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This page applies to Appian Cloud only. It may not reflect the differences with Appian Government Cloud.
The application server that is installed with the system handles incoming email messages.
In order for the messages to be received by a process or process model, a mail server connection must be configured by your administrator.
Your Appian administrator must enable the Anonymous system user to allow the sending of an email to a process or process model.
Email messages can be received by processes, process models, and events within a process model. Email messages can also be sent by your processes.
Data transferred using email to an Appian process is not encrypted. Exchanging unencrypted sensitive or confidential data is not recommended. Application-level security is the responsibility of each customer.
Perform the following steps to allow a start event to be triggered using an email.
To further restrict when the event is triggered (and when a process is started from the email) you can add conditions so that the event only executes once all conditions evaluate to true.
If an email is sent to a process model, but a process instance is not started, it's possible the email was not received by the process model. This can occur if Canonical Name (CNAME) expansion is enabled on your email server. To address this behavior, please work with your IT team to disable CNAME expansion on your email server. |
If your Appian administrator has configured your server to accept incoming email, it is possible to receive email messages in a specific running process, or in a process model's Start Event.
All processes, process models, and events have an identification number (process ID, process model ID, process model UUID, and Event Persistent ID). The process model ID and UUID can be viewed from the process model properties dialog box. (The process model UUID is only available once the process model is saved.) Email messages sent to a process must target a process, process model, or event.
In order to avoid triggering the process start event or receive message event multiple times, the system checks the Message-ID
field in the received email as well as the target IDs/UUIDs to determine if it is a duplicate. The system will ignore any duplicate messages that are received within a rolling 24 hour window and will log a message with the text "Ignored duplicate message".
Email messages can be routed to the desired process, process model, or persistent event ID using the following destination keys:
If your Appian administrator creates a custom alias configuration to support email address routing, do not also use key/value pairs for routing. Any routing key/value pairs found in the subject or body of an email take precedence over a custom email alias.
The email sent to a process model, an active process, or an event no longer requires that you include a process model, process, or event identifier in the email address. Rather the identifier must be listed in a key/value pair that appears in the message subject or body. It is possible to continue using IDs in email addresses only with custom configuration.
Apart from including text in an email, you can also include key-value pairs for data, and attachments. To include a key-value pair, both the key and value should be enclosed within brackets ([]). For example, to send an email that assigns the CaseId key a value of 222100, the following syntax would be used.
Including such key/value pairs within an email message allows you to capture each of these values within a receive message event, and store them in process variables.
Similarly, attachments to a received email message are stored in a folder within the Documents view. This folder can be specified through the Process Model Properties dialog box for the underlying process model. (Open the process model and select File > Properties.)
HTML messages emailed to a process generally need to be converted to plain text before they can be stored within process variables. To facilitate this conversion, the expression editor provides the stripHtml() function. This function can be used to convert email messages to plain-text before storing the contents in process variables.
(For migrating systems) any processes that are configured to send an email and expect a reply to their process<id>@domain.topdomain
address or embed an email address of the form process<id>@domain.topdomain
must be updated with the new reply-to address be the single account for Appian email and embed the routing key/value pairing in the body so it can be routed to the correct process.
The information in this topic is intended for Appian Cloud users.


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Although it may not quite be the contemporary equivalent of the British Invasion, the UK graphic novel publisher SelfMadeHero is certainly proof that the global comics market is growing in both size and range. That the company has established a strong international presence in just a few years is further evidence of that market's hunger for original and unique content, and of SelfMadeHero's own strategic perspicacity. Along with NoBrow and Blank Slate, and smaller publishers like Great Beast, SelfMadeHero is putting the UK indie scene on the map.
Launched by Managing Director and Publisher Emma Hayley in 2007, SelfMadeHero answered a demand for more literary graphic novels and comics in the British publishing market. But that demand has led to broader consequences for the company, which, as of last fall, struck a North American distribution deal with Abrams that has begun bringing SelfMadeHero titles to US readers, an arrangement that leverages Abrams' significant reach into the North American consumer marketplace.
In a recent phone conversation with PW, Hayley said that, responding to UK need for "high-quality graphic novels and manga for adults," SelfMadeHero was initially launched with two series: Manga Shakespeare and Crime Classics; both reinterpreted classic literature in graphic novel form. Elaborating on the rapid growth of SelfMadeHero since its inception, Hayley explains, "We went on to expand that list to encompass original fiction, biography, sci-fi—we're the UK publishers of Moebius's The Incal, for example."
Although the company itself remains a small operation—three full-time staff, two part-time, plus an intern and several freelancers—SelfMadeHero's list has grown even more diverse, with the company licensing a number of foreign titles and publishing them in English for the first time. These include two books by acclaimed French creator David B. (Best of Enemies and Black Paths), When David Lost His Voice by Belgian Judith Vanistendael, and a pair by Swiss artist Frederik Peeters: Sandcastle, and Pachyderme (which includes an introduction by Moebius).
The connection with Abrams was established back when SelfMadeHero was making inroads into the North American market by selling rights to publishers. "One of the first deals I ever did with a US publisher was to sell the rights to the Manga Shakespeare series to Abrams," Hayley explains. In 2011, SelfMadeHero entered talks with Abrams about a potential acquisition by the latter, but ultimately the relationship evolved in another direction. "Last year, we formed a strategic partnership with Abrams, who now sell and distribute our books in North America. That was always my plan—to publish under the SelfMadeHero banner in the States. It's great to be working with [Abrams] in this closer relationship. We're in very close touch with Charlie [Kochman, executive editor] from Abrams Comic Arts. I'm delighted it's been such a good fit. Long may it continue."
The wider exposure of SelfMadeHero has a few additional antecedents, including participation at conventions outside of the UK. "Last year, we brought over two creators to MoCCA in New York and to TCAF in Toronto, which was the first time SelfMadeHero ever visited North America," Hayley says. "We'll be over in New York again in April, for MoCCA. We're bringing JAKe and Robert Sellers, who did Hellraisers [a group biography of actors Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris, and Oliver Reed]. We're also bringing Glyn Dillon, who did The Nao of Brown."
The latter title has been spectacularly well-received, here in the US and around the world. At the Angouleme International Comics Festival in France this January, The Nao of Brown won the Jury's Special Prize, the first major award for a book that originated with SelfMadeHero. Hayley emphasizes the importance of such prizes in driving media attention and sales, but also reiterates the importance of timing in all of this.
"You in the US have had a long tradition of comic books. In the UK, it's experiencing a real golden age," she says. "There's a real excitement over here about it. Earlier this year, two graphic novels got shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards—which usually don't include comics. And one of them won in the biography section [Dotter of Her Father's Eyes by Mary and Bryan Talbot]. So, the press got really excited about this. There have a lot of articles about the fact that people are taking graphic novels more seriously now than they ever did before – which is great for us and for other publishers over here."

