[Motorcycle Maintainence] Brake Pads

A month or two back, I purchased a set of brakes pad, one set for the front and one set for the back.

Fitting the pads at the back was a piece of cake, remove cover, remove split pins, pull out pins, remove pads, place new pad in the correct area, slide pins back in, replace spilt pin, replace cover, voila.. done...

I looked at the front pads, I looked from the top, from underneath... , poked them with a screwdriver, and promptly gave up.

Two months later, the pads are getting to the point where, if I don't change them they are going to do some damage.

OK, try again, I looked at the front pads, I looked from the top, from underneath... poked them with a screwdriver, called my son, who gave me a clue, "remove the caliper, and have a G-clamp ready", I thank him for his suggestion and start poking the pad with a screwdriver again.

Aaaah! The caliper is attached to the fork by two bolts, which I promptly remove, I find a small split pin, removed, and slide out a pin. The pads come out easily... I can see where the G Clamp comes in, I use the g-clamp to push back the pistons, initially I check to make sure that the brake fluid reservoir has sufficient space, then push them all the way in.

Put in the new pads, slide in the pin, replace the split pin, and mount the caliper on the front forks. Pump the front brake a few times.

Put my helmet on and go for a ride around the block, testing the front brake as I go.

Job well done, If I say so myself.

[Web] Interesting Copyright and plagarism search

A site that allows you to search for copies/excerpts of your page on
other sites

http://www.copyscape.com/

[Software] Convert Your Old PC Hardware into a NAS

NASLite-2 CDD is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) Server Operating System designed to transform a basic computer into a dedicated SMB/CIFS, NFS, FTP, HTTP and RSYNC file server.

 

Richard Game:

"It is software that allows you to convert an old PC into a mass storage device by adding one or more additional hard drives. The software replaces the normal operating system so you don't need Windows or Linux. Once the NAS server is attached to a Windows network each drive on the server is detected and labeled automatically within the Network Neighborhood.

Another attractive feature is that you are relieved of the normal operating system maintenance requirements for the server. For example, there's no need for Windows updates. On the downside, you are limited in your security and disk management options compared to a server running a full operating system "

 

http://www.serverelements.com/naslite-2-cdd.php

[WebTV] TV RSS Feeds

A great place for getting your television RSS feed ( a list TV programmes directing you to where you can download the applicable torrent file) is :

http://www.tvrss.net/

It not only has a selection of rss feeds but you can search current/historial feeds for your favourite programmes, download software to receive/watch your selected programmes, discuss all of these area with others and there looks like there will be a tutorial on how to (presumably) use associated software, how best to use the feeds, maybe what equipment to buy.

[eCommerce] eBay and e-Buyer step up

Both eBay and e-Buyer step the ante in the the eCommerce wars.

eBay introduces the concise and very usable eBayExpress, I've used the eBayExpress.co.uk site and found very simple and easy to use, less intimidating than the normal eBay sites.

eBuyer introduces eBay's PayPal payment system as an alternative payment to the normal credit card method, a plus to those of use not willing to give out our credit card details to unknown suppliers.

[WebTV] TV at leisure

I like watching TV at my leisure, that's why I had SKY+

I told it to record and then either watched my favourite programme in batches or when I had time, but SKY+ has a problem, there is only so much you can store on it, even with the latest SKY+ edition with increased hard drive space, there was also the problem that SKY+ only allow you to keep a programme for a limited time, so...

I bought a DVD Recorder, It's works Okay..ish, but getting the two to work together, nightmare.

So what to do?

OK, I've bought TV Cards and PVR's for my PC and recorded programmes to my PC to watch later, these are flakey and the compression is not so good.

Download TV programmes via BitTorrent and watch them on PC, - good Programme quality but the setup is still not ideal, I want to watch it on my 32" widescreen TV in my lounge, not on a 17" 4x3 monitor in my study.

Almost there...

Purchase a DIVx/Xvid Networked DVD Player (Kiss DP-1500), it does the job, I can watch TV programmes downloaded using BitTorrent to my PC and watch them from any room that I have the Kiss DVD player wired to the network.

Shame about the KISS DP-1500 player though.., when it doesn't like something, it decides to stop there and ...., after reboot/switching the unit off and then on... watch another programme instead...

I thought we had it...

OK, what have we learnt ? ...

