Microsoft loses a great guy

I was saddened to see that my good friend of old XML days Norbert Mikula has passed away. 37 is far too young to leave this world, even as messed up as it currently is. I worked with Norbert on many projects and learned to embrace the Austrian sense of humour, often with a glass of beer or wine that I would bug him was much too young to be consumed. We shared a lot of knowledge and points of views while participating on projects for ebXML and later working on some of the United Nations work.

With this blog entry, taking a pause to reflect the more meaningful aspects of life seemed needed. Norbert's legacy is what has now become to be known as SOA. His early pioneering work will live on and future generations will benefit from it.

Rest in Peace my friend.

Has this Press Photo been Photoshopped?

I saw a news story about a mysterious fire on one of Vancouver's main bridges today. I know the press use Photoshop on a daily basis and I always try to spot the fake aspects of images. This one really looked like someone added a couple of city workers but forgot to align the layers before flattening the image for publication. Either that or the guy is really good at "pogo-ing". In case it gets fixed, I reproduced it here (Photo copyright owned by Vancouver Sun).

Does it look real? I mean if the guy on the left is really jumping, the guy on the right must be really tall considering from this aspect, the left hand side guy is at least 15-24" off the surface (maybe he should try out for the NBA?). Can you jump that high without a hard hat falling off? Do their faces look like they are in mid-air?


If you enlarge the real photo, there is some distortion around the people. Perhaps they have some sort of magnetic frequency gravitational force disruption device that shows up on digital negatives? LOL!




What do you think?

Duane's World Episode 15 - Web 2.0, Lance Armstrong, Brady Forrest

This episode covers the Web 2.0 events in San Francisco and Berlin. I have some additional footage of Life Before, Life After, which will be used for a future episode. The Code and Tunes segment shows a demonstration of how to connect Flex to ColdFusion using the Wizard and AMF RemoteObject.

A personal plea: Lance Armstrong (7 time Tour de France winner) has the Lance Armstrong Foundation as a legacy to raise money to fight cancer. If you enjoy this episode, please visit LiveStrong and make a contribution to help fight cancer. Lance donated his time and energy to come and talk at the Web 2.0 event in San Francisco and I want to encourage everyone to give back to this important cause.

Flash Search Engine Optimization - Ichabod works!

Traditionally, accessing text from Adobe Flash (R) files has been difficult. When a SWF has different states, only one state may be initialized (in memory) at any time during the execution of the SWF. The ability to detect other states and change state, then grab text from different states is demonstrated in this video. This demo is run on Ubuntu Linux.



Anyone interested in Flash SEO should take a close look at the output of the terminal. This shows exactly what was encountered for the given application. The API is not public nor is it known how Google will utilize SWF text content or weigh it against HTML text. Both of these are obviously secret for a good reason.

I am still running tests on earlier flash SEO posts and will likely have some Flash SEO tips within 6 weeks. It took longer than expected for Google to index the newly created data (had to keep checking the log files) and the bot has not reached very far into the SWF so far.

Adobe Cloud Computing - LiveCycle ES Cloud instances!

BIG NEWS!!!!

In case you missed the big news on January 12, Adobe is now offering Adobe LiveCycle ES Developer Express. This is Adobe's first (but not last) major foray into the world of enterprise cloud computing. The LC ES Developer Express software is a full version of Adobe LiveCycle ES that is hosted in the Amazon Web Services cloud computing environment and provides a virtual, self-contained development environment where enterprise developers can prototype, develop, and test LiveCycle applications (*.lca files).

Feature set?

