Author: christoffer
-
Why I wear headphones at work
To stay in the flow, I need to cancel out distractions. I listen to all sorts of music at home, but at work, there’s mainly electronica. I’ve not really thought much of it before I read this blog by Andrew Johnson. Pro tip: Try out In-Ears with foam tips. They work best for me, as…
-
This feels so familiar
This XKCD comic illustrates something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. There are just too many instant messaging protocols / services. I’ve got contacts in different settings who all use different instant messaging apps. In most cases, I try to stick with SMS and e-mail. The problem is with services like Facebook, which gives…
-
Apple, what are you doing?
The reason I switched from Windows to Mac, was because of instability and unreliable features in the earlier Windows versions. Building OS X on Unix seemed like a good idea, if you want a stable foundation to a secure operating system on. It has served me well, since a lot of applications that are a hassle…
-
How to improve productivity @ work
I’ve recently been thinking about how different users utilise a multiple monitor setup at home or in the office. A mulitiple monitor setup will, in many cases, help improve productivity, by making you spend less time in context switching when looking up information. However, it seems some users struggle with distractions. [nytimes] Developers seem to unite on…
-
Long slow death of offshore outsourcing?
Heres an informative article on offshore outsourcing of service and application development. The article, written by Robbie Clutton, Director of Pivotal Labs, is from the beginning of 2016 and covers an important topic. He argues that offshoring hinders a nimble organization and time to market will be significantly more swift, with an in-source team. A…
-
War of the Operating Systems
What operating system should I choose? Have you asked yourself the same question? This is how I look at the three big providers: Windows, Linux (all distros seen as flavours of one), and lastly macOS. Disclaimer: I have used OS X as my primary OS at home from 10.3 Panther, and I am at El…
-
Don’t design what the user wants
I’ve worked in different IT departments over some years now, and Mr. Sueoka @ The Mobile Majority hits the nail on the head with his short article: “Don’t design what the user wants.” The user describes what he/she wants based on the context they’re in. For some users, an e-mail for every notification could sound…
-
Abstract data warehousing and Rolls Royces
When should you use data abstraction in your data warehouse? (Short answer: when it is profitable for your company) Cisco has a nice introduction on the best practice of using data abstraction in your Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW). They argue that the best practice is to transform your data from its original form, into what your…
-
How to work in an open environment
The last 30 years or so have given a remarkable change in the frames around how we work in an office environments. From closed cell offices via cubicles into an open environment. From name tags on the doors into «free seating». The response have been mixed. Some employees have sincere and well founded concerns about…