Status - Comments

Scott Wilson: Egypt pulls the plug

nospam@example.com (Scott Wilson) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:22:55 -0700

Hi Nell, no annoyance at all.

My own knowledge is probably woefully inadequate when it comes to the specifics of disrupting satellite based transmissions. As far as it goes, though, I believe it would be pretty difficult to cut off sat-based Internet. Assuming the provider is based in another country (likely in this case; most providers are European or American) the government can't order them to shut down, and the only other avenue would be to jam the transmissions. That would be both difficult, since many are very narrow-beamed, and dangerous, since waves don't respect borders and jamming would affect nearby countries... in this case including Israel, which might legitimately view such efforts as prelude to an attack.

Of the alternatives, there are perhaps three that are realistic. Satellite based, as mentioned, is probably the most realistic and reliable.

A second alternative would be via a secondary ISP, one likely to remain unmolested by such troubles... in this case, as the article I linked above notes, Noor Group, hosting the Egyptian stock exchange, remained connected. As we say in Seattle, if you live in the mayor's neighborhood, your streets are more likely to be the first ploughed in a snowstorm. The government has incentives to keep Noor going, so other Noor customers likely benefit.

The third alternative is High Frequency Pactor, a HAM-based Internet Packet transmission protocol which is not well-known outside the HAM or international yachting communities. It's quite slow, requires a good deal of technical expertise to set up, and is also susceptible to jamming. However, there are right now apparently Egyptian HAMs still on the air, so presumably Pactor remains operational as well.

Finally, you are absolutely correct that this could happen anywhere... and frequently does, on a much smaller scale. This is making the news because of the associated unrest, but people and places get knocked off the 'net for various reasons all the time.

Nell Hunt: Egypt pulls the plug

nospam@example.com (Nell Hunt) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:32:57 -0700

interesting comments. since i am but a novice when it comes to this, i hope you can answer a question and comment further. could not egypt or any other country also cut off satelite-connected isps somehow? could you list all the other alterative types of connection providers or sources the egyptian people could at this time be using if they had taken your advice before the calls were made to shut all the standard isps there down, since you are the expert here?

this is not meant to annoy -- just want to know wot the alternative technologies you're referring to that could have been used are?

many thanks ....

if this could happen in egypt, it could certainly happen anywhere else, of course at various levels or completely, no?

Boy Honiawhoda: Disaster of a different stripe

nospam@example.com (Boy Honiawhoda) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:32:06 -0700

found your site on del.icio.us today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later

Scott Wilson: When "all-in" is too much

nospam@example.com (Scott Wilson) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 08:10:22 -0700

In the interests of disclosure, the above poster lists a zoho e-mail address.

But apart from that, it's true that I don't give Zoho enough love here; the product suite has been improving, faster than Apps IMHO, and since the company has more staked on attracting and keeping business users, they have a better support system in place than Google does.

Managed IT Service: When "all-in" is too much

nospam@example.com (Managed IT Service) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:44:02 -0700

Microsoft's offerings have always been puzzling to ordinary users. Online, their competitors are offering clear, well defined product suites. Right now each of those suite components may not be as deep as office, but over time they will be. Google Apps and Zoho especially have been improving almost continually.

zerodtkjoe: When "all-in" is too much

nospam@example.com (zerodtkjoe) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:44:51 -0700

Thanks for the info

David Boje: Blackberry Enterprise Server Express: Just Say No

nospam@example.com (David Boje) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:54:11 -0700

Scott,

Dear Scott wilson (CIO Web Log)

We would like permission to reprint your image in an academic article we did in the journal, Culture and Organization, in the 16-1 (June 2010) issue. The article is about leadership stories and images. We do not have any money to pay. We can send you a copy of the article when it is published.

http://www.cio-weblog.com/50226711/hitting_a_nerve.php

Please get back to us as soon as possible since we have a publishing deadline. Here is a copy of the image that appeared Dec 6 2007).
Your policy (Creative Domain) says we are free to reprint the work as long as we give proper credit to its source.

Thank you,

David Boje and Rob Smith

J David M. Boje, Ph.D.
Endowed Bank of America Professorship,
College of Business,
New Mexico State University
dboje@nmsu.edu 575-532-1693
or r.smith-a@rgu.ac.uk

Chuck Blakeman: Business technology outpaces state tax law once again

nospam@example.com (Chuck Blakeman) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:02:52 -0700

Scott,

Great post. I may not have expressed it as clearly as I wanted, but the main point of my post is just what you said. Small business is indeed "trampled" by government, not directly, but by government's ongoing handouts and bias for mid to large size businesses. They don't have to play by the same rules.