subset: commoncrawl


text: Certain courses are listed in this Catalog under more than one department. For purposes of awarding credit, all such listings are considered to be the same course, and a student may receive credit for only one of the listings. Normally, students will receive credit for such a cross‑listed course in the department under which they registered.


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(Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha, Mathura, India,
August 13, 2001)
[On August 13, 2001, at Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha in Mathura, India, where Srila Prabhupada took sannyasa in 1959, a festival was held in glorification of his divine appearance. Devotees from various western countries and several cities of India, along with local brahmacaris and sannyasis, attended the festival. Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja was the main speaker, and he also requested senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada to speak. The following is a transcription of Srila Maharaja's puspanjali speech:]
Today is the auspicious birthday of nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja Prabhupada. Jagat-guru nitya-lila pravista Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura Prabhupada, following the order of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, wanted the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, and krsna-nama-sankirtana to be preached all over the world. He therefore ordered His disciple, Srila Swami Maharaja, "You should preach throughout the Western countries." Sometime after that Srila Swami Maharaja came to our reverend Gurudeva, om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and took sannyasa from him here at Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha. After that, he began his preaching in the West.
In a very short time your Prabhupada translated so many books, and he very quickly established Krsna Consciousness everywhere in the world, from corner to corner, in the forests, hills and mountains, and in so many prominent cities. His books were distributed everywhere by very beautiful teenage girls, in seaports, airports, hotels, and railway stations. Young energetic boys, who were formerly hippies, became 'happies.' I think that all the credit for the preaching and krsna- nama-sankirtana in the world nowadays goes to Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, and the seed and root of this preaching are Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.
Also, the credit for being like the sprout of this preaching goes to my Gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. If my Guru Maharaja had not given Srila Swami Maharaja the renounced order, how could he have traveled throughout so many countries and very soon, in a couple of years, establish Krsna Consciousness there?
I will speak something of his glories, but first I want that one of his senior-most disciples, Jadurani, nick-named by me 'Syamarani,' should stand up and glorify Him, offering her puspanjali at the lotus feet of her Gurudeva. I want to tell you that she is, and we are all, truly in ISKCON.
[Syamarani dasi:] In 1968 I was in Srila Prabhupada's quarters in Boston, with one or two other devotees. After he answered my question very brilliantly as usual, I said to him, "Gee, Prabhupada, you know everything." He replied, "Yes, unless one knows everything, how can he be a teacher?" So today I want to discuss that small yet esoteric aspect of Prabhuapda, and that is his omniscience.
If we accept Prabhupada as an ordinary jiva, this cannot be understood, but if we accept him as a manifestation of Krsna, it is easily understood. In the first chapter of Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila, it is stated that the self-realized diksa-guru is a manifestation of the form of Krsna. Krsna takes the form of the guru to deliver His devotees. The same chapter states that the self-realized siksa-guru is a manifestation of the personality or nature of Krsna. In this world Krsna takes two forms. He takes the form of the Supersoul and that of the topmost devotee. There it is also stated that the bona fide guru is not to be envied as an ordinary man would be envied, for he is the abode of all the demigods.
Four years ago in Holland one of the devotees who was working with the gurukula asked Srila Gurudeva the controversial question regarding whether Prabhupada did or didn't know about the mistreatment in gurukula. He replied that the question was so important that he would spend his entire evening class explaining the answer.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Some persons doubt that Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja was tri-kalajna, omniscient. They question that if he was omniscient, how could he have given the renounced order to so many disciples who have either fallen down or will fall down very soon. They say that it seems as though he never knew what would transpire in the future. Many ISKCON leaders are thinking that he was not omniscient, and that is why he gave sannyasa to many who later went to hell.
Those who think that he was not omniscient or that he made mistakes are wrong. They are totally wrong. They are not initiated in the real sense, and they cannot understand things properly because they are not associated with any high class of Vaisnava.
You are familiar with the history of Sri Ramacandra. Sita saw a deer grazing and She requested Rama to capture it. Rama then followed the deer for miles and miles, and finally He shot it. That deer was the demon Marica, and as he was dying he called out in Rama's voice, "O Laksmana! Save me! Save me!" As a result of this incident, Sita was kidnapped by Ravana.
Rama is omniscient. Why did He not know beforehand that Sita would be stolen by Ravana if He would pursue the deer? Why could He not have known? Why did He have to send Hanuman and others to search for Sita? Laksmana is akanda-guru-tattva, the personified principle of undivided or complete guru. Why did he leave Sita and then have to search for her?
In this regard one may also doubt Krsna and question: Why did Krsna do so wrong? Why could He not have warned the young Yadus when they presented the so-called pregnant 'girl' before the sages? Did He not know that the incident would later be the cause of the Yadus' fighting together and killing each other? If He knew, why did He not warn them? He could have prevented them all from dying.
Krsna knew, and Ramacandra knew. They both knew everything, but They were engaged in naravat-lila, human-like pastimes, playing the role of human beings. Whatever They did was for the welfare of the universe. Srila Swami Maharaja is a manifestation of Krsna, and whatever he did was also for the welfare of all. Foolish persons cannot reconcile all these things. Such persons are fallen souls. They are not actually sannyasis.
Now I will request another of his sincere and senior devotees, Vrndavana Vilasini devi dasi, to speak.
[Vrndavana Vilasini dasi:] Krsna is not only rasika-sekhara (the enjoyer of transcendental mellows); He is also parama-karuna (most merciful). He came as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the guise of a simple Gaudiya Vaisnava, and His real identity was concealed. Similarly, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada wanted to manifest the real identity of our Srila Prabhupada.
At first Prabhupada acted as a follower of Gandhi, and his real identity was hidden. It was at this time that he first met Srila Sarasvati Thakura who told him, "You are an educated man. Why not preach in the West?" Prabhupada remained in the guise of a householder for some years after that, and then, just two weeks before his disappearance, Sarasvati Thakura reinforced his order that Prabhupada preach in English. He wrote him, "It will be good for you, and good for the world."
For some time his real identity remained hidden, and hardly anyone in the world knew who he was. Later on Krsna took everything away from him, his family, money and his business, and at that time another person who knew his identity, Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, became his sannyasa guru. It was in Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja's temple in Mathura that he took the sannyasa order, and also, at that temple, Prabhupada translated the first three volumes of Srimad Bhagavatam and wrote his booklet, "Easy Journey to Other Planets."
When the time was right, his real identity still concealed, he left for America on the order of his Guru Maharaja. At this time he had no disciples, no followers, no money, and no friendly supporters, and there was only one person that went to see him off as he headed for America. He apparently had nothing, but that was because Krsna wanted to demonstrate to the world the power of the pure devotee who is eka-nistha, one-pointed, in his devotion to guru and Krsna.
Then, when Prabhupada arrived in New York, his sponsor had only sent a representative from traveler's aid to meet him, and therefore he went alone to Pennsylvania by coach.
In that decade, the 1960's, Yogamaya had arranged an astonishing event, and that was the 'hippy explosion.' Before this new era, all the young Americans were 'straight Americans,' but this hippy movement made them throw out the rules and regulations of middle-class America and look towards the East for answers to their own and the world's problems of life. They tried drugs, and they tried yoga, among other things.
Prabhupada came right at that time. Playing on small karatalas and with his eyes closed, he would chant and dance. He gave prasadam to those who came to join him, and he also taught them the art of making prasadam. He won their hearts.
In twelve years he conquered the world, but his real identity was still unrevealed. Just before he left, from his disappearance bed, he requested Srila Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, to take care of his disciples and followers. Srila Gurudeva couldn't refuse his request, otherwise we would have spiritually died. Then, in 1996, Prabhupada insisted that Gurudeva preach around the world as his bona fide representative. To this day Prabhupada's real identity remains concealed to most, but Srila Gurudeva is not only teaching that by bhajana he will reveal himself, but on Prabhupada's order he is also teaching how to do bhajana.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] After a few minutes we'll have to take paran, (Paran is the prasadam taken to break a fast. If one has honored any prasadam on the fast day, then the paran must be a grain, otherwise not. Paran must be taken at a specified time, otherwise the result of the fast, bhakti, will not be achieved.) or else all our austerities will go in vain. I request, therefore, that we now offer puspanjali to the lotus feet of Srila Swami Maharaja, and then aratika. Tomorrow morning from six to eight, and again in the evening from five to eight, devotees will present their offerings of glorification at his lotus feet. All of you should be prepared.
Gaura Premanande!


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Renal Replacement Therapy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
This health system study involves designing and implementing a pilot peritoneal dialysis program within Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This program has been possible through the collaboration of the Sustainable Kidney Foundation, the International Society of Nephrology, Saving Young Lives, and the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.
Active Dates


