Twitter is here to stay, and has become a potent communication tool in many industries. I recently received a request for advice on how better to use Twitter, and thought I would share some of the lessons I’ve learned over the years as an avid IT industry tweeter.

• Twitter Zen: A Global Conversation like No Other The most important concept to grasp is the fundamental nature of Twitter: It is an ongoing, global, democratic conversation. It is not a blog, USENET, Facebook or MySpace, or an instant message platform, though it does have certain elements of all of those.
• Twitter Zen: Setting up Your Account When you create a Twitter account, you will be asked to enter some profile information, including your name, URL, description, and photo. All of these are critically important: Many people will look at them to decide whether they want to follow you. If you have not set these up, other Twitter users likely will ignore you!
• Twitter Zen: Joining the ConversationIt can be difficult to start using Twitter, since you must decide who to follow and it will take some time before people follow you back, let alone interact with you. Imagine yourself walking into a room full of interesting people, all having conversations with each other. Do you expect everyone to notice that you have arrived, stop what they’re doing, and greet you warmly? Or do you expect that you will need to find someone interesting and join their conversation?
• Twitter Zen: The Four Conversational ParadigmsTwitter can be confusing for the uninitiated, and the fact that there are effectively four different ways of viewing it certainly contributes. Although the main Twitter stream seems like a unified set of short messages, clients view it in very different ways.

That’s the series so far. But I’ve had questions and comments, and intend to write more in the future! Watch the series url, http://foskettservices.com/series/twitter-zen/ or this page, or maybe even follow me on Twitter!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2012. | Twitter Zen: My Tips For Newbies
This post was categorized as Ask a Pack Rat, Personal. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

I'll be returning to San Jose for another Tech Field Day event this week

This is an exceptionally busy but rewarding week. I’m traveling to the San Jose, CA area for two events I’ve organized: The OpenFlow Symposium and the second Networking-focused Tech Field Day. I’ll be surrounded by some of the smartest and most interesting folks in networking all week, which is both daunting and exciting for a storage guy like me. I invite my readers to follow along on Twitter, in blogs, and through live streaming video.

The OpenFlow Symposium

OpenFlow is a huge challenge for datacenter networking. OpenFlow is a type of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) in which a controller directs the actions of switches using a standard protocol. It’s really in its infancy, having burst onto the scene after promising deployments at Stanford, Google, Yahoo, and similar massive scale data centers. Now the enterprise networking folks are starting to get interested.

Greg Ferro of Packet Pushers and Etherealmind has been a partner on Tech Field Day planning since the very beginning, and he helped put together the OpenFlow Symposium concept. It’s a simple event, with two long panel discussions planned for Wednesday. But actually pulling it off was quite a challenge!

Our OpenFlow panel includes experts from key companies in the space: BigSwitch Networks, Brocade, Cisco, Juniper, and NEC. We’ll also welcome end-user experts from Google and Yahoo, and the whole thing will be moderated by the Packet Pushers crew.

I expect a very lively discussion on the technology involved as well as the basic concept. Ivan Pepelnjak of IOSHints has been very critical of the need for OpenFlow in general, so it’s great to have him involved as a Devil’s Advocate!

Networking Field Day

The Tech Field Day concept has really grown beyond my wildest expectations. Beginning with a one-off “Gestalt IT” event in 2009, we’ve now blossomed to include a number of focused events including this week’s datacenter-networking themed Field Day.

Networking Tech Field Day 2 (“Net Field Day”) has become the go-to event for the best independent networking folks, and we’re pleased to be bringing back many folks from our 2010 event as well as some newcomers.

Presentation-wise, we’ve got some solid returning companies like Juniper, Force10 (now part of Dell), and Cisco. But we’re also glad to welcome Brocade, Gigamon, NEC, and networking startup Embrane.

Stephen’s Stance

I’m thrilled just to be part of the great group of companies and thought leaders who are gathering in San Jose this week. To be the “ringleader” and orchestrator is more than I thought possible! Watch live at TechFieldDay.com Wednesday through Friday, and join us on Twitter. If you’re in the area, drop me a line – maybe you can join us at the Symposium or our Thursday night party!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2011. | Networking Field Day and OpenFlow Symposium
This post was categorized as Enterprise storage, Everything, Gestalt IT, Personal, Virtual Storage. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

whith·er – Adverb/ˈ(h)wiT͟Hər/
1. To what place or state: “whither are we bound?”.

