Yoo-hoo!! Google's Web Search just found my blog for the very first time. I fed it my blog's name and it found me. Still, the blog doesn't seem to be completely indexed yet.
And what's even more strange, Google's Blog Search still doesn't find me... That's odd.
19-apr-2008 update: It seems Google's Blog Search has caught up with it's brother. Finally!
Thursday 17 April 2008
Wednesday 16 April 2008
Goodbye ZoneAlarm!!
I have been a long time user of the free ZoneAlarm Firewall. I think it is the most wonderful free firewall application for Windows since a very long time. In fact, I can remember using it before I got Windows XP. Today ZoneAlarm asked me to install their latest version. After having zigged and zagged around their commercial offers I downloaded the free version and installed it. After the obligatory re-boot I fired up my Firefox and to my surprise... I see an enormous fat ZoneAlarm Spyblocker toolbar. Did I ask for it? No, I didn't! I can't remember having seen and ticked an opt-in button! I really hate all those "free" toolbars. They disguise themselves as a handy search engine, anti-spyware add-on or what-not. But the bottom line is: I use Google for all my search-engining so I really don't need anything else, thank you! And most "free" toolbars are really just spyware anyway. So, when I found the ZoneAlarm toolbar staring in my face, I guess something just snapped.
I didn't just uninstall the wretched toolbar. No-o-o-o!! I just uninstalled ZoneAlarm altogether and went on to switch on the Windows XP firewall instead.
...
Talk about an unexpected turn of events, hey!
I tested the firewall on ShieldsUP!. It gave me a full stealth result. Well, obviously my NAT-router is definitely helping out a bit ;-)
So, from me, it's Goodbye ZoneAlarm and good riddance!!
I didn't just uninstall the wretched toolbar. No-o-o-o!! I just uninstalled ZoneAlarm altogether and went on to switch on the Windows XP firewall instead.
...
Talk about an unexpected turn of events, hey!
I tested the firewall on ShieldsUP!. It gave me a full stealth result. Well, obviously my NAT-router is definitely helping out a bit ;-)
So, from me, it's Goodbye ZoneAlarm and good riddance!!
Sunday 13 April 2008
Prioritising e-mail
I had a discussion with some colleagues about the best way of handling e-mail messages. The most heared problem is that people tend to get distracted by the "you have new mail" signals their computers are configured to flash, whenever an e-mail message arrives in their inbox. Once new mail arrives, those signals coerce the user to immediately check to see what's new. This greatly distracts people from their task at hand.
E-mail is just like the telephone. A dictator of your time and attention. When I'm talking to someone and the phone rings, it's extremely annoying when the conversation is stopped in favour of answering the phone. It's even more annoying when the phone call drags on and appears to be of no added value whatsoever. The main problem is that this consumes time of at least two people who could have otherwise had a more productive discussion.
New mail messages take up only your own time. But, that doesn't make it less of a problem. Once you've dealt with the mail, you'll need extra time to get focused again on the task at hand. And the question remains whether you can get back on the train of thoughts that you jumped off of when the new mail arrived. I've known myself to get distracted so much that I couldn't remember where my thoughts were going for several hours. Talk about loss of productivity.
There is an alternative: Switch off the new mail announcements and make a plan. For example, plan to check your mail (1) in the morning right after starting up the computer, then (2) just after lunch and (3) just before going home. To help me process my mail as efficiently as possible I tend to classify my mail according the flowchart below.
(Click on the image for a larger view)
Have fun, don't get stressed out.
E-mail is just like the telephone. A dictator of your time and attention. When I'm talking to someone and the phone rings, it's extremely annoying when the conversation is stopped in favour of answering the phone. It's even more annoying when the phone call drags on and appears to be of no added value whatsoever. The main problem is that this consumes time of at least two people who could have otherwise had a more productive discussion.
New mail messages take up only your own time. But, that doesn't make it less of a problem. Once you've dealt with the mail, you'll need extra time to get focused again on the task at hand. And the question remains whether you can get back on the train of thoughts that you jumped off of when the new mail arrived. I've known myself to get distracted so much that I couldn't remember where my thoughts were going for several hours. Talk about loss of productivity.
There is an alternative: Switch off the new mail announcements and make a plan. For example, plan to check your mail (1) in the morning right after starting up the computer, then (2) just after lunch and (3) just before going home. To help me process my mail as efficiently as possible I tend to classify my mail according the flowchart below.
(Click on the image for a larger view)
Have fun, don't get stressed out.
Friday 11 April 2008
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