HTML5

Periodic Table of the Elements - HTML5 Elements that is...

So, today I started looking at HTML5.  Late, yes, yes I know, very very late.  However…it hasn’t been finalized yet, so I am not that late.  Anywho, in looking up information about this latest iteration of HTML specifications, I came across an excellent site that had this absolutely nifty lil Periodic Table of the Elements.  You can view the interactive table at http://joshduck.com/periodic-table.html.  Josh, you did a beautiful thing!  This thing is truly wonderful.

Moving on.  So tonight I have a conversation with my partner in crime about this, and of course I send him the link to the table and we chat on gmail IM while reviewing these things.  There are several WTF moments.  Breaking old habits is hard, and remembering the over-sized wall poster of the HTML elements of days gone by, reduced to this lovely lil table, well….it has its comical moments.

There was the biggest WTF over the <rp> tag, described as “Contains semantically meaningless markup for browsers that don’t understand ruby annotations.”  Huh?  Ok, maybe because it was 1am…can we use that as an excuse to really see no purpose for this?  After continued perusal, he…the ever present comic relief throws out…

I Am <legend>

Seriously, I think I cracked up loud enough to wake up a block.  Granted, we are a couple of geeks, and that was a totally epic geek moment, but yeah, funny!

But in all seriousness, from what I have read so far about HTML5, I am very excited about implementing it.  The structure is excellent, and I do believe it will greatly help in defining the overwhelming amount of information that is presented on the web.  I can definitely see real potential here, and am glad for the changes.  And yes, I am very happy to see a neat lil table in use versus the huge wall poster

Are You a Gamer?

Visit www.riftgame.com.

Ok, so I confess.  I – I – I am a gamer.  Not hardcore like some people, but I do enjoy some downtime with an imersive video game.  I don’t play console games, but online MMOs.  I started out in this genre a couple of years ago, and started with perhaps the most well known, World of Warcraft.  And I was hooked.  What a wonderful diversion these games are….much better than watching TV, in my opinion.  The downside is however, that between my work and my play, I am almost never off the computer, and that has its consequences also.

Moving on.  Earlier this year, I migrated from WoW to a brand new MMO, Rift.  While being similar in concept and gameplay to WoW, Rift is in many ways worlds apart.  The game is slick, beautiful, realistic and utterly engaging.  Just a glance at the image above, shows how graphically beautiful this game is.

So what does gaming have to do with business?

Well, quite a few things in fact.  First of all, lest we forget, the game itself IS a business.  They are built by corporate game developers and have a large customer base to take care of.  And, who knows how many of those stuffy white collar workers, are in fact, gamers.  So here is the thing that connects the endeavor of creating a “game” played by consumers, to an application that is built and geared towards other businesses.  Satisfaction.  Pure and simple.  Satisfaction.

In order for a game to be successful, it has to have a bunch of the same ideas that apply to a business application.  Is it visually appealing?  Is it easy to use?  Does it have a clear workflow/gameplay?  Is the support customer oriented?  Are there frequent updates and enhancements?  All of these things apply across the board.  But, in my experience in dealing with games vs. dealing with business providers, are very different.

For example:

Gaming companies tend to have a very informal relationship with their players.  There is an open dialogue on issues, bugs, and suggestions.  Oftentimes issues are met with humor when they are resolved, where the reading of a “fix list” can cause you to giggle.  Hot fixes or patches are done on a regular basis.  Typically weekly, but in the case of Rift, as it is a new game, they are done spontaneously and as needed.

Contrarily:

Business developers tend to have a very formal relationship with the customers.  While there can be an open dialogue on issues and bugs, more often the business developer tends to minimize or hide these little failures, rather than openly acknowledge and deal with them.  They are swept under the rug until the next big release.  And releases.  Again, typically items are stockpiled for a major version release, unless that is, it is a bug that is critically affecting the application.

Why is there this huge difference?

I hate to think that all business people, those that are our customers, are stuffy, prim and proper, and completely lacking in humanity or a sense of humor.  Do they really thrive on the formal and corporate level of communication?  Or would they also like to be dealt with on a friendly, informal and fun basis?  I am not dismissing professionalism here.  There is no way that companies like Blizzard and Trion can survive and thrive without professionalism.  But since when did being a professional mean that you were this emotionless automaton?

Ummm….Mutiny?