VMworld always generates buzz, but news of a major push to change the basic access method for enterprise storage took many by surprise. Extending the work already done with VAAI and VASA, this new development takes VMware storage integration to a whole new level. But the one element of announcement caused alarm for many: VMware’s admission that they would be working with just five major enterprise storage companies to develop this technology. Missing along with the many exciting storage startups is Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), undoubtedly a major player in the industry.

HDS and VMware: Expertise and Partnership

Where is HDS in VMware's roadmap?

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) is perhaps not as well-known as storage giants EMC and NetApp and server leviathans, IBM, HP, and Dell. But HDS is a major player in the industry with a long history of innovation and expertise in storage and server virtualization.

HDS has lately driven innovation in virtualization of block storage (the VSP), object storage (HCP), midrange performance (AMS), and recently announced they would acquire enterprise NAS contender, BlueArc. Although not quite market leaders, HDS has a huge base of enterprise storage customers and a broad product line from midrange to massive scale.

HDS was right there with EMC and NetApp at VMware’s original announcement of VAAI, even as the mainstream products from IBM and HP lagged months behind. And HDS’ Chief Scientist, Clais Mikkelsen, assured me at their “Geek Day” earlier this year that his company was deeply involved in developing the VAAI specification with VMware. Indeed, VAAI was a major theme of the presentations back in March, with Virtualization Product Manager Michael Heffernan dazzling us with his knowledge of the subject.

You might also like reading Concerning HDS and VMware VAAI Storage Array Support in Plain English

Wherefore Art Thou, HDS?

Now that all that has been said, consider how startling VMware’s omission of HDS was when outlining “VAAI 3.” This is a huge snub for such a major player in the industry with deep expertise and a long history of partnership with VMware. Contrast this to IBM and HP, who were notably absent in many earlier discussions of VAAI, and are still working to bring VAAI to all their platforms. Only HP’s LeftHand and (ironically) Hitachi-sourced XP/P9000 arrays included VAAI plugins from the start. HP’s 3PAR had VAAI too, but HP didn’t have that yet.

Many will likely blame EMC, claiming their influence on VMware (a child company) pushed HDS aside. This same line of reasoning was suggested regarding IBM and HP when VAAI version 1 appeared. But IBM and HP (not to mention NetApp and EMC’s new rival Dell) are at the table this time around, and EMC seems far more concerned by competition from them (not to mention new startups!)

So Where is HDS?

Let me get this straight: WMware is NOT working with HDS on next-gen VAAI storage?

Perhaps this is all some sort of gigantic mistake. Maybe the VMware presenter simply failed to include HDS in his list. Or maybe HDS didn’t choose to get involved this time around, though I can’t fathom why. I put the question to HDS on Twitter over the weekend and hope to hear some sort of answer, though I fear that a convincing response might not come.

The HDS response was unsurprisingly nonspecific (and surprisingly "teen txt-spk")

The only response I got from HDS was a tweet from Claus Mikkelsen stating that HDS and VMware “work all levels to deliver solutions” and that there was “more 2 come.”

What does this mean? I can think of a few possibilities:

1. HDS is way beyond every other storage company, and the “VAAI Cabal” are themselves the odd ones out, trying to keep up with HDS’ “L33T” tech and VMware influence
2. HDS was indeed omitted from the list and possibly the “cabal” and are busy working in the background to make sure they’re included in the future

Personally, the second possibility seems much more plausible.

Update: Some responses to this post:

• Exclusion or Not? (Scott Lowe of EMC)
• VAAI Posturing (Chris Evans)

Stephen’s Stance

If VMware aims to transform storage presentation, and is working with major storage vendors to make it happen, HDS ought to be part of it. Their history, technology, and market position earn them a spot in the “VAAI Cabal” and their omission was a bombshell to industry-watchers like me.

Then there is the other question: What about the startups? Innovation in enterprise storage is often driven by new companies, and VMware would be better served by working with the likes of Tintri, Nutanix, and Fusion-io than the same old major players. But this, as they say, is a topic for a different day.

Disclaimer: I’ve never done business with HDS, but they did fly me to the UK for their 2011 “Geek Day” along with a number of other independent bloggers. I have attended similar events sponsored by HP, IBM, and EMC. VMware, EMC, Dell, HP, and NetApp have sponsored Tech Field Day, and I am currently writing for an online community supported by IBM.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2011. | Alas, VMware, Whither HDS?
This post was categorized as Computer History, Enterprise storage, Everything, Gestalt IT, Virtual Storage. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

Symptoms of an Outage

"There is an issue with your modem or your Virgin Mobile account"

I first noticed the Virgin Mobile USA outage around 11 AM on Monday. I was in Las Vegas for Cisco Live 2011, and could not get online to prepare for and report from the event.

