Security flaw turns Gmail into open-relay server - By Joel Hruska

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080510-security-flaw-turns-gmail-into-open-relay-server.html

Spam accounts for 95% of email....I believe it. Email, Gantt charts and the PM Triangle need to be done away with.......yea, that's it...they need to disappear - things happen, email systems break..sometimes they just fall and break - that's right. PM Triangle? Gantt chart, well let's just say I don't recall ever seeing them alive in the first place anything about them. - EGR






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I have a Brain!

There has been some speculation in regards to what's inside my head...but that's another topic. I'm a huge user of mind mapping and have looked at TheBrain a few times, but I recently had 5 minutes to spare and was unhappy with the ability to put a martial arts site together....so 1 + 1 = http://masystems.org/
I'm currently using the free version, but plan on upgrading soon. The desktop version is more robust, I'm assuming some of the features are improved once I pay for the thing...but overall - it got my site to where I wanted it to go......it's different from the standard website, which is good, takes a little to get use to BUT provides me with a platform to slowly grow a content specific site where much of the content is really on other sites (wikipedia). I was able to add images, video, etc....very neat tool........

(image via: http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ0ZFP46JC&sub_cat=75)

Good reading from Baseline

8 Ways To Save Your Next Project

Inside IT Project Failure: Deadly Project Lust

#1-remove the shackles of the PM software and get to work
#2 - fall in love with the project benefits not the project

James Burke - Connections

New if you were there when it first aired on TV - but very very interesting:

There's no end

The more questions you ask - the more answers you find. I was reading a book on IA and one of the book's topic's was designing by metaphor....according to Webster.com, a metaphor is a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea. Here's some links on the subject:
http://www.philosophe.com/design/metaphors.html
http://www.uoregon.edu/~uophil/metaphor/gui4web.htm
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/designbymetaphor
All interesting reading....my new question is, with all this information about how to design web sites, all the creativity in the world, etc....why do all (most) websites look and act alike.......did we find the pinnacle of design? or the most acceptable mediocrity?

Typical of most web sites:

• top banner
• top/left navigation
• center content
• advertising
• some nice graphics (sometimes).
  

The PHP Anthology

To keep up the pretense that one day I'll be a hard core programmer - every so often I'll pick up a book and read it...really read it, not page by page read, but pick out interesting sections and deep read. Not only does The PHP Anthology provide good solution for specific relevant problems (email, forms, etc.) - the biggest benefit is the appendix where source code management, code documentation and unit testing are discussed. Good book - very useful information for real programming.

Is this tomorrow for software development?

To date, I've been involved with two projects through oDesk and I have to say, it's been a very positive experience! From registering, to reviewing open job requests, interviewing, accepting, working and completing - the entire process is simple and clear. In my mind Web 2.5 is all about removing the middle people (political correct version of middle men) - where the supplier is working directly with the consumer, reducing costs, confusion, etc. oDesk does this for IT (and associated) providers. There are obvious adjustments that need to be made for working in this model, but the potential of direct access provides the benefit in this model. Here are some basic thoughts:

• Costs will be driven down with barriers to remote resources removed
• oDesk's management of payments, reviews of providers, etc. reduce risks of management and resource quality selection
• Remote resource/project management will gain more focus
• Open source will expand even more (remote providers are more likely to utilize free/open source tools - GO PHP!)
• Project Managers/Analysts will need to adopt to more remote resource communication (adjust terminology, detail level, etc. as required)
• On-Shore (US) consultant agencies, development shops, service providers will need to adopt...or else

All interesting and positive in many ways!

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