…and so should you, if you haven’t already. 
One of the things I’ve always treasured with Dori is how she values voting (and to a lesser extent, politics) as much as I do. Other than the very occasional elections where it’s only local judges or school boards where I don’t know enough to vote intelligently, we’ve voted in every primary and general election since we’ve been together. Voting is one of the things that make us a family, and I’m happy and proud to say we’ve passed that value on to our son Sean.
I spent yesterday at a Microsoft Dev Camp in San Francisco with sessions taught by Microsoft evangelists. The camp’s focus was on Windows 8 for HTML5 and JavaScript developers—in particular, creating applications using technologies these developers already knew and selling them in the Microsoft store.
Those who’ve been around awhile might remember that this is one of my hot buttons (but in a good way). Otherwise, go read Apple doesn’t, Microsoft might (almost seven years old!) for some background.
Does Microsoft get it this time? Sadly, no. In fact, I’m fairly sure that they don’t remember having solved this issue previously.
Other takeaways:
-
Windows 8 is a disaster from a usability standpoint. Or more precisely, Win 8 makes perfect sense if you think that people use an OS because what they want to do is use an OS. Most of us use an OS because we want to get some task done: write an article, play a game, surf the Web, etc. The OS is in the background handling its required tasks, and it usually only presents itself when something has gone very wrong.
MS appears to think that people want to sit and stare at their desktops and admire the way they look. I’ve never known anyone where this was their primary usage, although I don’t doubt that MS focus groups were able to dig some up. Sadly, this appears to be a case of the Windows tail wagging the computer-user dog—MS sells Windows, and makes a lot of money doing so, therefore, Windows must be at the center of all your computer using-tasks.
-
Because of its “learn from how you use it” nature, Windows 8 is going to be a support nightmare for help desks and consultants.
-
I think that a lot of people really don’t understand that Windows RT isn’t a full version of Windows 8, and this is going to bite MS. Hard.
-
Someone needs to teach MS evangelists how to use Powerpoint. Fewer words on the slides, please. And if I ever rule the world, reading the text off slides will be grounds for immediate death.
-
I signed up to an all-day event to be lectured at by MS evangelists, and I knew what I was in for. However, I thought it was reasonable to expect swag in return. Total haul: one ballpoint pen. That’s it. No t-shirt. No cheap-ass bag like the dozens I already have. No pad of paper. No voucher for a copy of Windows 8. Clearly, they misunderstood the terms of the understanding people have with evangelist-led events.
-
MS doesn’t understand how the Apple app store works—but thinks they do. Examples:
- They’re not allowing 99¢ apps. Apps are either free or have a minimum cost of $1.49. How many times have you found yourself saying, “Hey, it’s under a dollar, so why the hell not?” Developers, write off all those buyers.
- Here’s the chart they posted on how they perceive the opportunities in their store:
I’ve tried to add up the number of misconceptions several times now, and I keep failing because I’m laughing too hard.
Of course, I could be dead wrong (it wouldn’t be the first time!) and both Windows 8 and JavaScript-native apps could be huge hits. But I’m not betting that way.
Posted in technology | 4 Comments »
Monday night is the last in this year’s series of Presidential debates, focusing on foreign policy. Consequently, here’s the latest version of our
Presidential debate Bingo Cards
And as always, if you use a mobile browser or you want to print cards out, we recommend this direct link.
Posted in politics | Comments Off
Once again:
Bingo cards for the 2012 Presidential Debate
are now available.
If you use a mobile browser or you want to print cards out, as before, we recommend this direct link.
Posted in politics | Comments Off
Now available:
Bingo cards for the 2012 Vice Presidential Debate
If you use a mobile browser or you want to print cards out, as before, we recommend this direct link.
Posted in politics | Comments Off
Thanks to everyone who pointed to and enjoyed our Debate Bingo Cards. We’ll be doing them with additional and adjusted content for the remaining three debates, so make a note to check back here on each of those evenings.
Posted in politics | Comments Off
Those who’ve been reading this site for many years might remember that I’ve previously done up Bingo cards for the Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates. This year is no different, so here you go:
Tell your friends, and enjoy!
Posted in politics | 1 Comment »
Romney keeps trying to wriggle off the hook from his infamous “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt” op-ed in the New York Times. But it’s way worse than you think, as this piece from Booman Tribune shows. He was actually advocating using the bankruptcy process to completely screw every auto worker, past and present, by busting all existing union worker contracts, rescinding all pension obligations, and scrap any auto plant that wasn’t running at full speed. He saw the crisis as the perfect excuse to squeeze out all those excess costs and improve the companies’ balance sheets. It probably never crossed his mind that those costs meant jobs, health care, and the difference between a middle class life and poverty for millions of families. Because as he amply showed at the Republican National Convention, Mitt doesn’t really see people. All he sees are numbers on a spreadsheet. Boiled down to its core, the message of the RNC was simple: “I’ve got mine, Jack. Screw you.”
Bankruptcy would also have allowed the auto companies to escape any outstanding payments to suppliers, and given the companies the ability to renege on and renegotiate all supplier contracts. So his plan would not only have shafted all GM and Chrysler employees and retirees; it would have most likely killed the entire manufacturing supply chain. By bringing down the whole auto parts industry, it would have also taken Ford down in the process. And of course, every auto dealer in the country associated with those three companies would likely have gone under as well. This rippling cascade of uncontrolled bankruptcies and liquidations would have meant losing more than 5% of US GDP.
But if you’re someone like Mitt Romney, there’s totally a bright side: people like him, the bankers and investment firms that handle the crashed firms, always make big money on the deals. Because they structure things so their pockets are the first to be filled from selling off the pieces picked off the carcasses. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out he was maneuvering to be one of the jackals, ready to feast on the carrion.
Mitt’s was a neutron bomb strategy that would have left behind the buildings and vaporized the people, replacing union workers with decent pay and good benefits with lowest-priced labor with the least benefits the companies could get away with. It’s the perfect strategy for the ruthless corporate raider he is and always has been. But it’s incompatible with being the president of the United States, responsible for stewardship of the country’s manufacturing base.
I believe that George W. Bush’s administration was an almost unmitigated disaster, and that he will be remembered as one of our worst presidents. One of the most awful parts of that administration was the shameless strip mining of America’s people and resources for the benefit of the wealthy. But Bush was a bumbler. Romney is an expert. That makes him much more frightening. We must re-elect Obama.
[Program note: I posted a much shorter version of this to Facebook.]
Posted in politics | Comments Off
Categories
Archives
Sponsored advertising
We rely on these services to manage our WordPress sites and protect them from malware. ManageWP manages and backs up all our WordPress sites from a single dashboard. We can update plugins and themes, clear spam, manage users and comments, and much more. It's a huge timesaver, and well worth it. Sucuri constantly scans your sites for malware, alerts you when they inevitably get infected, and cleans your sites from the scourge. If you sign up after clicking the ads below, we get a small commission, and thanks.
Meta