The MiFi refused to connect (not that unusual in the wide open spaces of the USA) and shortly began reporting an error message (shown above) when I tried visiting web sites in Safari on the iPhone.

One of hundreds of identical tweets sent by @VMUcare on July 11

AT&T was also having 3G issues in Las Vegas at the same time, so I had to disable 3G to get my iPhone online. Once it was running, I headed over to Twitter to check what Virgin’s @VMUcare account had to say. Sure enough, there were hundreds of messages about a “national 3G and text/MMS outage“.

Alarmingly, the Virgin customer service line +1(877)877-8443, was busy or could not connect. They were totally unable to assist customers!

This outage lasted most of the day, with no official status updates beyond “our engineers are working to resolve it as soon as possible.” In fact, I’m not sure Virgin Mobile USA even has a network status update page!

The Fix: Reset and Reboot

"Not Activated" is not a good sign the day after an outage

This morning, I contacted Virgin’s social media customer support email again, asking for a status update. The brief response suggested I should “perform a master reset on your device located in the bottom.” I had no idea what that meant, but presumed they were suggesting some sort of factory reset.

Rather than poking a paperclip into the hole by the battery compartment (since I didn’t have one and didn’t notice that hole), I decided to reset it in software.

The "Factory Reset" button is located in the "Advanced" menu's "System Status" tab

I logged into the device’s administrative interface, then clicked “System Status” under the “Advanced” menu. At the bottom of the page is a button to “Reset to Factory Defaults”, which I clicked.

You have to "lose everything" to get back online!

After a warning, the MiFi rebooted. I reconnected to the admin interface (after remembering that the password is “admin”) and reset it to my taste. I was finally back online!

Stephen’s Stance

As an IT guy, I know that outages sometimes happen. But a nationwide data outage that lasts almost a day and leaves devices unable to reconnect is serious. And a complete lack of any customer service availability or system status notification is absurd.

Virgin must immediately build better customer support processes and create a system status page; not everyone uses Twitter after all! And I expect a credit from them, since I just lost a substantial amount of my paid service at a critical time!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2011. | How To Reset Your MiFi and Get Back Online with Virgin Mobile USA
This post was categorized as Everything, Personal, Terabyte home. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

The Eye-Fi promises simple connectivity for digital cameras, but does it really work?

One reason the smartphones like the iPhone are gaining ground on purpose-built cameras is their instant connectivity: Take a photo and you can immediately share it on Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, or other popular sites. Wouldn’t it be great if your SLR or digital camera could do the same? This is the promise of the Eye-Fi card: It adds Wi-Fi connectivity to most popular cameras, enabling you to transfer photos directly to your laptop or the Internet. If only it worked.

Introducing the Eye-Fi

The Eye-Fi card is a marvel of engineering. Now in its second iteration (X2), the Eye-Fi is a standard SD card with a built-in Wi-Fi radio and smarts to handle connecting and transferring images. It’s really amazing to think that that tiny card has a whole computer with Wi-Fi inside it!

Check out my follow-on post to see just what lurks inside the Eye-Fi X2!

But the Eye-Fi is more than a card. It’s also an online service (Eye-Fi View), software application for Windows or Mac (Eye-Fi Center), and app for iOS or Android that enables photo sharing. The card is useless without these applications and services.

The Eye-Fi card is compatible with most cameras that take SD media, and many (including my Sony NEX-5) have special support for the card. My NEX includes an on-screen icon showing card status, and will keep the camera powered on while images are being transferred.

The X2 Generation

Last year, Eye-Fi upgraded the hardware in their Eye-Fi lineup. These new X2 cards are a huge upgrade, as you will soon see, and were enough to finally push me off the fence and buy one. I purchased a Connect X2 card at Wal Mart, which sells them for a reasonable $39, as does Amazon.

Earlier Eye-Fi cards required a known Wi-Fi network to do anything at all, limiting their usefulness. But the new X2 series (including the Connect X2 I purchased) has a “Direct Mode” capability, allowing the card to act as a limited hotspot to transfer photos to a laptop, tablet, or phone when no network is in range.

Eye-Fi Features and Services

All Eye-Fi X2 cards offer the same features and services – for a price. Even my lowly Connect X2 can be upgraded to match the Pro X2′s geotagging and public Wi-Fi support. The only really Pro-exclusive feature is RAW file transfer. But none of these added features is actually worth that much, as you will see. I recommend the base Connect X2.

Eye-Fi inexplicably leaves the Geo X2 off their comparison table. And they’re not exactly generous with the information. So here’s my own Eye-Fi comparison table, and I’ve included about the nicest regular SD card I could find.

