As we have shared in the past - we're making our departure from the mighty Plesk Control Panel - the 4th Parallel betwixt the true Mighty Solutions, and the basics of solution that simply WORK.

Alas - Plesk - Parallels - we are going to sign your song of decent as we make our transition.

As many of you know - I support the Sclera Hosting Internet Services team of Sclera Design, Inc. and we are not only standing up a completely new data center with all state-of-the-art infrastructure - we're including state-of-the-art software components that augment / supplement the base-line framework of our hosting infrastructure.

We're proud to announce a strategic partnership with Dot Net Panel - and we're only just beginning.

As we resolve the critical steps of this endeavor - we'll share on our corporate blog - the key steps we took to successfully disembark from the sinking ship of Plesk - and successfully set our sails for a new course - one that is rich in features, support, and more profoundly - stability.

Faretheewell - oh Plesk not my Plesk

I hope all of you have had some quality time out with family and friends the past week - and into this week.

My wife, and best Friend for the past three (3)  decades - both really enjoy the decorating and pre-amble that we have enjoyed so many years now - that pre-empt's Christmas. Even more so, we truly love the time together with family. This Christmas, the 8 children - still mostly at home - were all home - and what a Christmas we enjoyed. The truth is - it's still going on, and will - throughout this week - into 2010.

As I prepare my review of software and technology milestones from Microsoft this past year, I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone - and very prosperous and quality new year. We know - as a small family - that 2010 is going to be fantastic!

I have a deep appreciation for my family; a deep appreciation for my co-workers - and I have had a fantastic year - against all odds - and for those in the know - thank you for making my year one of the best in my life.

Michael...

As many of us do this time of year - we find this date - December 24th - a busy one - especially if you're a dad with 10 children, 8 of them still home - and a Christmas day staring you in the face!

So what to do? It's simple - I've setup 7 workstations on one side of the office - all running slipstream installations of the base-line children's computer build; conversely, I'm working steady on client needs that need to be wrapped by close of business today.

At the same time - I fear nothing! I am, after all - The Geek!!!

Or, just Another Geek in Need....

Have a very merry, safe, holiday period - and I look forward to the new year.

Cheers...

I remember working on a project that had to be one of the absolute WORST projects imaginable. Not because of the rate; not because of the workload; and not because of the technology by any means! So what was so horrible? The intangible, ubiquitous, pervasive - ever-in-your-face - ID10T errors that we simply could not speak to fast enough!

Several years ago I was snookered by the ID10T error - ID - numeric 10, letter "T".

Working alongside a pretty decent team of analyst/developers - I found myself in that infamous position of the "consultant" - where I was not wanted - and the technology I was endeavoring to help the client with - no one else knew. BizTalk - boy, that was a blast!

Back to the intangible, ubiquitous, pervasive - ID10T Error 0xhell0nErth0001 - issue.

I have worked in this field almost 25 years solid - from writing hard-line 8bit mnemonics in a 128K memory space on the Apple II/e - to VMOS resident drivers that are the glue of RAID 0/1/5/10 firmware today.

In all of these years - there is the ever-present pressure to perform, deliver, and be profitable. Translate - if you are not billing - you are not eating. Period.

Unlike many in my field - as I get older - I have been truly blessed to NOT get snookered into Management - I'm just a grunt still, in the field - writing code - and loving it!

Alas - the ID10T Error 0xhell0nErth0001

This exception is actually quite simple. When you begin to think that you are no longer answering to God - as you may know him/her - but that you think you are God - well, it is inevitable that you'll throw this Exception - guaranteed.

When you do throw this Exception - try to ensure you have Try/Catch clauses in your life - otherwise, you may result is the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death to those in the MSFT Know).

Remember who you are working for: The Client (no, it's not a John Grisham original.)

Remember your goals/objectives: To retire by 55, and leave this career with a solid reference - or chain of references - that do not include the intangible, ubiquitous, pervasive - ID10T Error 0xhell0nErth0001 - Exception.

Remember your resources: the tangible, rarefied, evasive technologist that you work hard to find, and should work harder to keep - in front of your Client(s).

Those are my three (e) R's - for now: Remember, the Client is FIRST; the Client is SECOND; your Team is ALL THAT!

Okay - not all R's - but you get the picture.

Take care of your people - or they'll take care of themselves - and you'll find yourself in front of the BSOD with only one memory dump to ponder - the intangible, ubiquitous, pervasive - ID10T Error 0xhell0nErth0001