• Download TV programme using BitTorrent Technology
• Store on PC / NAS
• Make available via network [ Ethernet - Fast ]
• Works best using PC / MAC
• Networked Player good but limited

My answer so far, buy a Widescreen TV with PC input, connect TV to a whisper quiet PC / Mac Mini / or standard PC in the cupboard , attach a wireless keyboard & mouse or a PCTV Remote Control, install up to date codecs and a good video player (one you are happy with) Windows Media Player comes as standard with Windows XP and codecs are available.

Relax, watch TV and wait until something better comes along.

[Games] Stickman Madness

How far can you get in Dragon Gamez's Stickman Madness

http://www.digyourowngrave.com/stickman-madness/

Web 2.0 style buttons

Make a cool web button in only 4 step!

http://www.mycoolbutton.com/

PRINCE2 project management resource

PRINCE®, which stands for Projects in Controlled Environments, is a project management method covering the organisation, management and control of projects.

PRINCE2 is a process-based approach for project management, providing an easily tailored and scaleable project management methodology for the management of all types of projects. The method is the de-facto standard for project management in the UK and is practiced worldwide.

http://www.prince2.com/

Multi Search Engine Search

http://www.sputtr.com/

Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii is coming to the UK on December the 8th 2006 at a cost of £179.00

[Environment] Solar alchemy turns fumes back into fuels

IT IS the biggest contributor to climate change. Now chemists are hoping to convert carbon dioxide into a useful fuel, with a little help from the sun.

If they succeed, it will be possible to recycle the greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels.
Chemists have long hoped to find a method of bringing the combustion of fuel full circle by turning CO2 back into useful hydrocarbons. Now researchers at the University of Messina in Italy have developed an electro-catalytic technique they say could do the job. "The conversion of CO2 to fuel is not a dream, but an effective possibility which requires further research," says team leader Gabriele Centi.

Read more at newscientist.com

[OS] Will Open Source ever oust Microsoft?

Two Harvard Business School Professors say "No". Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Pankaj Ghemawat explore the fundamental competitive dynamics question in their study, 'Will OSS ever displace traditional software from its market leadership position?'

They said that the one main advantage of OSS is that because users can modify the code directly (as they encounter problems or have new ideas on how to improve it), the development cycle is significantly shorter.

However, OSS has disadvantages too. Most importantly, it comes from behind in terms of market share (installed base). Because the value of an operating system depends critically on the number of users, traditional software has an advantage.

Their paper introduces a dynamic mixed duopoly model in which a profit-maximising competitor (Microsoft) interacts with a competitor that prices at zero (Linux), with the installed base affecting their relative values over time. The authors use a formal model to ask what conditions are needed for Linux to take over Windows. The questions that they addressed are:

• Is Linux's superior demand-side learning sufficient to win out?
• What is the effect of forced procurement by governments and some large corporations on the long-run equilibrium?
• How do cost asymmetries play out?
• Can Microsoft use piracy strategically to improve its market position?

From a managerial perspective, these are significant questions.

There is an interview with the report's authors here

The Michael Jackson conspiracy

Is it possible that, between 1985 and 1987, Michael Jackson was killed or dies at the age of 26 - 28 years old. The family not wanting to lose revenue from the Michael Jackson legacy, hires a singer/impersonator to take the place of the late Micheal Jackson.

To reduce questions about the difference between the impersonator and the late Michael Jackson, the impersonator is given obvious plastic-surgery to give the appearance that Michael Jackson as obviously attempted to change his appearance.

Michael Jackson's voice prior to the "Bad" album was distinctly a smoother ballad style voice, His voice since and including the "Bad" album has a rougher edge to it, although similar the change is significant.

Is it possible that like the "Dread Pirate Roberts" in the film "Princess Bride", that several impersonators have taken on the role of Michael Jackson...

I suppose that the only way to be sure, is to have a DNA test under controlled conditions to prove that the current Michael Jackson is related to the other Jackson family members.

The Steorn Challenge

The process of testing Steorn's technology shall consist of three test phases. The process shall commence with the scientific jury appointing its own chairman. Steorn shall then provide an in-depth explanation of the operation of its technology and shall present the tests and test data conducted on the technology to date.

Steorn will cover all direct costs relating to the validation process.

Pre-Phase I : Current Phase Analyse list of scientists, contact and verify interest, choose twelve and negotiate terms.

Phase I : Confirm that the Steorn technology has a coefficient of performance greater than 100%.

Phase II : Confirm that the operation of the Steorn technology does not affect the component parts of the technology.

Phase III : Carry out a full thermodynamic analysis of the technology.

Related items: Could Steorn have broken the law...

