FYI: I read the message, it is still in my Gmail inbox. I guess their spam filter was only applied to the unread messages..

Although you can get metrics from your call tracking system, Customer Surveys are a better judge of performance. Don't get me wrong, measuring the ability of the IT department to document stuff has its place but in the end you want to measure how well they are doing their job. Their job includes more than just the ability to write up a ticket.

The deals look like extensions of service for their traditional customer base. I doubt Xbox will provide anything if I don't already have a cable TV contract with the supplier. What I want is to be able to stream the shows that I want to watch, and not subsidize channels I don't want. Until that happens I will continue to rely on Netflix, Hulu, and the broadcast corporation websites to what the shows I am interested in.

I would be willing to pay for more good shows but nobody wants to sell them to me. It kind of sucks not being able to watch current HBO shows as they air. It does not suck enough that I will pay for outdated/overpriced Cable or Satalite TV technology. My message to the Cable Companies is that they should look into this internet thing for delivering their content, and ditch the legacy hardware as quickly as possible (to minimize costs). They need to worry that someone who does not have the cost of maintaining legacy equipment will appear and undercut their whole business. O wait didn't Dreamworks just sign a contract with Netflix? It may already be to late! I pay for TV service on Netflix and Hulu and that is it. I don't know the last time I turned on my TV. Everything is run through my computer or phone.

WYSIWIG is not reason enough to go with confluence. If you want to do any fancy formating/Custom CSS it is a bear to work with. I recently transitioned the internal webserver for my agency (~400 users) to a Sharepoint services site because maintaining Confluence on Windows was such a pain. Every patch basically required building a new instance, updating all the plugins, and then copying all of our customizations over to the new instance. I am sure it is easier on a Linux platform but if you are looking to run it on a MS Test the upgrade process before you make a decision. I have not built a site in Plone yet, so I cannot comment on it.

In my 400 person US based non-profit, the Director of IT reports to the CFO. It actually works quite well as they have to work together on most of the strategic planning initiatives.

Having migrated to powershell for all logon scripts in my domain I would suggest thinking about it. A lot of the dos batch functions can easily be ported with minimal fuss. Having not done any object oriented programming, it was a bit of a bear to wrap my head around the changes. Two tips that would have saved me a lot of time: 1. Calls to win32 gui apps run in the background and your script continues with out waiting unless you include a Diagnostic Process wrapper and specify the .waitforexit() method. 2. system.windows.forms are good for gathering user input from people who freak out when they see a "Dos box" (side note, the first focusable element that you add is selected when the form is generated. Most of the PS examples I have seen online do not point this out and have the focus set on something other than the first user input item).

Apparently methane hydrate is not sexy enough. Come on people! next thing you know we will be surfing the intertubes and drinking brawndo. I lurk on slashdot because it represents a fairly intelligent perspective. Headlines such as this make me question the integrity of /.

Having tried Cycling, White Water Kayaking, Hiking, and the standard aerobic equipment at the Gym. I must say going to the rock gym 3 times a week for 30min - 1 Hr had the largest positive impact on the shape of my body. Most of the other exorcizes tended to bulk up different parts of my body. If you have problems with your hands or wrists I would talk to a doctor before trying it. When climbing there can be tremendous strain on your fingers and hand injuries that could impact your ability to type are common.