misc on SWiK

Talks

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:05:48 -0700

I’ve opened a talks page, which is supposed to list slides from my talks at various conferences (well, mysqlconf mostly :) - I had to miss few conferences simply because of time clashes already, so having these public may help someone, maybe. :)

Featured Firefox Extension: RIP Permanently Removes Elements from a Web Site

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:05:03 -0700

Some Random Linux Observations

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:02:38 -0700

Ubuntu is the only Linux distro I know of that has its alpha
releases slashdotted and dugg...which is a real shame; I think there
are more that deserve this treatment from linux media sites.
Different Linux distros and desktop camps should recognize their differences as providing choice instead of being something that makes them different.
They all have the same goals...to get people using open source software
and to provide a great experience for the user. Differences are always
looked down upon. Choice is usually a positive thing. We should be
positive.
When designing a new car, automobile manufacturers don’t
build it first and then draft it out on paper. Likewise, Linux architects should not write the code first before creating a draft or set of goals
(whether it be a paper draft, documentation, or QA test cases) that visualize where you want to go. A visual goal is better than written or said one.
For
every Penguin Pete, there is a Ken Starks. There are times when one
outweighs the other. The nice part is that in the Linux community, the
Ken Starks have a longer lasting impact and touch more lives.
The Linux Desktop will never be “finished” and for that I am VERY glad.
Programmers should be more like the code they write...without bias, structured, and incapable of “talking down”.
Every distro ships with at least one thing broken.
Every distro ships with at least two things broken.
Every distro ships with things broken.
If Linux were a dog, it would NOT be purebred.
People
can get excited about Linux because they can take part in it. People
can’t get excited about Microsoft because they can’t take part in it. It’s the difference between playing in the game and being on the sideline wishing you were in the game.
Categorizing something divides; why are we categorizing Linux and developers?
Linux fits well into big business, but big business does not fit well into Linux

By no means are these meant to point fingers...they are just observations. Do you share some? Do you have more to provide? Please, let me know what you’ve seen in or out of your Linux community.

Debugging PHP applications with xdebug

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:56:08 -0700

5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G - Free Software Foundation

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:46:53 -0700

Free “Webex Style” Online Meetings

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:52:34 -0700

I know this is not directly “Cisco” related but valuable. I have recently been searching for free alternatives for Webex and GoToMeeting for desktop sharing and meetings. I found a few different alternatives. My favorite by far is DimDim.com DimDim.com Yuuguu.com Spreed.com Mikogo.com vyew.com

Public Git Hosting - pauldeden-misc.git/summary

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:48:11 -0700

Umbraco - The Friendly CMS

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:53:12 -0700

Leaflets

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:55:43 -0700

How do YOU Plug Your Blog to Web 2.0?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:11:26 -0700

I’ve been drastically neglecting a few areas of my blog. The main one is plugging it into social networks. I’ve been using things like twitter, pownce, and stumbleupon...but I haven’t truly plugged my blog into these services.

Now there are so many...I don’t even know how to plug them all in

Which services are most important? Which ones are you, the reader, using? Thus far, the easiest way I’ve found to manage things is to choose one service like Tumblr or Pownce and aggregate all other services into it. THEN to use friendfeed.com to envelop them into a stream.

I’m curious as to how others are managing things...I’d like to make Yet Another Linux Blog reach a larger audience and I think that this is a good starting point. So if you have suggestions, please let me know

Tonight's Hell's Kitchen

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:13:08 -0700

Not that I ever watch reality TV shows, but I can't help wondering: if Christina wanted Jen off the show so badly, why didn't she nominate Jen and herself? Or Jen and Corey? She could have forced Gordon's hand.

NASA -

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:56:00 -0700

Firefox Addons :: Mozilla Add-ons :: Add Features to Mozilla Software

Fri, 30 May 2008 06:47:56 -0700

Linux Blog and Blogbridge Link Winners Announced

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:07:40 -0700

In February, I asked for submissions for you favorite linux websites and offered up a link from Yet Another Linux Blog as incentive for those submissions. I’ve selected a few blogs to include not only as a link here, but also as a feature Linux site for inclusion in the Linux Expert Guide at BlogBridge.com.

How it Works

Someone downloads Blogbridge. During installation, it asks them what they are interested in. If they say Linux, the BlogBridge expert guide feedlist is given to the person. This is quite a nice thing for an up and coming blog or even an established one. Congratulations to those selected:

Continue reading "Linux Blog and Blogbridge Link Winners Announced"

Your options, your taxes, and you

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:15:16 -0700

If life were Hollywood, I'd be typecast as The Guy Who Understands AMT As It Applies To Your Company's Stock Options. I get asked certain questions often enough that it's time to write up my answers. But remember, I'm not a tax lawyer or accountant; I just play one in movies. So get real tax advice from a professional.

