Practical Notes on Product, Data & Systems

So, another bites the dust.   (subscribers only) http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/45892-andorra-airlines-indefinitely-postpones-launch-plans http://www.webcitation.org/6h7DSlxiU        

Let me start off by saying upwork.com has transformed my business (freelancer.com was good too).  They cost a fair amount 10% but do add value! Anyway so there will always be scammers around, and here’s a live one! I posted up a job, helping out a friend of mine at http://masmirobiofarm.com , on a new account.  Got a few enquiries – one from this guy “Bullen Nicholas”.  I’ve had some good results from US contractors on Upwork so was excited. A few things stood out – 0 hours worked, and 0 jobs.  That’s a warning.  Although I have a similar guy from the US who was just starting out and needed some work history – so was able to give me a great deal and I gave him his first job. But the picture and the text were the giveaways; web developer with a mutilated avatar? LOL, and the text “working as web developer from last 6 years”.   Maybe education standards have slipped in the US over the last few years, but that is inexcusable. ...

As many a webmaster, web-designer, web-entrepreneur knows: You "collect" domain names over the years. This happens almost by accident.  You think of a idea, product, or brand - fire up your favourite webregistrar - and *bang* there goes $10 and you've got a new domain.com or .net or whatever. This is fine.  Except that very often, very very often, nothing comes of it.  It goes onto the "projects backburner" list and never comes off. Well sometimes.  And it is always "deleted" - very very rarely will a domain progress beyond the backburner to progress. They just sit there, year after year billing $10 or whatever the renewal fee is - "ah.. one day I'll do this project" you say to yourself - but it never does. So today is clean out day. I've had a few domains in my time, and these two I'm getting rid of today have been with me a while, 10 years - 2004 I just checked the WHOIS for "onewaylinkexchange.com" and l...

I was talking with my brother-in-law about the Nokia Lumia 1020, and remarked about the 10mb image size.  I’d zoomed them before, and not really seen any benefit, but this weekend I’d taken some well-lit shots of the kids, and it does actually seem to have some benefit.   Here’s the original frame.       I could quite easily zoom in several times and still get a good clean image e.g.     And taking it too extremes a real close-up face and the ~1mb comparison image.  At these levels I probably woundn’t want to have to present these to anyone, but at least the image data is there.                    

So farewell then FriendsReunited!  Typically British invention totalled by superior American effort.     Here are my musings on there, before they get deleted.     Went to Nottingham to Uni - realised there was a lot more cash and fun in computers rather than biology! Updated 2001 - Changed my career direction, and stayed in Nottingham for many years. Recently returned to London and work in a .com in the city. Live in Oval, Kennington and would love to hear from anyone who I had a laugh with at Shrewsbury, Epsom or college. Updated 2002 - .com went under. hehe. so cleared off travelling in SE Asia. Found an interesting new job in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia and am still here. Got a pet-project website www.bedandbreakfasts.co.uk which I do on the side. Update 2004 - Been contracting back in the UK for a while. Itchy feet feeling coming on again. I can be spammed happily at - bendecko at h*tmail c*m with the word NOSPAM in the subject line Uodate 2006 - Now in Tarragona...

OK this is bordering on madness.  No, actually it is mad. I’ve got a few pretty complex passwords that I use on different classes of website. Now I found a really restrictive one!  Jet Airways.   Look… not a minimum of chars… but a strict limit. Really… can someone come up with biometric, or other secure way please!

It is a bit of waste of time also, to be fair.  But here’s a great example of where a user hits the nail on the head.   https://www.quora.com/Im-1-co-founder-out-of-3-I-came-up-with-the-original-idea-but-cant-commit-more-than-5-hours-week-as-I-have-a-full-time-job-However-I-have-30-years-of-experience-and-an-extensive-network-that-will-advance-the-company-tremendously-I-think-that-with-that-we-should-all-have-the-same-equity-Do-you-agree   I'm 1 co-founder out of 3. I came up with the original idea but can't commit more than 5 hours/week as I have a full-time job. However, I have 30 years of experience and an extensive network that will advance the company tremendously. I think that with that we should all have the same equity. Do you agree?       This guy Eric – gives a great example of how to divvy up the equity on a company based on Market Value of the work that you are doing.   Love it!