Notes From Neal

My 20gb iPod as well as iTunes on my MacBook Pro laptop have become the primary way that I listen to music anymore. They’re convenient, portable, and accessible.

Here are some of the tunes I’ve been hearing recently:

• Another Park, Another Sunday (Doobie Brothers).
  It had been years since I heard this song, until it was played recently on a local radio station. I had to download it from Apple.
• Eyes of Silver (Doobie Brothers).
  Another good old Doobie Brothers tune. Just old time rock ‘n roll.
• Something Fine (Jackson Browne).
  Jackson Browne wrote introspective and thoughtful music back in the late ’70s. After hearing this song on WNKU on morning, it kept running through my head.
• Twin Sons of Different Mothers (album by Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg).
  A comfortable and relaxing album created from a collaboration of these two artists. An excellent album for listening while deep in de-bugging a rather complex software solution. Thanks to iTunes, I can “import” my legally owned CD to my “pod” to enjoy.

Last Sunday, we took my son Josh, over to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA to begin his first year of college there. What a place! After spending the day there for Parents Orientation, we are all convinced this is the right place for Josh to study. Josh is in his element amidst a highly studious and intelligent group of students, and institution that highly values learning, hard work, and passion. That boy will soar in such an environment. I am so excited for him, and a little envious of what his future holds.

Today we were talking on the cell phone when he mentioned that he had to get off because his laundry was done. Soon after, I received the following email:

Why does the washer email you when it’s done? Why do you get an email when a package arrives? Because we’re CMU.

——– Original Message ——–

Subject: eSuds.net Cycle Complete
Date: 24 Aug 2007 10:46:02 -0400
From: eSuds.net Administrator
To: JOSHUA

Hi JOSHUA,

Your laundry is finished. Please pick up your laundry from Washer 3 in XXXXX House Laundry Room.

Thank you!

Amazing!

And what’s even more amazing is that my son is doing his laundry a mere five days after his arrival on campus.

The sad story of Julie Amero has been all over the ‘Net. If you haven’t read about the Connecticut teacher, you can read the Washington Post article or similar coverage from USA Today.

Ms. Amero was a substitute teacher in Norwich, CT back in 2004, recently convicted of “endangering students by exposing them to pornographic material displayed on a classroom computer.”

According to The Post…

On the morning of Oct 19, 2004, Amero said she reported for duty at a seventh grade classroom at Kelly Middle School in Norwich, Conn. After stepping out into the hall for a moment, Amero returned to find two students hovering over the computer at the teacher’s desk. As supported by an analysis of her computer during the court proceedings, the site the children were looking at was a seemingly innocuous hairstyling site called “new-hair-styles.com.” Amero said that shortly thereafter, she noticed a series of new Web browser windows opening up displaying pornographic images, and that no matter how quickly she closed each one out, another would pop up in its place.

“I went back to computer and found a bunch of pop-ups,” Amero said. “They wouldn’t go away. I mean, some of the sites stayed on there no matter how many times I clicked the red X, and others would just pop back up.”

Here’s a substitute teacher in a class not her own, using a computer, not her own. Apparently, she is pretty much of a technophobe, and quite out of her league on this one.

Let me add some of my own comments to this travesty.

• Consider that this was in 2004, the operating system was Windows 98, and the browser was Internet Explorer 5 (outdated and quite insecure). There was no filtering software on the school’s network, no anti-virus software that might check for invasive malware. Malware of the type that generates pop-up windows was found on that computer.
• Ms. Amero knew little about computers or what to do to stop the hundreds of pop-ups that were appearing. According to the story, she asked for help in the teacher’s lounge and received little support.
• Think back to 2004. Ever know anyone whose computer was totally inundated by pop-ups, pornographic or otherwise? Yes, there are pop-up ads for items other than porn.
• Due to technicalities, supporting defense arguments were not allowed.
• Why was this case even prosecuted? What did this poor lady do?
• For a different take on this incident, here is the story from The Norwich Bulletin. I may be biased, but I don’t buy their self-righteous viewpoint.
• This woman could be sentenced to as much as 40 years in prison on March 2.
• Can children really be “endangered” by viewing “pornographic material? Why aren’t they “endangered” by viewing violence at home or on television?

Let me leave you with this last word. If you think this is wrong, take a look at the Julie Amero Defense Fund blog. At that location, you’ll find a way to contribute to her fund as well as the addresses of the prosecuting attorney, school district officials, and other governmental muckity mucks.

It was in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII played on January 22, 1984 that the video announcing the first Macintosh ran. It ran only once, but surely impressed a lot of people with its power and creativity. Some would say the video was the precursor of “event advertising” during subsequent Super Bowls.

According to Wikipedia, which seems to have an article on everything, that commerical cost $800,000 to make and another $800,000 to air during that game between the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders. For the sake of accuracy, the Raiders won that game 38-9.