Two questions are popular. First: "I just joined a company and got some stock options. There's something in the agreement about early-exercising. I understand how options work, but I don't understand why anyone would exercise early. What's the deal?" Second: "Oh boy, we're going public in six months, and the lockup expires 6 months after that! Should I exercise my options now to get the long-term capital gain rate on my zillions in profits?"

There are two considerations when you exercise ISOs (Incentive Stock Options): capital gains, and alternative minimum tax.

If you sell an asset more than a year after you acquired it, you're federally taxed on the profit at 15%. Less than that and it's the same as your ordinary income tax rate, which is probably 28%. So if you exercise your options, that means you buy the underlying stock, and that starts the cap gains period running, and you might cut your federal tax on the profits in half. Note that there are some funny rules for ISOs that effectively change this period for early-exercised stock to two years; either way, it's beneficial from the cap gains perspective to exercise as early as possible.

However, AMT can really screw you over. AMT is like an alternate universe that's even weirder than the normally taxed universe. You're potentially taxed on imaginary income, for example. In our case, the imaginary income is the difference between so-called fair market value of your stock on the day you exercise, and if that amount is large, you have to pay AMT on it, even if your stock ends up worthless by the time you're actually able to sell it.

Here's an example.

On 1 Jan 2008 Joe gets 10,000 options of ABC Corp. at strike price of 5 cents.
On 1 Jan 2010, ABC files for IPO for the coming month of June. The Board of Directors determines FMV of ABC is $75/share.
On 2 Jan 2010, Joe is very excited about the upcoming IPO, so he exercises his options, writing a check for $500 (10,000 x 5 cents).
On 1 Jun 2010, ABC goes public at $100. After an accounting scandal, the stock tanks. Joe ends up selling his shares for $1 each, or $10,000 total, the day the employee lockup expires. Joe's bummed out because he was briefly a millionaire, but still happy because he made a profit of $9,500.
On 1 Apr 2011, Joe's accountant determines that Joe owes AMT. Joe "earned" imaginary income of $749,500 on 2 Jan 2010. The accountant asks Joe to write a check to the IRS for approximately $250,000.00 to pay his 2010 taxes. Joe says "wait a minute, why am I paying taxes of $250,000 on a profit of $9,500??" His accountant says "Because you suck."

Joe should have either exercised on 1/1/2008, or never early-exercised at all. Early exercise avoids AMT and starts the cap gains holding period. Never early-exercising means you pay higher taxes on the gains, but you avoid AMT (and, of course, you don't put any money at risk by exercising).

Obviously, things change if you assume the share price will go down. But you wouldn't be working at that company if you believed that.

Final disclaimer: all of this is probably wrong or at least out of date. For example, I heard from a friend that for 2007 you're allowed to recover quite a bit more than usual of AMT paid in prior years, so the situation is possibly not as awful as it has been in the past. Again, hire a professional.

Salad Nutrition Facts

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:57:36 -0700

The salad I just bought at the grocery store says it contains three servings. Yet it includes only one plastic fork. How rude!

Get a Link from YALB, Become a Featured Site at Blogbridge.com

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:41:17 -0700

I previously blogged about how your website/blog (or one you know of) could be a featured blog for BlogBridge.com. For those of you unfamiliar with what blogbridge is...it's a program that allows you to manage all your RSS feeds that is cross platform.

This 'featured' list is a default list for the "Linux" feed that users can select after installing. If they don't want to add their own linux feeds and would rather use the "expert feed" built in function, they'll download the Syndication list I've created for blogbridge. Sound like something you would like to be a part of?

The response to my initial post was a bit underwhelming...remember, this could be just a blog you read on a daily basis. If you have a linux website you can't do without and it has an RSS feed, let me know about it! If you don't feel like doing that, let the authors of those sites know that they can submit their site. Remember, those I choose will get a direct link from this blog to theirs...which is pretty valuable considering I'm in the top two results in google for search term "linux blog".

So, if you'd like to be considered or would like a favorite website of yours to be considered, please drop me a comment here with link to the site. I'll check it out and announce the selections in approximately 2 weeks.

OpenSVN Public SVN Hosting

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 01:38:08 -0800

Become a Featured Blog at BlogBridge.com Linux Topic Guide

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:07:29 -0800

Would you like to have your blog about Linux become a featured blog on the BlogBridge.com Linux Topic Guide? How about a front page link in the "Blogs I Read" column on Yet Another Linux Blog? If this piques your interest, read on.

I've been a BlogBridge user for quite some time since discovering it with the version 4 release. It has consistently been the best RSS feed reader I have used since that time. I accept no substitutes. They offer the BlogBridge service for free which allows you to publish feeds on BlogBridge.com publicly and share feeds/tags of posts. You can also download Topic Guides to hit the ground running with pre-populated feeds. I am an author of one of those feeds.

