Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time

NPR had a good article, The Zombie Network: Beware ‘Free Public WiFi’, that reminds us to exercise caution when connecting to public wifi. The instance referenced in this article isn’t actually a wifi hotspot but an ad hoc network put together by an unpatched Windows XP machine. Unfortunately this can very easily be used for nefarious purposes. The underlying message is to always be careful when connecting to unknown networks.

So Google has finally given us the option to unthread our email in Gmail. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I hate conversation view. Outlook added conversation view, probably to look more like Gmail and now Gmail has added traditional view, probably to look more like Outlook. Choice is good and I’m glad that Google has finally given us the choice to view our email the way we want to not the way they think we should.

Here is a handy guide for those of you who own, or are planning to own, and Android based device:

The Complete Android Guide

If you use Google’s GMail for your email this may be of some interest. GMail recently introduced Priority Inbox as an automated tool to help you sort your email. I gave it a try and it does not work well for me since I already have a significant number of filters set up and very few messages wind up in my inbox. However, if you do not filter your mail and keep pretty much everything in your inbox, this might be something very useful for you.

Email Overload? Try Priority Inbox

Priority Inbox – GMail Help

I wasn’t sure exactly what to post about on my first Tech Talk Thursday, but this article from the NY Times seemed like a good place to start.

The term micro-moments jumped out at me. I don’t want my attention divided up into a million micro-moments. It makes it very hard to actually get things accomplished or get refreshed if you are only giving yourself a small chunk of time to do it. It is very difficult in these days of extreme multitasking to find a breath or take a break. Even when we are away from it all we have wi-fi at our campgrounds or facebook on our cellphones.

I always feel like I am in the minority, being an IT worker who doesn’t believe technology is the answer to everything. It is a tool, and it can be a very useful tool. I plan, in future posts, to give examples of the many useful ways technology can be implemented. However, it seemed like a good way to start would be with some delimiters. Sometimes you need to unplug, and it should be recognized that technology is just a tool not a life-sustaining element. So take a deep breath, take enough consecutive micro-moments to relax, and then we can focus on the positive ways we can use our technological tools.

I was glad that Ars Technica published the article Why Ad Blocking is devastating to the sites you love. It always pains me when people proudly proclaim they block all ads on the web. Ads are what enable us to get content for “free” on the web, just like commercials pay for the network TV shows.

I draw a similar line with the teabaggers and other people who are against paying taxes. It is these taxes that provide many useful services, from social services to the roads we drive on.

Nothing comes for free, there is always a cost involved. Sometimes you pay directly for a service, sometimes when the service is supported by other means (ads or taxes). By refusing to participate in the means of support (blocking ads for example) you have no right to enjoy the benefits of the service. If you block ads, in my opinion, you should only frequent sites that have no ads or that you pay subscriptions for.

The other side is on the provider. Sure you need ads to support your content. But they do not need to be obnoxious windows that follow you around as you browse. Nor is auto-playing sound or video acceptable. If ads were less obnoxious, people would be less prone to wanting to block them. Similarly, taxes are needed to provide service. However, it is then the government’s job to provide the most efficient use of the tax revenue to provide those services. Don’t waste the money on overpriced consultants when talented staff are already on the payroll. Don’t allow corporate interests to outweigh the needs of the public.

A compromise can always be reached among rational people. It is up to everyone to remain rational and to be wiling to achieve that compromise.

I attended a presentation today entitled “What Google Can Do For You.” It was very interesting and I learned a bit more than I already knew about some of the cool things you can do with Google Docs. It’s always nice to see things demonstrated and presented to get a different perspective on how tools can be used.
The presenter, Andrew Cullison, has the presentation on his site. Check it out:
http://www.andrewcullison.com/2009/12/what-google-can-do-for-you/

Recently we discovered that while using Internet Explorer 8 to access Outlook Web Access it was no longer easy to save a Word .docx file that is attached to an email. The problem is that by default instead of saving as a .docx file it saves as a .zip file. This was causing  a lot of confusion and we needed to apply a fix quickly.

Since the only results I found when searching for a solution to this problem were server based I figured I’d post the client solution in case someone else is running into this issue.

To resolve this issue, place the URL for your OWA into Internet Explorer’s Trusted Sites list. Then when you attempt to save a .docx file from an email attachment it will save as .docx instead of .zip.

A simple client-side solution, easily pushed down through group policy or configured manually.

Another website I put together for Dr. Lawson. Matching games to test your knowledge of Bible names:

http://www.fredonia.edu/faculty/emeritus/edwinlawson/BibleNames/index.html

Yesterday I finished up with my lab renovation. I wound up needing the entire week, right up until Friday afternoon, to get everything done. I think it was worth it though, the lab looks great and should be a big improvemnet for the students.

You can see the whole 48 picture set on my Flickr. Here are a few shots of the finished product.