What You Need to Know about All Things PC
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The Naked PC - http://www.TheNakedPC.com What You Need to Know about All Things PC Publisher: Lee Hudspeth and T.J. Lee Editor in Chief: Dan Butler Contributing Editor: Al Gordon This issue is for Thursday, October 31, 2002 - Vol. 5 No. 22 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents ** 01. Letter from the Publisher ** 02. Short Spam Control Update (by Dan Butler) ** 03. Guidelines for Excellence in a Software Development Team (by Lee Hudspeth) ** 04. Notes from the Field - October 2002 Part 2 (by T.J. Lee) ** 05. Featured Book - "The Art of the Handwritten Note" by Margaret Shepherd (reviewed by Dan Butler) ** 06. Featured Drawing ** 07. Newsworthy - a potpourri of current events and interesting stuff ** 01. Letter from the Publisher In this issue Dan continues his discussion of spam, and offers a quick update for AOL users. Lee shares his guidelines for excellence in a software development team. Jim follows up in a part 2 on spam and details a solution that may be just what your company needs. "Good for you" to TNPC subscriber Sue N. who won our previous issue's drawing, a $25 TheNakedPCStore.com credit. It's fun and easy to enter, see this issue's Featured Drawing article. Reader support is what keeps The Naked PC free. You can help us by passing a copy on to co-workers and friends (no spam please). We make it easy for you to refer people to The Naked PC... check out our Refer page: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/refer/ +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ >> "That's the Handiest Thing Anyone Has Given Me..." With one of our handy space pens you'll never be without a reliable writing instrument again. They write just about anywhere and any angle - even upside down or in the rain. And the quality. Built to last and still look great. Rich P. said, "They're everything you wrote about them." Click here to find out more: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?spacepen +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ ** 02. Short Spam Control Update (by Dan Butler) This article will touch up a few loose ends and revisit spam filtering for AOL users. Does your ISP filter your email? They may filter your mail and not tell you about it. Meaning they could be trashing legitimate emails to you and not telling you about it. The worst part? You have no way to receive that email. Last issue T.J. told you about his experience with the filter at his ISP. He and I use the same ISP for email and I choose not to use the filters. At least our ISP gives us the option of using their filters or not. If you've been following my stop spam series you know which approaches the problem I recommend - and what to avoid. Missed the earlier articles? Find them here: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?dan1 The filtering of email came home to me when I emailed out the results of our last TheNakedPC.com drawing. Several of the emails came back saying I was listed on an Internet Blacklist. I'll resist my urge to rant about the blacklists right now. Briefly I think they can provide a useful service but in many cases innocent email is prevented from reaching it's intended recipient. Worse - the recipient never knows. So if you entered our drawing and never heard from us the chances are good that your ISP filters your mail. Again no problem if you know it's happening. But, if they are just throwing your legitimate email away without your knowledge I consider that a problem. Blocking spam is not as important as not blocking good mail. You may want to contact your ISP and find out what filtering, if any, they do. And if there is any way for you to avoid the filter. Quick update for AOL users. There is a product called "Garbage Man" for filtering your email. I have no way to test AOL myself so one of our readers, Dan G., gave the program a go through for me. First he thought it to be more trouble than it is worth. Now he reports, "It was not until I started playing around with it, did I find that when I read their home page ..the technical support Q & A.. did a lot more of it make sense." The one downside he mentioned was not being able import his personal address book for setting up the initial filters. Other than that he is now happy with the program. Another reader Bob B. has less than kind words to say about the program but still uses it as it's the only game in town for him. Find Garbage Man here: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?dan2 (c) 2002, Dan Butler You can reach Dan Butler at: mailto:danbutler@TheNakedPC.com +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ "You Can Laugh At Money Worries - If You Follow This Simple Plan" Do you sometimes have more month than money? Ever wonder how to dig out of the hole of debt? Maybe someone you know is struggling. In today's uncertain times with tens of thousands being laid off, this is one step you can take now to make your future more certain. This proven multimedia course will show you everything you need. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?financial +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ ** 03. Guidelines for Excellence in a Software Development Team (by Lee Hudspeth) For two decades I've been involved in the field of information technology, both as a member of corporate IT teams and as co- founder/principal of two consulting companies. Someone recently asked me what I think the defining principles are for a superlative software development shop. The guidelines I offer here will enrich your team and enhance the quality of their work product and workplace. 