IT Reference Posters? 43
bighead314 asks: "Maybe I haven't had enough coffee, or my brain power has gone down while working through my lunch break, but I cannot seem to find a good source for getting command/syntax reference posters for our office. We are looking for some SQL, UML, Oracle 10, and other reference posters to plaster on the walls for quick reference. However, the search for a site/company that sells more than just one poster has yielded nothing. Anyone out there have some good links or know of places were these can be purchased without having to buy 10 accompanying SQL Server magazine subscriptions just for the insert?"
Do It Yourself Suggestion (Score:5, Informative)
If you absolutely just want high quality print and don't have time to do this yourself, just visit Learn & Thrive [learnandthrive.com] which, to my recollection, has some decent sized posters available. They don't have the very particular kinds of posters you're asking for but then again, I don't know anybody who would do Oracle 10 specifically.
My suggestion is to get a high quality PDF from those first two links and just blow it up and have it laminated at Kinkos. Cost? Probably a lot less then buying something online.
If you really really want to do it yourself, I would suggest using The Gimp [gimp.org] (or your favorite image editor) to capture images and text and make your own 'cheat sheet' with everything specific to where you work that would be pertinent. Share it with everyone else if you do and make sure to export as a high quality file format. Have it printed and keep it updated and specific to your workplace. If it's worth that much for productivity, you can probably convince your boss that the ROI is there for your time and money to get them printed.
Re:Do It Yourself Suggestion (Score:3, Insightful)
At my company I've talked to the art & production departments to have their interns collaborate with mine to get very professional looking reference pieces done.
Re:Do It Yourself Suggestion (Score:2)
When I was the only IT guy at a student newspaper, I found that less professional, but funny (or at least funny to me) posters that I threw together got the best results. If I put a mascot on the poster - say, the Terminator endoskeleton with its head replaced by David Warner's to make Cyborg David Warner - everyone would pay attention and remem
Re:Do It Yourself Suggestion (Score:2)
If you've got a good design team, they can do a funny poster professionally -- not sure if the impersonality of a professional-looking poster might reduce how many people adhere to what it says... something to think about.
Posters Usefullnes? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Posters Usefullnes? (Score:4, Insightful)
Frankly, while I can sometimes find something I need quickly enough, the books and posters and quick reference cards usually end up being more than worth their cost. I could give specific annecdotal evidence, but don't want to get off topic. Suffice it to say that I've discovered that I can find a lot of things within minutes (if I had a quick reference, it would have been more like a minute or less), and there are some things that I just couldn't find, or were out of date, or simply wasn't clear (because someone without technical writing experience wrote it). A $50 book has saved me hours and hours of wasted time.
All I'm saying is that these posters and quick reference cards and books are still certainly quite useful, IMO.
Re:Posters Usefullnes? (Score:2)
Otherwise text based stuff is still good.
Re:Posters Usefullnes? (Score:4, Insightful)
That $40k programmer is making about $20 an hour. If that poster saves him 1 hour over 3 years it is worth the money. That means that if he saves himself only 2 seconds each week for 3 years, the poster was worth it.
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.net posters (Score:3, Informative)
Actually there are .net framework diagrams, and they're cheaper than $20
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Poster Pack [amazon.com] : $19.99 before discounts, but I've seen it given away when you buy 2 MS Press books.
Of course MS also supply class posters in the Visual Studio box, but in case you're using the Express editions you can download and print your own copy [msdn.com] from Bard Abrams' blog.
Marker Board Walls (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Marker Board Walls (Score:2)
Re:Marker Board Walls (Score:2)
It's enough to make a man weep with happiness.
Re:Marker Board Walls (Score:3, Informative)
I remember seeing some Oracle ones (Score:2)
Re:I remember seeing some Oracle ones (Score:2)
Hey, I work with some of those. DBAs are funny that way, heh.
Oh, you meant "Posters". Sorry, my bad.
Re:I remember seeing some Oracle ones (Score:1)
http://www3.ca.com/solutions/Collateral.aspx?CID=
Pretty lame though considering when using Firefox/Mozilla reading Oracle online doco is far quicker than scanning a poster! and up to date too.
Sounds like a business opportunity to me (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Sounds like a business opportunity to me (Score:4, Informative)
Posters? (Score:2, Informative)
DYI. You could start by finding simple online references (there are few languages that don't have a s**tload).
Then:
1) Print them yourself. It would take very little time to compile your own command list with exactly what you want from online documentation. Lay it out using your favourite word processor, burn it to CD or write to floppy/USB key, take it to your local print house and get them to blow it up to a poster. You can even get them to laminate it. Done.
2) Do the same
Re:Posters? (Score:5, Funny)
Do Yourself It?
Master Yoda, is that you?
Re:Posters? ------ s/DYI/DIY/ (Score:2)
Do Yourself It?
Master Yoda, is that you?
Heh, only after hitting submit, spot that I did!
I must unlearn what I have learned.
s/DYI/DIY/
Use a wiki! (Score:1)
We use a wiki for exactly this purpose. That way it’s easy to correct mistakes, and it’s searchable (if your internal webserver doesn’t already have this).
visibone.com (Score:5, Informative)
The value of whiteboards can't be overstated, and on-line reference material is very helpful, but we don't all have multiple 36" monitors, and as Bob ("Mr. Visibone") Stein points out, "The easiest thing to find in your office will always be your wall".
Re:visibone.com (Score:2)
I've seen offices where I knew there must be a wall behind the bookcases behind the piles of stuff, but not because I could see it....
I second this! (Score:3, Informative)
Where I currently work, we have whiteboards hung on every wall of the office I share with another individual. We fill up and erase them constantly. They are great for jotting down ideas, notes, diagrams, flowcharts, doodles - you name it. We have a large "stock" of dry erase markers which are kept close at hand. In addition we keep rags, erasers, and white board "cleaning fluid" (alcohol) nearby as well.
Some other things to note:
DO NOT BUY YOUR WHITEBOARDS THROUGH
www. ... (Score:1, Flamebait)
You're talking about a piece of paper with a bunch of commands printed on it, right?
Re:www. ... (Score:1)
ILoveJackDaniels.com (Score:3, Informative)
Re:ILoveJackDaniels.com (Score:1)
Make some mook do it (Score:1, Insightful)
Also, how about 365 day calendars (Score:2, Interesting)
donfede
o2chart (Score:2)
railroad diagrams ... (Score:1)
having to jump between db's can be a pain in the arse, but something like a rr diag would make this a lot easier.
although in a ms access kind of world, i guess these wouldn't be too popular anymore.
Network Reference Posters (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Network Reference Posters (Score:2)
http://www.javvin.com/ [javvin.com]
Wrong references (Score:1)
I was hoping it was about the value of posting your references on your resume when applying for IT jobs. I have applied for so many jobs and I always emphasize for potential employers to contact my references since they are my best selling point. Hardly anyone ever does. Maybe I should ask this on a new thread.
Perl 6 Fans (Score:3, Informative)