Million Dollar Computer-Controlled Drilling Machines
When I was in 8th grade I got a job working for a small company that was a reseller of electronic drilling and measuring equipment. I was just the office boy… mostly doing paperwork, shipping, and occasional data-entry.
read moreIt's time for Chocolately
Increasingly, vendors understand that the inability to rapidly deploy their products affects the customers’ ability to rapidly purchase their products.
(quoted from Page 152 of The Practice of System and Network Administration, Third Edition)
I believe I first wrote that quote in 1999 when the first edition was still in draft form. That was 20 years ago. I’m embarrassed to say that in the last month I’ve had to remind two different vendors of this fact.
Any vendor that thinks automated installation is a new concept… sigh.
So what does that have to do with Chocolately?
read moreReduce the maximum validity period for TLS/SSL server certificates
Question: What would be the impact on your organization if the CA/Browser Forum approves a ballot reducing the maximum validity period for SSL/TLS server certificates from the current 825 days (27 months) at present to 397 days (13 months), effective for new certificates issued on or after March 1, 2020? (Existing certificates will remain valid for their full term).
read moreWhen you think about Google, what disappoints you the most?
My reply to:
I’m building my “Requiem for a Google” talk this weekend.
— Corey Quinn (@QuinnyPig) August 10, 2019
When you think about Google, what disappoints you the most?My answer was a 17-part megatweet. I’ve collected them here and done a little editing.
read moreThe Ask
When did the word “Ask” become a noun and how do we stop this butchering of language?
read moreDaylight Savings Time is a socialist plot!
Did you know that DST was first proposed by socialists?
read moreMy offer to Jeff Bezos to bring HQ2 back to NYC
Reporters say that NY Gov Cuomo is calling Jeff Bezos begging him to reconsider.
I’m sure he’s offering even MORE concessions.
Here’s what I would do as governor:
read moreDemo Data as Code
Have you been asked to generate data for a demo system? Here’s some advice.
read moreCreating The Demo Disk
Creating a software demo is like creating a TV commercial. You should structure the project that way.
read moreThe Slightly Broken Door Problem
When I worked at Bell Labs, there was a door that slammed really loudly when it closed. This wouldn’t be a big deal except that it was right near me. Oh, and it was in the middle of my team’s offices so when it slammed, nearly everyone on the team would jump.
read moreAT&T Fails At Internet
Let’s put this “AT&T could have owned the entire internet” idea to rest. No f—ing way it could have happened.
read moreWhat Should Executives Know About Software?
As “software eats the world” executives need to “understand software”. If you were an executive that was old-school and wanted to “understand software”, what would you teach them?
read moreA template for sending letters to Congress
I just made it a LOT easier to write letters to my representatives.
read moreFax Machines Arent Magic
I can’t believe my health insurance makes me fax certain forms. What year is this?
Well, anyway… that reminds me of something that happened to me many years ago back when fax machines were more common.
read moreTom's Finance Guide Part 8: More soon!
This was a draft. The final version is now available as a pay-what-you-want self-published book called Tom’s Finance Guide: Retire Rich!
read moreTom's Finance Guide Part 7: Retire rich!
This was a draft. The final version is now available as a pay-what-you-want self-published book called Tom’s Finance Guide: Retire Rich!
read moreTom's Finance Guide Part 6: Interlude about 401(k)
This was a draft. The final version is now available as a pay-what-you-want self-published book called Tom’s Finance Guide: Retire Rich!
read moreTom's Finance Guide Part 5: Bonus material: Loan sharks
This was a draft. The final version is now available as a pay-what-you-want self-published book called Tom’s Finance Guide: Retire Rich!
read moreTom's Finance Guide Part 4: Get Out of Debt
This was a draft. The final version is now available as a pay-what-you-want self-published book called Tom’s Finance Guide: Retire Rich!
read moreTom's Finance Guide Part 3: The Destination
This was a draft. The final version is now available as a pay-what-you-want self-published book called Tom’s Finance Guide: Retire Rich!
read moreTom's Finance Guide Part 2: The principles
This was a draft. The final version is now available as a pay-what-you-want self-published book called Tom’s Finance Guide: Retire Rich!
read moreTom's Finance Guide Part 1: The Plan
This was a draft. The final version is now available as a pay-what-you-want self-published book called Tom’s Finance Guide: Retire Rich!
read moreTom's Finance Guide Part 0: Summary
This was a draft. The final version is now available as a pay-what-you-want self-published book called Tom’s Finance Guide: Retire Rich!
read moreCryptographic Hashes
Q: How do cryptographic hashes like MD5 and SHA work?
read moreSafety Third!
A few years ago I saw a group of guys with jackets that all had a patch that said, “Safety Third”.
I thought it was hilarious. I’ve heard the phrase “Safety First” since I can remember and this seemed hilariously contrarian.
read moreHotel Review: Aloft Charlotte
Review:
- Aloft Charlotte Uptown at the EpiCentre
- 210 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
The Aloft Charlotte Uptown at the EpiCentre is an upscale boutique hotel with helpful staff, beautiful decor, and a unique theme that will surprise and delight the most jaded traveler!
read moreWhy your AI-based monitoring startup will fail
Please don’t call me if you are selling a monitoring project that uses AI to do amazing things.
Since 1991 I have been contacted by sales people from startups that use AI to make their monitoring system awesome.
The first couple times I took their call and set up a demo. I was always disappointed.
Now I just ignore these phone calls and emails.
read moreWhy I Don't Talk To Third Party Recruiters
Here are the four most important reasons:
read moreThis Web Site Uses Cookies
Ok, Europe. We get it. You want every website to tell people if they use cookies. Here’s the problem. ALL WEBSITES USE COOKIES. Cookies are how websites allow you to “stay logged in” or have a shopping cart, or just about anything that a website does now a days. Yes, cookies can be used to track what you do, but there are plenty of other ways to do it too. read more