At the time, I was an Educational Sales rep for an Apple reseller and actually saw the commercial back in December at a Macintosh product roll-out. Those of us in the room were stunned; literally blown away by the impact of that video. The Macintosh computer itself was also quite revolutionary for its time. Unlike the Apple //e, which I owned at the time, and the IBM PC XT, all the components were inside one box. Additionally, instead of a command line interface, it used a mouse and graphics to make the computer work aka a GUI (graphical user interface).

As an employee in an Apple store, I was eligible to purchase one of these computers under what was called “Own a Mac.” For $2500, I received the original Macintosh, the first ImageWriter Printer, MacWrite word processing, MacPaint, a revolutionary graphics program, a subscription to MacWorld, and a carrying case for the computer. It showed up in several boxes on my doorstep in March of 1984.

I still have the carrying case and printer, although I’ve not used either in years. The original Macintosh is long gone, although subsequent Macs, including my current MacBook Pro, are commonplace in my office and home. Soon after the product announcement, I purchased a few hundred shares of Apple stock, based upon what I beliefed to be a great product. I was proven correct by the share price, and sold my holding a few years later for a down payment on our current Cincinnati residence.

If you have an thoughts about that video, or experience with early computing, please feel welcome to comment below.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock or haven’t connected to the web since the beginning of this year, you’ve been reading about Apple’s newest technology contraption, the iPhone. A mobile phone, video iPod for music, and PDA that can browse the Internet, while supposedly powered by Macintosh OSX under the hood. It’s a smart looking and creatively designed product that promises to revolutionize the handheld technology arena.

As previously mentioned, anyone who writes about technology has written an article or blog about this new device, most hailing it as the greatest thing since sliced bread. That may well be the case, and down the road apiece, this may change things quite significantly. Additionally, Apple does make great products. Consider the ubiquitous iPod for example.

Ted Landau, long-time Macintosh author and advocate has posted his more critical take on the iPhone in an article on his excellent website, MacFixIt. In the article, he makes some valid points about this possibly revolutionary new piece of technology.

• It’s Expensive. Not only is the purchase price compared to other devices at the top end of the range, it will likely require high-end wireless services.
• Limited Storage. The iPhone uses a flash drive rather than a hard drive like other iPods use.
• Stuck with Cingular. I am not a Cingular subscriber, so I’ll not make an attempt to evaluate their service, but the fact of the matter is that the iPhone user is limited to that carrier at this time.
• It’s Locked. Folks will be limited to Apple’s software as well as the functionality as allowed by Cingular, the wireless provider.
• Size Limitations. Apple claims it will have a touch screen keyboard. It’s already hard enough to “type” on one of those small keyboards. What is going to happen when there is no tactile response at all the “pressing” the keys?
• Watch out. Early adapters had better be careful when using one. I suspect it will easily be lost or stolen. And there were cases where people were mugged or pickpocketed for the new iPods.

On the other side of the coin:

• It appears well designed.
• The iPhone looks cool.
• The interface appears clean and elegant.
• The iPhone appears easy to use. Not that it would take much compared to today’s cell phone interface and software design.
• The product is designed by Apple, their design concepts are exceptional.
• It will improve and the user experience will get better.

Look, I don’t want to completely denigrate what is likely a revolutionary product. I just think it’s going to take some time to work the kinks out and make a more satisfactory device for those using it. Like Mr. Landau, it’s likely that I am not the target customer for this device anyhow. I own a cell phone that I use for one purpose: to make calls. I don’t need a web browser nor a PDA, nor do I want to get email on my phone. I carry a laptop almost everywhere, and when I need to get connected I can. Besides, there are plenty of times that I really don’t want to be connected.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Winter is in full swing in the northern hemisphere, although where I come from in Ohio, we’ve yet to see much snow.  Regardless, it’s time to think about packing your bags and heading to warmer climates where you can catch some rays and work on your tan.  And most of us anymore don’t forget to pack our laptops along with our swim trunks and sunglasses when we head to the sun.

As a public service to those heading for the surf and sand, I post the following link to a Wired Magazine article “Where to Catch Some WiFi Waves.” Included are some major beaches in the US, including one clothing optional location where you can be topless, bottomless, and wireless.

Of course, this begs the question:  Why?

Beyond the potential harm of water and sand to the laptop computer, I go to the beach to get away from all things computer.  I enjoy the warm breeze in my face, long walks in the sand and waves, and reading a novel to escape the day to day rigor of the technology world.  Other than for music, for which I can use my iPod, that is one place I really don’t want to be wireless.

OK. To be completely forthcoming and honest,  I must reveal that this article is being written from Englewood, Florida, where I came to “get away from it all” while visiting a friend.  I did bring my laptop and yes, I do have a WiFi connection thanks to the generosity of my neighbor, who allows me to share hers.  I solemnly promise however, that I will never ever take this laptop to the beach.

Here are three commonly used words that describe people. In my mind, they have a negative influence on the way we think about the folks we work with.

