NorthStarNerd.Org

Optimizing Your Software Code

Hocus, Pocus! To many folks software seems like magic. To many managers who do not have a software background, estimating and managing software projects is NOT a desirable task. Time and cost overruns are much to frequent. However, software is not different from hardware development projects. In both kinds of projects, the end goal is known, but that path to achievenment is often fuzzy.

For this reason, I recommend software coders and programmers take a look at this fee online course named "software carpentry". A number of fine organizations funded this effort to help take the magic out of coding, and more importantly help bring some more methodlogy to the process. Here is a brief excerpt from the course outline:

Many scientists and engineers spend much of their lives programming, but only a handful have ever been taught how to do this well. As a result, they spend their time wrestling with software, instead of doing research, but have no idea how reliable or efficient their programs are. This course is an intensive introduction to basic software development practices for scientists and engineers that can reduce the time they spend programming by 20-25%. All of the material is open source: it may be used freely by anyone for educational or commercial purposes, and research groups in academia and industry are actively encouraged to adapt it to their needs.

Here are some key links with respect to this course:

• The Course (including lecture podcasts and materials)
• The Blog (monitor the upcoming and updated course)

Geekpreneur Teaches you Twitter!

Wondering what Twitter is all about? Have a desire to promote yourself? Want to inform your friends in 140 characters or less when you brush your teeth? If any of the answers to these questions are "yes" then link on over to the Geekpreneur and download your free eBook which explains Twitter. It's quite good!

Better yet, follow the Northstar Nerd on Twitter!

Wartburg College Graduation 2009

I am a proud papa! Carl graduated yesterday magna cum laude from Wartburg College. It seems like only yesterday I gave you "bear" on the day you were born. This Fall you head to Johns Hopkins University and their Masters in Internation Relations Program. Enjoy your first year on their Italian campus ... and the second in Washington DC (our government could use your help!). (graduation video)

 

Stanford Seminar: European Entrepreneurship and Innovation

My friends over at minnov8 recently posted about Stanford's Educator's Corner. While I like Stanford's eCorner, I've always been much more thrilled about Stanford's free masters level engineering seminars. Many of these seminars don't require an engineering background, but do cover very important topics. For instance, did you know that you could be attending Stanford's European Entrepreneurship and Innovation Seminar? If you wanted to get an understanding of where it's happening ... and what's occurring in the high tech corridor's of Europe, you should be investing one hour per week in this seminar. The series started on April 6th and will finish up on June 1st with the topic of Innovation Models in Nordic Countries (the Northstar Nerd likes this topic ... I will let my Danish cousins know!). The primary speaker will be Lisa Waits, who is a director at Nokia's Research Center.

Now here's the trick ... you need to register via Stanford Online to get access. It's free. Once you register make certain you bookmark your access page. This url gives you access to all the seminars offered free each term which this Spring included:

• Bioengineering Departmental Research Colloquium
• Design and Manufacturing Forum
• Entrepreneurship in Asian High Tech Industries
• Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders' Seminar
• Human-Computer Interaction Seminar
• Lessons in Decision Making
• Materials Science Colloquium
• Seminar on Computer Systems
• Seminar in Guidance, Navigation, and Control
• Thought Leaders Seminar for European Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Topics in International Advanced Technology Research

Design Engineering for the Future

As you head off into your holiday weekend, at least in the USA ... take a look at the products you use. Are they efficient? Could changes be made where the cost trade offs would benefit not just you, but your community. Oh well ... kind of heavy thoughts, but it does lead me to recommend a new blog that I've added to my Engineering Blog Quest ... Design Impact. The blog's owner, James Allision, is a techie who like me works for a large company, but also extends his technical knowledge beyond the workplace. Here is a brief quote from his blog overview page:

• Advanced design techniques, such as design optimization, facilitate significant energy efficiency gains, and can accelerate creation of improved clean energy systems. Adoption of these techniques has been sluggish, yet design practice affects us all. Talking about better design is not just for engineers; we need everyone engaged in this dialogue.

American Citizenship is a Gift!

We had a citizenship celebration last night, which actually began years ago with peaceful democratic protests in Togo. Unfortunately, the ruling junta thought otherwise and imprisoned Yawo. After torture and worse ... and with a little bit of luck Yawo escaped to the United States. Yesterday Yawo received notification that he will take the oath of citizenship on June 3rd! Thus on the first warm sunny evening of the Minnesota spring we celebrated with our house guest. Our evening finished at the local ice cream parlor. What could be better! (my choice ... a scoop each of double chocolate and blueberry ice cream)

Earlier in the day I gave Yawo the American flag first given to me as a child. We discussed that for all the problems the United States of America has, we have one HUGE asset ... freedom. I also told Yawo that if he ever sees someone desecrating the US flag, don't take offense ... take pride in your new country! The right of peaceful protest and to "think differently" is what makes America great.

If you are so inclined, please give Yawo your congratulations and advice via the comments field! For my readers of this blog from other countries, I understand there are other great nations in the world, but grant me this moment of celebration. Thank you. (click to expand either photo to full size)

Post Update: There will be an open house celebration in Yawo's honor on Wednesday, June 3rd at 6:30 p.m. in New Hope, Minnesota (Rich and Molly Hoeg's home). All are welcome.

 

MOSS Search Technical Seminar

In constructing my MOSS Search Metadata Tutorial, I originally found this webinar on MOSS Search Relevance Ranking. It proved so useful, and truly technical (i.e. no Microsoft marketing fluff) that I played around with the url and discovered the seminar was part of a series. If you need to learn about SharePoint search ... from scopes to admin tools ... do the following (worked for me)

• Take this url:
  http://www.microsoft.com/winme/0802/32005/Module_6_300k/local/index.htm
• Change out the module number (i.e. change the number 6 with any number between 3 and 14)

You will be presented with a fantastic series on using MOSS Search in the enterprise. I have no idea why there is not a modules 1 and 2! Here is the opening screenshot from module 7:

Jed Clampett's Truck!

This is what vacations are all about ... after all ... the Northstar Nerd got to see and touch The Beverly Hillbillies' Truck ... thus one more vacation post! The College of the Ozarks has a great museum, which among other things has ... (click to view full sized).

 

Optimizing MOSS Search / Metadata

A few months back, I created a tutorial and provided examples on Google Search Metadata. Given the popularity of that post / tutorial, and to show I am not biased ... I decided to create a similar tutorial about MOSS Search (Microsoft Office SharePoint Server Search). If I get the opportunity, I'll add narration; but in the meantime, I've formatted the tutorial with animations which insure the technical learnings are understood.

• Instructions ...
  .
  
• Download Viewing Option: Right click to download and run Powerpoint off line. The file is write protected to insure it will work. Run it as a read only file ... start up the slide show and follow instructions.
  .
• Online Viewing Option: Click to run online. Select the "read only" option and run in the slideshow mode.

Tutorial: Optimizing MOSS Search / Metadata

If you wish to make changes to the content, contact me for the read / write password. It will be freely given! Here is a screenshot from the tutorial (click to view full sized):

College of the Ozarks Grist Mill

This will be my last vacation technology post from the Ozark Mountain Region. As all vacations must end, I will soon return to posting about engineering and knowledge management technology, but for the moment I ask you to take a trip back in time to the College of the Ozarks Grist Mill. This college and its students are unique; they run an actual Grist Mill and grind wheat into flour the old fashioned way. This is just one example of how the students at College of the Ozarks are not your typical college kids ... the nickname for the school is HardWorkU. Anyhow ... my video (44 seconds long).