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Embryos inspire evolution book, according to reports from Reuters, 8 Jan 2008 and The New York Observer, 18 Jan 2008. Palaeontologist Neil Shubin has recently published a book entitled Your Inner Fish: A Journey Through the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body where he claims the human body is made from parts from many other creatures that evolved over millions years. The title is a reference to a fossil found by Shubin, which the Reuters article describes as follows: "In 2006, the public was overwhelmed with news of the discovery of Tiktaalik roseae, a fossil "fishapod' that represents the transition between fish and four-legged animals, known as tetrapods. Shubin claims Tiktaalik "gave us powerful new insights into the invasion of land by fish over 375 million years ago."
Shubin's inspiration for his strong evolutionary beliefs came from observing embryos when he was a student at Harvard University. According to Reuters "Shubin realized that fish, frog and chicken embryos looked alike and that there is a common architecture within all of them. For example, a fish and a human look identical for weeks after fertilization."
The New York Observer article is entitled "Creationist's Nightmare: An Evolutionary Anatomy Lesson" and has the following comment from Donald Johansen, one of the palaeontologists who found "Lucy". "Creationists will want this book banned because it presents irrefutable evidence for a transitional creature that set the stage for the journey from sea to land."
Editorial Comment: Did Neil Shubin (or whoever wrote the article for Reuters) actually observe any fish, chicken and human embryos when they were students? One editor of this newsletter used to teach embryology to university students using microscope slides and videos of chicken embryos. In only 72 hours starting from fertilisation, chicken embryos are recognisably birds and look nothing like a 72 hour human embryo, and after only three weeks a chicken embryo has developed into a fully formed chicken. A zebra fish (often used in gene research) is a fully formed fish in just five days.
We suspect Shubin sees things through diagrams originally published in the 1870's by Haeckel, which claimed to show similarities between many vertebrates, including fish, chickens and humans. The diagrams were exposed as frauds by Wilhlem His within Haeckel's lifetime, but the diagrams, and the idea that embryology shows evolution, have been published in biology textbooks ever since, and Shubin continues to perpetrate this fraud.
We also wonder where Reuters got the idea that the public was "overwhelmed" by the discovery of Tiktaalik. In 2006 when reports of the fossil were published in the scientific news we expected to be bombarded with questions about it at public Creation Research meetings, but in the two years since the fossil was presented to the world we have had just one statement and not even one question, in spite of the fact we have had numerous meetings on university and college campuses, as well as public meetings. (Ref. embryology, intermediate, transition)
Evidence News 18 March 2008