• Provides pre-installed, pre-configured virtual instances of LiveCycle ES.
• Reduce time required to download, install, and boot new server instances.
• Develop LC ES applications in a fraction of the time.
• Virtual instances can be used to build proof-of-concepts

The base installation provides the following LiveCycle ES server applications pre-installed:

• LiveCycle Forms ES
• LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES
• LiveCycle Rights Management ES
• LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES
• LiveCycle Digital Certificate ES
• LiveCycle Output ES
• LiveCycle Process Management ES
• LiveCycle Content Services ES
• LiveCycle PDF Generator ES

LiveCycle Production Print, LiveCycle BAM, and LiveCycle PDFG 3D are not included in this installation. In the Developer Express installation, LiveCycle is running on the JBoss application server and the MySQL database. The first screenshot below shows one of my three instances up and running:



Once you get an instance up and running, it appears to be virtually running on localhost:8080. There is a small download called LiveCycle Developer Express (shown below), which then allows you to log in to the instance running in the cloud.

Once you log in, select the instance:

and hit "Connect". Once you connect, you will be able to log in by accessing the admin panel via a browser. The URL is http://localhost:8080/adminui/secured/admin.faces. Note below that I am now logged in as Admin while running it in the cloud from my Mac. What does this mean? LC ES on the Mac!!!


From here you can browse all running services on the instance:


or manage endpoints:


The service, available to all members of the Adobe Enterprise Developer Program, allows developers to bullet-proof their applications without having to invest in a development environment or test lab. I will be unveiling more on a future episode of Duane's World when we get into SOA and ESB cloud architecture.

LiveCycle ES Out of Memory Error

Due to repeated posts on this topic on the Google LiveCycle Developers list, I am posting this technical bulletin in its entirety on my blog to help inform people.

Out of Memory errors with LiveCycle ES JBoss turnkey installation

Issue

Out Of Memory (OOM) errors occur on an Adobe LiveCycle ES Update 1 JBoss turnkey installation. This issue is related to the MySQL JDBC driver version and the data source connection settings.

Caution: This update is strongly recommended.

Reason

Connection checking for the IDP_DS data source has been introduced in LiveCycle ES Update 1. Due to how connection checking is done by MySQL JDBC drivers prior to version 3.22.1 and how JBoss handles the validation result set, heap memory is being used with the JDBC driver, causing multiple open result sets. Because the JDBC driver installed as part of the turnkey installation is version 3.1.12, you must perform the tasks described in this article.

Solution

You must obtain and install version 5.1.6 of the JDBC driver to reduce the number of open result sets and resolve the out of memory issues. You must also change the data source and JVM settings.

Obtaining and installing the JDBC driver

This section describes the tasks required to obtain and install the appropriate MySQL JDBC driver.

To obtain and install the driver:

1. Obtain version 5.1.6 of the JDBC driver from the MySQL site by downloading the driver distribution kit mysql-connector-java-5.1.6.zip.
2. Unzip the archive file and locate the mysql-connector-java-5.1.6-bin.jar file.
3. Locate and delete the mysql-connector-java-3.1.12-bin.jar file in the [JBoss_root]\server\all\lib directory. The default location is C:\Adobe\LiveCycle8.2\jboss\server\all\lib.
4. Copy the mysql-connsctor-java-5.1.6-bin.jar file to the [JBoss_root]\server\all\lib directory.

Changing data source settings

The data source settings as defined in the adobe-ds.xml file are intended for a heavy load with many concurrent connections and a long idle connection timeout (10 minutes). This results in a large number of prepared statements being cached on the heap. Reducing the idle connection timeout, the number of maximum open connections, and the size of the prepared statement cache for IDP_DS and EDC_DS will result in a reduction of heap memory allocated to the JDBC connections.

To modify the data source settings:

1. Locate and open the adobe-ds.xml file in an editor. By default it is located in C:\Adobe\LiveCycle8.2\jboss\server\all\deploy.
2. Locate the line 10 and change the value from 10 to 1.
   
   Note: Modify this value for both the IDP_DS and the EDC_DS definitions.
   
3. In the IDP_DS definition, locate and change the value to 20.
4. In the EDC_DS definition, locate and change the value to 10.

   Note: If the number of Rights Management requests is high, you may keep the default value for EDC_DS as 20.

5. For both IDP_DS and EDC_DS definitions, locate and change both values to 20.
   

   Note: Setting this value reduces the memory used by the cache and may need to be fine-tuned based on the transaction load on your system.

