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Working Up in Project Management, Systems Engineering, Technology, and Writing

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Entries from November 2010

Choosing a Pen Name

November 29th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips If you want your books noticed in the bookstore or the library, have a last name close to that of a famous author. Another way is of course to write a great book. I was sitting in the public library this past week. While waiting for someone, I was looking at the […]

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Tags: Writing

Various Sundry Items

November 25th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Some various thoughts on Apple, writing, the TSA, the Talent Economy, and National Novel Writing Month. sundry: (adjective) assorted: consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds. wordnetweb.princeton.edu My mind is racing with a number of different things. I couldn’t decide what to write in the regular Thursday blog posting. Then one […]

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Tags: Culture · Fun · Ideas · Writing

Software Security and the Numbers Game

November 22nd, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I often see claims that software systems will be secure, i.e., only authorized people will be able to see the information. Just as often I see cases where “secure” software systems are broken and the data are spilled onto the floor for all to see. Why? I believe it is a simple […]

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Tags: Fun · Programming · Security · Systems

Dependably Undependable

November 18th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Some people are undependable. Most of the time, I can choose to work with them or not. My choice can tell me much about myself. I know people who fit the title of this post. If they tell me they will be someplace at nine o’clock, I am almost certain they will […]

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Tags: Adapting · Choose · Differences · Excuses · Learning · People · Reframe

Outsourcing? Surviving as an American Programmer

November 15th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I noticed a recent story on outsourcing. It seems the state of Ohio required work performed on state contracts to be performed  in Ohio by residents of Ohio. Imagine that! Work funded by the taxpayers of Ohio should be done by other taxpayers in Ohio. That seems reasonable to me. It doesn’t seem […]

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Tags: Government · Outsourcing

Start a Fire + Extinguish It = Hero (not!)

November 11th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Time and again I have seen people make a terrible mess, work hard to fix their mess, and be proclaimed a hero. I still don’t understand why anyone would reward such a person. In the mid-1980s I started managing projects. I looked about to see what my peers – other project managers […]

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Tags: Culture · Expectations · Health · Management · People

The iPad – part 0.5 – Printing from the iPad

November 8th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips HP’s new Photosmart printers have a feature HP calls ePrint. I can send an email to the printer, and the printer prints it. iPad and iPhone apps allow for taking notes and emailing them. In this case, emailing them to the printer. I can now print from my iPad. Well, I can […]

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Tags: iPad · Technology

Don’t Teach – Model

November 4th, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Don’t just encourage someone to do something – teach them how. Modeling the behavior yourself is probably the best method of teaching. Sometimes it takes me a while to remember things I have learned. Someone comes along, does something, and it all hits me: What are they doing?  Don’t they know…? I […]

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Tags: Change · Culture · Learning · Time

Let’s Write a Novel

November 1st, 2010 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips A procedure for writing a novel from Jack Woodford. Here is a procedure for writing a novel. Ouch, that probably hurts for a lot of people. “Procedure for creating the great American novel? Where is the art?” Well, from an engineer and an organized person, some sort of procedure is comforting. Take […]

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Tags: Writing