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Register | FAQ | Members List | Calendar | Mark Forums Read |
2018-Present Saleen STX Sportruck For discussion of the F-150 based STX Sportruck. |
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2020 yellow label Sportruck XR issues, anyone else?
I bought a yellow label, #14, back in June. I've had a few problems with mine and wondering if anyone else has had problems? I really do love the truck but I've lost confidence in it and I'm pretty unhappy with Saleen and my dealer right now.
My issues: - On a drive to CO from TX it had issues in Colorado Springs. I as normally accelerated to get on the interstate (normal, nothing aggressive) the engine bogged down, a collision detection not active warning popped and the SES light turned on (codes P0111, P059F and P061A). After that it had very little power, the gear indicator would get up to 4, 5+ but the truck barely moved. Dealer in CO said the intercooler was installed "upside down" and was blocking the grille shutters. Makes no sense considering I drove through hot *** Texas in early July with no issues but the truck had problem in very comfortable CO temps. After they had it a week I picked it up, drove the 3 hours to my house and all seemed well. - The day after picking it up, while running an errand, the SES light came back on and the engine was surging while trying to hold a steady speed. Got home and the rubber grommet holding a vacuum line into the intake had sheared in half and the hose wasn't holding. Pretty sure this was the dealership in CO Springs fault, the vacuum hose was going against the bend in it. I had contact at Saleen from the prior issue and he was supposed to have Edelbrock overnight me the grommet but 5 days later I hadn't received it and needed to drive back to Texas. I ended up gluing the grommet back together and then using zip ties to hold it in place I made it a couple hours to Canon City CO and SES came on again. My vacuum line rigging was still in place but acceleration was very touchy. From a stop it was hard to not keep it from really getting up and going but at 60mph it took a good push of the accelerator to get to 65 or 70. Back in TX took it to my dealer who after 2 weeks said that the intercooler was bad and needed to be replaced. After 2 more weeks of excuses for not getting the replacement part they finally got it in, I picked it up and drove it for 3 weeks with no issues. At this point my truck had been in dealerships for longer than I had possession of it. I made my first payment while it was in the shop - Yesterday, I was driving back to CO and was about 5 hours into this leg of the trip. I had cruise on 68 when I hit a relatively long but not that steep hill on a back road. The engine downshifts and accelerates to keep speed. Once again I get an instant loss of power, the collision detection not active warning pops but this time a gear icon shows up on the console. I had to look in the manual to see what that icon represented. I was in 2 wheel high when this happened so I can't imagine it's an issue with 4wd. After this happened the tranny would have a noticeable jerk when going from 2-3 or 3-2 and would make it up to 8 or 9 and stay there, even when reducing speed to say 40mph or so. I pulled over, turned the car off and back on and the wrench light went away. The weird lack of downshifting went away and the jump at 2-3 wasn't as noticeable. But, I was really babying it since I was 3 hours away from home in an area with no mobile service for 75% of the remainder of the trip. When I got home I looked at the DTC codes and saw P061A again in a "DTC Maturing" status. The only other codes were the codes below that seem to be intermittent comm issues between modules: Code: P061A - Internal Control Module Torque Performance - DTC Maturing - Intermittent at Time of Request Code: U0422 - Invalid Data Received From Body Control Module - DTC Present at Time of Request Code: U0100 - Lost Communication With ECM/PCM A - Previously Set DTC - Not Present at Time of Request Code: U0140 - Lost Communication With Body Control Module - Previously Set DTC - Not Present at Time of Request Code: U0140 - Lost Communication With Body Control Module - Previously Set DTC - Not Present at Time of Request Code: B1088 - LIN Bus B - Missing Message Code: U0401 - Invalid Data Received from ECM/PCM A - Signal Invalid Code: U0418 - Invalid Data Received from Brake System Control Module A - Signal Invalid Long story, I know but it was nice to type it up and vent about it :) Anyway, I'm curious if anyone else has had issues with the new Sportruck or if anyone has ideas about the problems above. |
Sport Truck
I would give JDM a call at 732-780-0770 and talk to Jim sr. or Jim jr. they know about the SALEEN brand very good people to work with , Hope that helps Haulin s331sc #309.
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Companies that are slow to adopt data-driven practices don't need to worry about long-term plans — they'll be disrupted out of existence before those deadlines arrive. And even if your business is on the data bandwagon, you shouldn't get too comfortable. Shifts in consumer tolerances and expectations are quickly shaping how businesses apply big data.
Alistair Croll, Strata online program chair, explores these shifts and other data developments in the following interview. Many of these same topics will be discussed at "Moving to Big Data," a free Strata Online Conference being held Dec. 7.
How are consumer expectations about data influencing enterprises?
Alistair Croll: There are two dimensions. First, consumer tolerance for sharing data has gone way up. I think there's a general realization that shared information isn't always bad: we can use it to understand trends or fight diseases. Recent rulings by the Supreme Court and legislation like the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) offer some degree of protection. This means it's easier for companies to learn about their customers.
Second, consumers expect that if a company knows about them, it will treat them personally. We're incensed when a vendor that claims to have a personal connection with us treats us anonymously. The pact of sharing is that we demand personalization in return. That means marketers are scrambling to turn what they know about their customers into changes in how they interact with them.
What's the relationship between traditional business intelligence (BI) and big data? Are they adversaries?
