http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Thu, 30 Jun 2005 19:45:44 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/06/30/194544.php Dan HersamI've been working professionally as a software engineer for several years and I learned more in the first 100 pages of this book than from my years of experience in the industry. Scott Berkun provides examples from real world experiences so you don't have to make the same mistakes to learn what you should and shouldn't do.The topic of project management is a potentially dull subject but the conversational tone, with the occasional humor makes the read pleasant and engaging.Even if you're not a manager, the information provided in the book is essential to make you aware of the issues that projects face and what you can do to avoid the common pitfalls of software development.I highly recommend it for all members of a team that has to design, implement, test and deliver (on time, no less) a product in some form or another.Update:To give you a deeper overview, here's a short biography from the back of the book cover.Scott Berkun worked for 10 years at Microsoft Corporation on projects including Internet Explorer, MSN and Microsoft Windows. He worked for two years in Microsoft's engineering excellence group, teaching and consulting with development teams. He currently works as an independent consultant in project management and product design and he runs the pmclinic, a friendly discussion forum on project management issues at www.scottberkun.com.Incidentally, I was first introduced to Scott's work by subscribing to the pmclinic mailing list. If you're involved with project management issues, the forum is a great way to learn how others are solving the problems and challenges you face on a regular basis.Now on to the book. If you want to get a firsthand glimpse of the writing style and content, chapter 3 is available for free at artofpm.com (here's a direct link to the PDF).I've included the table of contents to give you a clear idea of what is covered in the book. I've summarized the chapter summaries to give you an broad overview of what's covered in each chapter.1. A brief history of project management (and why you should care) The long history of project management, dating back to the Egyptian pyramids, the general role of a project manager (PM), how to find balance in what you do and what you should and shouldn't do (e.g. you should help to coordinate different members of your team, you shouldn't micromanage your team). I. Plans2. The truth about schedules Schedules allow for commitments to be made, allow people to see their contribution to the project as a whole and enable the tracking of progress. Even when schedules slip, they still have value. They should be made with skepticism understanding that all estimates are probabilities.3. How to figure out what to do Different projects demand different approaches to planning. A discussion of the process of gathering and writing requirements, how asking questions forces good thinking and how to use problem statements to define and communicate requirements.4. Writing the good vision The value of a well-written, relevant vision document and what makes them useful.5. Where ideas come from The quality of ideas, why not to think outside the box and why ideas are only good or bad in relation to the goals of the project.6. What to do with ideas once you have them Changes will cascade through a project. The use of affinity diagrams to consolidate ideas. How to track questions that need to be resolved before specifications can be completed. II. Skills7. Writing good specifications The three things specifications should do. The difference between specifying and designing. The simplest way to define and control spec quality.8. How to make good decisions Sizing up decisions before spending too much time on them, the most flexible method for comparative evaluation and how information and data make decisions for you (Hint: they don't).9. Communication and relationships How to get people to do their best work, the communication bottleneck, other common communication problems, the easiest way to improve relationships.10. How not to annoy people: process, email, and meetings Why people get annoyed, how to run useful meetings and how to accelerate progress and prevent problems.11. What to do when things go wrong No matter what you do, things will go wrong. Common situations to expect and how to learn from them, the value of negotiation, how to help your team deal with different kinds of pressure. III. Management12. Why leadership is based on trust How to build trust and how it is lost. Using delegation to build trust, responding to problems while maintaining trust and the core of leadership: trusting in yourself.13. How to make things happen Ordered lists, prioritizing, how and when to say no, handling the critical path and keeping the team honest.14. Middle-game strategy How to take corrective action, what to do when your project is out of control, milestone-based planning and how to use change control.15. End-game strategy Big deadlines are a series of small deadlines, how to improve your team's ability to hit dates, the postmortem process and what to do when your project makes it out the door (Hint: be very, very happy).16. Power and politics The different kinds of political power, when power is misused, the political constraints to consider and how to solve political problems. Books31845@blogcritics.org Thu, 30 Jun 2005 19:45:44 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/08/103155.php Dan HersamI started reading this book several weeks ago and I had a hard time getting into it. Cosby chronicles his encounter with a 30% clogged artery and begins a meandering discussion about food and health. The prose is annoyingly repetitive and he doesn't provide any particularly useful or extraordinary information regarding his health or how to improve yours.Lest you discount my opinion as the ranting of one who never liked Bill Cosby in the first place, I should let you know that I'm a longtime fan of his. I have seen his stand up routine live, I used to listen to his records as a kid and could recite many of his routines by heart. I used to watch The Cosby Show regularly.My beef with the book is that it should have been in audio or video form. It looks like he took a standup routine and put it on paper, losing the very thing that makes him funny: him. I'm sure I'd be singing a different tune if he had read the book out loud because he would have been able to add his facial expressions, sound effects, pauses and voice inflection that has made him one of the funniest comedians around.In the end it was a major disappointment. It wasn't laugh-out-loud funny, even when I tried thinking of how he would say what I was reading but it just didn't work for me. I still think he's a great comedian, but his work as an author left a lot to be desired. Having never read any of his other books I can't say if this is indicative of his other works, but I still look forward to the next time I get to see the dentist routine. Books19596@blogcritics.org Wed, 8 Sep 2004 10:31:55 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/11/092750.php Dan HersamIt may not be at the top of the bottom list, but my #1 worst movie, Battlefield Earth, got more votes for the worst movie of all time than any other on IMBD's Bottom 100 list. It's nice to know my bad movie radar agrees with over twelve thousand other people.I'm curious to see some of the movies in the list for entertainment value. It could also be good fodder for MST3K-like banter. I noticed that Police Academy 4, 5 and 6 are all listed, as well as Police Academy: Mission to Moscow. Video18527@blogcritics.org Wed, 11 Aug 2004 09:27:50 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/05/25/201718.php Dan HersamI thought about signing up for Netflix but decided I didn't want enough movies to warrant the price. Now there's a new service called Peerflix with a different model. Instead of borrowing, you trade, and you can keep them as long as you want.There are three steps to using the service:1. Create a list of movies you want, and a list of movies you own.2. Send your movies to your peers, and receive movies in your mailbox.3. Send them on to the next peer to receive more.It seems like a novel way to get rid of old DVDs and get new ones.