotels http://businesstravel.about.com/b/2007/09/11/hampton-inn-and-suites-business-travel-friendly-hotels.htm On a recent stay at a Hampton Inn in New Jersey, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of service and amenities I experienced. My memories of Hampton Inns are... 1189542664 New Guide to Franchises - Don Daszkowski http://entrepreneurs.about.com/b/2008/05/06/new-guide-to-franchises-don-daszkowski.htm Ever thought about buying a franchise as a way to own your own business? Franchises generally offer a proven business model, a reliable supply chain, brand recognition and national marketing... 1210040685 Managing Unprofitable Customers http://entrepreneurs.about.com/b/2008/04/29/managing-unprofitable-customers.htm Following up on my last post, 7 Signs It's Time to Drop a Client, the latest issue of Harvard Business Review has an in-depth report on the practice of "customer... 1209437696 National Small Business Week April 21-25 http://entrepreneurs.about.com/b/2008/04/19/national-small-business-week-april-21-25.htm The week of April 21-25 has been declared U.S. National Small Business Week 2008. Live events are taking place in Washington, D.C., and New York City, including several ceremonies honoring... 1208572756 Blog Carnivals Serve Up Best of the Business Blogosphere http://entrepreneurs.about.com/b/2008/03/23/blog-carnivals-serve-up-best-of-the-business-blogosphere.htm Blogs are a great source of tips, resources and commentary on current events from a more personal perspective than mainstream media typically offers. But there are so many out there,... 1206271198 Reliable Web Hosts for Under $10 http://onlinebusiness.about.com/b/2008/03/24/reliable-web-hosts-for-under-10.htm Web hosting doesn't have to be expensive to be reliable. These low cost Web hosting providers are good options for business websites with less than 10,000 visitors per month. If... 1206330128 lt;Pgt;Need a Laugh?lt;/Pgt; lt;Pgt;If so, the Borowitz report http://radio.weblogs.com/0106285/2003/05/19.html#a68 Need a Laugh?

If so, the Borowitz report is a must read! I confess, I only added this to my frequent reads following a WSJ article; The author, Andy Borowitz, is a successful writer who created (?) or at least drove "The Fresh Prince.' Anyway, his AP-release format, The Onion-style anchored around politics, business and headline news is just funny funny stuff .... sample? http://borowitzreport.com/ http://borowitzreport.com/archive_rpt.asp?rec=595