Consumer. Isn’t that a horrible word when used to describe people? How about something a little more respectful like customer? When I am a consumer, I am merely consuming goods and services in the same way that a car consumes gasoline, but as a customer I actively buy goods and services.

User. Being in the software development business, this word is used frequently to describe the good folks who work with (and purchase) our software, hardware, and technology products. In a previous life, I worked as a therapist in outpatient alcoholism and drug abuse treatment centers. User is what we called the people coming through our doors.

End User. Obviously a variant on user. Isn’t a bit redundant though to call a person an end user? If there is an end user, it would seem likely then, that somewhere there must be a beginning user.

Words like these depersonalize people, coloring the way some folks think about others. When we use language that accurately reflects who we do things for, it is more likely our software, customer service (think carefully about the meaning of those two words), and products will be designed to serve the “real people” who work with our stuff on a daily basis.

Those of you out there who are end users of my blog are welcome to comment. Being the consumers that you are, please suggest other words of the same genre.

Today, I completed the last feature in a major software project.  Since January, I’ve worked on this FileMaker Pro database solution, two days a week.  From the initial design which was mostly replicated from an old version, to “customer” interviews, to the interface concept, to schema construction, to what seemed like endless features, detailed testing, to today.  In between, we squished many bugs and had one false start when we encountered a major flaw in FileMaker Pro 8.5.

Hours upon hours of screen layout and report design, staring at relationship graphs, stepping through code, and scratching my head, cluelessly wondering why my scripts wouldn’t work right.  Threads of code and ideas often crowded my mind.  Solutions appearing in the middle of the night, while resting between points on the tennis court, or as I lathered my hair with shampoo in the shower.  There were laughing threats to cut intruders with my plastic sword which hung from the monitor in the shared office during my stint with this client.

As I was wrapping up my work with a sigh of relief, I dropped by to wish Phil, the company president, a Merry Christmas.  As we talked, I told him of my accomplishment and that we could now see the “light at the end of the tunnel” and deploy the software to the company.  At that point, Phil reminded me of the film Von Ryans Express.  He described a scene where the train went into a tunnel only to discover that the Germans had a large tank awaiting at the other end.

So much for light at the end of the tunnel.  And thanks for those words of encouragement, Phil.

I can imagine that writers feel the same lightening of spirit and sigh of relief when they pen the words “The End” on the final page of their book.  The work is good and it’s finished.

I know, there will be more to do when we deploy the software to the company.  And during those first few days, I’ll be fending off irate staff with my plastic sword.  But for the rest of this year, let me have my peace.

Last Friday, a couple friends and I made our seasonal trek down I-75 a few miles to Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Located on a large farm, just next door to historic Calumet Farms, as far as I’m concerned, Keeneland is horse racing heaven. For about three weeks in April and October, fans can see some of the best horse racing in the country.

As you can discover from the photos below, Keeneland is a beautiful race track and a pleasant venue to watch horse racing. Besides having the best racing in the country during their season, they make it easy to have an enjoyable day at the races. The horses get saddled in a paddock area just outside the grandstand, among beautiful old oak trees. You can almost touch these majestic animals as they leave the walking ring on their way to the race track.

Prior to this fall meet, Keeneland renovated their track:

• installing an all-weather racing surface called Polytrack
• changed the configuration of their track, making wider turns
• added Trakus, a technology for tracking and viewing the horses.

Both Polytrack and Trakus are revolutionary changes for horse racing. Polytrack is a softer and much safer racing surface, enabling a fast race track in even the most inclement weather. The same Polytrack surface was used last winter at Turfway Park offering few, if any, cancellations of racing due to a frozen track.

The Polytrack surface at Keeneland has, however, changed the way players handicap a race there. Used to that Keeneland was notorious for their speed bias, meaning that horses on the lead (the speed) often would win, as those with a late run at the end simply could not catch up. This fall however, was a frustrating one, as we saw many longshots hit the wire first, racing from off the pace, swinging wide into the stretch, and making a strong dash for the wire. Many of us avoided speed horses, preferring those with some experience on a similar surface. Additionally, many avoid horses who primarily race on grass when they change to the dirt surface. This was not my experience this fall at Keeneland.

Trakus is an interesting technology. Tiny radio devices are placed in the saddle cloth of each race horse, signalling sensors positioned all around the race track. This enables the exact position and path of each race horse to be tracked as they run the race course. Each racer’s exact times, distance traveled, and path could be recorded as well as displayed on the video monitors at the track. Although the horses were displayed as colored dots on a computer screen, it was easy to identify “your horse” even when crowded into a pack on the far turn.

Keeneland is, by far, the best place I’ve ever been to enjoy horse racing. It’s a short drive from Cincinnati and offers magnificent scenery and great racing. Unfortunately the racing season is over tomorrow, October 27. Hopefully, spring will roll around here soon, and I’ll be back at Keeneland again in April.