Musings ....

I've been toying with the idea of creating a newsletter with techy stuff in it. Things like neat gadgets, cool finds on the web, reviews of products and even the odd bit of tech support.

Why, well in very short NNT has decided to end its 'free' edition. Now I disagree with the owners assertion that "It is patently unfair to ask a minority of subscribers to the Premium issue to continue to subsidize publication of the Standard issue to a much larger subscriber database." as this is the way the majority of web based products such as theirs work. And, may I add, continue to work. See LangaList and Support Alert as two examples of fine writing and content that provide a free and a subbed version.

Also NNT's owners state "As Bob Dylan’s music aptly sings “These Times They Are A-Changin’.” Nothing is free – someone always pays." Well, I have to agree here but the point is that you need something to draw the subscribers in. And I've been a free member (ah ha I hear you say, here's his whinge as he's no longer getting the freebie) for 2 or 3 years and in all that time it has never excited me or encouraged me enough to want to pay up. The other two examples I offer above - Langa List and Support Alert are excellent - free or paid. As it happens I pay for both of these and the reason I do is because their free content was enough to entice me to wonder what I was missing out on. Plus they have their attitude to life better balanced in that they realise they have to attract new members somehow. Tell me .... who's going to be attracted to NNT at $12 a year when they don't know what they are getting. I've been sent a sample copy and frankly it adds a fw more words to the free version and an editorial. Well gee.


If you want to spend $12 - then spend it at Langa. Or for $10 Gizmo's Support Alert is excellent. Both newsletters have different markets they appeal to but both are excellent value whereas NNT has been consigned, sadly, to my bit bucket. It could have been a great read but in all that time I think I clicked on one link directly from the newsletter.



All that said - I wish them well and hope they continue to see it work for them. So, this has prompted me to think ...

• Can I do the same?
  
• Do I want to do the same?
• How often?
• How do I do teh research?
• Do I offer a "premium" version as well?
• and so on .....

But these are my issues and ones I shall investigate thoroughly over the coming weeks. Until next time I scribble.

Somebody like me .... revisited.

Hmm. After the 'dressing down' of two weeks back I've had to attend the source of my discomfort - a particular place of work .... so I followed this up a week afterwards with my immediate line manager and asked him had he "heard anything". Yes he says with a laugh ...... they said you were a' very nice person and that technically I knew my stuff' - well knock me down with a Juggernaut ..... but and here's the crucial bit as far as I am concerned. I haven't changed my attitude or the way I treat this particular place - I guess I was ever so slightly more careful with the words I used butonly marginally so.

Long time work colleague and not o long time friend, Little G, left for pastures anew yesterday. I wish him all the best as he's a young man on the edge of his career taking off - he could and should go far. What was weird is that whilst the most folks I've ever seen turned up for the traditional farewell speech from the manager - even the top dog himself was there - it was very muted. By that I mean it had a surreal atmosphere as if it wasn't happening and instead it was yet another bizarre dream. Once again though, the top dog declined to say a word and left it to the big boss. But then this is what I've come to expect of our management - no direction, no guidance and we only find things out by accident. When I challenge this I'm told that "all management team minutes are available to all". Well exscuse me, but I simply don't have the luxury of time to go and look at minutes of a meeting that, on the whole, don't affect me.

What ever happened to managers disseminating information? I realise it is up to me to drive my career and training desires but when they don't tell me something to the expense of my current role - is that my fault? Perhaps I see management in this rosy view of the top dog tells his immediate juniors their tasks and passes on all info they receive and then these immediate juniors do likewise and so on ...... plus we have an internal mail system which gets clogged up with other management stuff, so why not a bit more?

Somebody like me ....

It takes all sorts and I really thought there was only one. My big manager .... as I tend to refer to him. Big in that he is physically quite large and big in that he's deputy in charge of IT .... anyway, my xml feed today produced this gem - I quit - and I have to say that apart from the specifics of the industries, the location and the sex then this article so rang true for me.

Today I was torn the proverbial new one! But it was just a re-hash of an incorrect assumption made by said boss almost two years ago. What made it worse was that my line manager stuck the blade in and twisted a bit as well. I guess the difference between the article and myself is that I have long since given up trying to win anyone in management over ... instead, I do my job, I do it well and I enjoy it. However, today has re-confirmed a lingering thought at the back of my head .... time to get up and get looking. There are jobs out there that are better and I just need to start the process rolling.

Enough said ......

Staff happenings ....

It would seem churlish for me to go on criticising my management when in excess of 150,000 people have losy their lives in a disaster the likes that none of us have probably ever seen before ...

However, it does make me wonder at the minds of some folks .... 150,000 plus dead and some of us continue as if nothing has happened. I guess in some way most of us have been affected in one way or another or know somebody who knows somebody ... but lets bereal. We are OK, we are safe .... the only the real thing to think about is what can I do to help? When I say "I" that includes anyone who may read this blog.

I applaud the 7 BT engineers who have freely offered to go and help rebuild communications infrastructures as they will have to live rough for weeks ... I too want to go, but whilst I could offer my physical self I don't have any unusual skills that are required. Yes I am a good network engineer, but I do believe they are a long way from worrying about "surfing the web" or somesuch.

I am appalled though at the fact that a lot of Americans are trying to draw some form of comparison bewteen their self-stylised 9/11 and the devastating earthquake in Asia. Get a grip people, and here I realise the ire of Americans will bear down on me, the two happenings are miles apart in experience and bear no resemblance other than the tragic loss of life in both cases.

On the flip side, work has been interesting in that I mostly have not been there. Took a few days off for Christmas and after having slipped on teh ice that has turned into a few more - which is why this journal has been quiet for so long ... so new managers (if you like the title then who am I to argue) and old members of staff finally getting out .... so long G, I will miss you despite your moods at times :)