]]> 1053382769 Doing business in dangerous places http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ActualBusiness/message/256 http://www.economist.com/printedition/PrinterFriendly.cfm?Story_ID=3084373 Doing business in dangerous places Aug 12th 2004 From The Economist print edition 1092400240 Business park wins building award http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/cumbria/7420260.stm The redevelopment of a dockland business park in Cumbria wins a building accolade. 1211805157 Tomasso Padoa-Schioppa http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/7422454.stm In the first of a special business series, Stephen Sackur talks to the former Italian finance minister. How sick is the world economy? 1211908485 How free samples can win trade http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/6506293.stm Business support expert George Derbyshire looks at how new start ups might consider giving away free samples to help kick-start their business. 1175446758 Business tax impact a key factor http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/6476011.stm Simon Burton, a tax expert with Johnston Carmichael, assesses Gordon Brown's eleventh Budget. 1174497929 Is your business idea any good? http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/4416949.stm 1112826481 How to impress the bank manager http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/4185099.stm NatWest's Peter Ferns looks at how to best secure financial backing for your business idea. 1106178954 How free samples can win trade http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/business/6506293.stm Business support expert George Derbyshire looks at how new start ups might consider giving away free samples to help kick-start their business. 1175446758 Business tax impact a key factor http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/6476011.stm Simon Burton, a tax expert with Johnston Carmichael, assesses Gordon Brown's eleventh Budget. 1174497929 Is your business idea any good? http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/business/4416949.stm 1112826481 How to impress the bank manager http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/business/4185099.stm NatWest's Peter Ferns looks at how to best secure financial backing for your business idea. 1106178954 'Crucial' role of business http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/technology/3244280.stm The private sector should have a greater role in deciding the future of the internet, argue business representatives. 1070389546 Women in business http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/in_depth/business/2002/women_in_business/ 1059063188 Small business, big ideas http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/in_depth/business/2003/small_business/ 1059063041 Gaza economy crushed http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7199335.stm The economic blockade is doing long-term damage to the prospects of Gaza's future economy, say business leaders. 1200861762 Gaza economy crushed http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/middle_east/7199335.stm The economic blockade is doing long-term damage to the prospects of Gaza's future economy, say business leaders. 1200861762 Business's guarded reaction http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/3306959.stm The CBI welcomes much of Gordon Brown's pre-Budget statement - but warns about the outlook for the UK's public finances. 1071069897 Brown to slash business red tape http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/3306887.stm The Chancellor announces plans to cut red tape and widen existing tax breaks as part of an effort to foster an enterprise culture. 1071061614 Business's guarded reaction http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/business/3306959.stm The CBI welcomes much of Gordon Brown's pre-Budget statement - but warns about the outlook for the UK's public finances. 1071069897 Brown to slash business red tape http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/business/3306887.stm The Chancellor announces plans to cut red tape and widen existing tax breaks as part of an effort to foster an enterprise culture. 1071061614 Qamp;A: Choosing a Child Trust Fund http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/4391751.stm The Child Trust Fund, a government-savings scheme which gives parents ÂŁ250 vouchers to invest on their children's behalf, is open for business on 6 April. 1112777110 Qamp;A: Choosing a Child Trust Fund http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/business/4391751.stm The Child Trust Fund, a government-savings scheme which gives parents ÂŁ250 vouchers to invest on their children's behalf, is open for business on 6 April. 1112777110 Self employment and tax http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/2968902.stm It's not always obvious when you should be paying tax. Find out what applies to your business before the Revenue comes knocks on your door. 1175778596 How Value Added Tax works http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/2966814.stm Value Added Tax (VAT) is levied on most business transactions and on many goods and some services. 1127469623 Self employment and tax http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/business/2968902.stm It's not always obvious when you should be paying tax. Find out what applies to your business before the Revenue comes knocks on your door. 1175778596 How Value Added Tax works http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/business/2966814.stm Value Added Tax (VAT) is levied on most business transactions and on many goods and some services. 1127469623 'Crucial' role of business http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/technology/3244280.stm The private sector should have a greater role in deciding the future of the internet, argue business representatives. 1070389546 Treasury 'must end fuel tax plan' http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/7415880.stm Business leaders urge the Treasury to scrap a 2p increase in fuel tax as the price at the pump surges. 1211492523 World Business Report http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/1143010.stm From London and New York, BBC News 24 presents its round-up of the top financial, business and market news of the day. 1097491881 Tomasso Padoa-Schioppa http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/programmes/hardtalk/7422454.stm In the first of a special business series, Stephen Sackur talks to the former Italian finance minister. How sick is the world economy? 1211908485 The demise of Turkey's pork butchers http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7368020.stm Sarah Rainsford reflects on tough legislation in Turkey forcing many in the pork industry out of business. 1209208962 Declan Curry http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/presenters/1785118.stm His proud claim is that he sees 2.30 twice each day. Find out more about our main business presenter Declan Curry. 1012493859 Declan Curry http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/programmes/breakfast/presenters/1785118.stm His proud claim is that he sees 2.30 twice each day. Find out more about our main business presenter Declan Curry. 1012493859 The demise of Turkey's pork butchers http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7368020.stm Sarah Rainsford reflects on tough legislation in Turkey forcing many in the pork industry out of business. 1209208962 David Anderson http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/programmes/hardtalk/7422495.stm Stephen Sackur talks money and morality with the Co-operative Financial Services CEO as HARDtalk's business series continues. 1211909931 David Anderson http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/7422495.stm Stephen Sackur talks money and morality with the Co-operative Financial Services CEO as HARDtalk's business series continues. 1211909931 Welsh fishing fleet 'in crisis' http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/south_west/7425616.stm Fishermen in Wales say many will go out of business due to fuel costs and a blockade by their French counterparts. 1212126520 Silverjet calls in administrators http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/business/7427056.stm Business airline Silverjet calls in administrators after financial problems forced it to suspend all of its flights. 1212148636 Council run by unelected councillors http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/programmes/politics_show/7423043.stm On the surface it is business as usual in Milton Keynes but paralysis has gripped the heart of local government. 1212148690 Wilkin tips St Helens to hit form http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/st_helens/7434206.stm St Helens' Jon Wilkin says that his side are ready to step it up as Super League reaches the business end of the season. 1212507001 Police issue warning about fraud scheme http://www.topix.net/city/anacortes-wa/2008/06/police-issue-warning-about-fraud-scheme?fromrss=1 Mount Vernon police are warning local business owners to be on the lookout for a fraudulent solicitation for funds.

