Docandersen&#039;s Blog

I like many people have a guilty pleasure – playing online games early in the am (before work to kind of get my brain moving again – but also because it is fun). I realized there were a number of “kinds” of games and players.

I can’t win so I quit. This player is usually the one that is several levels ahead of you when you start – but then they give up because they can’t actually win the game. Outside of the game watch for these people they are not team players. I compete until I realize I can’t win – then I quit.

I like to play cooperative games. These are the people playing Farmville and Cityville. These are games that require you to help others in order to move ahead in the game. Normally the people in the first bucket – I quit I can’t win – don’t play these games well as they are all about the competition not the cooperation. Team players – I like the game – and at work? They are people you can count on – they won’t compete with you, unless you are competing as a team!

What about the people who play games that are pure competition (Vampire Wars, Mafia Wars, Pirates or for that matter online Poker?) These are games of domination. Games where its not about working with others but dominating others. What do you do with people like that in the work place?

Does the game you play show the kind of person you are? Does the way you play the game show even more? Just some initial thinking about this – not sure it goes anywhere, just some thinking.

What about the last category? I don’t have time…I wonder about that one as well. To me that seems the most interesting and the one I am going to spend the least time talking about today. Why don’t some people have time to have fun?

.doc

just another shameless review

April 28, 2011April 28, 2011doandersen

The new Comcast High Speed internet is here. I’ve been a Comcast customer (its either cable modem, dish network satellite dish or DSL where I live) for about 6 years now. I’ve increased my monthly cost over the past few years moving closer and closer to their top package.

Recently they unveiled some new components that were supposed to speed up my network – and other than the still frustrating VOIP burps, the solution has worked. My internet is very much faster than it was before.

The other day I download 16 gigs of images to build out a virtual machine solution to play with. What once would have take 1 or 2 days of real time – was down in about 4 hours. Even ITunes (which is HORRIBLY slow with its downloads) is much faster. I downloaded a gig of data from ITunes in about 7 minutes. Which for ITunes is practically a sprint.

There are practical limits to how much they can speed thing up. Mr. Einstein’s speed limit certainly causes some “upper limit” to exist. But all in all I am very happy with my rapidly improving Comcast service.

Now if only VOIP would work consistently.

.doc

Apple–we know where you are

April 27, 2011doandersen

I have to say it feels more creepy every time I think about it. Its not that I am anti apple – I have my IPod and I love it. But the thought that not only are they telling you where to go – that they know you are there is terrifying.

The age of privacy is upon us. You can be connected, connect and live entirely on the web now. You can check in anywhere and everywhere with foursquare and other applications like that. You can tweet or wall post your location and what you are doing 24 hours a day.

What gets me about the Apple (and apparently Android – and to a lesser degree Microsoft) is that they are tracking you. Watching every move you make and in Apple’s case leaving it open and available on the device.

There are 100’s of stalker movies from Hollywood (phone rings) “hello” the person says answering the phone “I love the yellow shirt against the blue of the couch” the evil sounding voice says. Its one thing for me to tell you where I am. Its another thing (and not good) to securely track where I am. It is, however a violation of my rights as a human being to track where I am and store it in an open and now easily accessed file.

No more using my IPod touch as a GPS unless I delete that file.

Back to my Car GPS – it is where I use it the most anyway.

So to apple – you almost had me with the IPad2. You got me with the IPod touch and you nearly got me with the IPhone. But now, I am staying where I am. I am happy to tell you (and for that matter show you) where I am. Shame on me for sharing that information with the world when I do. But shame on you for sharing it, when I WASN”T EVEN THINKING ABOUT SHARING.

.doc

From the desk of Sandler Boggs

April 26, 2011doandersen

The progression of the march of time.

Time marches on as though we aren’t involved in what it does. Of course this is probably true as time exists separately from any one person. I don’t feel older and slower but I know I am. In my world knowledge is king, but speed is the critical part of knowledge and I am not as fast as I used to be.

Age is the quiet assassin that lives inside of us and over time wreaks its havoc. We don’t realize these changes because they are gradual. They happen over the inexorable march of time.

We are living, while we are dying. It’s a line from a poem once read aloud, shared with people who walked out of the coffee house thinking, pausing, wondering. Is it true that we are living, and dying at the same time? That the pause before while is the life we live? All the memories, the love, the moments that will not be forgotten until we slip away from memory.

Age is a thief. That steals from us so that when we turn around what we thought we knew is now gone.