[TV] Battlestar Galactica - The Resistance

Scifi.com have started to show online (2 webisodes a week) of Battlestar Galactica - The Resistance in the run up to Season 3 of Battlestar Galactica starting on the 6th of October 2006.

Part 1 was broadcasted on Tuesday 5th September, with the following episodes posted every Tuesday and Thursday at Noon ET.

http://www.scifi.com/webisode01/

Ultra Quiet Home Theatre PC

LixSystems has introduced a low-cost Linux powered home theater PC (HTPC) packaged in a compact, consumer electronics-style enclosure. The Lx8100-MN, available "barebones" (sans CPU, memory, and hard drive) for around $300, offers quiet operation and is supplied with an easily-installed Fedora 5-based system image on DVD.

More details

Free web tools and resources

Free tools and resources to help build and enhance an Internet presence.
http://www.yellowpipe.com/yis/tools/index.php

[Website] JPMorgan Graduate Recruitment sites go live

I've just the spend the better part of three months system designing, template optimisation, building and bug troubleshooting of JPMorgan's Graduate recruitment websites. The main part was the complete redesign and development of the accessibility aware sites of US Investment Banking and Europe, Middle East and Africa Graduate recruitment sites.

In addtion to this, the global careers portal page and other global pages were also set to this accessibility template.

Luckily, only minor additions to the current India and Asia Pacific Graduate recruitment sites. With minor amendments to the South African site. Maybe these will move the new template next year.

I feel like I've been through the wringer with this one... ...same again next year?

Sites and Technology used:

Although WAI-AAA was not required, the basic templates and css complies with WCAG 1.0 WAI-AAA, However, the content as entered by client limits the sites to WCAG 1.0 WAI-AA.

http://www.jpmorgan.com/eurocareers

Accessibility aware, HTML 4.01 valid, WCAG AA, Flash FLV

http://www.jpmorgan.com/usibcareers

Accessibility aware, HTML 4.01 valid, WCAG AA, Flash FLV, Ajax

http://www.jpmorgan.com/careers

Accessibility aware, HTML 4.01 valid, WCAG AA

http://www.jpmorgan.com/asiapaccareers

http://www.jpmorgan.com/indiacareers

and http://www.jpmorgan.com/southafricacareers

[Environment] Setting Up A Hydroponic Herb Garden

Plants grown in a carefully prepared chemical soup, recycled water and carefully controlled parameters that results in bigger, healthier plants year round is just plain cool.

J. Wynia gives instructions on how to set up your own Hydroponic Herb Garden.

Might try this one myself, I've been looking for a way to get my coriander fresh, all year round.

http://www.wynia.org/wordpress/2006/08/29/setting-up-a-hydroponic-herb-garden

[Software] Bencoding - Deciphering Torrent Files

Most torrent files are encoded using a method called BEncoding, I had trouble finding a .net version of the decoder, so I ended up writing my own.

You can download this here: BEncoding.dll.

Although it will decode a BEncoded file (ie. torrent file), it cannot create one (maybe another time).

This project is in no way complete, and still needs exception handling for the "Path" property and other areas

Code Example:

• string filename = "afile.torrent";
  Bencoding.Decode bencodedfile = new Bencoding.Decode(filename);
  Bencoding.DebugDictionary db = new Bencoding.DebugDictionary(bencodedfile.Dictionary);
  
  Response.Write ( "/info/name = " + bencodedfile.get_Path("/info/name").toString());
  Response.Write ( "\n\n");
  
  // next section likely to cause an exception if used with a Single File Mode Torrent file
  
  Response.Write ( "/info/files/0/path/0 = " + bencodedfile.get_Path("/info/files/0/path/0").toString());
  Response.Write ( "\n\n");
  Response.Write ( "/info/files/1/path/0 = " + bencodedfile.get_Path("/info/files/1/path/0").toString());
  Response.Write ( "\n\n");
  
  Response.Write (db.toString);
  

Basic Documentation:
Constructor:

• Bencoding.Decode dict = new Bencoding.Decode(actualFilePath);
• Open and processes "actualFilePath"
  
  Property:
  Dictionary
• return a Bencoding.Dictionary - basically an modified arraylist
• example: dict.Dictionary - returns the Bencoding.Dictionary object ( if you wish to interogate the file in depth)
  
  Path
• returns object within the dictionary based on a path
• example: dict.Path("/info/name") - returns the Filename or Directory of the Torrent
• example: dict.Path("/info/files/0/path/0") - returns the first filename in a multi file mode torrent
  

[Agency] What to charge for Web Development?