1. Cherish Your Development Methodology Whether you roll your own, buy one off the shelf, or find yourself somewhere in between, having a methodology (framework) for how you think about and document projects is absolutely essential. Create a set of document templates--in Word, Excel, or whatever application suits you--and use these documents as the foundation for every project you develop. Create a seamless integration between your methodology documents and your estimating process. Take it one step further by using your methodology to document the thinking that went into the creation and refinement of your methodology (a powerful exercise in meta-cognition, i.e., "thinking about thinking"). This keeps your team well-grounded in the history and rationale of the methodology, and provides a record of ongoing improvements. Understanding your methodology and how you came up with it promotes a deep-thought approach to software development that will bring your team to a new level of excellence. Two other recommendations: integrate your methodology into your sales pitch to clients and remember that documentation should precede any coding (entire books have been written on the latter topic). 2. Promote Programming Conventions Keep your development shop's programming conventions in a public, well-circulated document. These conventions and related protocols provide the benefits of efficiency, consistency, standardization, and readability. These benefits in turn produce code projects that are easy to understand and maintain. When anyone--from a newly-hired programmer to a veteran--has a convention question, they can turn to this document and quickly get an answer, saving time by not having to constantly reinvent the wheel. The overall benefits are improved productivity and profitability. There are plenty of good resources out there to help you get started. For example, if you're a Visual Basic developer, see Microsoft's article "INFO: Microsoft Consulting Services Naming Conventions for Visual Basic." http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?lee1 3. Use a Reusable Code Library Offering your developers a source code repository provides the obvious benefit of a single place for code to safely reside. By using the right source-control tools you get check-in/check-out capability (partly an auditing and partly a QC benefit), plus all the other productivity bells and whistles. This infrastructure engenders code reuse, reducing redundant coding work. Make sure code complies with your programming conventions before it is allowed into the library. 4. Brainstorm Regularly Keep your team engaged in the process of evaluating its performance and goals. Brainstorming--when done systematically and without allowing judgment to invade the sanctity of the "brainstorm space"--yields new ideas and fresh insights, and promotes creative thinking by team members. Brainstorming techniques are discussed in the book "T.E.T.: Teacher Effectiveness Training," click here to read my review: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?lee2 5. Track Your Time and Tweak Your Estimates Maintain detailed records of work performed. Then review actual work effort for each project, by development phase, compare to budgeted resources, understand the variances, and use this information to improve subsequent forecasts. 6. Control Quality Control As your QC checklists and procedures grow and mature, compile them into a public document so that everyone can readily study and comment on them. 7. Embrace Bug Reports Too often, we developers tend to view a bug report as an attack on our work. But I say welcome them, embrace them. A bug report is a learning opportunity; it's a chance to see your code/project and its behavior from a completely different perspective (which is, essentially, what quality control is all about). Make sure staff who directly interact with customers, managers, beta testers, or other developers have strong "active listening" skills and are not prone to defensiveness. 8. Practice Safe Coding: Digitally Sign Your Code The two main reasons developers should use a digital certificate are to: (1) protect your software from tampering after you've published it, and (2) guarantee to your customer that your software did in fact come from your company, not a firm masquerading as you. For more information about this process, click here to read my article "Developer's Corner: Digitally Signing Office VBA Projects": http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?lee3 9. Wrap It Up with an Installer An intelligent and polite installer "wrapper" executable makes a program so much easier for customers, clients, testers, and others to use. Paying attention to ease-of-use issues (like deliverability, robust uninstalls, multiple install options with verbose descriptions, etc.) sets you head and shoulders above the competition. 10. Continuing Education: Always Be Learning Keeping up with current events, new tools, and new ideas in your area of expertise keeps you focused, stimulates creativity, and improves your competitive edge. I intend to explore these guidelines individually in subsequent issues. If you have comments or ideas to share with me in this area, or if you need a consultant, drop me a note. To read a case study of a software development project I managed, go here: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?lee4 (c) 2002, Lee Hudspeth You can reach Lee Hudspeth at: mailto:LeeHudspeth@TheNakedPC.com +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ >> "How Many Ways Will You Use These Amazing Devices?" They're incredibly handy. When we first saw these amazing little devices we thought, "these will look cool hanging on my key ring." Then we started using them. WOW - every day we find more uses. How many will you find? http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?swisstech +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ ** 04. Notes from the Field - October 2002 Part 2 (by T.J. Lee) A number of readers have asked me which of the two laptop mice I mention in the last issue (TNPC #5.21) I preferred. Having used both of them I find I prefer the Atek Super Mini Optical Mouse despite the fact that I'm a big fan of wireless gizmos and the Atek is a wired mouse that plugs into a USB port. It is amazingly small (even compared to the Targus wireless mouse), optical, and extremely easy to use. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?jim1 In our last issue I also discussed at some length the problems with S_P_A_M that are plaguing all of us more and more on the Internet but especially how it negatively affects businesses. The time wasting involved with employees having to sift through the clutter in their inbox is substantial and gets worse everyday. Because of all the addresses that resolve to my home use inbox that have been posted up on the Internet for years I get anywhere from 200-300 emails a day, 95% of which are S_P_A_M. I delete a lot of messages wholesale with only a cursory glance at the subject line and/or sender and I'm sure I zap some amount of legitimate email in this process. In a business situation you would not want employees deleting email from customers or clients by mistake. Aside from the sheer volume of S_P_A_M emails there's the problem of adult content S_P_A_M messages in HTML format complete with pictures. Just having one of these messages displayed on a computer monitor at the wrong time can risk a lawsuit. And as I mentioned last issue (and received a lot of interesting email about) there's the problem of employees actually reading S_P_A_M on company time and passing round really "interesting" junk mail. The problem has become so acute among our clients that we are offering a service to them whereby we manipulate their domain MX records and route all email to that domain through a server we control (our server) before going to the client's mail server (client server). Our server is primarily dedicated to filtering out S_P_A_M email. This is accomplished via algorithms that try to stay one step ahead of the bulk email gurus. Incoming email that is deemed to be legitimate is passed through to the actual MX record, meaning it passes through the S_P_A_M filter server and flows normally to the client's mail server with little or no perceptible delay. This set up only effects email coming in from the Internet, local email on the client's network is not filtered. Email messages that are determined to be S_P_A_M are held in quarantine and can be reviewed via a Web browser. Any legitimate email that has been quarantined can be "approved" either on a one time basis or the sending can be added to the Approved list which makes all email from that address legitimate to the filter. As you would expect there is both an Approved Senders list as well a Blocked Senders list. Specific addresses can be added to each or you can add just the domain address so you can approve or block ALL mail from a given domain like "microsoft.com" or "iwon.com". There are a number of control options and as a company you can determine what the settings are for all email users on your network or you can let each individual user have varying degrees of control over their own settings. The filters are broken down across four categories of S_P_A_M. There's more information on how this all works up on my page on the TNPC Web site if you're interested in something like this for your company: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?jim3 To use this service you have to own your domain name and be able to make changes to your MX records. For more information contact: mailto:SpamAdmin@lansmart.com While talking to various client companies and setting up this service it was interesting to note how few companies have any type of formal email policy. In the olden days it was simple, the company could do whatever it wanted in regards to their email system. But nowadays no individual is ever responsible for their own behavior or is expected to have or exercise common sense so everything has to be explained in detail and in writing in order to cover your assets. You need to have a written company email policy and tell your employee/users that the email system belongs to the company, is a company asset, is not to be abused (and you have to spell out what you mean by that), and that there is no expectation of privacy. The last item being the most critical one, in my opinion. At some point most every company will have to go into a user's inbox and read the mail therein. If someone is terminated, suddenly ill and not coming into the office, on vacation, suspected of running a side business on eBay using the company email system, etc., their inbox may require access and review. Service techs working on PCs may access Outlook or other email clients when troubleshooting systems. And while courts used to assume "no expectation of privacy" there is now some doubt if that will continue to be the case. Best to put all employees on notice that the email system belongs to the company, set their expectations regarding privacy, and spell out what is acceptable use and what is not. List what will be considered misuse of email and what the possible repercussions may be. You can reach T.J. Lee at: mailto:tj_lee@TheNakedPC.com [T.J. Lee works as a project manager for McMillan Consulting, a division of McMillan Systems Inc., a company that designs, services, installs, and overhauls LANs and WANs, and provides data communications services such as T1 lines, firewalls, routers and switch implementations.] ** 05. Featured Book - "The Art of the Handwritten Note" by Margaret Shepherd (reviewed by Dan Butler) An ongoing interest of mine is communication. Both the form and the content. This little book covers both. The book begins with a discussion of the virtues of handwritten notes. Some I had not considered. The author leads us through selecting your tools and writing various types of notes. Throughout the book the emphasis is on expressing yourself through your notes. This includes your selections of paper and pens. Suggestions and recommended phrases for various types of notes are included. I enjoyed the examples of handwritten notes scattered throughout the book. She even has suggestions for improving your handwriting should you need it. All in all a very enjoyable book. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?fbook ** 06. Featured Drawing If you haven't entered one of our The Naked PC survey drawings before, here's how it works. You go to a Web page on our site, answer one survey question, and type in your email address. To encourage folks to participate, we conduct a drawing from the email addresses of each survey's participants and we give away something really useful. Now, obviously we already have your email address or you wouldn't be reading this, but this drawing for prizes will only include those folks who answer this issue's question (entering a prior drawing doesn't count for this one). We'll only use the email addresses we collect for the purpose of notifying who won the prize, nothing else. Before our next issue is published, we'll pick one entered name at random. The winner gets a $25 store credit at TheNakedPCStore.com. But you have to enter to win. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?fdrawing ** 07. Newsworthy - a potpourri of current events and interesting stuff *-* Microsoft Office 11--due out in mid-2003--likely won't run on Windows 9x, will run only on WinXP and Win2000 (SP3 and higher). The move is allegedly due to concerns about inadequate security implementations in the aging operating systems. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?news1 *-* Dell customers can now opt out of a floppy drive on new PCs (Inspiron 4150 and 8200 models), getting a Dell-branded 16MB USB Key device instead. USB Key sells for $20 and fits in a shirt pocket; a 64MB model sells for $59. Old ways die hard, however, as Dell reports 85% of its 4150 and 8200 customers still buy a system with a floppy drive. Sigh. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/522/tr.cgi?news2 Have you come across something newsworthy? Drop us a line: mailto:hottips@TheNakedPC.com **PLEASE SUPPORT THE NAKED PC BY VISITING OUR ADVERTISERS** +++----------------------- classifieds -----------------------+++ MICRO-LIGHTS the Super POCKET FLASHLIGHT! The BRIGHTEST flashlights for their size in the WORLD. Reliable, incredibly bright light for any situation. 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Converts to MP3 files so you can hear any text on your portable player. Walk around, stretch, exercise... all while staying productive. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?textaloud +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ >> "Get Control of the Choices in Your Life..." It's amazing. Simple things bring the biggest results. Find out how this book can change your life. I use three of the ideas everyday -- you can too. Click here for more info: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?being +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ THE HOT TIP FOR PC USERS Computer Tips Compendium contains over 460 computer tips packaged as an electronic book-on-CD-ROM. Get the best tips, tricks, and techniques in a fully searchable format all on a single CD. Includes access to our Web site's customers-only online tips section. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?comptips +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ Tweaki...for Power Users Designed for all Windows operating systems, Tweaki is your Swiss army knife of utilities. Implement security, lock down your Desktop, tweak Microsoft Office, optimize Windows--roughly 500 tweaks in all! Tweaki also comes with a built-in undo function that restores any tweaked setting the utility tracks, no matter how long ago you tweaked it! http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?tweaki +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ DISCLAIMER Personal computers are individual machines with performance that can vary with components, software, and operator ability. The Naked PC is not responsible for the manner in which the information presented is used or interpreted. Also, although we work hard to provide you with accurate Internet links in The Naked PC, we are not responsible for Internet links herein that represent sites owned and operated by third parties. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, performance, or availability of any such third-party sites. REDISTRIBUTION POLICY We encourage you to forward this newsletter to your friends, associates, and colleagues for their review and enjoyment. However, please do so only by sending it in full, thereby keeping the copyright and subscription information intact. We do request that, once they've reviewed an issue or two, they subscribe independently rather than continue to receive issues from you. This helps The Naked PC grow and prosper, thereby funding its continued publication. Also, if you wish to post this newsletter to a newsgroup or electronic discussion group, you may do so if you preserve the copyright and subscription information. Thanks. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe, surf on over to: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/subscribe.html To make comments or suggestions, surf on over to: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/tnpfeedback.html or send email directly to: mailto:tnpc@TheNakedPC.com WEB BULLETIN BOARD Check out our 24x7 Web bulletin board. If you've got a technical question about PC issues, or suggestions of your own, this is the place to hang out: http://www.PRIMEConsulting.com/annoyanceboard/ ADVERTISING To advertise in The Naked PC go to: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/tnpcadvertising.html Mail services provided by Blue Horizon Enterprises, one of the very few "Mom and Pop" operations left on the Web: http://www.bhorizon.com Copyright (c) 2002, PRIME Consulting Group, Inc. and Dan Butler. All Rights Reserved. The Naked PC is a trademark of PRIME Consulting Group, Inc. ISSN: 1522-4422 TNPC Hot Tips:
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