]]> 1214022404 Anacostia Historic District gets $900,000 in grants http://www.topix.net/city/washington-dc-anacostia/2008/04/anacostia-historic-district-gets-900-000-in-grants?fromrss=1 "It is fitting that we begin this grant program with homeowners in Anacostia, as it is it one of our oldest historic neighborhoods"

Washington Business Journal - by Tierney Plumb Staff Reporter There's help for housing repair and restoration in one of D.C.'s oldest historic districts. via Washington Business Journal

]]> 1208348026 Marion Barry proposes creation of Anacostia Business Improvement District http://www.topix.net/city/washington-dc-anacostia/2008/03/marion-barry-proposes-creation-of-anacostia-business-improvement-district?fromrss=1 Washington Business Journal - by Jonathan O'Connell Staff Reporter Curtis, Four Points plan to transform Anacostia [Washington, D.C.] D.C. Councilman Marion Barry submitted legislation Tuesday that would create ... via Commercial Real Estate

]]> 1205251733 Curtis, Four Points plan to transform Anacostia http://www.topix.net/city/washington-dc-anacostia/2008/02/curtis-four-points-plan-to-transform-anacostia?fromrss=1 "I think some exciting things are going to be happening"

Washington Business Journal - by Jonathan O'Connell Staff Reporter Joanne S. Lawton Town seat: Office, retail and residential development will replace this parking lot along Martin Luther King Jr. via Washington Business Journal

]]> 1204297285 D.C. housing agency to move to Anacostia Gateway http://www.topix.net/city/washington-dc-anacostia/2008/02/d-c-housing-agency-to-move-to-anacostia-gateway?fromrss=1 Washington Business Journal - by Jonathan O'Connell Staff Reporter The Anacostia Gateway building, once slated to become the headquarters of the NAACP, will instead become the new headquarters of the D.C. ... via Washington Business Journal

]]> 1203723698 Food desert http://www.topix.net/city/washington-dc-anacostia/2008/02/food-desert?fromrss=1 Local nonprofit's ongoing research links the shortage of grocery stores east of the Anacostia to malnutrition Washington Business Journal - by Jonathan O'Connell Staff Reporter Joanne S. Lawton A fresh ... via Washington Business Journal

]]> 1202136997 OKC's SandRidge sells assets to Tulsa-based Williams for $285 million http://www.topix.net/city/anadarko-ok/2008/05/okcs-sandridge-sells-assets-to-tulsa-based-williams-for-285-million?fromrss=1 Tulsa-based Williams announced today it has agreed to purchase interests in Colorado's Piceance Basin from Oklahoma City's SandRidge and other parties for $285 million in cash. via Oklahoma City Business

]]> 1210399443 Kenai aviator fined $100,000 for fraud http://www.topix.net/city/anaktuvuk-pass-ak/2008/03/kenai-aviator-fined-100-000-for-fraud?fromrss=1 "That's how we were able to bring wire fraud (charges)"

A Kenai aviator doing business as Bellair Inc. was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to three years probation and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine after being convicted of wire fraud. via Clarion Dispatch

]]> 1206577942 Vinny Vella Opens A Pizzeria in Brooklyn http://www.topix.net/movies/analyze-that/2007/11/vinny-vella-opens-a-pizzeria-in-brooklyn?fromrss=1 "But he's got none of me. I'm gonna have to talk to him about that."

But for the actor known as the "Mayor of Elizabeth Street" hanging out is his business. via Village Voice

]]> 1195220015 How Robert De Niro Can Save His Career http://www.topix.net/movies/analyze-this/2008/04/how-robert-de-niro-can-save-his-career?fromrss=1 "Good luck in the Hotel Business, pal."