There are four elements that go into a price: time, materials, overhead and
mark-up. I think it will be easiest to look at each of these in reverse order.
Note that these elements are for your own use only

Vince Barnes make it clear in this article at HTMLGoodies.com

http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/webmaster/article.php/3577016

[Environment] Could Steorn have broken the law...

It appears that Steorn ( an Irish based company ) may have broken the first law of physics, the 'Principle of the Conservation of Energy' - basically 'energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only change form'.

In the attempt to develop a more efficient micro generator, They may have created a generator that is over 100% efficient in effect "Free Energy".

"We have developed a technology that can replace traditional energy sources" :
Steorn

Steorn has challenged the scientific community to either validate or refute it's findings.

Links: Video, Steorn website

[Systems Administration] Free Website Analysis

I use Webtrends, Log Analyser Pro and other web traffic analysis applications for client sites. Some of these are very powerful, others fast, and others yet simple to use and/or install.

Now along comes Google with Google Analytics (www.google.com/analytics), and for the site with small /medium traffic flow, this blows most of these applications out of the water.

It's FREE, simple to setup, does everything I normally require Webtrends to do.

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics shows you how people found your site, how they explored it, and
how you can enhance their visitor experience. Improve your website return on
investment, increase conversions, and make more money on the web.

With
over 80 reports, your free Google Analytics account will track visitors through
your site, and will keep track of the performance of your marketing campaigns -
whether they're AdWords campaigns, email campaigns, or any other advertising
program. With this information, you'll know which keywords are really working,
which ad text is the most effective, and where your visitors are dropping off
during the conversion process. Don't be fooled by the fact that this
functionality is available to you for free - Google Analytics is a
full-featured, powerful analytics package

How much does Google Analytics cost?

Google Analytics is absolutely free! We are very pleased to be able to offer
this web analytics solution for no charge, allowing anyone with a website to
track conversion data, analyse the flow of visitors through their site and
identify elements of their site that could be changed to improve visitor
retention.

This free version is limited to 5 million page views a month,
however users with an active Google AdWords account are given unlimited page
view tracking.

Keep in touch!

I came across this, the other day as part of a joke email:

"Soooo... Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes to us without writing a word. Maybe this will explain. When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do? You forward jokes. When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes. When you have something to say, but don't know what, and don't know how, you forward jokes. Also to let you know that you are still remembered, you are still important, you are still loved, you are still cared for, guess what you get? A forwarded joke. "

I've alway been against the idea of forwarding jokes willy nilly, but after reading the message above maybe this is a good reason for some one like me who doesn't alway keep in contact with friends, not sending jokes willy nilly but the odd joke here or there.

[Development] Design Patterns

A design pattern is a general repeatable solution to a commonly-occurring problem in software design. A design pattern is a description or template for how to solve a problem that can be used in many different situations.

Design patterns can be classified in terms of the underlying problem they solve. Examples of problem-based pattern classifications include:

• Fundamental patterns
• Creational patterns
• Structural patterns
• Behavioral patterns
• Concurrency patterns
• Architectural patterns

Fundamental Patterns

• Delegation pattern - expresses certain behaviour but in reality delegates responsibility for implementing that behavior to an associated object
• Functional design - Assures that each modular part of a computer program has only one responsibility
• Interface pattern - see Bridge Pattern, Composite Pattern and Delegation Pattern
• Proxy pattern - An object representing another object
• Immutable pattern - An object whose state cannot be modified after it is created
• Marker interface pattern - Exposes some underlying semantic property of the class that cannot be determined solely by the class' methods

Creational Patterns

• Abstract Factory - Creates an instance of several families of classes
• Builder - Separates object construction from its representation
• Factory Method - Creates an instance of several derived classes
• Lazy initialization - delaying the creation of an object or some other expensive process until the first time it is needed
• Prototype - A fully initialized instance to be copied or cloned
• Singleton - A class of which only a single instance can exist

Structural Patterns

• Adapter - Match interfaces of different classes
• Aggregate - a version of the Composite pattern with methods for aggregation of children
• Bridge - Separates an object's interface from its implementation
• Composite - A tree structure of simple and composite objects
• Container - create objects for the sole purpose of holding other objects and managing them
• Decorator - Add responsibilities to objects dynamically
• Extensibility - aka. Framework - hide complex code behind a simple interface
• Facade - A single class that represents an entire subsystem
• Flyweight - A fine-grained instance used for efficient sharing
• Proxy - An object representing another object
• Pipes and Filters - a chain of processes where the output of each process is the input of the next
• Private class data - restrict accessor/mutator access