	Patriot 32 GB SDHC	Eye-Fi Connect X2	Eye-Fi Geo X2	Eye-Fi Mobile X2	Eye-Fi Pro X2
Speed	Class 10 (10 MB/s)	Class 6 (6 MB/s)
Connectivity	SD Reader	SD Reader, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi with Direct Mode
Capacity	32 GB	4 GB		8 GB
RAW compatibility	Manual import only				Yes
Sharing	Manual	Automatic to Flickr, Facebook, etc
Geotagging	No	$29.99 option	Yes	$29.99 option	Yes
Hotspot Access	No	$29.99 per year			First year free, then $29.99 per year
List Price	$84.99	$49.99	$69.95	$79.99	$106.99
Street Price	$50	$40	$70	$72	$90
Price With Geo	N/A	$70	$70	$102	$90

Direct Mode

This is the real killer feature of the Eye-Fi X2 line. When the card isn’t in range of a known Wi-Fi hotspot (and has photos to transfer) it will create its own ad-hoc network for local devices. Once connected to this network, laptops, tablets, and phones can transfer photos at Wi-Fi speed directly from the card.

I’ll write more about it in a follow-on post, but suffice to say that Direct Mode is the only feature worth paying for and it’s included free on all Eye-Fi X2 cards!

Geotagging

Geotagging seems like an awesome add-on for a digital camera, and it is surprising more don’t already include it. Sites like Flickr and applications like iPhoto make great use of location tagging, and the iPhone automatically tags all photos.

But the Eye-Fi has two major strikes against it when it comes to geotagging, and these combine to reduce the value of this feature:

1. The Eye-Fi cards don’t have a GPS receiver, so they have to triangulate location based on nearby Wi-Fi access points. This gives innacurate location data at the best of times and is completely worthless off the beaten path.
2. The Eye-Fi doesn’t tag photos when they are taken but rather when they are transferred by the Eye-Fi software. This means that any images imported directly off the card won’t have geotags.

The limited functionality of Eye-Fi geotagging means it’s simply not worth paying extra for. There goes the $69 Geo X2 from Apple, as well as the $29 upgrade for Connect X2 users.

Hotspot Support

Basic Eye-Fi models only recognize hotspots you program them for, but the top model can access a wide range of public hotspots automatically. This is also available as an extra-charge item, priced at $29.99 per year.

Hotspot access was very valuable in earlier Eye-Fi models, since there was no way to transfer photos without them. But the X2 cards, with their Direct Mode, offer a better alternative at no cost. It’s definitely not worth buying a Pro X2 card for hotspot access, since it only includes one year of service.

SDHC Class 6 and Wireless-N Speed

The Eye-Fi X2 features two performance and compatibility improvements over previous models:

1. SDHC Class 6 compatibility means the card can now keep up with today’s fast shooting and megapixel-heavy cameras. This is more important for HD video, but some cameras (like my NEX) can tax Class 4 (40 MB/s) cards in speed shooting modes, and Class 6 (6 MB/s) might not even be enough. In fact, I did encounter some “cannot write” errors when using the Eye-Fi card, and I attribute this to the card still not being fast enough!
2. The new X2 cards support Wi-Fi “N” networks. This is more about compatibility than performance, since the card can’t transfer fast enough to tax a “G” network anyway. But folks like me who have “N-only” networks at home appreciate it, however.

Neiter of these features are deal-breakers, and neither adds much to the Eye-Fi experience. But both are welcome updates and keep the cards from becoming obsolete in today’s world.

Which Eye-Fi Card Is Best?

Normally, I have to waffle a bit when recommending a purchase. After all, some people might need to drive a Ferrari, right? But the Eye-Fi is a special case, and a single answer will do:

If you decide to buy an Eye-Fi card, get the cheapest Connect X2 model and don’t bother with any upgrades.

Seriously. The added features in the upscale Eye-Fi cards are worthless in real-world usage. Don’t buy them.

1. Stepping up to 8 GB of capacity isn’t all that valuable in a connected card, and this is some seriously expensive capacity
2. Eye-Fi geotagging is just about worthless, so put it out of your mind and don’t be tempted
3. Public hotspot usage will just be frustrating, and Direct Mode allows the card to function without it

In my next post, I will discuss my real-world experience with the Eye-Fi card, and end with a disappointing recommendation.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2011. | Introducing the Eye-Fi X2 Card
This post was categorized as Apple, Personal, Terabyte home. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

EMC’s $3 Billion Announcement

The events of January 18, 2011 marked a new boldness for EMC marketing. The storage giant is not known as a clever marketing machine, but change is in the air. New Chief Marketing Officer Jeremy Burton was lauded by many today for the bolder strategy, and the company’s management, board, and stockholders must be pleased by his performance.

