Author: Gregg Eldred

This is a weblog with some basis in IBM/Lotus Notes & Domino software, when I feel like it or think of something that might be interesting. Other than that, we'll see where this goes. The views expressed in this blog are mine alone, and do not reflect the views of NextStep Technologies, LLC. If you think otherwise, you are mistaken. © 2003-2020 NextStep Technologies, LLC. All rights reserved. The rights to all logos, images, etc., are owned by their respective owners.

Dash4Dosh 2014: A Quick Overview

There will probably be a few blog posts concerning this adventure over the coming weeks. This post is simply a quick overview.

Stuff I brought but didn’t need:

  1. Flashlights. I brought three little LED flashlights but didn’t use any of them. Thankfully, they didn’t take up hardly any room at all.
  2. Ben’s Wipes. Brought two packages of these excellent tick and insect repellent wipes but only used two wipes. Total.
  3. Leatherman. While I didn’t use it, there is no way I would travel without it.

Stuff I should have brought:

  1. USB 1TB hard drive. It was selfish of me to think that others would have the space to copy all of my GoPro movies to their computers. I owe Paul a debt of gratitude for copying my movies to his Mac. It won’t happen again.
  2. More dark t-shirts. Wearing a white t-shirt is ridiculous when you are wearing it for more than one day. Because of the technology in the undergarments I was wearing, I could wear the same outerwear for more than one day. White is very bad choice of colors. For obvious reasons.
  3. One more Smartwool Icebreaker t-shirt. This shirt is made to be worn several days in a row without smelling while providing excellent wicking properties. To wash it, simply put it in a sink with a little soap and water, wring it out, and it will be dry by morning.
  4. A one man tent. However, as I rented a bike, there really wasn’t any room on the bike for a tent. I will know for next time.

5742.9km (3568 miles). It was a lot of fun, though it wasn’t easy. Especially on a rental bike. However, I would, in a minute, join Chris, Paul, Vladimir, Roy and Arvid on another trek. Wherever it may be. They are exceptional riders and a lot of fun.

I’m already hoping that we embark on another adventure next year. Route 66 in the US? Another European adventure? Scotland and Ireland? Whatever it is, I will be there.

Open Mic Webcast: Notes Traveler Support – Common issues, Interim Fixes, Q&A – 30 April 2014

Anyone else get this invite just a day or two ago?

Join members of the IBM Notes Traveler Development team as they share information on supporting IBM Notes Traveler, including common issues, Interim Fix deliveries and more. After a presentation, attendees will be given an opportunity to ask our panel of experts questions. Throughout the event, attendees will also be encouraged to comment or ask questions in the IBM SmartCloud Meeting Web chat. Join us for this interactive, educational, lively session.

Topic: Supporting IBM Notes Traveler – Common issues, Interim Fix deliveries, Q&A

Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Time: 11:00 AM EDT (15:00 UTC/GMT, UTC-4 hours) for 60 minutes

More details, including call in numbers, web meeting URL, and more, can be found here.

 

Dash4Dosh 2014: An Update

We are less than a month away from riding motorcycles to the Arctic Circle, via Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway. And camping. God, are we REALLY camping? We must be, I have a sleeping bag, a camping pad, and a spork. Paul Mooney bought a tent! (let that sink in for a minute).

Never before have I asked for donations to any sort of cause. Yes, I support those that ask, but fundraising just isn’t my thing. When Paul setup the Dash4Dosh 2014 JustGiving page, and I saw the £4,000 goal, I thought “We’ll never make that number.”

Today, I am totally crushed by the outpouring of support for our cause.

Dash4Dosk2014target

“Thank you,” while appropriate, doesn’t adequately convey how truly humbled/amazed/chuffed I am with the support we’ve received.  Well, it’s either that, or you’re hoping that with adequate support, you can gleefully wait for some “interesting” posts/photos on our Facebook page which will come back to haunt us for . . . decades. If that’s what it takes, so be it.

Our calls over Skype have increased in number, as we head into the final weeks of preparation. What seemed like a great idea has turned into impending reality. Yes, I have purchased a sleeping bag, camp pad, spork, proper riding boots, survival suit, and a new helmet. But now starts the race to Denmark, when I have to make sure that I have everything I will need for this adventure. I have a list, now it’s time to work through it.

Oh, and there’s a small detail about hiring a bike. It seems that the business where I was to get my bike is now bankrupt. Others offered me their bikes, but what they meant was “bicycle,” not “motorcycle.” Everyone’s a comedian.

What will we see in Norway? Here are few pictures to give you an idea of what we will be living.

Atlantic Road

Lysbotn Road – This is heaven for riders.

A fjord we will see

Thank you, again, for your support.

 

 

Dash4Dosh 2014: Riding to the Arctic Circle

I really haven’t figured out a good opening paragraph to this story. Too many thoughts going through my mind (giving back, relatives lost to cancer, father beating cancer, and so on). So, let’s cut to the chase.