Behavioral Patterns

• Chain of Resp. - A way of passing a request between a chain of objects
• Command - Encapsulate a command request as an object
• Event -
• Interpreter - A way to include language elements in a program
• Iterator - Sequentially access the elements of a collection
• Mediator - Defines simplified communication between classes
• Memento - Capture and restore an object's internal state
• Observer - A way of notifying change to a number of classes
• State - Alter an object's behavior when its state changes
• Strategy - Encapsulates an algorithm inside a class
• Template Method - Defer the exact steps of an algorithm to a subclass
• Visitor - Defines a new operation to a class without change
• Single-serving Visitor -
• Hierarchical Visitor -

The Essence of the Force

YouTube Link

IE Min-Height missing

One of the thing that annoys me about Internet Explorer 4/5/6+, is the inability to specify a minimum or maximum height on an element, CSSplay offers one solution.

Will IE7 recify the problem?

Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer

I have now completed the exam to qualify as a MCSD: Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer. Exam 70-300: Analysing Requirements and Defining Solutions.

I highly recommend this book:

CSS Hacks and Filters: Making Cascading Stylesheets Work by Joseph W. Lowery

Book Description
*Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a method of describing how a Web page should look in a Web browser, but a growing number of browsers do not support CSS in the same way, forcing developers to constantly play catch-up to keep their sites consistent
*Bestselling author Joe Lowery eases the pain for those Web developers who aren't feeling the CSS love-he guides readers through real-world workarounds that will help a CSS-based site look and work the way it was meant to
*Readers will grit their teeth, clench their fists, and roll their eyes for the last time once they learn how to craft fluid multi-column layouts, build interactive navigation, fix the Box Model, implement CSS hacks in Dreamweaver, and more cool tricks

Synopsis
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a method of describing how a Web page should look in a Web browser, but a growing number of browsers do not support CSS in the same way, forcing developers to constantly play catch-up to keep their sites consistent Bestselling author Joe Lowery eases the pain for those Web developers who aren't feeling the CSS love-he guides readers through real-world workarounds that will help a CSS-based site look and work the way it was meant to - Readers will grit their teeth, clench their fists, and roll their eyes for the last time once they learn how to craft fluid multi-column layouts, build interactive navigation, fix the Box Model, implement CSS hacks in Dreamweaver, and more cool tricks I highly recommend this book:

CSS Hacks and Filters: Making Cascading Stylesheets Work by Joseph W. Lowery

Book Description
*Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a method of describing how a Web page should look in a Web browser, but a growing number of browsers do not support CSS in the same way, forcing developers to constantly play catch-up to keep their sites consistent
*Bestselling author Joe Lowery eases the pain for those Web developers who aren't feeling the CSS love-he guides readers through real-world workarounds that will help a CSS-based site look and work the way it was meant to
*Readers will grit their teeth, clench their fists, and roll their eyes for the last time once they learn how to craft fluid multi-column layouts, build interactive navigation, fix the Box Model, implement CSS hacks in Dreamweaver, and more cool tricks

Synopsis
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a method of describing how a Web page should look in a Web browser, but a growing number of browsers do not support CSS in the same way, forcing developers to constantly play catch-up to keep their sites consistent Bestselling author Joe Lowery eases the pain for those Web developers who aren't feeling the CSS love-he guides readers through real-world workarounds that will help a CSS-based site look and work the way it was meant to - Readers will grit their teeth, clench their fists, and roll their eyes for the last time once they learn how to craft fluid multi-column layouts, build interactive navigation, fix the Box Model, implement CSS hacks in Dreamweaver, and more cool tricks I highly recommend this book:

CSS Hacks and Filters: Making Cascading Stylesheets Work by Joseph W. Lowery

Book Description
*Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a method of describing how a Web page should look in a Web browser, but a growing number of browsers do not support CSS in the same way, forcing developers to constantly play catch-up to keep their sites consistent
*Bestselling author Joe Lowery eases the pain for those Web developers who aren't feeling the CSS love-he guides readers through real-world workarounds that will help a CSS-based site look and work the way it was meant to
*Readers will grit their teeth, clench their fists, and roll their eyes for the last time once they learn how to craft fluid multi-column layouts, build interactive navigation, fix the Box Model, implement CSS hacks in Dreamweaver, and more cool tricks