EMC CEO Joe Tucci kicks off the

EMC’s share price has slumped for almost a decade, yet has risen steadily over the past year. Although lagging behind rival NetApp in terms of growth, EMC shares jumped dramatically over the last three days. As the details of today’s announcement leaked, the stock rose $1.50, or about 5%. With 2.1 billion shares outstanding, this gain represents $3 billion of market capitalization.

While EMC’s engineering team delivered a compelling new unified storage platform as well as solid upgrades across the line, EMC’s marketing deserves much of the credit for the sudden rise in valuation. Opinions regarding the product announcements were positive but not overwhelmingly so. But the “record breaking” theme of the event generated buzz from unlikely corners and drew applause from the audience.

It wasn't clear how packing 26 women in a Mini Cooper related to the product launches

NetApp Decries “Childish” Moves

EMC's Jeremy Burton tweeted this photo of the Minis at NetApp HQ

EMC’s marketing push also included pointed taunts at one key enterprise storage rival, NetApp. Tuesday morning saw a fleet of Mini Cooper cars wrapped in EMC branding parked outside NetApp’s Sunnyvale headquarters, and EMC slogans appeared on the pavement outside at least two offices.

This guerilla marketing tactic was lauded by the EMCers I talked to in New York. They chuckled at the audacious “branding” of NetApp’s offices, passing around photos of the cars on Twitter and internal sites.

NetApp PR director, Roger Villareal, voiced the annoyance expressed by some within that company at the pointed statement made by EMC’s moves. “EMC defaced NetApp HQ sidewalks,” tweeted Villareal, while others speculated about the nature of the marking campaign.

A NetApp contact provided this photo of the sidewalk logo

EMC insiders tell me they used a stencil and power washer to avoid “vandalizing” the NetApp property in a more-permanent manner, but the folks at NetApp were not so sure. One suggested it was “acid etched” and thus a permanent defacement of the property.

Update: Chad Sakac of EMC has unambiguously stated that this was “power-washed with a stencil.” NetApp should be able to easily remove the lettering by pressure-washing the surrounding area.

The presence of branded EMC Mini Cooper cars at NetApp HQ also raised questions. EMC pulled a similar stunt in November of last year, sending in billboard trucks during a major NetApp announcement. The photo of the EMC Minis was first tweeted and uploaded to the YFrog account of none other than Jeremy Burton, suggesting his pride at the action.

Note that these stunts occurred far from EMC’s announcement and would likely only be visible to NetApp employees but for the power of the Internet. Even Twitter, puzzlingly propelled more by NetApp tweets than from EMC, didn’t increase their visibility much. These stunts appear to be designed for the internal consumption of EMC and NetApp employees.

Stephen’s Stance

Another view of the sidewalk lettering

Native Americans of the American plains demonstrated their courage through the “coup” of touching their opponents and escaping unharmed. EMC appears similarly to “count coup” by “tagging” NetApp’s buildings with their logo and message. But what’s the point?

Such stunts are hardly unusual in corporate PR, but uncommon in enterprise storage. It is unlikely that customer buying decisions would be impacted positively by actions like this. In fact, large enterprise customers might be turned off by behavior they view as childish.

The launch of the VNX series, which is obviously inspired by and aimed at NetApp, does mesh with these branding stunts in one way: They show that EMC considers NetApp their main market threat. This must be gratifying to the smaller Sunnyvale company, and should entice the storage teams at HP, Dell, IBM, Oracle, and HDS to step up their games.

You might also want to read Every Company Is Gunning For Someone Else and When Marketing Becomes Pointless

Generating buzz for new products is certainly beneficial to EMC, and Burton’s announcement paid off in a big way in terms of corporate valuation. But mean-spirited taunting, like Twitter fights, will backfire. EMC should focus its newfound marketing muscle on positive messaging, not provoking their smaller competitor.

EMC provided air, hotel, dinner, and some delicious chocolate

Disclaimer: EMC paid for my airfare and hotel accommodations to attend this event. They also took me out for an excellent Sushi dinner and snuck into my hotel room to leave some Lindt chocolates on my bed. EMC and NetApp have both also sponsored Tech Field Day, an event I organize.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2011. | EMC Taunts NetApp: Counting Coup or Poor Sportsmanship?
This post was categorized as Computer History, Enterprise storage, Personal, Virtual Storage. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

Are we training consumers to complain?