After Robert De Niro fired CAA last week, commenter "A CAA Agent" wrote an angry post on Nikki Finke's blog explaining how an ungrateful De Niro ran his career into the ground . via New York Magazine

]]> 1208450130 Weakened dollar draws foreign tourists http://www.topix.net/city/anchorage-ak/2008/07/weakened-dollar-draws-foreign-tourists?fromrss=1 Tourism officials monitoring business in Fairbanks see a bright side to high gasoline and grocery prices.

]]> 1215090646 Filling a niche http://www.topix.net/city/anchorage-ky/2008/04/filling-a-niche?fromrss=1 "We opened up at almost exactly the same time they shut down"

As the saying goes, timing is everything, and no one believes that more firmly than Angie Kittle. via Business First of Louisville

]]> 1208406036 Pewee council revises sign ordinance http://www.topix.net/city/anchorage-ky/2008/02/pewee-council-revises-sign-ordinance?fromrss=1 OldhamCounty.com provides community information online Editor's note: The following is a feature on one of the several members of the KY BIZ Partners Leads Group, a local business networking organization. via Oldham Era

]]> 1202348480 Featured Property http://www.topix.net/city/anderson-mill-tx/2008/02/featured-property?fromrss=1 Austin Real Estate - Austin Commercial Real Estate - Austin Commercial Property Listings Choose another market: biz space austin Categories: 9518 Anderson Mill Property is currently office /warehouse but would ... via Austin Business Journal

]]> 1202502309 Police: Man opens fire at Northwest Austin business http://www.topix.net/city/anderson-mill-tx/2007/10/police-man-opens-fire-at-northwest-austin-business?fromrss=1 A disgruntled ex-employee opened fired on a manager at the Northwest Austin business Thursday in front of several witnesses before turning the gun on himself, Austin police said. via KVUE.com

]]> 1192139268 Arco head's business dealings included public interest http://www.topix.net/city/anderson-ak/2008/01/arco-heads-business-dealings-included-public-interest?fromrss=1 "An independent has a hell of a lot more fun."

Published: January 4th, 2008 01:03 AM Last Modified: January 4th, 2008 01:27 AM What I remember most about Robert O. Anderson, former chairman of Arco, who died in December, was his independence. via Anchorage Daily News

]]> 1199457594 Independence eve http://www.topix.net/city/anderson-al/2008/07/independence-eve?fromrss=1 The party started early in Athens as community officials and business people began celebrating on the eve of Independence Day.

]]> 1215247829 Chamber of Commerce, Red Bluff-Tehama County: 'Nearly 400 firms in Chamber http://www.topix.net/city/anderson-ca/2008/06/chamber-of-commerce-red-bluff-tehama-county-nearly-400-firms-in-chamber?fromrss=1 Almost every city, town, and village has a Chamber of Commerce - a voluntary organization of the business community that unites business and professional individuals and firms, thus creating a central agency ...

]]> 1213351255 Gas prices edge up http://www.topix.net/city/anderson-sc/2008/07/gas-prices-edge-up?fromrss=1 Business Staff Average gasoline prices in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metropolitan area ticked upward overnight, mirroring the movement of state and local prices, according to AAA.

]]> 1215084078 Gas prices continue to decline http://www.topix.net/city/anderson-sc/2008/06/gas-prices-continue-to-decline?fromrss=1 Business Staff Average gasoline prices in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metropolitan continued to drift down overnight, according to AAA.

]]> 1213986173 PDA signs lease for Rees Park Economic Development Center http://www.topix.net/city/andersonville-ga/2008/06/pda-signs-lease-for-rees-park-economic-development-center?fromrss=1 The Americus-Sumter Payroll Development Authority got down to business at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, with talk of One Georgia grants and a review of insurance of all properties the PDA owns.

