Category: Uncategorized

The present and future value of Python. The universal database is just one example of the kind of next-generation platform service that will be used primarily through managed interfaces. As operating systems consolidate around managed interfaces — to data, to middleware, to graphics — they're going to tend to prefer the Java and .NET and… Continue reading The present and future value of Python

The future of IT jobs — looking good. In my InfoWorld column this week, I respond to yet more reports that IT jobs are going to disappear in the coming years. I agree that certain types of IT jobs are likely to disappear, but the problem-solving skills required in IT will never go out of… Continue reading The future of IT jobs — looking good

Tip: Getting the budget out of a client. Carlos (recent winner of a Red Dot Award — go Carlos!) gave me a great tip last year about how to get a project budget from a client. First you should just ask them for it. Be blunt: “What's your budget or budget range for this project?”… Continue reading Tip: Getting the budget out of a client

The Doghouse: Internet Security Foundation. This organization wants to sell their tool to view passwords in textboxes “hidden” by asterisks on Windows. They claim it's “a glaring security hole in Microsoft Windows” and a “grave security risk.” Their webpage is thick with FUD, and warns that criminals and terrorists can easily clean out your bank… Continue reading The Doghouse: Internet Security Foundation

Is your Panther password really secure?. macosxhints: Fix password security in 10.3.x for upgraded accounts. A useful, and slightly scary, hint that points to some lingering issues in password handling in OS X. Briefly: old versions of the OS, from the public beta through 10.2.x, only allow passwords up to 8 characters in length, but… Continue reading Is your Panther password really secure?

Are We Puppets or Free Agents?. Interpretations of the insanity plea have changed through the ages, but advances in neuroscience promise to redefine free will and personal responsibility, and change the way we think about punishment. By Rowan Hooper. [Wired News]

Elephants! Doing the Impossible. Margo Baldwin of Chelsea Green Publishing writes to me about George Lakoff's book and how she turned it into a bestseller. Thought I'd share the riff: … [Seth's Blog]

I saw the annual production of A Christmas Carol at the North Shore Music Theatre this afternoon.  As always, I thought it was great.  It does a good job of getting me into the Christmas spirit.

More news on WinFS…. News.com: New file system has long road to Windows. Yup, I agree with Muglia. It was a mistake to talk about WinFS before we knew it would ship. I know a few people over on the WinFS team, though, and still am a big supporter. I want to store the info… Continue reading More news on WinFS…

Proof That Microsoft Lost It. I'm setting up a Shuttle mini PC for friends. Of course I don't bother to buy a floppy drive, who needs these things anymore? Well, a freshly bought Windows XP OEM CD ROM, that's who. You can't install a third party driver (in this case, a SATA PCI board because… Continue reading Proof That Microsoft Lost It