I’m outspoken, and I have a platform. This makes me a difficult customer for some and a dream for others. When I have issues with a company or product, I let them know. I detail the problem. I expect a resolution, and I usually get one.

As the old saying goes, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” But why should only squeaky wheels get greased? Why should secret warranties and customer satisfaction squads cater to our complaints? Shouldn’t all consumers be taken care of?

Business Calculus

Of course not! Economically-speaking, businesses should cut corners and maximize profit. An MBA might point out that minimizing service and only resolving issues for those who cause trouble is the right decision. If people will accept an inferior product or service, why not sell it to them?

But there are consequences to this path. If only squeaky wheels like me get their issues resolved, won’t consumers learn to complain louder? And there are opportunity costs when even the shyest customers are abused – they won’t come back in the future. Then there’s the overall risk that a company’s reputation will be harmed by all those complainers, many of whom might not go back and amend their loud public criticism once they’re made whole.

Let’s consider the training aspect. The advent of social media means that consumers have a louder voice then ever. Venting once took place in person, an ineffective venue because it is almost entirely inaudible. “I saw a roach at that restaurant,” a man says to another on the street. Two customers are lost, and no one is wiser. Today, those discussions happen on Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, and 100 other places. And they stick. A roach report can harm a business far and wide, affecting customers who never met.

Businesses responded by adding social media support mechanisms. American Express patrols Twitter with @AskAmex, and my experience is that they resolve problems where regular phone support cannot. When I complained about the hassle of buying a Dell laptop, @DellCares was there to investigate the problem (they did) and resolve it (with a $50 credit). You bet that next time I have an issue like this I’ll blog and tweet and get results. But should I really have to resort to this? Shouldn’t Dell just take care of their customers, keep pricing consistent, and send the machine when it’s ordered?

If a business doesn’t take care of its customers, they may not talk but they will assuredly walk. All things considered, I would definitely be shy about ordering another Dell. I stopped using my American Express card for a while after their security folks freaked out in the middle of my first Tech Field Day and wouldn’t approve my charges. I avoid setting foot in Wal Mart stores. This is a natural reaction to poor service and customer experiences. It’s silent and can prove deadly to a business, and should be included in the cold customer service calculation.

All of this tends to linger as well. I try to set the record straight after the fact, but took a while to get around to amending my post about Dell. But you can’t edit a Tweet, and most customers wouldn’t bother adjusting a negative review. If the experience was bad enough to cue a flame, why expend the effort even if they made the issue right? I wonder if businesses are considering these long-term impacts when making support decisions.

Stephen’s Stance

It just isn’t right. I shouldn’t have to complain to get decent customer service, to keep listed prices from changing at checkout, or to get defective products replaced. Every customer deserves the same positive experience: A smooth purchase, easy delivery, as-advertised functionality, and lifetime quality. The squeaky wheel shouldn’t be the only one to get the grease. Until then, however, I have one word of advice: Squeak!

Image credit: Gear it Up by …-Wink-…

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2010. | On Being a Squeaky Wheel (Where’s My Grease?)
This post was categorized as Personal. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

HTML == XML?

Most web users have heard of HTML, but XML is a much geekier thing. Like HTML, XML is a way of “marking up” a text document to provide hidden clues about the content and how to display it. In fact, modern HTML is (sort of) a subset or category of XML, and HTML documents (the kind you access with your web browser) can be accessed by many XML tools.

Both HTML and XML enclose text in tags. For example, a paragraph would be surrounded by <p> and </p> tags, while a table starts and ends with <table> and </table>. These can be nested within each other, and are commonly deeply nested indeed. Web and XML documents typically have many layers of <div> and <span> tags, for example, and include lists within lists as well.

This somewhat-organized mess creates a “path” through the document leading to pieces of information. This concept is called XPath. For example, a twitter profile page embeds your name deep in the <html><body> path under <div id=”side”>, <div id=”profile” class=”section profile-side”>, <address>, <ul class=”about vcard entry-author”>, <li>, and <span class=”fn”>.

Raw HTML is often organized like this, and this can work to our advantage. If a computer program wanted to pull the full name of a Twitter user out of their profile page, it could look for a <span> element with the class property set to “fn”. It could also look for the <address> tag and pull out some information about the user in the vcard microformat.

importXML

All this becomes very interesting indeed when considering the importXML function in Google Spreadsheet. It will parse a URL as an XML file automatically, and you can tell it to look in an XPath for data. This is very powerful indeed!

