I am Person of the Year

Time has announced that I am person of the year.  Wow what an honor.  Who woud have thought that I control the internet!

Seriously, take a look at the article.  It is true that the internet is changing much of what is done on a daily basis.  More on that in an upcoming post!!

What a week !!

Wow what a week it has been.  Between all of the work and personal things as the TTC (Time till Christmas) keeps ticking away, I have been going non-stop.  Thanks to those that have stopped by to read what I have been thinking.  Surprisingly there have been more than 1 or 2!

Oh well, more later.

Greener Pastures in India??

Businessweek.com posted an article by Rachael King about how outsourcing is extending beyond India.  Apparently some developers working in India are becoming frustrated with the ability to get things done there. 

It seems to me that the whole outsourcing debate is simply the latest fad in the global economy.  The first companies to take advantage of the costs associated with an operation in India were able to take advantage of those costs.  As more and more companies enter into India, the number of workers available to do the work is going down and now the workforce is moving from job to job to better their positions and income.  These factors are now raising the cost of doing business in India.  Makes sense to me.

One need only look to Japan of 20 years ago for a similar trend.  I can remember in the 70’s and 80’s when everyone said that Japan was going to be the only economy left.  The pundits predicted that all of the jobs in the United States would leave for Japan because the cost of doing business was so much less there.  Well now we see that the economy is moving beyond Japan to China.  Some of the work previously done in Japan is coming back to the United States! (Toyota Motors now assembles cars in the United States)  The same thing is going to happen to India. 

As time goes on many of the companies that tried India are now moving some of their business operations back to the United States.  It seems that some things do not work so well in India!!  (Ever talked to an account representative in India?? — Seems that they are always named Bob to John??!!)  In short, the customers have complained and the companies have heard the voice.  They are now moving back to the US where the complaints and the overall cost of doing business will be less when one factors in the cost of lost business to the bottom line.  Similarly they are now looking for the next big outsourcing location.  Perhaps Nepal??!

Simply put — this stuff is all cyclical.  Wait 5 years and the jobs that are going to India will be back here.

UCLA Hacked - 800,000 affected

CNN is reporting that UCLA’s computer system containing social security numbers and other vital information was hacked between October 2005 and November 2006.  Some 800,000 people’s records could have been compromised.

What is going on with this picture?  How can it be that someone was trolling around in the system for over a year without being caught.  Apparently they realized there was a problem when they started noticing strange search requests.  Makes me wonder whether they were looking at those requests earlier. 

I thought computer security people would have learned from the blow up about the Veteran’s Administration records etc.  Seems that every week there is another report about a security lapse.  And some people are still concerned about using a credit card online!  That is the least of our worries when it comes to protecting our identity!

Olympic Bomber being driven Insane

CNN has a report that the Olympic bomber has written letters of concern to various media outlets regarding his prison conditions.  He believes that his time in the Supermax prison in Colorado is driving him insane.

Gosh isn’t that a shame.  Does he really expect to generate sympathy from people?  Of course I suppose there will be an element that considers his treatment inhumane.  I consider setting off a bomb with the intent of harming or killing people to be inhumane.  He has gotten what he deserves!

Changing Face of Connectivity

Robert Scoble posted an article on his blog about how he was using his web enabled verizon card to get online and check traffic reports.  His post got me thinking about how the internet has and continues to change our world.

Ten years ago we could not even have thought about how one could use the web to check on current traffic conditions.  For that matter I would imagine that only the most committed wireless user would even be able to do that not.  But then things are changing.

I would immagine that within a few years we will have this type of connectivity wired directly into our cars using the navigation system that is already in many vehicles.  One can only imagine how far this type of thing will go in the future.

Maybe we will be able to dial up our local Starbucks and order our drink before we get to the store so that all we have to do is stop for a second and pick it up!  We will see.

New York Times Reader

For those of you who enjoy reading the NY Times, head over to the web site and download the reader.  It is a standalone program that keeps a copy of the NY Times right on your computer.  I have found it to be very user friendly and is always available even when I do not have a wireless connection.

Burnout

Following on my recent post about connection fatigue, I read a post by Jory Des Jardins regarding worker burnout.  Interesting stuff. 

I am sure that most people have worked in an environment where it takes everything they have to get out of bed and go to work in the morning.  Being in a position now where I have some control over the work environment I appreciate the fact that it is often the interaction of the people and the pressures put on those people rather than the work itself that causes burnout.  I just hope I can continue to remember that as the organization grows.

Now I just wish I could go back and help some of my previous employers understand that.  HA

Iraqi President "Insulted"

CNN is reporting that the Iraqi president finds the Baker report on the Iraq war insulting.  While I don’t necessarily agree with all of the findings in the report, I do believe that the Iraqi government needs to step up and get its act together.

Sooner or later the Iraqi people themselves need to understand that they must take responsibility for control of their own country.  I remember back to my early political science classes where one of my professors made the point that all political power comes from the people.  This is true even for the most brutal dictatorships in that the people are not willing to rise up and remove the dictator.

Come on Iraq - get your act together and take over!

Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico

Looks like Congress finally got its act together and expanded offshore drilling.  Finally the Republican Congress is getting together and pushing the legislation that should have been passed months ago.  Too bad it took the loss of both houses of congress to get something done!