The world can be a cruel place...

Make sure you don't mispronounce these popular (incorrect) words.

**The comments to this TechRepublic blog posting are interesting as well. I'm guilty of "irregardless" but I'm working on it!

Next-Gen Software Developers will require Analytical and Problem Solving Skills

Computerworld just recently published an article suggesting that Corporate IT could learn a thing or two from Web 2.0 companies such as Yahoo! Flickr among others.

Some of the key takeaways include:
(1) Forgoing the idea of a big stage requirements, design, build, and test as part of the software development lifecycle; rather, substituting a smaller iterative process which heavily involves business users.
(2) A longer (perhaps eternal) beta release with constant updates (Flickr was quoted as having more than 30 production updates in a single day!!) based on, once again, heavy user feedback.
(3) And my favorite... next generation software developers, based on their increased interactions with business users, will require a stronger analytical and problem solving capabilities.

Having been involved in both small-scale application development and Corporate IT development, I agree with Computerworld's findings.

XMPP: Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol

Just stumbled upon a new technology called XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol). In my reading, it seems as though XMPP was derived as a enhanced way to facilitate web services (or now SaaS - Software as a Service) and cloud computing.

Instead of web services that "poll" (i.e., inquire about) a computer every x-minutes to check for new information, XMPP creates an instant messaging effect where an open communication channel is always available through an XMPP-based server. A couple popular examples of XMPP: Google Chat and Twitter.

Given it is open-source, it also seems that XMPP 'firehoses' can be viewed by others, as long as APIs are written to give access to the 'firehose.' Talk about a mashup of information. See Twitter and Gnip.

Update: Chris is right (see comment below). I'd have to agree that I used the word "new" rather flippantly in this post. According to XMPP.org, the core technology was established in 1998 and resulted in a series of standardized Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) in 2004. 10 years of XMPP and 4 years of standardized usage hardly seems new.

Techcrunch.com Tip: NuevaSync

To TechCrunch:

I'd like to suggest checking out nuevasync.com, as I just read about it in the apple.com discussion forums: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1604791.

Seems as though several people have had success configuring their iPhone 3G to allow for over-the-air syncing with their Google Calendar.... for free. While not a MobileMe killer (and they're doing fine hindering themselves at the moment), if a product like this were to gain more traction/support/exposure, it would certainly keep people like me using Google and all it's services.... not to mention, handing over my gmail userid/password to create a nuevasync account of my own.

Currently I don't know much about them, and thought if a group as highly-visible as TechCrunch did some investigation and a write-up, it'd be worth considering signing up during their beta.

Keep up the good work guys!

Regards,
Dramse01

Update: I received a prompt email response from Calley Nye at TechCrunch: Thanks. I'll look into it.

When in China...

I remember the first days of joining the global consulting company where I'm currently employed. As part of orientation, one of the directories they showed us contained information regarding "International Travel Etiquette." It was fascinating to scroll through the list of countries, understanding the differences between what type of etiquette was acceptable or offensive depending on your location.

With the Beijing Olympics coming up, CNN recently posted an article about some of the accepted practices in China that may seem offensive to Western civilization.

CT natives (and friends of mine) mentioned in the Washington Post

It's always fascinating to read about people you know, especially when they are mentioned in a widely published article. Such is the case with this Washington Post article about the stresses of a long distance relationship and the rising costs of travel/living - see page 2.

Are you laughing at me?

Who doesn't remember the days in elementary school or high school (or this weekend out on the town, for that matter) when you heard the sound of laughter and thought: are they laughing at me?

Well, if you become so overly concerned with such thoughts that it makes you sweat, become still with anxiety, or cause your heart to race, a new CNN article now reports that you might have gelotophobia.

Not surprisingly (at least to me anyway), 14% of Americans - very high on the list globally -are said to have this condition.

Ever want to know more about the software behind the Mars space landing?

If you actually got past the title and were really interested in some of the software development behind NASA's most recent Mars space landing, check out this article from O'Reilly.

While reading, I couldn't help but think that NASA really has an amazing grasp on quality software development. While I believe software development is still very immature as compared to other "manufacturing" industries, NASA and their selected vendors rank very high in their level of software development maturity.

iPhone 3G... days away

So I've been obsessing over the new iPhone 3G, reading as much as I can from every internet source I can find. I'm still trying to figure out several key issues:

• Do I really want to spend $15 more a month so I can get work email? (...right now, I'm thinking only if I get reimbursed for the costs.)
• Can I get a family plan with the new iPhone 3G and say, a Blackberry Curve? (...becoming a family, in more ways than one is important you know!)
• Where should I get my new iPhone 3G, an Apple or AT&T store?
• I'm thinking about getting my credit check out of the way, so it won't take as long to get my phone.

UPDATE: Turns out, if I want to get my corporate discount, I have to go to an AT&T store. I was leaning towards going to an Apple store, as I've never had any bad experiences. I just want AT&T to have better customer service than Sprint... please.