Net Neutrality.. say what?

Ok, so if you've been watching tech news at all in the last few days you're probably heard the phrase "Net Neutrality" thrown all around, and you've probably heard the name Thomas Wheeler (The Chairman of the FCC) tossed around with it, and likely a couple dozen words you wouldn't let your daughter hear.  But here's the real question, what is Net Neutrality, and why should I care?

"What is it?"

Net Neutrality is basically the "Immortal Declaration" of data, that all data is created equal.  Different software or services use different protocols, different ports, styles of transmission, etc.  Basically Net Neutrality says that it doesn't matter either way, data is data and it's all treated the same way, none getting higher priority or faster speeds than the other.

"Why do I care?"

Because if Comcast is allowed to charge for one company to get "faster conduits to users" then the smaller companies out there that can't afford those kinds of things are going to be slower.  Let's clarify this a little more with a very simple example.  If you've got a line that can carry 1000 megabits per second, and two companies are equal over it, they each transfer at 500 megabits per second.  Now company number one pays a premium, so they get 700 megabits per second instead.  The other client didn't pay anything, but they're now being punished by getting lowered to 300 megabits, because that's all that's left.

"But why do I care about that?"

Well, you care because this means smaller companies will be facing bandwidth handicaps, which will cause service issues they can't hope to resolve.  You care because the truest nature of the internet, the fact that it's unbiased, unmoderated, pure data is now gone and you're only getting passable service from the few that are paying the most, while the rest are lost in the crossroads.  You care because the "small guy" trying to start his business with an amazing idea will fail because he's being forced out by big companies, not because the idea was bad.

"No, really, why do I care?"

Jeez, you're really a jerk... ok, you care because your own experience of the internet will be defined not by creativity, or new ideas or passion, it will be defined by who paid more to get it in front of you while the rest of the servers in the world time out.

Am I saying to protest, or get frantic, or start writing letters?  No, I'm saying to know what's going on, be aware, and alert, and then make your own choice on what to do.  Now you know the basics, go read the news and do your research, or don't, and leave knowing just a little more than you did yesterday.

Later!

Hey Coders - They're ALL your customers!

So last week I posted about how to treat customers, now I want to make a point or two aimed at developers, coders, and the like.  In case you didn't realize it, everyone, everywhere is your customer.  Let me explain with a retail example.

Let's say a company makes a widget, they then distribute that widget through wholesale distributors, who then sell the widgets to stores who then sell to customers.  When a customer buys something and it's broken, they take it back to the store.  The store then tells the distributor, who in most cases will exchange it and send the bad one back to the manufacturer.  Guess what, that means that every link in that chain is, directly or indirectly, a customer of the manufacturer.

Well for developers it's even worse.  Everyone in your own company is your customer.  The salesmen showing off your product can't have it break or fail.  Your manager is basically your distributor, and other departments count on your code working for their livelihood as well.  Then the clients you're selling your program too are obviously your customers, but anyone logging into that software, like your client's clients, are also your clients indirectly.

You, as a developer, need to remember to try your best to consider your code from the perspective of every one of those link in the chain.  Your job, like anyone else, is to make your customers happy (if possible) and functional, so don't forget to look down that chain every now and then, if you can ask how they like it, but especially remember to not shrug them off because they're approval is even more relevant than your manager's.

Set your gambling limit...

Most people know that before you go gambling at a casino you should decide what your cut-off is.  Me, I usually take fifty dollars.  If I lose it all, then it's gone, and I do something else with my time.  If I win then I can on the fly decide how much to re-gamble, up to that original fifty so that I never end up in a hole I can't dig out of.

Well I did some thinking on this and I think the same principal applies, in some ways, to any development project even though we don't always think about it.  Every project manager has to weigh the risks of starting a new project against the risks of enhancing existing ones.

Now I'm not saying that employing software developers is a gamble, but rather that you need to have in mind how much you're willing to put into a project before your investment (the gamble) outweighs the possible return (the winnings).

As a developer, sometimes it's hard to accept that there are times when a really good idea just isn't worth doing because of the time/personnel investment.  So just keep in mind your resources, your goals, and how much you can "risk" to get where you want to be, and you'll be able to plan out reasonable steps that get larger as you go, and who knows where you'll end up!

PC part picker

This is just a note for all of you PC builders out there.  Last week I discussed the build vs buy debate, so I thought I'd make a short note today and just share a site I recently started using.

PC Part Picker is an amazing resource (www.pcpartpicker.com) that is an ideal starting point if you want to go the build route.  You can start with any part you like, though I'd suggest picking your CPU first, and then it will show you motherboards that fit that chipset.  Then you can progress through the process, comparing prices, brands, and reviews as it narrows down what parts will work together automagically.  It also shows you a historical graph of the cost of the pieces you've picked, bundles that include them at various online vendors, and more.

If you're looking to build something economical, outrageous, or just for fun this is a great site for you.  If you have a login, which is free, you can even save your builds and share them with friends (or G+) for advice or comments.

So go check out www.pcPartPicker.com today and build your perfect machine, whether it's the under $300 special or the $10,000 monster machine!  Have fun!

How about some common curtesy please?

With the advent of the internet's plethora of chat mediums, from IRC, to AIM, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ (remember that one?), and all kinds of other texting communications I think we're starting to lose touch with our manners.  Let me give you an example.

A coworker of mine whom I have quite a bit of respect for always starts his IMs with a "hi".. usually followed by "how are you" before he even starts talking about work, or his question, or reason for making the contact.

It's worse than just chat though, remember a long time ago, people used to say hello on the phone, ask how the other person was, what was going on, THEN get to the reason that you called?  It was called proper manners.  Now it's "Hi, I need..." and I'm as guilty of it as anyone else is.

Here's the thought... next time you IM someone, say hello first.  Ask how they are, and let them answer too!  Instant gratification and massive increases in communication speed might just have a bigger cost than we realize at first...