I have scheduled eleven days of my corporate provided holidays to join Paul Mooney, Sean Cull, Vladimir Veletic, and Chris Harris, to meet up with some friends from Denmark, and a few support cars, and embark on a motorcycle ride that supports Macmillan Cancer Support. This isn’t just a little ride around the countryside (okay, so, technically it is). For me, it is a ride from Copenhagen, Denmark to the Arctic Circle. The others, Paul, Sean, and Chris will be riding from Ireland/Wales/UK to meet me in Copenhagen, I will be taking the “easy” route and flying into Copenhagen.

Trust me, I looked into having my bike shipped over there. While the cost was high, it was the fact that I would be without my bike during prime riding season in Ohio that made me decide to hire a bike for the adventure.

The route is a bit fluid, but in general: through Denmark heading east->the east coast of Sweden->Finland->West to North West Norway->South the west coast of Norway->back to Denmark. If I still have time to make my flight back to Cleveland, I will follow the other riders west through Denmark and bid them a fond farewall at the ferry dock. Then, back to Copenhagen and catch my flight back to Cleveland.

Total mileage for me will be around 3,600 miles. Riding about 8 hours a day. It is a long haul. On roads that are not highways. Speed is strictly enforced.

We are paying for this ourselves. However, we have setup a donations page for Macmillan Cancer Support here. Please support us, whether that is with a donation, good vibes, or sharing this page with your friends and relatives.

Paul will have a page dedicated to the trip, so you can follow along virtually with us. I will be bringing my GoPro, so that later, you can witness the trip. And the rain (Paul is coming, after all).

Hopefully, I can lobby the group to stop here.

 

Liberté! Publicis ditches Lotus Notes

Back in July of 2013, I wrote about Publicis moving from IBM Notes to Exchange. Now, seven months later, it appears that the holding company is starting the migration.

It’s official: Publicis Groupe is ditching Lotus Notes. The long ad agency email nightmare is over.

The holding company’s staffers collectively sighed in relief this week when they heard news it is switching to Microsoft Outlook for its email needs instead.

“This is quite possibly the greatest day for employees in their history of working for Publicis,” said an exec at one of its global media agencies.

“I was brought to tears with joy,” added another.

More >

Social Media: I’m Doing it All Wrong

Fame and fortune are just a few mouse clicks away and I easily let it go by me.

Whether they’re getting retweeted by members of One Direction, or liking the Hunger Games Facebook page for a chance to be included in the movie’s credits, today’s teens are directly interacting with pop culture — celebrities, movies, music, and, increasingly, brands — in ways never before possible.

Tweet pictures of yourself at a Lady Gaga concert, and maybe she’ll call you from the stage — a moment sponsored by the cell phone company Virgin Mobile.

Send Beyonce your selfie, and maybe it’ll be included in the Pepsi-sponsored intro to her Super Bowl halftime show.

Do kids think they’re being used to promote these brands? Do they care? Or in a new teenage reality where being Internet famous seems to be just a click or a post away, does the perceived chance to be the next big star make it all worth it?

In Generation Like, an eye-opening follow-up to FRONTLINE’s 2001 documentary The Merchants of Cool, author Douglas Rushkoff returns to the world of youth culture to explore how the perennial teen quest for identity and connection has migrated to social media — and how big brands are increasingly co-opting young consumers’ digital presences.

More >

Frontline’s story is fairly amazing; from the amount of information that kids will share to the lengths they will go to have followers and likes. Then to see the parents of those same kids encourage them . . . well, it’s a new world and one where I don’t have to worry about that behavior from my sons.

As one commenter wrote, “If you’re not paying for it, you’re the product.”

Google: How Not to be a “Glasshole”

On its website for Glass, Google has posted advice for testers in its current Explorer program and, presumably, the folks who will be entering the world of Glass when the headset goes on sale to the public . . .

DON’T: Be creepy or rude (aka a “Glasshole”)
Yes, Google itself used the derogatory term “Glasshole” (although it’s been massaged into a description of bad behavior, as opposed to its broader meaning as a slur, voiced by some critics, used to describe anybody wearing the headset).
This is the flip side of the first entry.
“If you’re asked to turn your phone off, turn Glass off as well,” Google writes. “Breaking the rules or being rude will not get businesses excited about Glass and will ruin it for other Explorers.”

More >

“Glasshole.” I wonder how long before that word is included in our lexicon and our dictionaries?

Two Step WordPress Authentication: This Won’t End Well

Looking at my Security settings, there does not seem to be a method to resend the QR code to my phone. However, I have printed out my backup codes and have used one of them. I’d like to know how I generate a QR code to my new phone in order to have two step authentication work.

I believe that I am well and royally screwed.