Continue reading »]]> So earlier last week, I tried to set up SharePoint 2013 via PowerShell (New-SPConfigurationDatabase and onwards from there), when it came time to set up search, it was crashing with a slew of different error messages (a moving target, my favorite type of situation when I can best refer to the situation as “Search is broken”.  After looking on the Internet and consulting Microsoft Technical support, I got nowhere with this issue.  Finally rebuilt the farm, using the Farm Configuration wizard this time, and everything worked great!  I talked to the support rep I had been working on with this, and he confirmed that they’re investigating issues with SharePoint, PowerShell setup and search.  Strange, but I refused to buy it,  how could the way I’ve setup SharePoint server affect a Service Application?

So today I’m setting up a SharePoint dev machine for myself, for giggles I attempt the same PowerShell setup, and again Search is not working with various issues that looked a lot like what I was dealing with earlier.  What do you know…Service Apps can crash based on type of SP Setup now.  I reprovision farm using PSConfig this time and all seems well.

Bottom line, for the time being I’m setting up my SharePoint 2013 farms with the Farm Configuration Wizard and PSConfig on the command line for now.  Very very odd…

Continue reading »]]> People, SharePoint Designer is dead, give it a graceful burial and other than for a few niche things (Such as Workflows), let’s just move on…

So how do you build master pages now?  First I got me a copy of Microsoft Expression Web 4, yes I know it’s deprecated support-wise, but it’s awesome.  Sharpened my CSS and HTML, and got cracking on a new master page.

Next I got familiar with SharePoint Design Manager inside SharePoint 2013.  It’s a bit awkward at first, expect that your first pages will be ugly, but as you get used to it, you’ll see the power…it’s the only way to create master pages now…

Anyways I’m getting scattered reports of people having had problems with search after they’ve setup SharePoint with PowerShell (if you used the command: New-SPConfigurationDatabase in SharePoint 2013, expect to have Search issues).  MS Technical support has told me that they think this is a potential bug in SharePoint 2013.  Strange considering the setup and the service applications are really supposed to be dis-connected.  What can you do short of using psconfig in command mode or the good old configuration wizard.

Continue reading »]]> First serious installation over the last week and today.

Should SharePoint 2013 have gone back into Beta?  Five attempts at setting up search via PowerShell or GUI/Central Admin and the damn thing still won’t set up right.  Either error messages in setup or shortly thereafter.

Like some of the changes they have done with theming (.spcolor files…yesssss!!!!), but why did you have to eliminate design mode in SharePoint Designer?  Now I gotta relearn design again…

The look is very classy, but taking the 2010 look with customizations to 2013 just leaves everything mangled.  I’d suggest reloading your sites with the 2013 look and feel outright.  Don’t try to shoe-horn 2010 master pages into 2013.

Continue reading »]]> A common trend these days is to pick businesses that are not going to be around in the next year, 5 years, etc.  Here are my pics for businesses that are gone for sure by this time next year.

• Blockbuster video – already most of the stores in Northern Colorado are gone.  On-Demand and cheap DVD’s at your favorite store are taking over and they just keep hemorrhaging cash.

In the next 5 years:

• Sears – if  they could pull something bold out of their hat to get out of this death spiral they’re in, they might have a chance (new store concept, etc.) but they just can’t seem to think right
• Radio Shack – Too bad about this one, but they went from a place where I could find an archaic gizmo or gadget, to a place that tries to imitate Best Buy (another one on some people’s death clock), and does a lousy job of it because they’re smaller than Best Buy.  Just not workable.  If I were at the helm I’d cut down on the number of stores and play up my online offerings as best I can.  Hope for the best.

Companies on many death clocks but I think will make it:

• Microsoft: Still has plenty of cash, and has anybody looked at the new Windows Mobile?  It’s pretty cool…now if it could only get on the Sprint Network…speaking of…
• Sprint: When they catch up building their LTE networks, the customers will come back to their unlimited plans, they’re still a terrific value on the mobile world
• Best Buy: Everyone thinks the world of dedicated electronics stores is going away, but when you’re the only Mass Electronics retail store in Northern Colorado, amongst other areas that’s got to mean something.  Best buy pretty much stands alone other than the Internet (and do you really want to pay shipping on that new 60 inch TV?) and Big Boxes like Wal-Mart (who have nowhere near the selection).

Continue reading »]]> I think I mentioned somewhere in my blog that I joined Toastmasters at some point.  I’ve been functioning for some time now as VP of education and have given a few speeches now.  A recent speech of mine concerned “Cyber-Security, more than just your IT team.” On why end users need to be more vigilant about their security situation on the Internet.

Every speech has an evaluator for that speech.  Your evaluator could be just about anyone in your Toastmasters club.  My evaluator was relatively under-skilled with computers, when she got up on stage and gave me my evaluation she said to me “It just went *whoosh* over my head”.  Now I had made it a specific point to get my speech down to where the end users could understand, avoiding all technical jargon (I didn’t even use the term “phisher” I just left it at “attacker”.  This evaluator was my target audience!  I WANTED her to understand the importance of knowing right from wrong on the Internet, and yet I didn’t make it through.

I’m going to have to work with end users (in particular I’m pointing my evaluator to this post) and figure out just what I’m doing wrong here.  I have few ideas as to what I’m doing wrong.  Is it possible I’ve been in the IT world so long as to where the basic IT concepts just come naturally to me?  Never fear I shall try again….