Alistair Croll: Big data is a successor to traditional BI, and in that respect, there's bound to be some bloodshed. But both BI and big data are trying to do the same thing: answer questions. If big data gets businesses asking better questions, it's good for everyone.
Big data is different from BI in three main ways:
- It's about more data than BI, and this is certainly a traditional definition of big data.
- It's about faster data than BI, which means exploration and interactivity, and in some cases delivering results in less time than it takes to load a web page.
- It's about unstructured data, which we only decide how to use after we've collected it and need algorithms and interactivity in order to find the patterns it contains.
When traditional BI bumps up against the edges of big, fast, or unstructured, that's when big data takes over. So, it's likely that in a few years we'll ask a business question, and the tools themselves will decide if they can use traditional relational databases and data warehouses or if they should send the task to a different architecture based on its processing requirements.
What's obvious to anyone on either side of the BI/big data fence is that the importance of asking the right questions — and the business value of doing so — has gone way, way up.
How can businesses unlock their data? What's involved in that process?
Alistair Croll: The first step is to ask the right questions. Before, a leader was someone who could convince people to act in the absence of clear evidence. Today, it's someone who knows what questions to ask.
Acting in the absence of clear evidence mattered because we lived in a world of risk and reward. Uncertainty meant we didn't know which course of action to take — and that if we waited until it was obvious, all the profit would have evaporated.
But today, everyone has access to more data than they can handle. There are simply too many possible actions, so the spoils go to the organization that can choose among them. This is similar to the open-source movement: Goldcorp took its geological data on gold deposits — considered the "crown jewels" in the mining industry — and shared it with the world, creating a contest to find rich veins to mine. Today, they're one of the most successful mining companies in the world. That comes from sharing and opening up data, not hoarding it.
Finally, the value often isn't in the data itself; it's in building an organization that can act on it swiftly. Military strategist John Boyd developed the observe, orient, decide and act (OODA) loop, which is a cycle of collecting information and acting that fighter pilots could use to outwit their opponents. Pilots talk of "getting inside" the enemy's OODA loop; companies need to do the same thing.
So, businesses need to do three things:
- Learn how to ask the right questions instead of leading by gut feel and politics.
- Change how they think about data, opening it up to make the best use of it when appropriate and realizing that there's a risk in being too private.
- Tune the organization to iterate more quickly than competitors by collecting, interpreting, and testing information on its markets and customers.
What are the most common data roadblocks in companies?
Alistair Croll: Everyone I talk to says privacy, governance, and compliance. But if you really dig in, it's culture. Employees like being smart, or convincing, or compelling. They've learned soft skills like negotiation, instinct, and so on.
Until now, that's been enough to win friends and influence people. But the harsh light of data threatens existing hierarchies. When you have numbers and tests, you don't need arguments. All those gut instincts are merely hypotheses ripe for testing, and that means the biggest obstacle is actually company culture.
Are most businesses still in the data acquisition phase? Or are you seeing companies shift into data application?
Alistair Croll: These aren't really phases. Companies have a cycle — call it a data supply chain — that consists of collection, interpretation, sharing, and measuring. They've been doing it for structured data for decades: sales by quarter, by region, by product. But they're now collecting more data, without being sure how they'll use it.
We're also seeing them asking questions that can't be answered by traditional means, either because there's too much data to analyze in a timely manner, or because the tools they have can't answer the questions they have. That's bringing them to platforms like Hadoop.
One of the catalysts for this adoption has been web analytics, which is, for many firms, their first taste of big data. And now, marketers are asking, "If I have this kind of insight into my online channels, why can't I get it elsewhere?" Tools once used for loyalty programs and database marketing are being repurposed for campaign management and customer insight.
How will big data shape businesses over the next few years?
Alistair Croll: I like to ask people, "Why do you know more about your friends' vacations (through Facebook or Twitter) than about whether you're going to make your numbers this quarter or where your trucks are?" The consumer web is writing big data checks that enterprise BI simply can't cash.
Where I think we'll see real disruption and adoption is in horizontal applications. The big data limelight is focused on vertical stuff today — genomics, algorithmic trading, and so on. But when it's used to detect employee fraud or to hire and fire the right people, or to optimize a supply chain, then the benefits will be irresistible.
In the last decade, web analytics, CRM, and other applications have found their way into enterprise IT through the side door, in spite of the CIO's allergies to outside tools. These applications are often built on "big data," scale-out architectures.
Which companies are doing data right?
Alistair Croll: Unfortunately, the easy answer is "the new ones." Despite having all the data, Blockbuster lost to Netflix; Barnes & Noble lost to Amazon. It may be that, just like the switch from circuits to packets or from procedural to object-oriented programming, running a data-driven business requires a fundamentally different skill set.
Big firms need to realize that they're sitting on a massive amount of information but are unable to act on it unless they loosen up and start asking the right questions. And they need to realize that big data is a massive disintermediator, from which no industry is safe.
This interview was edited and condensed.