Changing JVM settings

The JBoss turnkey install sets a number of JVM arguments in the run.bat file and in the JBoss for Adobe LiveCycle ES service definition. After you have updated the JDBC driver, you can modify the run.bat file.

To modify the run.bat file:

1. In a text editor, open the run.bat file located in C:\Adobe\LiveCycle8.2\jboss\bin.
2. Delete the following arguments:
   -XX:NewSize=500
-XX:MaxNewSize=500
-XX:SurvivorRatio=6

   If Content Services is not installed, the PermSize value can be reduced to 128 MB.

3. Locate the XX:PermSize setting and modify the value to 128M.
4. Save and close the file.

To modify the JBoss for Adobe LiveCycle ES service definition you must uninstall and reinstall the service with new JVM arguments specified.

Changing the JBossService settings

The JBoss server is configured using a batch file, InstallJBossService.bat that is created during system installation. During the turn-key setup of LiveCycle, LiveCycle PDF Generator ES support for native document conversion is an optional feature. The batch file will vary slightly, depending on whether you have enabled this feature.

If during the installation you chose to include this feature, then you will have entered a username and password into the LiveCycle setup. You will need to use this username and password to complete the reinstallation of the JBoss service.

To uninstall and reinstall the JBoss for Adobe LiveCycle ES service:

1. In a text editor, open the InstallJBossService.bat file located in C:\Adobe\LiveCycle8.2\jboss.
2. Delete the following arguments:
   
   -XX:NewSize=500
-XX:MaxNewSize=500
-XX:SurvivorRatio=6

   If Content Services is not installed, the PermSize value can be reduced to 128 MB.

3. (Optional) Locate the XX:PermSize setting and modify the value to 128M.
4. Check if the last part of the .bat file contains -user %1 -password %2. If so, native document conversion has been configured and you will need to enter the username and password when you reinstall the service.

   Note: This is not the JBoss service user but the user credentials for the account used to install the native application software (such as Microsoft Office).

5. Save and close the file.

   Note: You will need the username and password that the service is using. To find the username, open the Services control panel, right-click JBoss for Adobe LiveCycle ES, select Properties from the menu and select the Log On tab. The same username and password combination should be used as during the original install.

6. From the Services control panel, stop the JBoss for Adobe LiveCycle ES service.
7. Verify that the service is not running in the Service control panel or by entering the following command:

   JBossService -status "Jboss for Adobe LiveCycle ES"

   The resulting message will indicate that the service has been stopped.

8. From a command prompt, change to the C:\Adobe\LiveCycle8.2\jboss directory and enter the following command to uninstall the service:
   JBossService -uninstall "Jboss for Adobe LiveCycle ES"
9. Reinstall the service. If native document conversion is enabled you will specify the username and password by entering the following command:

   InstallJBossService [domain\username] [password]

   Where [domain\username] and [password] are the credentials used during the original installation. If the ID is a local user, then it will be specified using the syntax MACHINENAME\USERNAME. A domain login ID must be specified as DOMAIN\USERNAME.

   If native document conversion is enabled you will reinstall the service without specifying a login name using the following command:

   InstallJBossService

10. Verify that the service is running in the Service control panel or by entering the following command:

    JBossService -status "Jboss for Adobe LiveCycle ES"

Version Info

LiveCycle ES Update 1 (8.2.1)

TechNote Details

Last Update:	11-18-2008
ID:	kb406231
Permanent Link:	http://www.adobe.com/go/kb406231

Music 2.0 takes huge leap forward!

MixMatchMusic just announced it has acquired Mix2r, a web app that enables electronica artists to upload their music for remixing and for creating derivative works by other electronica artists, fans and music enthusiasts. Mix2r's community of musicians, DJs and fans features more than 6200 songs and music stems. MixMatchMusic also has a ton of online tools for remixing and widgets for remix contests.