Synopsis
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a method of describing how a Web page should look in a Web browser, but a growing number of browsers do not support CSS in the same way, forcing developers to constantly play catch-up to keep their sites consistent Bestselling author Joe Lowery eases the pain for those Web developers who aren't feeling the CSS love-he guides readers through real-world workarounds that will help a CSS-based site look and work the way it was meant to - Readers will grit their teeth, clench their fists, and roll their eyes for the last time once they learn how to craft fluid multi-column layouts, build interactive navigation, fix the Box Model, implement CSS hacks in Dreamweaver, and more cool tricks

A case of mistaken identity

Mr Kewney, an IT journalist, watched as Mr Goma, whose identity remained a mystery until it was revealed on Monday night by the BBC, gamely attempted to answer questions fired at him by BBC consumer affairs correspondent Karen Bowerman.

Read the Mail on Sunday article:

Video: Watch the interview here

Mr Kewney, an IT journalist, watched as Mr Goma, whose identity remained a mystery until it was revealed on Monday night by the BBC, gamely attempted to answer questions fired at him by BBC consumer affairs correspondent Karen Bowerman.

Mr Goma, a graduate from the Congo, described his surprise interview ordeal as "very stressful". He found himself being ushered into a studio and fitted with a microphone after raising his hand when a producer called out the name Guy Kewney.

On his website, the real Mr Kewney, said that the man "seemed as baffled as I felt" when asked about the consequences of the lawsuit live on BBC News 24.

It is unclear why Mr Goma identified himself when Mr Kewney's named was called.

Only when Ms Bowerman announced live on air the name and title of the man who should have been there and asked the first question did the driver realise there had been a mix-up.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately we did make a mistake and the wrong person was interviewed briefly on air before we cut to our reporter.

"We apologise to viewers for any confusion."

WAI Accessibility Checker

Can your website be properly viewed by everyone?

Web Accessibility Inspector is a program that can determine whether or not your website can be easily viewed by the elderly and those with visual impairments. Web Accessibility Inspector, which is based on W3C WCAG 1.0 and Fujitsu Web Accessibility Guidelines, effectively determines whether a website is easy for anyone to view.

It can evaluate not just HTML but also CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and it can conduct a diagnostic at a high level of precision, including character size, line spacing, and the color of characters and backgrounds. Use of this software allows for the improvement of your site's overall accessibility and can ensure its reliability.

http://design.fujitsu.com/en/universal/assistance/webinspector/

What is your animal personality?

It appears that I am ...



What yours?

The trend of Web 2.0 Design

http://f6design.com/journal/2006/10/21/the-visual-design-of-web-20

[TV] New Models for the Distribution of Television Programming

This lecture is a must see, it shows a way forward for television programme producers in this digital / distributed age.

Presented as part of the Producing Interactive TV seminars in May 2005 by Mark Pesce
Lecturer, Digital Media Programme
Australian Film Television and Radio School

http://assets.hcbx.com/tv/newdistoftv.mov
Workshop/Seminar - Piracy is good ?

http://www.aftrs.edu.au/go/library/research-tools/reports-and-papers/piracy-is-good/index.cfm
Printed Materials

Funny Quotes

Douglas Adams

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."

"Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. "

Web layout - css - 3 columns with ease

Found this little gem on the CodeProject site.http://www.codeproject.com/aspnet/columncontrol.asp

The new Mac minis are here

Nice!!! Dual Core, Mac, Small footprint...

http://www.apple.com/uk/macmini/

Live the digital life in stylish simplicity - up to four times faster. Just 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) square and 5 cm (2 inches) small, Mac mini lets you have more fun with your music, photos and movies, more quickly and more easily. Enjoy them up close or far away with the included Apple Remote. The most affordable way to Intel Core, iLife 06 and Front Row starts at just £449 (UK) / €659 (Ireland) inc VAT.

Current Web Style - Web design from scratch

http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/current-style.cfm

Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Database Administrator

With the release of Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005, it looks like I be upgrading my exams soon...

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcitp/dbadmin/

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcitp/

Exam 70-551: UPGRADE: MCAD skills to MCPD: Web Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework

Exam 70-447: UPGRADE: MCDBA Skills to MCITP Database Administrator by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005

Exam 70-553: UPGRADE: MCSD Microsoft .NET Skills to MCPD: Enterprise Application Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework: Part 1

Exam 70-554: UPGRADE: MCSD Microsoft .NET Skills to MCPD: Enterprise Application Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework: Part 2

Pictures to make you smile

Knock down and drag out marriage, and a few other images to make you smile.