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Contrary to reports, Justin Timberlake did not slam Britney Spears.
So says the hitmaker-turned-actor, who took to Twitter on Sunday before the Big Game to vehemently deny reports he called his ex-girlfriend a "bitch" during Saturday evening's DirecTV Super Bowl concert in New Orleans.
"Ok. I see you. Wouldn't disrespect ANYONE personally. Ever. #Relax #ItsBritneyBitch I do love that saying though*with accent* #Respect," Timberlake tweeted, reassuring upset Spears fans.
Glad he cleared that up!
The popster felt obligated to issue a response after some stage banter got taken out of context, which he unleashed right before launching into his breakup anthem "Cry Me a River."
"Sometimes in life, you think you found the one," Timberlake told the audience, "but then one day you find out that she is just some bitch."
The single's release in 2002 sparked media reports that the song was inspired by his split with the "Oops!...I Did It Again" songbird, a fact Timberlake finally confirmed in a December 2011 interview with The Huffington Post.
In this case, however, it's good to know he was just speaking generally.


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As you may already know, Google Analytics comes with a report feature called Site Overlay.
The Site Overlay feature enables tracking of individual clicks on hyperlink URLs found on pages of your website. The report actually lays a "click map" over the pages of your site and allows you to track the exact links users click on throughout the pages of your website.
This can be very beneficial in determining what links convert to sales and which links are completely overlooked by visitors.
Knowing what links convert can help you determine if the keywords you use in the link convert, the location of the link converts, or both work together to generate sales.
All of this can help you organize your page to better speak to your visitors and give them what they are looking for, where they are looking for it!
However, the current Site Overlay feature has a fatal flaw.
Google Analytics Site Overlay Fatal Flaw Exposed!
As of this writing, the current Site Overlay feature tracks by URL not by location or keyword used, and it groups these results into one final metric — even if the link appears in more than one location on the page.
Why is this flawed?
Well, let's say for example that you have the same hyperlink URL (pointing to the same product) using two different sets of keywords in two different locations on a page and want to test which location / keywords generate the most interest.
Although the locations and keywords are different, the hyperlink of each is points to the same identical URL (the same product page).
So, until this little trick was discovered, if you planned on using it to track how effective the location or keywords used in a link were, then you could forget it.
If you visit your Site Overlay report in Google for the page you are testing, you'll notice that each location shown on the site overlay contains identical conversion numbers. It doesn't matter the location of the links, nor the keywords used. Remember, it is tracking based on hyperlink not location and since the hyperlink URL address is identical, it does not differentiate between the two locations.
Overlay showing 2 different locations depicting similar metrics
This information alone is of no use at all. It tells you nothing in the way of which link location generated the most interest and subsequently sales. It simply is no good.
But This Little Trick Solves Everything
We can fix this flaw using one little trick.
First remember that in Google's eyes URL elements are tracked based on uniqueness. So, different URLs will yield different unique and individual metrics.
Armed with that bit of knowledge and a little creative thinking, we can turn a previous negative tracking situation into a positive one. As a result, we can now accurately track the exact location on the page that generated the most interest even if the resulting product page the visitor is taken to remains the same.
How is this done?
By adding a simple variable identifier to the hyperlink's URL we are now able to track the location on the page that the hyperlink resided. With even a little more creative thinking, we could even track the keyword or keyword phrase we targeted in the link location.
To perform this trick, add the following to the end of each of the links you want to track. What you determine the variables to be is completely up to you, for this example I am using the term "location" and a unique identifier that correlates to the location on the page in which the link appears.
We add to the following to the hyperlink URL of the first location: &location=1
So your complete link now looks like this:
Add the following to the hyperlink URL of the second location: &location=2
So your complete link now looks like this:
Want to track the keyword as well? Try this:
Yet another idea for tracking location:
One Distinct Product URL + Two Unique Tracking URLs = Two Different Tracking Metrics!
Now you have two distinctly different URLs in Google's eyes but both point to the same product. Viola. Exact page location and keyword tracking in a bit 'round about way using Google Analytics.
Overlay showing tracking of location 1 on the page
Overlay showing tracking of location 2 on that page
Looking at the above results now (depicting more meaningful data), we can see that although both links point toward the same product category, the link on the left far out performs the link location on the right. There is no guessing. The proof is in the numbers. So one may consider removing the link on the right and make room for more information that converts to sales.
The limits are endless. Just make sure you do NOT include spaces in your string or it won't work accurately. Also make sure the base URL remains the same from product to product, page to page. The only thing that should differ from each link is the variable string you add to the end.
To your success!