(Also posted at Amidst a tangled web) Video15982@blogcritics.org Tue, 25 May 2004 20:17:18 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/05/10/142057.php Dan HersamNow presenting, the Singhsons, the lesser-known East Indian cousins of the Simpsons.(via Ed) Culture15553@blogcritics.org Mon, 10 May 2004 14:20:57 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/04/05/034206.php Dan HersamThe Prince & Me was a quaint movie. It wasn't particularly profound nor did it cause you to take a new look at the world around you, but it was entertaining. I especially liked the music and during the movie I thought I recognized a familiar raspy voice singing. I found out that not one, but two of the songs in the movie were sung by none other than Marc Cohn, one of my all-time favorite artists. He plans to release a new album this year, so the fact that he has two new songs is encouraging that the plan is still on track.As is usually the case, marccohn.org was way ahead of me on the scoop. Marc rarely does anything that the web site doesn't have information on.In the movie he sings Tom Waits' song "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You" and a song he co-wrote with John Leventhal titled "Man of the World." Both are worth a listen.Read other articles at Amidst a tangled web Music14402@blogcritics.org Mon, 5 Apr 2004 03:42:06 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/03/17/164251.php Dan HersamWhen I tell people I'm a fan of Marc Cohn, they usually say they've never heard of him. Then I explain that he sang "Walking in Memphis" and a glimmer of recognition appears on their face as they say, "Oh, I know that song."Well, Cohn is at it again after his longest break yet. His fourth album will be forthcoming, but in a forward-thinking move he and his management have shown who matters to them. They have given an MP3 to his fan web site (he doesn't have an official one that I know of) to be made freely available for download for one month. The song is One Safe Place, and the lyrics are there too. They're short and sweet, just like the song.Get it while it's hot. Remember, it will only be available on that site for a month, starting today and ending on April 17, 2004.First posted on Amidst a tangled web Music13827@blogcritics.org Wed, 17 Mar 2004 16:42:51 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/06/161412.php Dan HersamThe Guardian made a list of the top 40 US bands out of all those that currently perform. I won't spoil it for you, but I have never even heard of their number one pick (though they sound like they could use a lifetime supply of chap stick...). Am I just out of the cool new music loop or is the author a bit loopy all on his own?I don't know who would be on my list, but it would be quite different from what is on this one.(First posted on Amidst a tangled web) Music12463@blogcritics.org Fri, 6 Feb 2004 16:14:12 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/03/165214.php Dan HersamIf Randy Wright and his students have their way, the next time someone asks you about the US Constitution (I'm sure it happens all the time), you will be able to find the answer in your wallet.Wright, a middle school teacher in Ashland Virginia, is working with his students to pass the Liberty Bill Act. The purpose of the act is to place a condensed version of the Constitution on the back of our $1 bill.The Liberty Bill web site has a mockup of how the bill would look, as well as lots of links where you can find more information about the bill, what they've done to promote it and how to join in on the effort.(First posted on Coin Collecting - The Hobby of Kings) Culture12336@blogcritics.org Tue, 3 Feb 2004 16:52:14 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/07/17/015343.php Dan HersamI had no idea what I was in for when I popped Hourglass into my stereo, but that's how I wanted it. I wanted my first listening experience to be untarnished by the opinions of others. Remember, I knew nothing about the band before listening to them.The first song gave me the impression that they were a young band figuring out their sound. The album has a huge variety, from heavy hitting bass and loud guitar to soft lyrical pieces with carefully arranged harmonies. It felt like they didn't know what they liked better. Their music had the feel of a garage band. It sounded like the type of music you'd get from a friend who heard the band at a party. The reason I say this is because many of the vocals aren't in synch with one another, making them sound unrefined. The lyrics also sounded amateurish and too simple at times. The guitar solo towards the end of "What's In Your Heart" was too long for my taste and not well suited to the song. It reminded me of Marty's infamous guitar solo in Back to the Future, where he goes berserk, confusing the rest of the band and ending in stunned silence. Okay, so it wasn't that bad, but I would have preferred a shorter solo.If my remarks have given you the impression that I didn't like the album, you're dead wrong. It's baffling I know, but in spite of the negatives, I liked the album. I like the fact that it's not overproduced and doesn't have a manufactured, fake sound. This is real rock n' roll. When you listen to them sing, it's as if you're in the same room singing along. Speaking of which, on the way home from work I was harmonizing with the song as I often do and realized the harmony I had come up with was identical to what they were singing. Now how can you dislike a band with such impeccable taste?My favorite song by far is "Image." It has a mystical, wistful feeling that I can't get enough of. The lyrics add even more meaning to the song, discussing the image that people try to fit into when their true personality is being obscured.These aren't cookie-cutter songs calculated to make a buck. This is thought-provoking music that is meaningful and palpable. Like a good pair of jeans, the songs get better over time.I have yet to think of a similar band. At first they sounded like Weezer, then Crosby, Stills and Nash and then Peter, Paul and Mary (well, sans Mary). Even that list of groups doesn't do them justice. I'm just going to have to face the facts; they sound like Glass Harp. However, in this reviewer's opinion, the sounds of Glass Harp is well worth a listen. Music7004@blogcritics.org Thu, 17 Jul 2003 01:53:43 EDT