]]> 1212913728 Raising champions: GK Performance Horses in Andersonville http://www.topix.net/city/andersonville-tn/2008/05/raising-champions-gk-performance-horses-in-andersonville?fromrss=1 Greg and Kim Watkins turned a mutual love of horses and a desire to move to the country into a profitable new business. via The Knoxville News Sentinel

]]> 1210124251 Dunn Bros. closing shop at Old Town Marriott http://www.topix.net/city/andover-ks/2008/06/dunn-bros-closing-shop-at-old-town-marriott?fromrss=1 Hotelier Jim Korroch is making what he calls a "prudent" business decision and closing Dunn Bros.

]]> 1214369195 Pair aim high, work to make Andover better http://www.topix.net/city/andover-me/2007/12/pair-aim-high-work-to-make-andover-better?fromrss=1 "This is economic development by private individuals"

Kevin Scott and Susan Merrow have a vision for Andover. They want to restore the village and bring business to the area, and they believe they, and many others, have just the right entrepreneurial spirit to do ... via Sun-Journal

]]> 1198592102 BUSINESS: Newfane may lure second bidder for grocery store http://www.topix.net/city/andover-ny/2008/03/business-newfane-may-lure-second-bidder-for-grocery-store?fromrss=1 "We know Newfane wants a grocery store. We have contacts with grocers. We do have someone else looking, but don't want to say who it is."

The owners of the building that housed Shurfine Market are looking for a new client to fill the vacant supermarket at 2555 Main St. via Union-Sun & Journal

]]> 1205925976 New Municipal Tax Changes Effective July 1 http://www.topix.net/city/andover-sd/2008/06/new-municipal-tax-changes-effective-july-1?fromrss=1 Business Tax Division, 605.773.3311 Beginning July 1, 2008 , 12 communities will implement new municipal taxes or update their current city taxes.

]]> 1213071211 Speaking at WDNUG next Wednesday http://blogs.msdn.com/acoat/archive/2008/06/07/speaking-at-wdnug-next-wednesday.aspx Update – I’ve pushed this out a month and Adam Cogan’s going to present this month on LINQ.

I got a note from Kirk Barrett last night to say that his speaker for next Wednesday had had to withdraw. I'll be making the trek South to deliver a session on Developing Office Business Applications.

Visual Studio 2008 and the Office Development Platform

The 2007 Microsoft Office system has evolved into a business application platform that developers can use to build and deploy Office Business Applications (OBAs). This session provides an overview of OBAs and demonstrates how developers can use Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) to customize Microsoft Office applications, improve the User Experience with Ribbon and Region customisations, enable business workflows with Sharepoint Services and simplified deployment and manageability of Office applications with the new Microsoft Office Clickonce support.

See www.wdnug.org.au for details on location and times.

]]> 1212781013 The Portal is Dead! Long Live the Portal! http://blogs.msdn.com/acoat/archive/2008/05/25/the-portal-is-dead-long-live-the-portal.aspx I had a great time presenting at the Perth SharePoint User Group last Tuesday. I've uploaded my deck to my SkyDrive if you're interested.

The session talked about surfacing relevant information in the context in which it's needed. The example I gave is of a sales person who gets an email from a customer requesting an increase in the number of widgets in their current order from 1000 to 1500 units. Traditionally, this has meant that as the sales person I would have to do the following things

  1. Look up the customer in the CRM system to find the contact history for the company and a link into the accounting system
  2. Look up the company in the accounting system to check that they've got sufficient credit
  3. Look up the widget code in another module in the accounting system to check that we've got sufficient stock to fill the order
  4. If we don't have sufficient stock on hand, look up the widget code in the ERP system to see when we expect to have the stock available
  5. If that's not soon enough, look at another module in the ERP system, as well as in the CRM system and the accounting system to find which of our other customers' orders we can defer to fill this change.
  6. If I work out that it's possible and sensible to increase the order, change the order in the accounting system (and any other orders that may have been affected) and the details in the ERP system to reflect the change(s)
  7. Finally, go back to my email system and respond to the customer with my decision. Update the details of the contact with the customer in the CRM system.

That sequence of events takes some time to achieve and, perhaps more importantly, requires a switch of context every time I switch systems (count 'em, there are 11 context switches in the 7 steps above!)

The promise of Office Business Applications (OBAs) is that this context switching will be significantly reduced or, potentially, eliminated completely. If, instead of the sequence above, I had the relevant information available as a part of the email then I could make and communicate my decision in the context of that email.

