Screen Scholar tag:blog.screenscholar.com,2009-11-21://2 2010-02-18T18:23:46Z Musings, philosophy, and techniques of human relationships and software through the lens of an avid entrepreneurial developer. Movable Type Publishing Platform 4.01 Effective UI website up for awards...vote now! tag:blog.screenscholar.com,2010://2.8 2010-02-18T18:11:30Z 2010-02-18T18:23:46Z admin
]]> Effective UI (my Employer) Book hits #5 in Prerelease! tag:blog.screenscholar.com,2010://2.7 2010-02-02T21:36:41Z 2010-02-02T21:38:51Z As of today, the book to which I and many others here at Effective UI contributed has hit #5 in Multimedia Information Systems Books, and it's still in Prerelease!!Check it out!... admin As of today, the book to which I and many others here at Effective UI contributed has hit #5 in Multimedia Information Systems Books, and it's still in Prerelease!!

Check it out!

]]> ...on communicating scope... tag:blog.screenscholar.com,2009://2.3 2010-01-01T04:19:49Z 2009-12-31T16:47:06Z admin
  • Make it a picture.  It's understandable, digestable, communicable, and invokes thought on the part of the client.
  • Communicate scope early and often.  Change is inevitable...change without communication is inevitable failure.
  • Like Scotty on the starship Enterprise - never let them know how the magic happens. And always under-promise and over-deliver.
  • Invoke clients to think about what is agreed, and make sure they know when they're asking for something different than what's been agreed.
  • When you can, call out and itemize work that has been performed outside of the agreed scope.  Clients will either appreciate the work, or discuss a redirection, which is only better for everyone.

]]> Looking for Topics tag:blog.screenscholar.com,2009://2.4 2009-11-22T18:26:19Z 2009-11-22T18:45:11Z admin
Over the next few weeks I'll be compiling a list of topics that have crossed my path, but if anyone out there is interested in something specific - I'll add it to my list.
]]> Greetings, blogosphere. tag:blog.screenscholar.com,2009://2.2 2009-11-21T20:22:43Z 2009-11-21T21:23:02Z admin
Things I am:
  • Father of 3 daughters & Husband (of 1, "X" to none)
  • A "Senior Software Architect"
Those 2 things eat about 90% of my waking life.  With the remaining 10%, I:
  • Explore new ways of doing business through books, and personal experimentation
  • Investigate spirituality through books and personal experimentation
  • eat, sleep, and fulfill other biological necessities.
I find myself asking myself "Self, why are you even doing this blog?"

I can come up with more than a few justifiable reasons, but the immediately available ones include:
  • I think my ego needs an outlet, and I'd like to focus on reducing that need (and the associated ego).
  • I like to share things I learned.
  • I think I have experienced a lot of pain in business and software, and I believe that pain is a great teacher, which leads me to believe I have a lot to offer the business and software industry.
  • There's some part of me that thinks, very simply, that it should and must be done.  Oddly - this is simultaneously the most ambiguous and strongest factor in my final decision.
So - to the blogosphere at large I say "Greetings, hello, and go easy on me, I'm new at this..."
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