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Great Indian Ocean earthquake of 2004 set off tremors in San Andreas fault
In the last few years there has been a growing number of documented cases in which large earthquakes set off unfelt tremors in earthquake faults hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of miles away.
New research shows that the great Indian Ocean earthquake that struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra on the day after Christmas in 2004 set off such tremors nearly 9,000 miles away in the San Andreas fault at Parkfield, Calif.
"We found that an earthquake that happened halfway around the world could trigger a seismic signal in the San Andreas fault. It is a low-stress event and a new kind of seismic phenomenon," said Abhijit Ghosh, a University of Washington doctoral student in Earth and space sciences.
"Previous research has shown that this phenomenon, called non-volcanic tremor, was produced in the San Andreas fault in 2002 by the Denali earthquake in Alaska, but seeing this new evidence of tremor triggered by an event as distant as the Sumatra earthquake is really exciting," he said.
Ghosh is to present the findings next week (Dec. 17) in a poster at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting in San Francisco.
The Indian Ocean earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004, was measured at magnitude 9.2 and generated tsunami waves that killed a quarter-million people. It was not known, however, that an earthquake of even that magnitude could set off non-volcanic tremor so far away.
The San Andreas fault in the Parkfield region is one of the most studied seismic areas in the world. It experiences an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 on an average of every 22 years, so a variety of instruments have been deployed to record the seismic activity.
In this case, the scientists examined data from instruments placed in holes bored in the ground as part of the High-Resolution Seismic Network operated by the University of California, Berkeley, as well as information gathered by the Northern California Seismic Network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Signals corresponding with non-volcanic tremor at precisely the time that seismic waves from the Indian Ocean earthquake were passing the Parkfield area were recorded on a number of instruments as far as 125 miles apart.
"It's fairly obvious. There's no question of this tremor being triggered by the seismic waves from Sumatra," Ghosh said.
Scientists have pondered whether non-volcanic tremor is related to actual slippage within an earthquake fault or is caused by the flow of fluids below the Earth's surface. Recent research supports the idea that tremor is caused by fault slippage.
"If the fault is slipping from tremor in one place, it means stress is building up elsewhere on the fault, and that could bring the other area a little closer to a big earthquake," Ghosh said.
Monitoring tremor could help to estimate how much stress has built up within a particular fault.
"If the fault is closer to failure, then even a small amount of added stress likely can produce tremor," he said. "If the fault is already at low stress, then even high-energy waves probably won't produce tremor."
The work adds to the understanding of non-volcanic tremor and what role it might play in releasing or shifting stress within an earthquake-producing fault.
"Our single-biggest finding is that very small stress can trigger tremor," Ghosh said. "Finding tremor can help to track evolution of stress in the fault over space and time, and therefore could have significant implications in seismic hazard analysis."
Source: University of Washington


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This is Anzac Avenue, Dunedin
The top of the building says Printers, Bookbinders at the left side and Publishers , Stationers on the Right Side with Stone's Directories proudly in the middle.
The actual name of the company Stone, Sone & Co is over what was the door further down
Why the door was not in the middle of an othewise symetrical building is a bit of a mystery but I am sure there was a good reason. These days this building has been converted into apartments hence why the door is now a window.
So this company is best know for the Directories so prominently advertised in the middle of the building, for those not familiar with it before there were telephones therer were no white or yellow pages that we are so familiar with these days. Before them were directories produced by various publishers but in the South it was Stones that dominated.
These were lists compiled in various orders of the people and business in the city and where to find them.


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Deep Sea Sediment Cores Provide Clues to Climate Puzzle
Climate puzzle pieces are hidden in many obscure places around the globe including in the ocean sediments that have accumulated over recent and distant past. Removing these treasure latent cores from the ocean depths provides information about past climates including atmospheric and oceanic conditions. The focus of the upcoming 3 week research cruise of the Research Vessel Marion Dufresne (shown above), of the French Polar Institute (IPEV), off the coast of Chile embarking on February 6, 2007 will be to collect approximately 25 deep sea cores to help answer the puzzling questions about climate change. The goals of the PACHIDERME (PAcifique- CHILi-Dynamique des Eaux intermediaries) cruise under the guidance of Chief Scientist Dr. Catherine Kissel will be to determine the thermocline and intermediate water ventilation in the far Southeastern Pacific, to study the past latitudinal intensity variability of the west wind belt, and to study the climatologic chronology of the glaciation and climate change of the region among others.Besides a number of noted research scientists from around the world onboard will be 4 teachers immersing themselves in the experience of life at sea and research with the guidance of one scientist. Their students will be taking part in this cruise by sending emails, participating in blogs, and journaling about the daily exploits of those onboard. You and your students can join the "Core-Education" Team as they journey up the coast and between the fjords of Chile by sending them emails about the science and the research. Send your emails to firstname.lastname@example.com and they will enjoy getting back to you.
Missy Holzer, Erika Gutierrez, Edith Poblete, Luis Pinto and Carlo Laj