Continue reading »]]> (I know, it’s been awhile since I last posted, sorry for anyone really watching my page)

Anyways people keep telling me the Desktop (and even laptop) is dead.  I’m going to sum this up in a few words why it’s got some time to go:

1. Until a Tablet or a Console can give me an IDE I’d want to use to develop/build apps on, I’m developing on a desktop
2. Performance, Desktops are usually the fastest machines out there, followed by their laptop brethren, if you need speed, there is only one way to go
3. Familiarity, sorry I just got grandma trained on a desktop, I don’t want to have to teach her a new phone or tablet too…
4. price per hertz, try this, take the number of megahertz/gigahertz your tablet claims, multiply by the number of cores, then divide by the price tag, then take the resulting number and do the same with your desktop, then compare.  Feel you’re being had in the Tablet world yet?  PC’s in performance terms offer far better bang for the dollar.  I take some exception to the smart phone world where the prices you’re paying are not the real prices, as most people inevitably take the Smart Phone subsidy from their provider in exchange for a 2 year contract.  So to level the playing field, make sure you look at the “unlocked” price for that phone, after all your desktop doesn’t obligate you to any 2 year contracts with anyone normally (I remember a few ISP’s offering subsidies for 2 year Internet service contracts awhile ago, but hasn’t been done in awhile).

And I’m sure you’ll find more reasons if you look.

Continue reading »]]> For the last 20 years you have provided Minesweeper with windows, and all is good.  Minesweeper is a fun easy game and we loved it.

Now, you’ve monetized it, shown advertising around the game and offered to let me spend money to remove the advertising with Windows 8 pro.  This is deplorable, screw you Microsoft.

You see, this has made the game unplayable for my daughter.  Who was starting to get good at Minesweeper, beating the beginner level at age 5 no less.  However when she cried to daddy for help with the computer, and I went over to see what was wrong, I found her with a browser window open to the local Honda dealer, she has the dealer contact form open with her first name entered in all the fields trying to figure out what is going on (She learned to type her name in the computer, but didn’t realize that nothing in that box was going to help her).  I peel back windows and trace it back to a Honda ad Minesweeper gave her that she accidentally clicked on.

This scares me Microsoft, I went through a lot of trouble to create a hassle free environment for her, using paid, ad-free software and you just screwed me on this, with one of the simplest games rendered inaccessible to her.  Unless I either cough up dough, or just uninstall Minesweeper.  Likely, disgusted at the whole issue, I’m uninstalling Minesweeper.  Granted I don’t know what she’ll click on next.  Will she next somehow manage to buy a Honda?  Or since you’ve judged her old enough to buy a car shall I expect to see online personals ads next?  Will I find her up on Zoosk or Match.com before her time?  The possibilities scare me to no end.

So Minesweeper is gone on my computer, may it rest in peace.

Continue reading »]]> Way baaack when, before I had a kid (more or less was a kid myself), I loved gaming on a computer.  I still do to some extent.  In my high school days, SimCity 2000, DOOM 2 and Civilization II rocked!

Fast forward a bit to my College years with all night LAN tournaments playing StarCraft (the first), and Diablo II, Civilization III and SimCity III.  Life was awesome in gaming-land.  Out of College Civilization IV came out and it’s still on my computer…

However I don’t spend much money on games these days, why?  Because of this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007FTE2VW/ref=s9_simh_gw_p63_d2_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=152D0XRJ0JKRN4KK1RDT&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846

It’s something that has been creeping up in the gaming industry for sometime.  Obsessive control of the gaming experience.  To the point where I spend $60 and hope there are no connectivity issues to my servers when I want to play my games.  $60 spent to hope that in 10 years I can still play my game anymore (Don’t laugh, I still play DOOM 2 and SimCity 2000 on DOSBOX/Virtual machines every now and again, I’d like to say the same for SimCity 5 but I just don’t think that’ll happen).  Also I’d spend $60 to be told I’m going to have to spend $20 more for “upgrades” not just a new expansion but to put a subway system in my SimCity? Jeesh, talk about stuff you’d take for granted…

So what’s my gaming like nowadays?  On my Desktop now we have Civilization IV, and for my daughter a few games out of the Microsoft App Store like “Cut the Rope” and “Where’s my water”, at least those newer games were mere $5 investments, and they’re playable if I disconnect my PC from the Internet.  Also Minesweeper is still a classic favorite.

Congrats gaming world, you’ve turned me from a big gaming fan, to a small gaming fan.  If this keeps up I’ll become a non-gamer in no time flat…

In the meantime anyone up for a round of Civilization IV?

Continue reading »]]> So, after reviewing my expense account and noticing a few new entries hitting my “American Express corporate charges” that I don’t recall, I took a closer look.  Apparently Amex charged me $78 for a few late charges that I didn’t see before.  Upon closer examination I saw that indeed, I left a balance on my Amex card for 3 months and now they wanted their money….DOOH!

I took a closer look at the expense, realized that I’d have to classify it personal as well, meaning Sogeti wasn’t going to cover it.  Double DOOH!  So I decided to call Amex and beg and plead for forgiveness, here was my call in a nutshell:

Amex: How can I help you?

Me: Hi there, I owe x on my credit card, includes $78 worth of late charges on an expense that was an oversight on my part, can I beg you guys REALLY nicely to get rid of those and I’ll send a payment on these?

Amex: Absolutely, $78 in late charges are gone, and I’ll process your x payment for the remainder.  Have a good day!

Me: That’s it? No sparring over the charges or anything?

Amex: Nope, just one condition…

Me: Yes?

Amex: That you yell as loud as politely possible “I Love Amex”

Me: “I LOVE AMEX” *loud enough so the building lobby I’m in definitely hears it…*  heck I’ll put it on my blog and my favorite forums.. that was too easy.  I think I’ll get my personal card back to Amex again.

Amex: Glad to hear it!

And who says calling customer service has to be a nightmare?