Don MacVittie

There was an interesting discussion on one of the table-top wargame lists I belong to (Two Hour Wargames if  you follow the hobby) about the “production value” of a given set of printed products.  While it devolved (as web conversations often seem to) to a comparison with Hollywood, the point was valid. The original reviewer that caused the thread to get started was more interested in how pretty the books were than the quality of the contents. I, personally, don’t care how ugly or mal-produced a wargames ruleset is if the rules are consistent and provide many hours of enjoyable play. Since most wargames use a lot of charts, I prefer those to be easy to find also, but that’s not “quality of paper, binding, pretty pictures…” which is what the topic of the thread was. It seems that every field of human endeavor suffers from this malady these days. A toy isn’t a toy un... (more)

Blitzkrieg and VDI Edge Protection.

By now, everyone even vaguely familiar with information security knows the military maxim of blitzkrieg – burst through the hardened defense at a single point and then rush pell-mell to the rear where the soft underbelly of any static army lies. It is a good military strategy, provided you have the resources to break through the defenses and follow up with a rapid advance into the rear areas. While there are variants of this plan, and a lot of discussion about how/when it is strategically worth the risk, historically speaking it has been a smashing success. Germany did it to Fran... (more)

From Point A to Point B

The complexities of life often escape a young child. The Little Man asked me the other day why I had to go work, which was both a compliment to wanting to spend time with me and an unintended backhand slap at Lori, who was going to hang out with him while I took care of business. The answer was the usual stuff, that working paid the bills, and work has its own rewards… It did not include “and I like my job”, though I do, simply because I didn’t want to imply “more than hanging out with you” to a three year old. But children boil everything down to simplicity. The picture over ther... (more)

The Key to IT Success Is Simple. Listen More

Ever try to explain something to a three year old that they don’t want to hear? It’s a chore. They change the subject, try to ignore you, turn away, and as a last defense, start asking “why?” a lot. It is amusing that IT often suffers the same issues. Really. We’re adults, but at the root of the problem, they’re basically the same. When a customer says “We need fluff!” IT often responds with “We don’t support fluff, try some cotton balls instead”. The other situation that I find massive parallels in is the guy that simply knows everything. When you try to talk to him, he’s so exc... (more)

SSDs, Velocity and the Rate of Change

The rate of change in a mathematical equation can vary immensely based upon the equation and the inputs to the equation. Certainly the rate of change for f(x) = x^2 is a far different picture than the rate of change for f(x)=2x, for example. The old adage “the only constant is change” is absolutely true in high tech. The definition of “high” in tech changes every time something becomes mainstream. You’re working with tools and systems that even ten years ago were hardly imaginable. You’re carrying a phone that Alexander Graham Bell would not recognize – or know how to use. You h... (more)