"MixMatchMusic's combination with Mix2r adds a lot of dynamic new music to our library and brings us closer to the critical mass of stems and community needed to fuel our next stage of growth," said Charles Feinn, MixMatchMusic co-founder and CEO.

Both the Mix2r and MixMatchMusic sites use or will use Adobe® Flash® Platform technologies including Adobe Flash, Flex and Adobe® AIR™. These technologies will be used to create future versions of the combined site.

Emerging and indie artists win as a result of this combination. The breadth and depth of content and the number of people contributing to it adds energy and creativity to the community, and that in turn will attract more people and more great music.

This is big news for both Mix2r and MixMatchMusic and I look forward to seeing what the combined companies will provide. Congrats to both!

How to flush Cisco's VPN on a Mac

Cisco's VPN client usually works very well, however sometimes a weird issues pops up. If you get the issue of a 51 error (no subsystem with Internet communications) and in fact have an established connection with an IP address, this workaround will help. Rebooting does not seem to help in these cases.

1. Assuming you have installed the VPN client in the default location, open a shell.
2. You must be su to make this work so type the following:
"sudo /System/Library/StartupItems/CiscoVPN/CiscoVPN restart"
3. This is case sensitive. If it works, you should see the results as shown below.

Hopefully, Cisco will figure out why the Mac OS X communications subsystem does not correctly represent its state to the VPN Client.

D.O.A. (Doom Oriented Architecture) replaces SOA!

Having now understood Anne Thomas Manes original post (and am in agreement) as well as reading Mark Little's Response as well as formulating my own, I have now come to realize the obvious.

Nothing we do will be remembered in 100 years!

I had a further epiphany:

If anything is in danger of being remembered in 100 years, someone will change the terms to confuse any observer as to it's origins and semantics!

Now why is that relevant to SOA? Well marketeers are really to blame. SOA is sort of funny because most people don't even know where the term came from in the first place. The ebXML Technical Architecture (circa 1999) used the term "services" throughout most of the document but did not actually use the exact term SOA. The United Nations CEFACT Electronic Business Architecture (circa June 2001) was the first to actually use the exact phrase "Service Oriented Architecture" in Section "4.0 Overview" where it explicitly states:

188 Some of the key feature capabilities of this architecture are:
189
190 • Platform independence.
191 • Event driven and Service Oriented Architecture.
...

The W3C Web Services Architecture (which I also worked on) also uses the term Service throughout the document and at roughly the same time as the UN/CEFACT work, added the specific term " 2.3.2 The Service Oriented Model" into the document.

As we all know, ebXML basically has no ISV following yet the principles of its messaging live on in WS-RX, WS-SX, SOAP and other similar protocols/standards under the WS-* umbrella. The thing itself did not die, just morphed into a butterfly.

That is why I am advocating the new term DOA or "Doom Oriented Architecture" since everything we seem to work on is in some way doomed by marketeers changing the buzzwords. Even within companies, terms like "Apollo" get changed to "AIR" which dooms any attempt by evangelists to build a consistent, non-confusing message. In a world of challenges, only doom is real. Doom is also a fun word to say and can be used to build a whole new world of acronyms given there are no good IT words that start with the letter "D".

Perhaps this is only a side effect of the IT industry's master plan to confuse the entire population of the world by constantly changing terms.

DOOM ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE - embrace the future. It's here! It's DOA!

;-)

MAX Japan

I got confirmation I will be presenting at MAX 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. I LOVE Tokyo!!! This is how excited I am:



Courtesy of RedMonk!

I will be doing a sneak peak of using AS3 on the server side. While this was shown in San Fran and Milan, I want to be able to fully explain how it is done and provide some details on the hybrid server-side code works later on this blog.

I hope I get to teach the Flex/AIR Boot Camp in Japan too. That course always fills up and has good results. If you are going to MAX in Tokyo and want that course, please speak up here (leave a comment) so I can forward to the right people.

Mac XML Schema <-> UML tools. Which is best?

