IM Alternatives

I’ve been using Trillian on my PCs for about three years now. I started cleaning up my contact lists across the different IM protocols and realized one of my biggest pet peeves: contact grouping. Contact grouping is local to the computer; they are not synced with the protocol servers.

I use Adium on my PowerBook and it does not have this same problem. Any changes I make in Adium are reflected on the protocol servers.

Is there a multi-IM client available similar to Trillian that sync with the protocol servers? I like tabbed chat windows and message archiving capabilities.

Anyone?

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Goodbye Mozilla Thunderbird. Hello Apple Mail.

I was an early adopter of Mozilla Thunderbird for many reasons – but mainly due to Microsoft Outlook’s miserable and pathetic handling of the IMAP protocol. While I continue using Thunderbird on my Sony VAIO (Windows XP) laptop, I have transitioned to Apple Mail on my PowerBook.

Why?

Apple is Apple. Apple has style and knows UI.
There’s no one out there that can (or should) deny that Apple defines style. There’s just something about the Apple Mail interface that is appealing.

The OS X version of Thunderbird is extremely slow.
Thunderbird on Windows is quick and fluid. Unfortunately, it’s almost the exact opposite on OS X. I don’t have the latest, fastest PowerBook by any means. However, it is only three years old and still very capable of running high-power applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. But Thunderbird drags from the very beginning on startup.

I recently merged all email accounts into one.
Thunderbird handled multiple IMAP accounts very well; better than Apple Mail even. But I realized that I didn’t need forty thousand email accounts to worry about checking and such. The most important additional address I used (for Sepper Designs) was no longer necessary, so it simply made sense. I’ve used various email addresses for distinct purposes such as eBay, PayPal, forums, etc. Those now just forward to my main address. Since I didn’t need multiple IMAP accounts, Apple Mail’s sub-par support for that didn’t matter.

OS X 10.5 Leopard is slated to be released sometime this fall, so I am hoping Apple Mail gets better multiple IMAP account support. Not necessarily for me since I no longer use multiple accounts, but instead for those who do and are forced to use Thunderbird or something else.

For those wondering what Apple Mail doesn’t do with regards to multiple IMAP accounts, it has to do with the “primary” folders (Sent, Trash, Junk). You’re not able to specify separate primary folders for the different accounts, so they’d be grouped together. For IMAP users, that’s a huge flaw and can be the deal breaker.

All in all, the switch was easy and painless.

American Idol Simpsons Style

This clip from Idol Gives Back always makes me laugh.

Classic American Idol

American Idol did it again.

Towards the end of the broadcast, the traditional recap of performances was shown. The funny thing is that the recap of Jordin’s last performance wasn’t really a replay of her last performance.

Got that? American Idol must have pre-recorded the recaps or something.

It was obvious since Jordin was in tears at the end of the televised final performance but yet during the recap there was nary a tear.

Maybe I’m just upset because I think Blake should win and that all Jordin can do is screech..

Web 2.Oops

The web host I use for hosting this website, Dreamhost, recently released an updated, Web 2.0-ish control panel. It’s definitely an improvement over the previous design, but something struck me funny about it and I finally remembered what it was.

Hmmm.. Dreamhost’s control panel looks vaguely familiar to Midphase’s.

10 Reasons Why It Doesn’t Pay To Be “The Computer Guy”

I came across this article at digg and had to repost since I’m an “IT” guy.

Reason #10 – Most Of Your Accomplishments Are Invisible

The computer guy never hears anyone tell him, “I just want to let you know … everything is working fine!”

The reality is that people call the computer guy when something is wrong.

As a computer guy, if you work really hard to make everything work the way that it should, and things work fine, then people believe you don’t do anything. Everything you manage to get working correctly or do perfectly will forever remain unnoticed by computer users. They’ll only ever notice that you do anything when something isn’t working correctly, and you are called upon to fix it.

Reason #9 – Every Conversation You Have Is Roughly The Same

When the computer guy dares to mention what he does for a living, the typical response is, “I have a question about my home computer…”

Or when the computer guy first hears about a widespread problem within the computer network he’s responsible for, he can barely begin to assess the problem before a dozen other people call to report the same problem.

Or when the computer guy explains a certain process on a computer to a user who is incapable of retaining the process, he will inevitably need to reinstruct the user of this same process — indefinitely.

Reason #8 – You’re An Expert Of Bleeding-Edge Technology Products, Aren’t You?

The computer guy often finds himself in situations where someone is asking him for advice on a pending investment of the technological variety.

“I heard about (some hardware or software product) that can do (something desirable) for me. I brought you these (advertisements/reviews/printouts) because I wanted your recommendation. Which would you buy?”

Although the inquiring person sincerely trusts the computer guy’s judgment over their own, in almost every instance the real objective of these meetings is to ensure their own immunity from making a risky purchase.