Twitter Followers

I think an example will make it clearer. Let’s look up the Twitter follower count of a user. We create a spreadsheet and enter a twitter username in cell A1. Then we put the following formula in cells B1 and C1 and the count magically appears!

B1:

=if(C1<>"",right(C1,len(C1)-10),"")


C1:

=if(A1<>"",importXML("http://mobile.twitter.com/"&A1,"//a[@ href='http://mobile.twitter.com/"&lower(A1)&"/followers']"),0)


This formula looks for a <a href> with the URL including the user and twitter followers, which is a unique HTML element in every mobile Twitter profile. This returns a string like “Followers:1234″, so we use another formula to strip that part out.

Updated 1/22/12 after Twitter screwed up the main page. Good thing the mobile site still works!

LinkedIn Connections

Let’s try something else. How would we pull the number of connections a person has in LinkedIn using importXML? Here’s a function!

=value(substitute(importXML(A3,"//dd[@class='overview-connections']/p/strong"),"500+","500"))

This is a little more complicated. We’re doing the same thing, taking a url from cell A3 that corresponds to the person’s public LinkedIn page, and outputting the content of the <dd class=”overview-connections”> tag. But we’re also using the SUBSTITUTE() function to take the plus sign off a “500+” response and converting it into a value for calculation.

Updated 1/22/12 for new LinkedIn Format

Alexa and Klout

Here are a few more examples. I bet you can follow along now.

Alexa traffic rank:

=value(importXML("http://www.alexa.com/search?q="&E3,"//div[@class='row']/span/a[@href][1]"))

Klout score:

=value(substitute(importXML("http://klout.com/"&C3,"//span[@class='value']"),"klout score",""))

Limitations in Google Spreadsheets

Before you go thinking you can run off and create awesome web applications like this, know that there are some serious limitations. First, Google limits the use of importXML to 50 per workbook. This means you can’t import from hundreds of sources in the same spreadsheet, or even in multiple sheets in the same workbook. Next, importXML is pretty opaque in everyday use. You have to do a lot of trial and error to get the XPath right, and it fails often with #N/A, breaking calculations.

But it’s still pretty useful when creating a spreadsheet that needs to pull in information from outside sources. You can grab all sorts of data this way, from current stock quotes to weather or sports metrics. You have the whole Internet at your disposal – let’s get creative!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2010. | Cool Google Spreadsheet XML/XPath Mojo
This post was categorized as Everything, Personal. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

Insta-What?

Instapaper is a mash-up of social web bookmarking, readability and reformatting, and offline reading. It is an “ecosystem” product consisting of the instapaper.com web site, browser bookmarklets and an integration API, and (optional) reader apps for Apple’s mobile iPhone platforms, including a special iPad version. Instapaper users simply submit items they want to read later to the server and can later come back to them on the web site or in the reader apps.

In practice, Instapaper is much more valuable than it sounds. Web fanatics have famously-short attention spans. Folks like me devour online information, cruising through hundreds of RSS feeds, jumping from site to site, and all the while discovering valuable information. Uncovering gems isn’t the problem when so much great content is added to the web every day.

The primary issue is taking time to read, ponder, and act on what we find, and Instapaper helps me do just that. As I work my way through the continual stream of information I encounter, I use the Instapaper bookmarklet and Google Reader’s Starred Items capability to flag the top content for later. I can then go back and properly focus on these when I have time, whether using the computer at my desk, the iPad by the couch, or the iPhone wherever I am. This simple app has allowed me to extract much more value from the web!

Instapaper Integration

Like the best tools, Instapaper doesn’t try to do everything, but it does enough. In order to tag for later, I need it to be present wherever I encounter good content, and Instapaper is there:

1. I’ve installed the simple Instapaper Bookmarklet in the Safari web browser on my Macs, so I can send anything I find to Instapaper for later.
2. Although it was a bit more complicated, I also installed the Instapaper Bookmarklet in Safari on my iPhone and iPad.
3. Although the stated Google Reader functionality (using the bookmarklet) didn’t work reliably, I managed to get Instapaper synced with my Starred Items feed. See below for instructions!
4. My favorite mobile Twitter apps (Twitter for iPhone and Twitterific for iPad) both support Instapaper tagging, and Twitter for iPhone can even use the readability-enhancing “mobilizer” rendering capability of Instapaper rather than Google’s less-functional mobilizer.
5. In a pinch, I can also email links to a special address.

This comprehensive support means that, no matter where I am, Instapaper is ready.

