Author: spierzchala

That is not a typo. The great man spoke the words today. [here and MSFT Press Release and here and here and here and here
and here and here]
Will it be better…?

The quote:

Building on those advancements, Gates announced Internet Explorer 7.0, designed to add new levels of security to Windows XP SP2 while maintaining the level of extensibility and compatibility that customers have come to expect. Internet Explorer 7.0 will also provide even stronger defenses against phishing, malicious software and spyware. The beta release is scheduled to be available this summer.

But what will those features be?

• Complete CSS2 support? Hell! CSS1?
• Full HTTP/1.1 compatability?
• Final removal of ActiveX?
• Truly enforce [X]HTML standards for publishing?
• Simple extensibility for any developer?
• Themes/Chrome?
• A matching version for MacOSX?

They know they are in trouble. They are generating buzz. But if they have just patched and incremented MSIE 6.0, without re-engineering the core parser, rendering and networking engines, then it won’t be worth talking about.
Come on Microsoft: Impress me.

Isn’t he cute?

I love these drooling beasts…thanks to Damien Katz for the link.

After linking to a group of articles on MSIE and interoperability [here], there comes this post that speculates on a MSIE update pre-Longhorn. [more here and here and here]
My guess: They have to, and they know it. They have to do something to make the browser lighter, faster, and more secure. And they know it has to be good. Very good.

Scott Jones of SalesBuilders has an excellent and very succinct critique of CRM “solutions”. [here]
Scott nails it: a CRM is just another application. It’s usefuleness is completely reliant on people knowing how to use it, and actually using it to help isolate and identify the links and opportunities which will allow them to grow their business within existing customers and obtain new business from prospect.
At my former company, a large CRM solution was implemented. Took over a year, involved at least one full-time consultant and 3 staff members. And when it was complete, nothing. It was slow, clunky and difficult to maintain. People avoided it. And it showed.
Are there any honest stories out there — not originating from CRM vendors — of how a CRM solution allowed companies to more quickly identify and isolate new opportunities that would have been overlooked without such a solution? How did it help you gain new business and grow revenues from existing customers?
Are they out there?

Paul Lavallee adds more to the conversation here.

This comment on the British DIY giant B&Q’s sponsorship of Ellen MacArthur’s solo round-the-world sail cracked me up.
Ouch.

Site-9 has more comments on the faux Ogilvy + Mather email that he received. [here]
Apparently, mine was one of the 30 blogs that linked in to his article. [here]
The quote at the end of the new posting, as seen in Fortuune, leads one to see how O+M will talk their way out of this debacle.

Read this commentary.
Could be an interesting mix.

Then again, someone else says that HP should by Gateway. [here]
This idea has the smell of doom about it.

Received my order of LiveStrong Yellow bracelets on Friday. I am wearing mine right now, despite something that the ZenWife found. She flipped it over, and said “Oh look, Made in China“.

My heart sank. I’m a firm believer in the global economy, but you woulda thunk that Lance Armstrong could have supported some US firm, somewhere. A firm out there somewhere in the US or Canada would have been happy to donate some time or resources for this cause.

Just disappointed, that’s all. Will still wear the bracelet.

I was offline for about 4.5 hours this morning while Comcast “upgraded” part of their infrastructure. Sorry about that.

I am sorry, but this disgusts me. She fires 15,000 people, brings down HP, gets fired, and gets a windfall! Everyone else I know who gets fired or “asked to step down” gets squat. [More here]
These positions entail a high-degree of risk — C-Level execs better start accepting risk as a component of their packages. Why should I join your company and take a chance myself, if you (Mr. CEO, Ms. CFO, etc.) aren’t taking one yourself?
I am already exposed enough, being an “enemy” alien in the US (I know I’m Canadian, but they sure don’t treat me like a neighbour), so what makes me motivated to join a company where I will lose everything and get kicked out of the country, and the CEO makes millions, if the company fails.