If it turns out to be a bad investment, and they cannot get (the hardware or software product) to do (anything desirable), then you will be their personal scapegoat — “But honey, the computer guy said I should buy it!”

Reason #7 – Your Talents Are Forcibly Undervalued

Thanks to the constantly declining price of new computers, the computer guy cannot charge labor sums without a dispute. If he asks to be paid what he is worth, he will likely be met with the “why not buy new?” argument.

That is, desktop computers are always getting smaller, faster, and cheaper. It’s possible to purchase a new desktop computer for under $400. If the computer guy spends five hours fixing a computer and wants $100/hour for his time, his customer will be outraged, exclaiming “I didn’t even spend this much to BUY the computer, why should I pay this much just to FIX it?”

Reason #6 – You’re Never Allowed A Moment’s Peace

The computer guy is so prone to interruption that he rarely finds an opportunity to work on his own problems. This is because:

1. Computers never sleep.
2. Computer problems aren’t scheduled.
3. Every problem takes time to diagnose.
4. The computer guy can only give one problem his full attention.
5. Each user believes their problem deserves attention now.

Consequently, the computer guy has a 24/7 obligation to keep critical computer systems running, while simultaneously juggling everyone’s problems. He’ll often need to forfeit any opportunities to tend to his own needs for the sake of others — because at any moment, of any day, he can be interrupted by someone who wants to make their problem his problem.

Reason #5 – People Ask You To Perform Miracles

The computer guy is often mistaken for someone who possesses the combined skills of an old priest and a young priest. I’ll sum this up easily by example:

“No, I really can’t recover any files from your thumb drive, even if you did find it after it passed through your dog.”

Reason #4 – Your Assumed “All-Knowing” Status Sets You Up To Let People Down

There is no common understanding that there are smaller divisions within the computer industry, and that the computer guy cannot be an expert in all areas. What makes things worse, is when the computer guy attempts to explain this to someone asking for help, the person will often believe that the computer guy is withholding the desired knowledge to avoid having to help.

This is somewhat related to the next reason:

Reason #3 – You Possess Unlimited Responsibility

The computer guy is expected to solve problems. It is difficult to determine the boundaries of that expectation.

Some of the oddest things that I’ve been asked to do include:

1. Use pirated software to undelete important company files.
2. Create an Intranet, after explaining I didn’t know how to.
3. Teach someone how to hide their pornography collection.

Solving problems can range from replacing batteries in a wireless keyboard to investigating why the entire building loses power at the same time every morning. Resolutions can necessitate weaving a 50-foot cable through a drop ceiling, or wriggling under a house on your belly to add an electrical outlet.

Reasons #4 and #3 boil down to this: no matter how often you want to play the role of a hero, there will always be circumstances that test the limits of your ability to be one. It’s difficult to judge when helping someone means doing something immoral, and it’s even harder to admit you are unable to solve someone’s problem — and chances are, that someone will view you as incompetent because you were unable to help them.

Reason #2 – A Life Of Alienation

People only talk to the computer guy when they need him to fix something. Also, when the computer guy approaches a user, they’ll hop up out of their chair under the presumption that he’s there to fix something — as if it would never be expected that he only wants to strike up a conversation.

The fact that the computer guy never gets a moment’s peace can also practically force him to withdraw into solitude. His co-workers don’t understand that he doesn’t want to hear about their computer problems during his lunch hour — he does that every other hour of the day. That’s why the computer guy eats lunch alone with his door closed, or goes out to eat every day — not because he’s unfriendly, but because he needs to escape the incessant interruptions.

Reason #1 – You Have No Identity

It’s an awful experience when the computer guy shows up at a neighbor’s doorstep with a plate of Christmas cookies, only to have the child who answered the door call out, “Mom, the computer guy is here!” He begs for an identity that is not directly associated with computers, but “the computer guy” label walks ahead of him — it simply cannot be avoided. I was given a name and I’d love to be addressed by it.

Bon Jovi – A Hypocrite?

While watching American Idol last night, Jon Bon Jovi said something about Blake Lewis’ upcoming performance that really irked me. He said something to the effect that “people don’t want to hear a remade You Give Love A Bad Name.

Now, as a caveat – Blake Lewis is who I believe will win American Idol.

What caught me funny about Bon Jovi’s comment was that the band themselves – rock legends Bon Jovi – did exactly what Jon stated people wouldn’t want. In 2003, Bon Jovi released a CD entitled This Left Feels Right. What’s ironic about this album is that all of the songs were redone and reworked.

That’s right ladies and gentlemen.. Bon Jovi released a full album of twelve tracks remade from their originals.. just as Blake Lewis did last night.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m a Bon Jovi fan and always will be. But this situation does lend itself to being hypocrisy at its highest.