Mark Dennehy has a thoughtful entry on the hiring of new engineers, well worth reading if you are on the other side of the interviewing process while looking for software engineers here in Ireland:
It is a really nice ad I think, if a little abstract. As the service is not available in Ireland (unfortunately), the ad is not running on TV and cinemas here so YouTube is the only place to see it.
More information about Bluebook itself can be found here:
Alan Cooper gives a powerhouse performance on the importance of reclaiming quality as a key deliverable of software development in this excellent keynote presentation:
Some of the key points I took from watching this video are:
Modern management is industrial in outlook.
Software development is a post-industrial activity, so software projects and the managers running them often have completely different World views.
You cannot reduce cost of software development, only the quality.
Difficult to measure ROI (Return On Investment) of software development.
Developers cannot be managed in the traditional sense, only facilitated.
Viewing software development as a craft (not an industry).
Software developers respect competence, not authority.
Combination of Agile Methods for design, and RUP (Rational Unified Process) for implementation.
Document your success!
It is a thought provoking presentation well worth your time.
Added: 2008-02-18 21:10:30
Mozilla Lightning
In work I am constantly being sent meeting requests by managers who are using Outlook on Windows. But I am using Thunderbird on Linux, which can't make sense of these meeting requests so simply displays the VCalendar meta data in all of its ugliness by default.
Recently I discovered that I can use Lightning from Mozilla, which integrates the Mozilla Sunbird calendar application with Mozilla Thunderbird to offer some very nice features, including the ability to create a calendar event based on a meeting invitation, including those coming from Outlook:
Like many computer geeks my age, the Commodore 64 was the first home computer I owned, where I first became exposed to programming while writing simple applications in BASIC. I still remember waiting ages for games to load from cassette tapes!
The interview with Jack Tramiel is fascinating, its worth watching for business and technology enthusiasts alike. At 92 minutes in duration it is very long though, you have been warned!
Understanding the Need for New Computer Technologies
In this opinion piece, an argument is presented in favour of embracing technology innovations in order to gain from any possible competitive advantages.
Added: 2005-07-31
Defining the Knowledge-based Economy
This article looks at knowledge in the wider economy, and how it is likely to affect firms and individuals alike.
Added: 2004-10-29
Sun and Microsoft Settle Out of Court
Sun Microsystems received a $1.6 billion cash handout from Microsoft, on condition that it drop all long standing legal actions against the company.
Added: 2004-05-05
Google Ranking Tips Part 1, by David Callan.
In this comprehensive three-part article by David Callan of AKAMargeting.com, the workings of the World's most popular search engine are laid bare.
Added: 2004-01-23
Google Ranking Tips Part 3, by David Callan.
In this comprehensive three-part article by David Callan of AKAMargeting.com, the workings of the World's most popular search engine are laid bare.
Added: 2004-01-23
Sun Microsystems set to Diversify into the Microprocessor Market
Sun Microsystems is set to enter the PC-based microprocessor market later this year, with the first of a series of offerings based on grid processing.
Added: 2004-01-23
Google Ranking Tips Part 2, by David Callan.
In this comprehensive three-part article by David Callan of AKAMargeting.com, the workings of the World's most popular search engine are laid bare.
Added: 2004-01-23
The Benefits of Click-Wrap Contracts over Shrink-Wrap Contracts
A discussion of the benefits of click-wrap contracts over shrink-wrap contracts.
Added: 2003-11-27
Overture is Coming to Ireland
A discussion on Overture locating its European hub in Ireland.
Added: 2003-04-27
Google is Coming to Ireland
A discussion on Google locating its European Operations Centre in Ireland.
Handling Content Migration with 301 Re-directs from a 404 Error Page
A tutorial describing how to use 301 re-directs from a 404 error page, to ease the transition of content migration from one location to another.
Added: 2007-02-11
An Introduction to Object Oriented Programming with PHP
A basic introduction to core object oriented concepts using PHP.
Added: 2006-12-04
Why its good to write Your Own Framework
There are many top-quality web frameworks available for PHP, but sometimes you might consider writing your own framework. This article looks at the reasons why you might want to.
Added: 2006-06-16
Scalable Web Design Part 2: Liquid Design
Liquid Design: matching your browser window's inner resolution.
Added: 2002-09-20
Dynamic Force-frame Effect for Iframes
Forcing your iframe-based pages to stay framed using Javascript.