Previously, when I reviewed BlogBridge, I was asked to be the Linux Topic Guide at blogbridge.com. Specifics on how this works: I keep tabs on various Linux centric blogs and publish my feeds to blogbridge.com. Then, when someone installs Blogbridge, they may select the Topic Guide that I publish with pre-populated feeds of interest. If you're a BlogBridge user, you can also track down the linux feed or visit the Linux Topic Guide page at Blogbridge.com to see what sites are featured there.

In these past few years I've been doing this, many Linux sites have come and gone. I've changed jobs, states, and distributions. Since all of these changes have taken place, I've missed the launch of some great Linux blogs and websites. Therefore, I'm asking you, the reader to help me find new and exciting blogs and sites that I can feature for BlogBridge.com

Continue reading "Become a Featured Blog at BlogBridge.com Linux Topic Guide"

Blogarithms " Skype for Interviews - A How-To Video

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:25:33 -0800

My Favourite Game / Огненный лис / Блоги / Хабрахабр

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:51:09 -0800

Empowering the Linux Community

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:24:51 -0800

From a Linux Developer point of view, when users are no longer developing with you...you’ve lost. Empowerment is key to a successful community in Linux. The day the community is no longer empowered to improve is the day the distribution dies. What kills empowerment? Helplessness. Despair. Inability.

As an example, a user might not like it if you tell them their bug will not be fixed for the next release. This is normal practice in many major distributions. But if you tell a user that their bug won’t be fixed through 4 releases, you may have a problem. Unfortunately, this also is becoming a normal practice for some major distributions.

Continue reading "Empowering the Linux Community"

Luigi Auriemma

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 10:01:07 -0800

Google Earth Community: Viewing list of forums

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 19:00:16 -0800

Google Earth Community

Follow-Up: BBC Caves on iPlayer - Linux Support Added

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:37:51 -0800

Looks like the BBC buckled under backlash from bloggers (say that 20 times fast). They’ll be offering their iPlayer in Mac and Linux flavors

I talked about what a crock they had begun to simmer with a Windows only version a few weeks ago. Glad to see that they have understood that the benefits outweigh the caveats many times over.

It’s much like standards compliant web pages...you only limit yourself by making your page non-compliant...because it won’t display in all browsers. You lose business if you have an ecommerce site...you lost hits if you have a blog. The BBC now understands that by limiting the ability of those to use its player, it shut the door to those users. It also knows that a network of bloggers is a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Whether Linux and Mac users be a small number or a large number, the BBC has set precedent here that I hope they follow in the future. Keep Open BBC!

The Absent PCLinuxOS Release Cycle

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:05:19 -0800

During distro comparisons, many call a lack of release cycle for PCLinuxOS one of its negative aspects. In my opinion, this is the most attractive and positive aspects of the small distribution. Not to take away from a distribution that sets a release cycle...I understand that normal release cycles are a must with companies and software engineering. However, I think PCLinuxOS has a unique approach to releases and updates. Allow me a bit of time to show you the method in my madness on this one.

Continue reading "The Absent PCLinuxOS Release Cycle"

Botnets: Storm, Rbot, and Bobax - How to Beat Them

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:05:18 -0800

If your Windows based computer is running slow, having random popups, and doing all sorts of weird things...chances are you’re a member of a botnet. Hackers are using your computer to email, spam, and infect other computers and users around the globe. You’re being used by these people to make money on the misfortune and deception of others. There is hope though...you can be rid of this. You can win against them.

Install Linux on your computer today and all that will disappear. Linux doesn’t have botnets. Linux doesn’t have viruses (only a few known and you have to actually type a command to start the virus running). Linux has no spyware. If you’re just getting your start, I recommend PCLinuxOS, SimplyMEPIS, and Ubuntu.

If you don’t want to install Linux, you can buy a computer with it preinstalled from various vendors here at the Pre-installed linux vendor database.

Once you are set free from having to worry about being infected by some virus, you’ll be able to concentrate on getting things done. No worries, no hassle. Join the thousands of us who are already there. Compute on your terms, not ones dictated to you by a product full of security holes or a virus author. Take back your computing!

Weather Clock - replacement for the Windows system clock

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 07:45:27 -0800

Weather Clock is a replacement for the standard Windows system clock, that offers integrated weather information (current and forecast), custom alarm functions, time synchronization and a variety of different skins to choose from. It supports one-time and recurring reminders as well as hourly chimes, display of a secondary time zone, and can also open programs or files associated with an alarm.

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Weather 1 - weather monitor

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 07:45:27 -0800

This is a cool, shareware weather program that sits in your system tray and keeps you posted of current weather conditions, forecasts, Warnings & Advisories, literally hundreds of Satellite and Radar images - including State level radar, Weather Cams, over 3400 Worldwide locations, 1-day, 2-day, 10-Day, 3 Month and 12 Month Outlooks, USDA, Forecast images, Population/Census information, and much more! You can even customize the look of Weather1 by changing or loading any of the available skins or create your own!

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libsyn // podcasting made easy

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 01:26:51 -0800

Podcasting made simple