Twitter for iPhone can "mobilize" web pages with Instapaper or submit them to "Read Later"

Pulling Google Reader Starred Items Into Instapaper

One of the neatest tricks added to the Instapaper iPhone and iPad apps is the ability to use an RSS feed in addition to the Instapaper “Read Later” repositories. This means you could add your favorite web site as an Instapaper folder and read it whenever you are ready. It also means you can incorporate Google Reader’s Starred Items with Instapaper. This capability is not present on the web site, but will sync there once you add it on the iPhone!

Here’s what to do on the iPhone:

	In the Instapaper app, tap the upper-left “+” icon to add a folder.
	This will bring up the “Add Folder” screen. Tap “Go to a specific site”.
	Enter the RSS feed of your favorite site, or for Google Reader Starred Items enter your Reader Shared RSS feed. It will look something like the following: “http://google.com/reader/shared/sfoskett“
	Tap “Go” and Instapaper will add your Starred Items or other RSS feed as a folder both in the iPhone or iPad app and the web site.

Stephen’s Stance

Instapaper brings awesome new functionality to my web workflow, and adds real value to my professional and personal life. That’s not something you can say about most apps on the web or iPhone/iPad. It adds a calm, reflective element to the hyperactive online hypertext experience.

The service is free, as is the basic Instapaper Free iPhone app. But I recommend spending US $5 on the upgraded Instapaper Pro app for iPhone and iPad: It removes the ads and brings killer features including full-screen iPad support, a dark mode (seen above), tilt scrolling, and storage of 250 articles for offline reading. It’s well worth the money!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2010. | Instapaper for iPad and iPhone Enhances My Web World
This post was categorized as Apple, Features, Personal. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

The Human Element

People used to read trade magazines and scour conference halls to uncover product and technology gems, but this kind of research is better done online today. The other day, a friend-of-a-friend tweeted a request to suggest “NAS storage in the $3k to $5k range.” Knowing I would have some suggestions, my friend retweeted the request and I fired back a list of suggestions. Since we were on Twitter, my reply included links to the companies that made the products in question. Back in the old days, this product search might have lasted weeks or months, but I bet jjx had her research done in hours.

EMC World airport bus interview: Karl Lewis of UofM from Stephen Foskett on Vimeo.

So why go to a trade show if not to discover products? It’s all about the people. Increasingly, trade events like EMC World and Storage Networking World are becoming venues to meet people who were previously mere online avatars. They are for building friendships, business development, and cementing real connection and community. A look at my recent trade-show videos on Vimeo will reveal that most of my own interaction is personal, and the relationships built there could never be forged online.

David Scammell talks SNW and SpiceWorks from Stephen Foskett on Vimeo.

The new people I have met, like Karl Lewis and David Scammell, will become part of my own community, and I will become part of theirs. We would have never met without the Internet (Karl recognized me from my blog, and David spotted me on Twitter), but we would never have become friends without real human interaction.

Devolving the Conference

Tech Field Day Overview (Short) from Stephen Foskett on Vimeo.

The same can be said of the Gestalt IT community. We were friendly before we met, but our interactions at Tech Field Day cemented a surprisingly strong bond, especially between the delegates and presenting vendor staff. We are much more a community now than before these events. This is the main reason we will continue the Field Day event series: It brings a new kind of community to life! This kind of interaction might have happened at old-school conferences, but the specific (some might say peculiar) nature of the Field Day (invite-only, independent, and blogger-centric) makes it unique.

Another event I really look forward to is Greg and VaNessa Duplessie’s BD Event. It’s like the Field Day in that it distills a single element from the old trade show days to its purest form. In this case it is the business-to-business back-channel discussion that gets the focus. The BD Event is all about business development, and every part of it is designed to foster the sharing of ideas and opportunities between business people. I love the concept, and I hope I will see a tremendous crowd at the Boston event next month!

Watch live video from The Cube LIVE from EMC World 2010 on Justin.tv

Even traditional conferences are changing. EMC World had a tremendous blogger lounge set up, including an amazing live video setup. SiliconAngle brought us “The Cube“, a live webcast that brought the social elements of the blogger lounge to a massive online audience. My hat is off to NiceFishFilms for their technical expertise, yet it was the human element, getting such diverse people together in the same place, that made it all work.

Stephen’s Stance

The Internet will certainly change many elements of the traditional trade show, but it will never kill the need for real interaction. I look forward to the next clever twist on the conference, complementing Gestalt IT’s Field Day, the BD Event, and The Cube, but do not worry that we will all some day remain in our secluded caves. We are social people, and nothing beats meeting someone face to face.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2010. | Nothing Beats Meeting In Person
This post was categorized as Enterprise storage, Gestalt IT, Personal, Virtual Storage. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.