The march goes on, but eventually we can’t keep up.

Sandler Boggs

Chief Creative Officer

Creative Technology & Innovation

.doc

My own small blogging streak

April 25, 2011doandersen

I am starting to understand (very little really but it sounds awfully good) how Cal Ripken felt. I have actually blogged for a number of days in a row without missing (the last one I missed was in November of last year).

Of course that isn’t by any means saying blogging every day is equal to the greatest baseball streak of all time. What Cal Ripken did was change baseball forever. I look back at the steroid era and find one shining baseball record. Cal Ripken, I’ve blogged about this before (nearly 5 years ago now) but that record remains the best bar none for me.

But I feel a little like I am on a streak – so here’s to stepping in to play everyday!

.doc

The fall of a hero…

April 24, 2011doandersen

For those who celebrate a holiday today, happy day! To those who don’t – enjoy whatever it is today means to you!

I was going for my Saturday walk yesterday listening to the book “friends of liberty” which is a great listen or read if you are interested. I’ve listened to the story of three men for more than 10 hours now. I have to say for most of my childhood and early adult years Thomas Jefferson was one of my hero’s.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko
Thomas Jefferson
Agrippa Hull

First I did not know the contribution of Thaddeus Kosciuszko to my freedom and for that I owe him a huge debt.

More importantly for me was the failure of Thomas Jefferson to live up to his ideals and follow through on his process to Thaddeus Kosciuszko that Jefferson would use Kosciuszko’s money to free his slaves upon his death.

For many years as a college student and as a school teacher I presented Thomas Jefferson as a great man. But in the end he failed a great man. This concept led me to some deep thoughts about what it means to not support someone.

I’ve spent a long time trying to figure out why people do and don’t support others in the performance of their lives. Support is an extension of loyalty. Loyalty is very important to me – it is what honor (in my opinion) is comprised of.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko gave his live for the freedom of others. From helping free American colonists, Polish and European serfs to American Slaves he gave everything he had for the freedom of others.

There is a statue of him at West Point.

There should be a carving of him on Mt.Rushmore where Jefferson used to be.

.doc

Monitor solutions–what works best for you?

April 23, 2011doandersen

I am slowly but surely cleaning out the old technology bin at the house. It is funny how much stuff you end up collecting over time. I would laugh but my back hurts from carrying it upstairs right now.

Yesterday I talked about my favorite hardware (printer and pc). Today I would like to debate the merits of two solutions:

Dual monitors
Single large monitor

When I write whitepapers, blogs and other documents I find a single large monitor is the easiest solution in terms of both functionality and usability. On the other hand if I am browsing the web or doing research I find the dual monitors to be a better overall solution.

The large monitor affords me the option of large type (which helps with the old guy fading eyesight issue) while the dual monitors allow me to keep a OneNote book open (the greatest research tool ever) and a web page (or more with tabs) open in the other window.

So I started thinking (which I know is a dangerous thing) about monitors and how we use them.

What tasks are best suited for which monitor solution:

Task	Monitor solution best suited for the task	Notes
Writing	large	It is easier for me to leverage the larger screen for writing
Internet Research	dual	one screen for OneNote and one for IE
Media ripping	single smaller screen	I don’t tend to use the computer I am ripping stuff on (Video or Audio) so it really isn’t a screen issue.
Remote Desktop	Large	Easier to see

This is my start anyone else? Tasks and which monitor solution is best for them?

.doc

Friday and the mind wanders

April 22, 2011doandersen

Over the years of my computing career (and IT career) I have had a number of types of computers. Recently I have transitioned from HP to ASUS. I had a ASUS many years ago and frankly it was awful. But lately not only are their products better, but so is there support.

I still however, love HP printers.

So I was thinking about the printers, scanners and other things I have in my office (which for the most part looks like the aftermath of a bomb explosion) a number of things that I’ve over the years stopped using. I also have a number of things that I can’t live without. I have been getting rid of the things I don’t use anymore, and there is always my hat collection (which I don’t use but am not getting rid of).

Favorite Printer:

HP Color LaserJet and HP Design Jet (tie)

Now – portable printer is a different matter. There are times you need to print while you are on the road. I like the HP Deskjet 470 for mobile printing (its color).

Favorite Computer:

ASUS Ep121 Slate

Someday there will be one device to rule them all.

.doc

Innovate to the point of saturation

April 21, 2011doandersen