I am needing a tool that can slurp in an XML Schema (W3C format but if it does RNG too that would be killer as I prefer it) and show a UML Class View Diagram of the data model. It must run natively on Mac OS X. I would like a tool that recognizes that UML 2.0 can express a superset of an XML model (contain additional constraints), yet be able to convert from the UML to the XML expression of a given data model and preferably generate any warnings of lost constraints/semantics/cardinality rules etc. I do not want to use XMI if I can help it.

Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Open source preferred!

Duane

SOA is not dead, but complexity is killing some implementations

I had a number of people send in references and links to various pieces that declare SOA dead. They all seem to be based on an Anne Thomas Manes blog article (which I could not find directly). Before I disagree, I will state I have a lot of respect for Anne as she was one of the few analysts who actually wrote many of the specs discussed in this post and others. Perhaps this is a misunderstanding of semantics? Not sure until I can read it.

Perhaps the semantics problem results from the fact most people still mistakenly think SOA is all about integration. It is not. It is about Architecture, hence the "A" in the acronym. Architecture is not integration, although you can use an architectural description language such as UML to capture the architecture of your integration project. Do you see where I am going with this?

InfoWorld's Paul Krill starts his article with a strange notion:

"SOA is dead but services remain alive, according to a prominent analyst who published an obituary for SOA in a blog post on Monday."

Now correct me if I am wrong, but SOA is "Service Oriented Architecture". Is Paul implying that architecture that is oriented around services is itself dead, yet the services will exist? This makes no sense as everything has an architecture, whether explicit or not. I also have a lot of respect for Paul Krill and his article was very balanced, exploring some of this.

Services are certainly the mainstay of the new web revolution. Things like SaaS, Mashups and most RIAs depend upon services. I am going to disagree and state that architectures will continue to focus around services as the abstract boundary between needs and capabilities for a long time. In fact, the OASIS SOA Reference Model describes the pattern extremely well and it is durable in that it is not coupled to current technology families like Web Services. SOA is here to last and will last!

Where I can see that there are some aspects dying is the families of technologies that are used to implement SOA have become somewhat passe or too complex. From this standpoint, implementing SOA using the current WS-* stack is a daunting task. This is summed up well in Mark Hansen's "SOA Using Java Web Services". In this book he writes on page 2:

"Am I stupid or are Java Web Services really hard?"

The summary is that, in fact, the WS implementation of SOA fact becoming increasingly complex. Having worked on many of the current standards or just observed their work, things like WS-TX, profiles for Kerberos for WS-Security and the JAXB serialization/deserialization are in fact very advanced technologies and take a lot of forethought. This in turn, will drive many developers to use a REST style SOA approach. Strangely enough, the purported author of SOA's Obituary (Anne), wrote a great blog entry on how NOT to do REST style SOA here.

My conclusion:

SOA is architecture that is focused on services as the abstract action boundary between (business) needs and (business) capabilities. As such, the form of architecture known as SOA that captures that blueprint and relates it to business services is not dead and will survive well into the next decade.

SOA IS NOT DEAD!

Happy New Year's!

Trust me - this was a good party! I am off to New York early next week as the grind continues. Flex had a great year in 2008 but this is going to be the year of SOA and BPM as a mainstream "must have". Adobe LiveCycle interest has never been stronger and we are executing on delivering the best ESB for human centric processes.

Predictions:
- more LiveCycle every quarter
- more Flex/AIR/Flash
- Open Screen Project gets in full swing
- more parties like the ones above

Cheers!!

Social Networking is NOT new!!!!

Many people think "social networking" is Web 2.0. They are confused. We are social by nature. What the real Web 2.0 pattern is is the ability to "declare" these social relationships. Groups like Facebook that write an "Architecture of Participation" whereby users can make these declarations. James Governor first picked up on this pattern and called it "Declarative Living". James is right - the only new thing is the declarations.