Never Say No To a Client

by Martin Burns December 05, 2005

So, your project is up and running. You've defined Project Requirements and had them signed off in blood by the sponsor. All you need to do now is watch your
New Model Army get on and deliver. Right? Ahhh no. Life is never that simple,
and you can reasonably safely bet hard currency that the requirements will
change during delivery. Managing those changes is a potential cause of massive
disruption to your project and your relationship with the client if you don't do
it well.

View the original post at this link

Change is Bad

It's often said that sales people never say No. And it's often true - whatever the customer asks for, they invariably say Yes, we can do that. And Project Managers generally hate that as it paints us into a corner where our projects are not under our control. Some PMs therefore retreat into a Yoda-like mantra:

• Saying Yes leads to Change
• Change leads to Lack of Control
• Lack of control leads to Suffering (which is a PM technical term for missing deadlines, budgets or quality objectives)

But as a client-facing PM, you soon learn that to say No is just unacceptable to most clients. It's seen as pure stonewalling; that you're not prepared to be cooperative, or (worse) that your team just isn't competent. Either can cause you serious problems in your sponsor relationship, maintaining which is one of your top priorities.

Change is Good

On the other hand, saying Yes to client requests tends to result in more work. In the other Yoda mantra:

• Saying Yes leads to Change
• Change leads to More Work
• More Work leads to Happiness (another PM technical term for Increased Project Revenue and Gross Profit, which you're often responsible for)

Balance - a Neat Trick

Balancing between stonewalling (pretending that nothing can be changed and rejecting all proposed changes) and accepting all proposed changes and causing major project control problems is a tough act. Trying to work it out mid-project is even tougher. Trying to work it out on the hoof is nigh on impossible. Here's the basic magic formula - if you take nothing else away from this article, take the following sentence. Put it in your wallet, stick it to your monitor, brand it on the back of your hand:

Your request makes sense, but it raises potential risks and issues that might cost time and money.

Use The Sentence even if the client request doesn't make sense. Some requests will, some won't, but The Sentence usually ends up with one of 2 results:

1. Client backs off
2. Client agrees to more time, more money or lower quality

In either case, it's a useful holding action that then lets you wheel out the Change Control Process that you thoughtfully included in your standard statement of work.

Change Control Process

This is a process to consistently handle the inevitable Change Requests that crop up mid-project, ensuring that the good ones get through, with associated adjustments to the cost/time/quality Holy Trinity, but the bad ones don't. You maintain control of your project, you're contractually covered, the client gets what they want, but pays for it if necessary.

What is a Change Request?

This one's easy: A Change Request is any request that changes the Project Requirements.

"Do We Need a Change Control Process?

Again, easy. Yes. Every project must have a change process. Every change request must use it.

Time and time again, I've heard inexperienced clients, developers and sales people starting to say things like: This project is too small/rapid/ low-budget to have a change process. or This change is too small to go through change control. To which I invariably respond: Only if the project policy is to refuse all change requests - which is of course a change process, just a really simple one to operate - or find yourselves another PM.

Strict? Yes. But here's why: because Project Requirements are a contractual document, any change to Requirements is also a contractual document. If the appropriate project authorities (the Sponsor and you) haven't signed up to a Change to the Requirements, you will fail UAT, your project won't be accepted by the sponsor, and there's a good chance you won't be paid.

Here's an example: a stakeholder has a wizard wheeze. It's a pretty simple change to the requirements and won't take much effort to implement. Realising this, the stakeholder takes it straight to one of the developers, who codes it up and tests it in a couple of hours. Doesn't break anything else, doesn't noticeably impact timescales or budgets. But come UAT, the Sponsor notes that the delivered site doesn't match the requirements, and rightly asks Where did I agree to this? You cannot allow your project to get to that point, because the only honest answer is You didn't with the enevitable followups of When did you agree to it? and Who died and gave you authority over what I want. That's A Bad Place to be.

You don't need to follow the same process for small CRs as large ones, though. You can use a light weight process for small CRs, as long as the 2 processes are documented and agreed, including - vitally - the definition of a small CR.

Sample Change Control Process

Here's an example of a simple Change Control Process. It's not the only possible process you could use, but it is in line with most PMI- compliant methodologies, so would be generally accepted by most professionally run projects.