Yes, another mutiny.  Since we began this endeavor, we have been very clear on the fact that we do not want to fall into the corporate trap that is so prevalent in today’s business world.  We have done our best to live up to our ideals, to be honest and forthright, to show our flaws as well as our good points.  To treat everyone with respect, integrity and even friendship.  Perhaps more businesses should take a look at the way the more artistic and consumer oriented businesses are run.  Maybe their customers should be treated more as a community than as a business.  Just because it is business, by no means does it have to be dull, tedious and boring.  Have a lil fun folks!

Tags: business, ideals, Rift, WoW

CrowsNest Update

Now that our entire focus is set on CrowsNest, we are coming along quite nicely.  When we left off, we were incredibly close to the app being complete, or rather, complete for a first release.  We have spent the last couple of months getting the final touches in place, and fixing a few bugs that cropped up in the interim.  Unfortunately one of the items was a pretty major one, and has taken a ton of time to implement throughout the entire system.

Over the past few months, the following updates have been made to CrowsNest:

• Fine tuning the answer portion, allowing for any number of answers up to 5
• Consistency in how answers are numbered/lettered
• Internal customer separation fixes
• Improved Time Zone functionality
• Multiple Category creation based on comma delimited entry
• Media attached to questions, now includes audio option
• Fixed a bug where “I don’t understand this question” data was not being recorded
• Improved filtering options
• Fine tuned how the scheduling operates, now has a strict time vs. only by date
• Made the Country field a drop down to force consistency
• Fixed a bug where all 5 answers were numbered, even if there were fewer than 5 specified

One of the enhancements that we want to get online as quickly as possible, and prior to public release, is the built-in Help Desk.  We view this as a critical feature for both ourselves and the customer.  Currently, dealing with support issues via email has been adequate, but for tracking purposes it is a nightmare.  This way, every issue or piece of feedback is tracked and stored in the system itself, allowing for better communication and ensuring that items do not slip through the cracks.

Another feature we want to get started on as soon as possible, is the update of the interface.  We will be modifying the visual aspects of the system to more fully utilize jquery and ajax functionality.  This will definitely enhance the customer experience, as well as make using the system a bit easier and nicer to display.

We are also fine tuning our pricing structure, and will post more on that in the near future.

Back in the Saddle….err…Wheel House

Well, after some time of MutinyWare being on the back burner, we are back and raring to go.

After some time off, mostly spent on other work-related activities, we are back into gear, and more excited and determined than ever.  MutinyWare has been a dream for us for so long, and it is wonderful to be sailing the open seas once again.  We are more focused, and have a clearer path ahead than when we left off.

As “inventors”….I like to consider what we do as a form of invention…we fell into the pit of “OMG, there is so much we can do!”.  Turning off those little voices in one’s head that are clamoring with new ideas and attention is difficult to say the least.  We all suffer from that problem, and while it can be a good thing, it can also be a huge deterrent in actually getting something completed.

So, here we are, focused solely on CrowsNest, and doing very well.  It is very good to be sailing under the MutinyWare flag once again!

Why Talented People Don’t Get Hired – Liz Ryan

I follow Liz Ryan through an email list and LinkedIn Group. Ask Liz Ryan is the think tank, consultancy and online community home of workplace expert Liz Ryan, the voice of the new-millennium workplace.  On a regular basis, I am amazed and gratified at her articles, advice and commentary on the workplace situation and job-hunting woes.

Below is a very good article she has recently published.

Why Talented People Don’t Get Hired

Posted by Liz Ryan • October 21st, 2009

Employers call me and wail, “So many job candidates, and no one to fill my job.” They say that the recent economic woes haven’t made it much easier for them to hire talent. “We get flooded with applications,” they tell me, “and most of them are dreck.”

Your applications are dreck? That’s a shock. Gee, all you’re doing is asking every single person who would throw his hat in the ring for a job in your company to:

1. 1. 1. Waste 45 minutes filling out a cumbersome, 1999-vintage online application form;
      2. Recall and convey every hiring date (year AND month) and departure date (ditto) for every job a job-seeker has ever held; AND remember every salary and every supervisor’s name;
      3. Agree to an upfront background check, credit check, and reference check before the applicant has received so much as the courtesy of a return email message; and
      4. Send all this personal information into the void, on the off chance that the employer might stoop to respond with a phone call, an email message or an off-handed auto-responder that says “Don’t call us; we’ll call you – or else we won’t.”

Job application processes are insulting. And employers wonder why they can’t fill jobs?