Every time the politicians give a big business some kind of preferenttial treatment, handouts, bailouts, loans that a small business can't get, etc. - that action hurts small businesses. The artificial profit created allows the big boys to go after more customers at the expense of the small businesses who have not been given the bailouts, handouts, and preferential legislation.

As a result we pay more in benefits for every employee than big business, more in health care, a much larger percentage of our revenue dealing with IRS regs and all other regs, etc.

Ongoing government handouts, bailouts, support, and preferential treatment to big business is how government tramples on small business. We don't want handouts, we just want the government to stop doing it for the rest of business.

Gitanajava: IT and taxes

nospam@example.com (Gitanajava) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:15:09 -0700

You might be interested in these links, to get a sense of how other Gmail fans are reacting:

http://getsatisfaction.com/google/topics/bring_back_the_gmail_search_the_web_option (GetSatisfaction.com)

http://groups.google.com/group/Gmail-Help-Settings-en/t/5d0a9b43c47ff225?hl=en (Vanished Search Button)

http://www.google.com/url?url=http://groups.google.com/g/80f7faa1/t/5424b4fa7bfee7e9/d/242a5601aaa3ddf%3Fq%3DGMAIL%2BSEARCH%2BOPTIONS%230242a5601aaa3ddf&ei=pKqJSZiQFYbg-gGL9eSuDA&sa=t&ct=res&cd=5&source=groups&usg=AFQjCNGD9uWVb6z8QAdqLjubUq8jBnkD0A (Search Web Option Missing)

http://groups.google.com/group/gmail-labs-suggest-a-labs-feature/browse_thread/thread/6a665783cd040dc6 (Please Bring Back the Search the Web Button!)

Suggestions to Google via this link:

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/static.py?page=suggestions.cs

(Suggestions > I have another idea > Other > Bring Back the "Search the Web" option!)

Notify me when you file your essay and I'll include in my next post to the Gmail troops and my blogs.

Thanks and I look forward to reading your next post!

Scott Wilson: IT and taxes

nospam@example.com (Scott Wilson) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:03:27 -0700

Thank you!

That's interesting, I use Gmail and I hadn't even noticed that feature was gone. It does apply to what I was talking about in "Google Gone Bonkers" and I will definitely write a follow-up entry on it... as soon as they finish upgrading the blog engine today!

Thank again,

Scott

Gitanajava: IT and taxes

nospam@example.com (Gitanajava) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:56:57 -0700

Dear Scott,

Enjoyed your piece "Google Gone Bonkers?" Along the same lines, and with a view to the audience that reads the CIO Weblog, could you comment or perhaps write a post on this newest development at Google's Gmail:

http://groups.google.com/group/gmail-labs-suggest-a-labs-feature/browse_thread/thread/6a665783cd040dc6

I and other readers would appreciate your thoughts on this.

Thanks!

Scott Wilson: A new Eee PC

nospam@example.com (Scott Wilson) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:21:24 -0700

Funny, I just ran across that the other day myself... set one up for my parent's to use with their Verizon EVDO card in their RV. Great minds, etc, etc.

Ben: A new Eee PC

nospam@example.com (Ben) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:34:07 -0700

Scott, Kyocera makes a router that converts a PCMCIA/PcCard/USB EDVO/EDGE/Whatever into a WiFi signal:

http://www.kyocera-wireless.com/kr2-router/

I have one in the car with a Clearwire modem - it hands out the 'best' signal at the time.

Scott Wilson: Consulting for the whole organization

nospam@example.com (Scott Wilson) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:10:16 -0700

Thanks, Ben.

What always surprises me is how often you have to fight with people to get them to accept a simpler, non-technical solution. It's often cheaper and easier, but I have the distinct impression from time to time that some people will keep looking until they find someone who will recommend something shiny with lights on it, even when an easy answer is right in front of them.

Ben: Consulting for the whole organization

nospam@example.com (Ben) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:51:21 -0700

Well said!

We IT folk have the unique opportunity to see good and bad business ideas in action - and a lot of the time, a good solution has nothing to do with IT.

One of the more amusing things that happened to me was a three-man office wanted a group calendar system that was easy to use by everyone from the local Office Depot.

In one hour we had their system ready: We delivered them a white-board calendar with erasable markers.

It really was the best solution to their business needs.