Notes from a Tool User

Presence on Globally Dispersed Team

My current development team is spread across the globe. As a result we're always trying to do a better job of simulating presence (tools so far IM, Google SpreadSheets). This week the team has asked to try VOIP. My question what headset do you use?

Don't use Network Attached Storage for backups - save your $$$

Last year I decide to fix the backup problem in our house. They happened so rarely they were almost useless. After some research I bought a Buffalo Link Station to attach to the network. Think of it as a harddrive with a network card – you plug it into the network, turn it on, install from software on your computers. Now you have a network harddrive. 

Mistake

 

L'Shana Tova (Happy New Year)

Today was was the Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah or http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday2.htm). I just wanted to take a moment to wish my readers a happy new year.

BTW My next post will be relevant to my readers.

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Beware of Quechup.com

A form of social spam masquerading as a dating site has popped onto the internet recently. Apparently it promises to be facebook for dating. However when you sign it asks for your gmail address and password. Ostensibly it does this to find which of your friends have joined already. In addition to what it promises it spams everyone you've ever emailed (including mailing lists). As a result several very respectable people have had to spend apologies to alot of friends and mailing lists.

Beware Quechup is spam.

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Agile 2007 Online Conference Retrospective

Over on the Scrum mailing list a few of us have been bouncing around the idea of a Retrospective (of sorts) for the conference just gone by.

Now an online retrospective is an oxymoron as Diana Larsen has pointed out, because:

1. We are not the group organizing the 2008 conference. 
2. It is long past the week of the conference and our memories have faded. 
3. The telephone is less than an ideal tool for conducting retrospectives.

With all that said I think we can still gain some value. So I'm organizing a conference call (with David Hohn as facilitator) on Friday (Sept 7th) from 11 - 12 EST to reflect on the conference. If you would like to join the call either email me (mlevison at gmail) or leave a comment below and I will contact you with conference call number.

If there is enough demand or other times are required I will schedule a second event.

Cancelled due to lack of interest

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