Matthew's Weblog

I just had a clear definition explained to me… awfully handy.

Procedures are what you do and how to do things.
Policies are why people perform the procedures, and incorporate:

• Metrics
• Regulations that apply
• Who the policy authority is
• Consequences if procedures are not followed

Interesting…

I’m starting to get interested in AJAX apps… so here are some items I’m reading…

Early for xmas/birthday, but there are signed OSC books available cheap… my self control is wavering…

You can’t get a better review than this…

Finally, it looks like there is a reasonable home control system starting onto the market. Setting up without rewiring or remodeling, audio streaming, home theater, and theoretically a price point for us humans. However, it’s only available through dealers that I can find, and I’m not about to be paying someone to set it up for me. Guess I’ll have to find one that will resell without installing or wait until they decide that tinker junkies ought to be able to get the goods directly, without having to be a reseller.

I hate it when products are only available through dealers. The extra markup kills the hobbyist market, and that’s where the really great uses are found. Dealers are in it (very reasonably) to make money and have only limited time or interest to poke around and find out how to make a system really sing. I know that companies don’t want to support a bunch of idiot consumers, but if you could sign a waiver that you’d only ever ask support questions via a forum or email or something and not expect responses, then they ought to blasted well sell you the goods. IMNSHO.

At least Control4 is getting noticed, and at least one nice article.

UPDATE: OK, so as soon as I hit ‘post’ I found an article on the Control4 website that says they’re going to be selling through retail stores. I take back anything uncouth said above about them – though the rant stands, it doesn’t apply here. Now I just have to find where those retailers are…

Wow.

I really have to think now.

From ASK MICK LASALLE, CHRONICLE MOVIE CRITIC comes a wonderful description that fits me as well… just substitute ‘technology’ for ‘movies’ in the question…

Dear Mick LaSalle: Where do you get off setting yourself up as the final authority and unquestioned arbiter of all things pertaining to movies? Your unmitigated arrogance and smarmy self-assuredness make me want to hurl.

Webb Stagner, Healdsburg

Dear Webb Stagner: Wow. You misunderstand me. You’re interpreting as arrogance something that has been arrived at with great humility and only after years of empirical observation. When day after day, month after month, year after year you keep noticing that you tend to be right — when unalterable consistency reveals that your rightness is, in fact, something almost akin to a law of the universe — you can’t help but allude to it every so often. You would, too. It just happens. Moreover, knowing the truth makes you feel an obligation to offer that clear water of insight to thirsting minds everywhere. It’s pretty dry out there, as you know. But certainly what drives the impulse to share the light and the truth is nothing like arrogance. It’s more like an overwhelming generosity and a deep, abiding love for one’s fellow creatures — everywhere on this cockeyed caravan.

download here

The possibilities of this software to enable easy email encryption make me want to investigate further… now I just need a few friends to try it with. They got a great writeup from MIT. Hmmm… maybe I’ll start recruiting.

It appears that gift cards are not as good a gift as some people think, with expirations and fees running amok. California has some protections for retail-offered cards, but the credit card companies haven’t the same restrictions…

If you really want a gift accepted at all stores, remember, cash never expires!