At the session there was a bloke sitting up the back who asked some very pertinent questions about what this session meant for the portal, and in particular for all that stuff we'd been saying about using SharePoint as the place people go to discover stuff, anything, they need to know about the organisation. Yesterday I got an email from that bloke, who turned out to be Jeremy Thake, pointing me to a great post he'd done after thinking more about the session and the questions he'd raised.

Jeremy's first concern seems to be that I positioned the Office Client tools as the place to get all the information you need, but for the past n years he's been hearing the message from Microsoft that SharepPoint is the the presentation layer for all of your back-end systems.

"Why not go to SharePoint for these things? Isn't that what the Business Intelligence Pillar of the SharePoint stack is for (Dashboards and Reporting Services, Excel Services Integration)?"

On the surface, he seems to have a point, but one of the key themes I was emphasising throughout the presentation was the ability of OBAs to surface contextual information that's applicable to the task or question at hand. I don't think this precludes the portal as an appropriate place to surface key business information, in fact there are a number of scenarios where it's eminently suitable. Of course, the portal's not just the presentation layer. It's also a set of services that can be consumed by the contextualised applications. It provides a repository for the information created by the use of client applications. It centralises the dissemination of information.

Jeremy's next concern is based on the premise that if we give users a richer experience than what they can get through a web page, they'll want to use it:

"My main concern is that by pushing the Information into Office applications, it will obviously look a lot more feature rich and perceivably be faster than any web page in SharePoint. I understand that Office development has been around a lot longer than I've been writing code, but this seems like a pretty aggressive marketing push based on the information out there"

Well, yes, I guess that's true. We've always talked about the spectrum of reach to rich (by the way, I love the fact that Jeremy's linked to Erika's blog - I've been addicted to it for a while now). My concern is that if we only focus on the reach and exclude the rich then our users won't thank us. To be fair to Jeremy, that's not exactly what he's asked for. He wants us to spend more time making the portal richer. That's a laudable goal (and one towards which we're constantly striving), but the fact remains that the rich client experience will always beat the web experience. With the constant improvement in the client platform, with integration with the video game quality graphics engine, the search, the RSS feed store, the networking awareness, the improvements to the Office UI and more, we'd be doing our users a grave disservice not to take advantage of it.

Next, Jeremy raises the question of Office Development (although I think he mainly means deployment). He comments on the model of apps being available offline and somehow makes this sound like a bad thing. I do understand that some people want complete control over the environment at all times, but that doesn't help our users be productive wherever they are. Jeremy also says is that the ClickOnce deployment model relies on users being online. That's not completely true. It relies on users being occasionally online. This model is generally more than adequate. If there's a component of your app that relies on the cloud for critical functionality, then disable it while the user's not connected, but let them get on with the rest of their work without being tied to the cloud (that's a beautiful image isn't it?)

Jeremy then asks "Where does SharePoint fit?". I don't think anything's changed. SharePoint is a great aggregator, portal and source of services. You surface the information it provides in the client that's applicable to the task at hand. If the task is responding to an email, then surfacing that information in that email is probably the most appropriate and efficient technique. In other situations, surfacing it in a Sidebar Gadget or on a web page or as an SMS message might be more appropriate. You use the right tool for the job.

Speaking of tools, Jeremy also had a concern about this diagram.

Tools for Any Skill Level

He seems to have inferred that because the word SharePoint is not listed in the "Professional Developers" sector of the diagram, that SharePoint doesn't feature in the professional Office developers' toolkit. That's not the case. Visual Studio is a great tool for deep SharePoint development work. For example, there are two new project types in VS2008 that deal specifically with SharePoint workflow.

VS2008 New Project Dialog with SharePoint Workflow Project Templates

So, I apologise if I gave the impression that "Office Development is far more superior to SharePoint Development", that was not my intention at all. My intention was to highlight some of the ways you can use the Office Client tools to make use of the great information aggregated and presented by SharePoint and your other LOB applications.

Finally, Jeremy quotes Steve Balmer "[Sharepoint] is the missing link between personal productivity and Line of Business Applications" and asks where that leaves Office. My take on this is that it makes Office (client) the personal productivity bit and Office (server - including SharePoint) the missing link.

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