Normally I like people coming into my office to visit. Except when I’m coding.

So here’s a nasty time saving tip – Get yourself the most uncomfortable visitors chair in the building.

A couple of months ago, I had a visitors chair similar to the one in the pic. One moring, The boss walks in, sits down, has his say. Chit-chat sets in. A couple of minutes into the mindless waste, he comments, “This must be the most uncomfortable chair in the building”.

So I explained the concept. “It’s designed to make you make your point, stand up and leave. Now let me get back to my code.”

He liked the productivity slant to my argument.

NasLite is something I aim to try over the weekend. It may be something I can use for a number of people asking for online backup solutions. An old PC and some HDD’s and a floppy is all thats needed. Plus, it’s free ! I’ll do a review when I’m done testing it.

Theo did a great article on VOIP over at NewsAgent.gr tonight.

You have all probably heard of Skype and its call2landline service SkypeOut but have you heard of VoipBuster ?

If you haven’t heard of it yet, here’s a really useful download that’s a great deal too. VoipBuster allows you to make free calls to land lines in selected countries for a minute each time. You can subscribe and get unlimited calls to those countries by buying €10 worth of credit for calls to other destinations. Greece is of course covered in the Superdeal Free!!! Category. Gotta love this one. I’ve been using it for quite some time.

I’ve decided to take a few days off from the old day job and spend some time with my son and wife and “other children projects”. So, one week down and one to go, only been in the office three times since which isn’t bad considering. I guess doing that will help keep the work from piling up, making the return much more bearable.

Actually I’ve been lazing around at home, babysitting, browsing, writing the odd peice of code and spending some afternoons at WOW. Been brilliant.

Yipeee!! No more 0. You are 1.

You are sooo cool.

A real character.

My best project EVER.

Happy Birthday BIG BOY !!

Ubuntu has gotta be the coolest Linux out there. The 30min install has everything a PC will need, Firefox as the default browser and some cool server stuff too. It’s free, and supported by Spaceman Mark Shuttleworth. Of course I’ve downloaded ubuntu !! A couple of times in fact. I’ve burned quite a few CD’s too. Still, there’s nothing like an original CD so a couple of weeks ago I ordered 5 (the minimum) just to check it out. Suprise, suprise. Yesterday a small parcel came from Switzerland containing my 5. Super excited, I gave away the 4 immediately to non-linuxers, pushing them to try it, then did a fresh install of 5.10 and immediately proceeded to order 40 more. I have absolutely no doubt I’ll get them. Hey, they’re free and I’m going to give them away at the F.I.T. meetup which will happen sometime in January. I will probably order more before then anyway.

I’ve tinkered with Java ever since taking the SL110 and SL275 courses at New Horizons earlier this year. I can’t say I was happy with how much code it took to build a GUI. This is just so cool though. I’m downloading it now and will do a write up once I start my first JSP web app.

I’d like to organise a “Friends in Tech” Meetup where we can all basically get together and do some networking/brainstorming – basically a get-together where you can brag about the cool stuff you’ve done, cool products or services you provide. I might do it in an Athens hotel and get a sponsor for food, net etc. Will invite most tech geeks I know and also open it up to peer invite so if you have someone you’d like to nominate, then email me. I will have to limit it to about 250 attendees. I have a couple of ideas for speakers let me know if you want to talk/present. Stay tuned.

Search term “Stavros Messinis” (me!!) is No. 1 on Google.

obective 1 – COMPLETE
it now points to this weblog

obective 2 – IN PROGRESS
search term Stavros to be about me – currently it points to http://www.stavros.org
THEIR MISSION STATEMENT:
Promoting independence and access in our communities for persons with disabilities and Deaf people

Actually I hope I don’t unseat you guys. Seems to me what you’re doing is so much more important.

1) www.digg.com
2) www.wired.com
3) www.downloadsquad.com
4) chris.pirillo.com
5) www.google.com
6) www.engadget.com
7) www.thisweekintech.com
8) www.theregister.com
9) www.hackaday.com
10) www.technorati.com

Are people transformed by using the internet?

Is it possible that using internet changes people, can we become fragmented mutliple personalities?

The internet empowers people, we are in charge of what we do online, we can be our own masters.

Everyone yearns to be creative, to create. Being creative is being in charge, is being powerful, thereby being hip. You cannot be boring online – screen names we use or avatars. Assuming persona, being different.

Blogs as tools are deeply personal, people spill their guts on blogs or blogs are boring. Blogs not neccessarily invented to challenge authority or as alternative news sources but as a tool to capture the living experience of a person. An online version of their life. There is value in everyones unique experience.

Wiki’s power is that you can do something on a site without gettting permission. Seeing your name in lights.

You can be creative online. You can be empowered.

When we pour our souls online we construct an image of ourselves – we give our readers a glimpse of who we are. We can effectivly show our personality, or assume another.

One of the bosses
(I have many, some days more, some days less) insisted there was no room for innovation in the organisation as it is today. At least he said that’s what his bosses are trying to impress upon him. “We are outsourcing all forms of innovation.

People who by default were full of brainpower, workarounds, new ideas and approaches are a dying breed. We are in a state of emergency. The organisation doesn’t want our type around any longer. We may have a history of innovative solutions through the years, in some respects our innovative ideas made the organisation what it is today, technically at least.

We are slowly being phased out. We are too costly to run. The beancounters see commercial solutions on par with our internal solutions. We, as an organisation, have special needs. You’ll see, it will turn. It’s a cycle. We’ll be back.”

I agree. I’ll continue to innovate. Secretly. Let’s hope there’s some talent left when we need it.

SO –

WILL INNOVATE, WILL REBUILD, WILL REDESIGN – WILL BEAT THE LOWEST BIDDER

Did another Glory Search again this evening –

wooooohoooooo !!! 1st entry on Google for search term “Stavros Messinis” (that’s up from 8th and No, the rooms for rent (entry 2 – down from 1) are not referring to me so you can’t stay for free).

Still, it’s a reference to the Centric CRM translation I’m doing and not directly from this blog but we’ll soon change that.

Next target – 1st entry for search term “Stavros”