1. Someone submits a CR. You need to agree and document who is able to do this.
2. Assess the CR to see if it's worth investigating. Here, you need to work out how long it's going to take to analyse the impact of the CR, and compare that with the projected benefits. This is a quick preflight check to weed out the obvious non-starters. If it's going to take a week just to work out how much change is involved, and the benefit is tiny, or there's not a hope in hell of it being accepted (for example, it changes the objective of the project) then this gets thrown in the bucket of CRs that are a waste of time from the outset.
3. Document and Communicate. Essential for all outcomes of any process.
4. Analyse the impact. Answers the questions: If we implement the change, how is it going to hit the Holy Trinity? What's the Risk? To do this, you will possibly need to replan a large chunk of the project - schedules, WBS, staffing, budgets and all. You may need time from developers for them to contribute - time they would otherwise spend delivering the project. You must have allowed for this in your original budget and schedule, and have it explicitly written into your contract. Avoiding doing this unnecessarily is why you had the pre-assessment in step 2.
5. Document and Communicate.
6. Approve the CR? This is where you take your assessment and put it in front of your sponsor. It's then the sponsor who decides whether the CR should go ahead, accepting the changes in Schedule, Cost, Quality and Risk. If the sponsor decides against the CR, you've been co-operative and (I hope) objective in putting it forward, and you're not the one saying No.
7. Document and Communicate
8. Document and Communicate
9. Implement Change

Which is where your developers think the real work starts.

Never wear a seal Hat to the Zoo

If you act like prey and you will be prey.

HSBC's graduate recruitment website

HSBC graduate recruitment website, a site I worked on last year was in the news yesterday!

HSBC enjoyed a 49-place rise to 14th position, said it had involved students in the design of their new website.

John Morewood, from the bank's graduate recruitment department, said the streamlined website, which is designed to be used by potential applicants worldwide, had already led to an increase in the number and quality of applicants.

"We have been able to fill up particular programmes much faster than in previous years because we have seen an improvement in the quality of candidates applying this year."

FT.com Article

Long awaited maintenance for the GS500F

Just before the winter, this bike was in serious need of some TLC, and as I'm riding in this freezing cold weather, I think I need some sort of heated handlebars or gloves.

I read a few bits and pieces Motorcycle Gloves reviews Heated Grips reviews Chain and Sprocket replacement Front Brake lever Rear brake pads

But encouraged by my son, I'm gonna try to do the caring myself, but first I got to buy the parts.

Wemoto UK Motorcycle Parts - GS500 Brilliant - bought all the parts I wanted for £100 by Paypal and their customer care is very friendly and helpful.

I'll wait for the parts to arrive (hopefully before the weekend) then the preparation begins.

Sunday 29th January
.. well the weekend has come and gone, I suppose I was too expectant, believing that the parts would arrive before the weekend, they were been delivered to my work so, hopefully they will be there, when I arrive tomorrow!

Monday 30th January
..no sign of the parts, so I called Wemoto, they said "the order hadn't been dispatched and that the delivery will be received tomorrow!

Tuesday 31st January
hoorar!, The parts were on my desk when I arrived for work this morning, because of the timing, I've decided to drop the bike and the parts to The Motorcycle Store, they fitted the chain and sprockets and the heated grips. I've got reservations regarding the installation of the grips, as anyone would be able to press the switch whilst the bike is parked, and wear down the charge in the battery.

I've gonna ask them to change it so it operates on the ignition key.

Friday 3rd February
The heated grips now only work when the ignition key is in the on position, that should save the battery!

Twisted: You forgot to mention the Oil Changes...

Suzuki GS500F

I bought this bike in 2004, when after I moved back down to London, I found the DL1000, a little too quick for London roads, so elected to buy a bike with a little less fire under the pan. I've had one spill on this bike, and only the fairing was damaged. patched and painted it is a good as new.

Specifications and Model History

Scifi Brand Videos

You really wouldn't want to kiss this guy with his Balloon Dog and these guys know how to get into a Nightclub, but best of all, I want this Transformer.

SciFi Brand Videos

The first bike I ever owned was the Suzuki GP125, I bought it in 1978 and some bakani burnt it on Guy Fawkes Night in 1980.

My next bike was also a GP125, which I bought in 1984 thru 1988, which I sold when I purchased a Black Ford Escort.

"Bakani" reference used because I am playing X2: the Threat at the time.

MacWorld Keynotes speech

I must say the new Macs look good, I'm getting very very tempted.

MacWorld Keynotes speech.