Here are some more ramblings on web 2.0:

http://www.newzmakerz.com/video/111/Duane-Nickull

Christmas, Holidays and me

I don't know why, but this time of year always brings me happiness and optimism. Perhaps it is my children and wife, perhaps the way perfect strangers do random acts of kindness? Today I shoveled a neighbours driveway (2 hours work to remove the snow) but he is 94 years old and it felt like the right things to do. I never asked him for anything but the way he thanked me and in a large city such as Vancouver found it incredible really made my day. Perhaps it is the software industry going for holidays meaning I might get two whole seeks without Adobe, Apple, Microsoft and others trying to update some software on my computer ;-)

This holiday, financial times are tough thanks to a handful of greedy assholes and a system that broke. I want to ask all of you, find forgiveness, find happiness (perhaps some time alone) and find time to do something for someone they would never expect. Bring your neighbours some baking treats, have your colleagues over for a dinner, donate money to the foodbank - whatever. There are people in the world who have not even 1/1000 of what we have. Bif Naked is spending her season getting chemo for a disease she never asked for and there are thousand like her. Yet - she finds time to blog about her experience and shares it publicly. To me, this is a very courageous act of kindness.

Give to LiveStrong. If you cannot afford $$$, just volunteer. Even a smile ( the non "I am stalking you type) makes someones day.

To quote Bif:

"Bliss to you and highest blessings and high fives. Om shanti to you, Om Hare, Om"

It is truly amazing for someone facing a (remote at this time) possibility of death to take the time to wish good things for us. My words?

"Be real, be amazing, be excellent". Do something for someone they can't do four themselves. Don't let pessimists make you believe you cannot make a difference:

Peace, love and metal.

Duane "Chaos" Nickull
Bass ace for hire - any set learned in two days guaranteed. Studio wherever.

Why you should not let your children be JavaScript Developers

Oil production cut!! Oh no!!!

They cut it to raise the price. Boy did it ever work. What is oil today? Take a look.



That worked well (no pun intended). This just goes to prove there is no logic in our stock/commodity markets anymore.

'Twas the Night Before The Big (Tech) Demo

I got this sent around and wanted to share. (With sincere apologies to Clement Clarke Moore and thanks to Peter Cohan, Marc Eaman for tweaks)

'Twas the night 'fore the demo and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, 'cept my SE and his mouse;
I'd proposed a big licensing deal with great care
In hopes a big order soon would be there;

Management was restless and not in their beds
As visions of bonuses danced in their heads;
And my VP with his forecast and me with my own,
Had just started a long EOQ roam,

When out from my mobile there came a great ring-tone,
I sprang from my chair to answer my phone,
What could it be? Was it good news or no?
A last-minute order? A contract? PO?

Greetings, said my assistant, who spoke on the line,
It was someone to see me, offering help at this time!
Who could it be at this late eleventh-hour,
To make the deal sweet and avoid something sour?

Away to the door I flew in a flash,
And swept it open in my quest for fast cash,
When who to my wondering eyes should appear,
An Adobe Evangelist! And standing so near!

He came in my office and, while dusting off snow,
Said, "I have some news that you'll want to know."
He drew up a chair and asked for some tea,
And said to my VP, SE and to me:

"Your deal is in trouble and I'll tell you now,
Your demo's confusing, complex and lacks 'Wow!'
It's riddled with features and functions and more,
And too many cool things, mouse clicks galore,

Don't flog them with features and other neat stuff,
Stick with the substance, stay away from the fluff,
The more that you show is not always nice,
Customers may say, 'Please lower the price!'

The Buzzword-Compliant Vocabulary list,
Are words, I'm afraid, that are better-off missed,
Not Flexible, nor Powerful, nor Easy-to-Use,
Not Robust, nor Seamlessly Integrated abuse,

And no corporate overview, please don't do that,
After ten minutes they're grabbing their hats,
Present as a team, so if things get hairy,
Sales folks aren't lost in the back with Blackberry.

Your customer's queued and ready to go,
They love the vision you've built with them so
They want Technical Proof in the demo you've planned,
Just the key capabilities, everything else banned."

