IBM Resource Center on Digg

If you haven't yet, have a look at the IBM Resource Center (feed). It's a handy site to help keep up on what Digg surfaces as the best stuff for IBM related content.

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The latest information on IBM products, designed specifically for IT professionals. Read the ones that interest you and Digg the stuff you like best.
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IBM Pulse

This week I'll be working at the IBM Pulse event, here in Orlando. IBM has setup a booth to talk about "Collaboration for a Greener World" including Connections, Forms, Portal and Unyte. The presentation materials have some interesting case study numbers on reducing your carbon footprint using Lotus technologies. I haven't fully digested it yet, but I'm looking forward to going through it and sharing.

What's your Sametime Status Really Mean?

Somehow, my Sametime status message never really conveys what I want it to.
Here's a peak of what I'm thinking when I set mine. :)

- I'm proving to you that I'm working today but I'm probably getting a cup of coffee and am more interested in what's happening somewhere else

- I'm at my desk but forgot to switch my status back to available and I'm enjoying that you think I'm away

- Meetings make me important, too important to chat with you

- OMG I'm so freakin' busy, but I want you to know I'm online

- Yes I have a Blackberry and I am ultra connected, we'll chat later

- I can't take it anymore!

Blog yours.

http://whois.ibm.com

A great employee benefit is that IBM has discounts at various retailers. I'm so happy that one happens to be the Apple store. I was in there last month to buy my Time Capsule and had forgotten my id and business cards, which will usually suffice as proof of employment for them.
Not wanting to have to come back, I did some quick thinking and remembered that the IBM Employee Directory is online. I used to use this site to find IBMers when I was a business partner, but had never searched for myself. I walked over to a very nice display iMac and brought it up and searched for my name. The results were good enough for the sales rep and I was on my way with my terabyte of 802.11n love.

Also, I recently noticed that the IBM Employee Directory is first on Google's search results. Which means one can search for the term and hit 'I'm Feeling Lucky'. That is if the URL is too hard for you to remember.

Are you a twitter shitter?

found at http://www.penny-arcade.com/

I'm still on the fence about twitter. I can't find the strength to update everyone that I'm feeding my dog, but I've enjoyed learning a bit about people that I know and work with in reading just these type of things. I hate lurking in and not contributing to systems like these, but I have still not bought in to it's value. (By the way, we have two dogs)

Alan, Rob and John have expressed their views and I find that I agree with all of their points. But I need some one to sell this to me. Pretend it is not a free cacophony of seemingly random information. Why would I buy into this? Would anyone pay for this service?

Keep in mind this blog is free and so is probably the reader that you use to aggregate it and others. However, IBM Lotus and competitors make money selling these as products and can express value in doing so. Three years ago, I was still explaining blogs to people, so I feel that the pattern should be there, but I don't see it.

The value may be in automating updates in some way. An RFID system knows that I just walked into a Starbucks. Mastercard lets you know I am enjoying a vanilla latte. A Notes agent reports that I've opened a Document in a certain Database. Yet this sounds disgustingly obtrusive and reeks of Big Brother.

What am I missing? Or am I over thinking this one?

P.S. Follow my silence - http://twitter.com/macguidera

Social Networking Wars

http://current.com/items/88913552_social_networking_wars

Try as you might, you cannot escape the lure of social networking!

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Think social networking sites are fun and useful? See what happens when things get a little out of control for one social networker who might just be over the whole social network thing. Let the social networking wars begin!

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It's funny, because it's true. :)