Categories
Connecting

Foobar

This is a real red letter day. It’s a day when I come out in defense of a Tim O’Reilly event, rather than the opposite. I’m sure it will be appreciated about as much as my criticism, which is to say not. Regardless, it is the fair thing to do. The event is Foo Camp, and […]

Categories
Connecting

The ABCs of frank online talk

A: “I want to have a frank discussion.”   B: “I’m game.” C: “Me, too.” D: “That’s what’s great about this environment–the honesty and openness.” E: “Whatever you want to talk about, I’m cool.” F: “Yo!”   A: “Well, the software I’m using is pretty good, but the license says I can’t help a friend […]

Categories
Semantics Web

The business of algorithms

Recovered from the Wayback Machine. Algorithms are big business. Recently I’ve seen several jobs where the company wants someone who is “…good with algorithms”. Microsoft is competing with Google is competing with Yahoo to hire the best algorithm wranglers (which evidently, according to the article, does not mean women). IBM is releasing it’s unstructured data architecture (UIMA), including it’s […]

Categories
Diversity

Sigh Friday

But I don’t knit. I agree with Lauren. Sigh. Other good takes on the interview: Home Cooked: “What these comments consistently fail to do is explain why women’s activities have been forced to take place in the realm of the domestic, and how their talk has been dismissed as trivial compared with the seriousness of the […]

Categories
Just Shelley

Uncle Sam owns my soul

I just finished doing my taxes for 2004. I had filed an extension in April, as I didn’t have money to pay for taxes then. The day of reckoning has finally arrived, and I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I only owe 4.00 for Missouri state taxes. The bad […]