"But how can we do this?" I heard myself cry,
"We're victims of momentum, we're nervous to try,
Another approach, a new way to go,
We have to admit we're just a bit slow!"

"Do the Last Thing First!" he said with a smile,
"Then peel back the layers, and Do It with style,
Peel it back in accord with their interest,
Stay focused and execute, and you'll find it best,

Your customer's Situation is a great way to intro,
Their Reasons and needs, from CBI flow,
Review these and check - is this still the case?
Are we aligned or are we off-base?

Start with the end, that big pay-off piece,
Illustrate and describe, those are the keys!
Capture their interest, compel their attention,
Make sure it aligns with their mode of consumption.

When it clicks and they're hooked, they'll then ask for more,
There's absolutely no way that they'll head for the door,
They'll say, "Please show us, prove that it's so,
Show us the rest, please do demo."

Then Do It, just Do It, with no extra clicks,
To return to that Engaging Vision that sticks,
Make it simple, make it fast, make it easy and clear,
Then they will realize they've nothing to fear,

Encourage their questions, most are not new,
Good ones and Great ones and Stupid ones too,
Treat Hostiles with courtesy, use your Not Now List so
Those mean, nasty folks can't damage your flow,

Peel back the layers, Do It Again,
Show only what's needed, put nothing else in,
Let them drive the demo, let them think they're in charge,
While their Vision Solution you work to enlarge!

Summarize, summarize, tell them again,
'Cause adults do learn by repetition,
And when you show a key take-away screen,
Leave it up, let it linger, so they'll know what they've seen!

"I get it - I'll do it!" exclaimed my SE,
"This is all so obvious, it's way clear to me!"
And he sprang into action, his mouse flew like lightening,
(Frankly, his speed was a little bit frightening!)

And with that the Evangelist smiled and said,
"Your way is now clear, put that baby to bed,
Your deal's now on track, your order secure,
You'll make your numbers at the end of the year,

Then he strode from my office in a blink of a pun,
Turned 'round and he said, "My job here is done,"
Ere he drove out of sight, I did hear him say,
"Great Demo! to all and to all a Great Day!"

Happy Holidays everyone!!!!

;-)

Leaving Dubai - sadness and happiness

I am now sitting at the Dubai International Airport (really one of the modern wonders of the world) waiting for a red eye to Frankfurt to get home to Canada. I really enjoyed talking to the local developers and found their level of enthusiasm and knowledge to be world class. Everyone I met was deeply technical and on top of their game.

The government in Dubai has done something right to attract this kind of talent and build this kind of infrastructure. I am sad that I am leaving but happy I leave knowing I now have another 100 or so new friends who I got to share time with. We traded code samples, IT stories, advice and architecture ideas around SOA and especially the new Media conference conversations.

The new Media idea is one I will encourage everyone not to take lightly. A free and independent media is the cornerstone of a democracy. Once the media becomes controlled by corporate interests, we have lost some of our democracy. Once we have lost part of our democracy, we have lost some of our freedoms. If freedom is worth fighting for (as I believe it is), it is certainly worth paying for. Spend part of my taxes to fund the Canadian Broadcasting System so they can deliver unbiased, impartial news without fear of funding cuts. I like this idea.

I am happy also because as I start this long and arduous journey, I am coming back home to my family where I will be able to spend more than 3 weeks before traveling again. Time to take some time off!

Peace to all!

My Talk from Dubai on Blogging

First - I really want to thank the staff from IIRME at the recent New Media Conference in Dubia. They are pros and treated us all very well.

Second, as promised, my presentation is now online at:

http://www.web2open.org/presentations/Nickull_Blogging.ppt

You are hereby granted free use of this material as long as you respect the IP rights of others. Please remove the Adobe logo and my name and replace them with your own name/logo if you plan to present it. Also - this was heavily influenced by problogger.com. Please make sure they get credit as noted within.

Special thanks to all the people of Dubai!!! If you have not been here, get here. This place is awesome!! Everyone I have met is 100% friendly to the MAX!

Duane