Blogs I Read - 2

In an effort to keep content moving on here I'm making a concerted effort to post on as regular a basis as I can.

http://www.chrissanders.org - this blog first came to my attention because I was looking for some very specific info on packet sniffing, and whilst at the time of my initial look this blog didn't answer my query it did pique my interest enough for me to bookmark it.

Specifically the 5 part series on using WireShark (aka EtherReal) to analyse packets. I have read and digested them all and have learnt from them and I heartily recommend it. Pop on over to Chris's blog and scroll down the right hand side until you find the "Packet Analysis" link for teh series. I note he's also written a book which I just may have to dig out some cash and purchase.

One of the reasons I've stuck with reading his blog is that his professional interests seem to mirror mine fairly closely but I'll admit he seems a far better web designer than ever I'll be. So, give Chris's blog a go, I know I'll be continuing to read.

Blogs I Read

I admit, I'm a very small time blogger and I'm not really here to make money out of this - despite my recent addition of some adverts (just joining the bandwagon) - but this is the first in a series of posts detailing what blogs I read on a regular basis and why.

So the first I'll tell you about is:

The self-styled Chief Happines Officer and in particular one post that really resonates with me. This site is all about the belief that we can be happy at work and I for one applaud that. I'm frequently (at least once a week) accused of being "far too happy" to be in work or some other similar phrase.

Had I not found this site then perhaps I could have taken up this sort of blog, but I do enjoy a moan or two so this is probably not me. The man behind it, Alexander Kjerulf, strikes me as being of Nordic descent and maybe he's even Danish. The only reason I raise that is scientists have recently discovered why Danes are the happiest nation in the world and it is all due to their low expectations. Because they never shoot for the moon, they never fail and thus when the proverbial happens it is always a bonus - and we all know a bonus makes most folks happy.

So, why do I like the post I mentioned above? It's about the simple things in life. The things we should all do and it is the lack of these which are ultimately responsible for most of the world's ills today. The first two are "thank you" and "I'm sorry" - neither of which are hard to say and we all make a song and dance when somebody doesn't do them to us ... but what of when we need to say thanks or I'm sorry? Do we do it straight off without struggle or do we resist like a surly teen?

I have 3 children - the eldest at 17 still struggles with the simple concept that when he's done something wrong then the quickest way to calm me or his mother is to say sorry. However, his 4yr old brother know the magic of a lightning fast 'sowry daddy' .....

The next in the list of four is knowing when to ask for help or better yet when to accept an offer of help. I was taught by a very wise old egg when I first started in computing that (within reason and dependant on the specific job) "one should never go more than 45mins without questioning whether you need to enlist help" - thanks Ian if you're reading this from your eternal resting place. Let me clarify ... the intention of this advice was that if you are stuck at the same point for 45m then you really ought to seek help.

Finally, he says the words - Yes, And - when used in response to a suggestion are better than No or Yes, but. Rather than attempting to rewrite his words, go and have a read yourself and whilst there have a good nosey around. It's all good stuff.

Digg It Man

As in Digg.com has been around since November of 2004 and is now regarded as one of the places to go for technology news. In their own words ...

Digg is a technology news website that combines social bookmarking, blogging, RSS, and non-hierarchical editorial control. With digg, users submit stories for review, but rather than allow an editor to decide which stories go on the homepage, the users do.

So what makes this so different to other technews sites such as /.? Good question and simply put it is user power that decides what stories float to the top or in print terms make it to the front page. If a story is irrelevant, not tech based or quite simply just plain sucks then it doesn't get Dugg by its members and will not appear on the front page. There is hotly debated comments system which allows for individuals to post their opinions on the story presented and once you become a member, any story you Digg can be cross-posted to your own blog. The stories are presented as headlines with a brief snippet of the opening lines and a click on the headline takes one off to the source of the entry - usually a blog or news site that was first 'spotted' as carrying the story.

If you haven't discovered Digg yet, then I heartily recommend you wander on over and start excavating.