What self-respecting person is willing to put up with this demeaning routine? If employers can’t show more respect to the talented people applying for work in their companies, why would any job seeker with other options sign up for this galley-slave treatment?

Read the full story here >>>

Support Details

SupportDetails.com

I was directed to this site from a newsletter I get from SitePoint.com (@sitepointdotcom).  It really is a simple and fantastic resource for getting the browser details from your customers/clients.  Whenever they report a problem with viewing a website or an online application, this website makes it ridiculously simple to gather critical customer data about their O/S and browser.

The screenshot on the left shows the type of information you will be able to gather.  Click the image to view full size.

I know that this will be a very helpful resource to us, and should be to all designers/developers out there who need a quick way to gather this information.  It sure beats guiding an individual over the phone or email on how to check for all of this!

Check them out at SupportDetails.com

Tags: recommend, stats, support

Google Apps Standard Edition

I went to Google Apps today to set up an account for one of our products.  To my surprise, the free version of Google Apps no longer seemed to exist.  We have been using Google Apps to host our domain email for years.  Now, when you visit Google Apps you only have the option to sign up for their Premier service, at $50 per user per year.  There was no mention made at all for the standard edition option that we are currently using.

After doing a specific search for “google apps standard edition”, I did find the following page where you can still sign up for the free “Standard” version of Google Apps.  http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/group/index.html

I am a bit concerned however, about this change.  How will Google go forward in the future in regards to existing free users?  Will there come a point where they will simply force users to upgrade to the paid “Premier” version?  Unfortunately, many of us have become extremely dependent upon using Google services in many areas of our business.  Google did put out a blog post in January regarding the limitations now imposed on the Standard version: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2009/01/serving-businesses-better-with-google.html

Now, obviously I don’t have a problem with paying for certain web services.  We charge for our products after all.  The issue I have here, is that they are misleading people into believing that no free version exists.  On the main Google Apps sign up page, there is no option for the Standard version, and nowhere do they say there is a version for acounts with <50 users.  This is deceptive, and incredibly unfair.  Better that they just came out and honestly say that they no longer want to provide a free service.

Tags: gmail, google, google apps

Word Press Woes

I have a bad habit of tinkering with my blog here and there.  Adding in new features, checking out new plugins and so forth.  Well, last week, this came back to bite me.

I had input some code that would make “related” posts appear on each post page.  All of a sudden, the entire blog went blank.  I couldn’t access the admin panel, nor view the blog at all!  To compound matters, this occured at the precise moment when our database servers suffered some response issues.  So all of our sites were down for a few minutes.

Of course, finding out the the servers were having issues, I assumed that was the problem.  A few minutes later, after the server issue was resolved and all of our sites were back up and running, I went back in to continue work on the blog.  Everything for the blog was still blank!  I tried re-updating, uploading all of the files from the source again, to no avail.

I went into our theme folder under wp-content/theme/ and removed the code I had input from the functions.php file, and the blog returned.  So did the admin panel.  Then today, I came in to write a post, and found that my admin panel had disappeared again!  Doing another quick search, I found that if your functions.php page has any empty lines at top or bottom, this will occur.  I went in to check the file, and sure enough there was a blank line at the end of it.  I removed the offending line, uploaded and voila!  The admin panel returned.

Now, luckily this was a relatively easy fix for us, because we are pretty comfortable in modifying php files.  However, how would this impact a user who has no clue about how to do this, or even what any of this means?  It seems to me there should be some code somewhere in WP that tells the system to ignore empty lines….seeing that it causes such a problem.

Tags: blank page, disappeared, empty page, wordpress

Standford Study: Glowing Rectangles

This is a brilliant article that is sure to give you a giggle if not an outright chuckle.

Report: 90% Of Waking Hours Spent Staring At Glowing Rectangles

PALO ALTO, CA—A new report published this week by researchers at Stanford University suggests that Americans spend the vast majority of each day staring at, interacting with, and deriving satisfaction from glowing rectangles.  Read full article here.

An economic article worth reading

Due to a Twitter post from Chris Brogan, I read an article called “Why the Present Depression Will Be Deeper than the Great Crash of 1929“.  While I am certainly not an economist, there are a great many points made in this article that make sense, and should be considered by individuals and business owners going forward.

Many of the problems indicated in the article are reasons why MutinyWare was started and how we are commited to doing things differently.  Working off our own steam, empowerment, honesty and responsibility are keys to our philosophy of doing business.

Tags: business, economy