Mike Deasy

Each software deployment and project has it's own foibles and odd configurations. One thing that is fairly consistent, however, is the fact that you will be working on or with a team. If you have been involved in development on a professional level for any period of time, you hav... (more)

Once again it's time to write about moments that signal the end of the year in the Pacific Northwest. The choking Seattle sports teams, the freezing rain, the Christmas special peppermint lattés and, of course, my favorite hair-cutting place. One of the more humorous moments of ... (more)

As a child growing up in Los Angeles in the '60s, I was constantly exposed to the hippie culture, primarily because my mom and dad were hippies, and still are in many ways. We had beads hanging in doorways, learned candle making, tie-dyeing, leather working, and various other "he... (more)

Tiger Woods is, arguably, one of the finest golfers ever to pick up a club. During his peak a few years ago, it really did not seem as if anyone would ever beat him. He dominated the game, dominated every player he came up against. He was an invincible force. I asked a buddy once... (more)

We have all seen them, all remember them - the IT office funnies. There was the Story of Creation as told to URK - a lovely reenactment of Genesis put together by hard-core mainframers. There was a document (prepared by individuals working in the defense industry) that had a hila... (more)

Time is passing, as that is its nature. Outside of overdone science fiction, there really is no moving backward. The future is variable-filled, uncertainty looming ahead like an audit of a badly run project. What do we dare in the coming days? What will this New Year hold for us ... (more)

Ahh, the holidays - time for warmth, family, a spirit of charity (or greed, depending on your wont), and days off. Many of us spend our holidays vacationing, shopping, worshipping, and trying to rekindle childhood memories or feelings. However, many of us computing professionals ... (more)

There are times when it seems that the most well intentioned and seemingly helpful IT professionals are simply standing in the way of the progress of business. It may seem preposterous to some of you, probably raise a few hackles no doubt. "Hey, not us. We stand for customer serv... (more)

And if not the CEO, how about some tech support, order takers, a programmer, some direct marketers, and maybe even a couple of scheduling analysts? Telecommuters are becoming more than a clever '90s buzzword. Businesses are inclined to allow trusted employees to connect in and wor... (more)

Bosses are the backbone of middle American management and the harbinger of the quick-fix style. Some bosses are good; some can be a nightmare. There may be a lot of truth to that old saying, "We have a new boss, same as the old boss," but it doesn't necessarily comprise the truth ... (more)

Time is passing, as that is its nature. Outside of overdone science fiction, there really is no moving backward. The future is variable-filled, uncertainty looming ahead like an audit of a badly run project. What do we dare in the coming days? What will this New Year hold for us ... (more)

Why is it that some Web sites are more appealing and seem to work better than others? It's not always about the speed of the download, although quite often that can be the problem. Sometimes there are broader issues at hand. Even with screens that refresh slowly and try our patie... (more)

Ahh, the holidays - time for warmth, family, a spirit of charity (or greed, depending on your wont), and days off. Many of us spend our holidays vacationing, shopping, worshipping, and trying to rekindle childhood memories or feelings. However, many of us computing professionals ... (more)

There are times when it seems that the most well intentioned and seemingly helpful IT professionals are simply standing in the way of the progress of business. It may seem preposterous to some of you, probably raise a few hackles no doubt. "Hey, not us. We stand for customer serv... (more)

The sport term "transition game" is often used in basketball, as that game requires instantaneous transition from one modality to another. The success of that aspect of a team's performance is based on how quickly they can change their focus. How well do they move from defense to ... (more)

There is a raging debate in the developer community: Microsoft's new platform .NET versus the Sun standard J2EE. J2EE has been around for a few years, while Microsoft's attempt is decidedly the new kid on the block. While the comparisons may be defined by some as purely technical,... (more)

There is a raging debate in the developer community: Microsoft's new platform .NET versus the Sun standard J2EE. J2EE has been around for a few years, while Microsoft's attempt is decidedly the new kid on the block. While the comparisons may be defined by some as purely technical,... (more)

And if not the CEO, how about some tech support, order takers, a programmer, some direct marketers, and maybe even a couple of scheduling analysts? Telecommuters are becoming more than a clever '90s buzzword. Businesses are inclined to allow trusted employees to connect in and wor... (more)

Bosses are the backbone of middle American management and the harbinger of the quick-fix style. Some bosses are good; some can be a nightmare. There may be a lot of truth to that old saying, "We have a new boss, same as the old boss," but it doesn't necessarily comprise the truth ... (more)

Why is it that some Web sites are more appealing and seem to work better than others? It's not always about the speed of the download, although quite often that can be the problem. Sometimes there are broader issues at hand. Even with screens that refresh slowly and try our patie... (more)