Blog

🕑May 18, 2006 🖋John Locke 💬0

True Open Source Document Management?

Most of the document management chapter of the book focuses on revision control, on applying developer tools to manage documents. It also talks about content management using systems like Plone and wikis.

🕑May 16, 2006 🖋John Locke 💬0

What you really agree to, by using Windows XP...

Not many people take the time to read software licenses. But you should. It's amazing how much spin some companies put in their marketing message, compared to the fine print:

🕑Apr 22, 2006 🖋John Locke 💬0

Taking a stand

I'm the token computer consultant in a local chapter of a business group, and I provide all kinds of services related to computers. Earlier this week I announced to the group that I don't fix Windows machines.

🕑Apr 08, 2006 🖋John Locke 💬0

The Personal MBA

This is more business than software. One of the main target audiences for my book is the small IT consultant who wants to help businesses by providing systems to improve the business, instead of just fixing their computers. To be able to do that, you need to understand business.

🕑Mar 28, 2006 🖋John Locke 💬0

Open Source Survey tool

Recently we were looking for a service to conduct a survey. We checked out a bunch of different services, including Survey Monkey, and Zoomerang. Each had limitations: memberships that run into hundreds of dollars per year, free versions with limited number of questions or analysis tools, etc.

🕑Mar 22, 2006 🖋John Locke 💬0

Centenarians, Freedom, and Innovation

Requiem

One hundred years and four days. That's how long a remarkable guy named Norman Vaughn lived, I recently heard on the radio. Norm was an Alaskan adventurer I've met several times. When I first met him, he was in his 80s, taking a sea kayaking navigation class. He was taking up a new sport.

Norm had visited the South Pole with Admiral Byrd, on the first expedition to make it to the pole. Norm had raced in the Iditarod many times, most often winning the Red Lantern award for the last racer to finish each year. Norm was an irrepressible optimist, living his dreams every day, and an inspiration. He died two days before Christmas.

One hundred years ago, there were no computers, no IBM, let alone Microsoft, and certainly no open source software. It would be interesting to compare common attitudes and platitudes from then and now.