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Send Results to This Email:
Street Address:
The countywide school board is asking the Shelby County Commission for $145 million in extra funding for the first fiscal year of the schools merger.
The "ask" is a preliminary number that goes to a county commission budget retreat scheduled for Feb. 23. It is extra funding beyond the $361 million county government currently provides both school systems.
If the commission informally rejects it, as Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and County Commission chairman Mike Ritz have predicted, the school board would then begin preparing a specific budget to take to the commission for funding in April – the traditional budget season in local government.
Administrators and leaders of both school systems that merge effective July 1 recommended $65 million extra in county funding in the new fiscal year.
The plan was a rewrite of an earlier plan that alarmed parents of children in both school systems and prompted numerous board members to say it focused too much on balancing the budget and not enough on classroom needs.
Luttrell and Ritz were also "alarmed" by the $80 million to $90 million gap between revenues and expenditures in the first draft saying it wasn't realistic enough and avoided tough choices.
The plan presented Tuesday, Feb. 12, restored general education teaching positions in elementary and middle schools as well as assistant principal positions and restored vice principal positions at any high school with 1,500 students or more.
It also would have nixed any school system expansion of pre-kindergarten and made further cuts to central office staff as well as outsourcing custodial and transportation services.
Shelby County Schools superintendent John Aitken told the board he and interim Memphis City Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson needed a dollar figure to take to the budget retreat.
Aitken also warned that time is short.
"Pushing this and getting into negotiations with the County Commission … and going back and forth – I worry about how productive that conversation is going to be," he said as he referred to the first day of classes for the merged school system. "As we keep pushing and delaying … Aug. 5 is rapidly approaching and many, many decisions have to be made moving forward."
But many board members argued the board should begin negotiations asking for something closer to what they feel like they need.
"I am having trouble figuring out how we as a community can expect to have a better product for less money and not taking that particular information to our county commission," said school board member Jeff Warren. "We tell them what we need. If they tell us we can't give you that – then and only then should we as a board walk away and say we are going to make cuts there and there."
School board chairman Billy Orgel said the commission has no line item control over the school system's budget. It only approves an amount of total county funding.
Others on the board said they couldn't support a budget that cut staffing levels at what are now county schools as the levels were raised in what are now city schools.
"This is coming at the expense of Shelby County kids," said school board member David Reaves. "If we're going to do something, I think we need to make sure we preserve what we have."
"I think we all need to ground ourselves in a little reality here," Orgel countered, warning the county property tax rate necessary to fund such a schools budget would prompt homeowners to leave the county if it ever got nine votes on the county commission.
"We won't have anybody left to educate. We'll have a combined system that teaches nobody," Orgel said. "If we're not reasonable, everybody else is going to turn their back. It's going to be thrown back at us and we're going to be back here in three days."
School board member Tomeka Hart, however, countered that the discussion is about more than just giving the two superintendents a dollar amount for bargaining.
"Are we really just looking for a number?" she asked. "We could have done this by email."
School board member Joe Clayton was among those who argued the board should approach the talks as bargaining.
"Whatever the number is, that is going to be the most you are ever going to get," he said as the board discussed a $75 million "ask." "Before you vote to go $75 million, you better be sure it's the most you need for a world class school system."
Orgel again rejected the idea that what comes next will be much of a negotiation.
"Some people might be doing it to make a point, but I think it's a bad point," he said. "In my mind, I think it's unrealistic. I think it sets a bad tone for us as a board. It makes a point and that's fine. But it's a waste of time."


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Just a quick update rather than a post, a feature high up on the request list for some has now come to fruition. I received an email tonight to say that I was invited to test out Adsense for Mobile.
What is Adsense for mobile?
Well it kind of does what it says on the tin, Adsense for mobile allows publishers to place adsense contextual advertising on website designed for mobile (cell) phones to monetise that traffic.
We have successfully conducted initial testing on the product and today, we'd like to invite you to try AdSense for mobile on your mobile website.
As part of our efforts to develop new and improved AdSense products for our partners, we will begin a limited beta test for AdSense for mobile. AdSense for mobile allows publishers to monetize their mobile websites through the placement of targeted text ads. Publishers can take advantage of the fast-growing mobile advertising market and benefit from our targeting technology.
So if you are wondering when we will get Adsense for mobile site, have a mobile website or a mobile version of your site, Adsense have created a new product in beta to cater for just that!


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Looking at job definitions related to Architecture positions, I have also identified a clear misunderstanding of "who is supposed to be doing what…". In addition to that, I'm frequently asked "what's the difference between an Enterprise Architect and an IT Architect".
First, let's assume that everyone agrees on the fact that Enterprise Architecture includes
-Business Architecture
-Information Architecture
-Application Architecture
-Technology Architecture
Whatever the framework is.
One of the main differences between Enterprise Architecture and IT Architecture is the Business Architecture. The diagram below explains at a high level the purpose of each layer.
Among other activities, an Enterprise Architect will drive, supervise and review technology diagnosis and assessment activities. He will be an active member for the IT Strategy development, identify opportunities for technology-related improvement based on benchmark data and doing high-level cost benefit analysis-(Contribution to the overall alignment of IT delivery to the needs of the business). He will develop the enterprise architecture artifacts including current state architecture, target state architecture, architectural roadmaps, referential architecture patterns and technology standard. Also I recommend he acts as a solution architect during the pre-project and development phases of an IT program or oversight of future state designs including technology, solution, information and business architecture. Other activities are related to the access to the future state architecture for adherence to target state direction, or validate deviation justification and recovery plans.He may develop and implement training and documentation for enterprise architecture processes, procedures and framework, work with a team, coordinate, review and integrate the deliverables of information and technology architects into cohesive solutions architecture, taking into account the user requirements, technical requirements, etc.
An IT Architect could be an experienced software engineer with experience in cross-platform, cross-regional application architectures. He would be exposed to modern software engineering methodologies, such as object oriented analysis and design, web architectures, design patterns, iterative-incremental software development, test-first. He should also be familiar with the following methods and platforms: UML, J2EE, .NET, relational databases. And finally experienced in documenting and communicating software architecture, including communication to key senior stakeholders in business
There are various definitions of these roles. Most of them are clearly defined in some frameworks, but there are still lots of confusion in the market and among recruiters.


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Webcast Alert: BorgWarner 2013 First Quarter Results Conference Call
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) announces the following Webcast:
What: BorgWarner 2013 First Quarter Results Conference Call
When: April 25 @ 9:30 am Eastern
Where: http://www.borgwarner.com/en/Investors/Webcasts/default.aspx
How: Live over the Internet -- Simply log on to the web at the address above.
If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived at (http://www.borgwarner.com/en/Investors/Webcasts/default.aspx )
Auburn Hills, Michigan-based BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) is a technology leader in highly engineered components and systems for powertrain applications worldwide. Operating manufacturing and technical facilities in 57 locations in 19 countries, the company develops products to improve fuel economy, reduce emissions and enhance performance. Customers include VW/Audi, Ford, Toyota, Renault/Nissan, General Motors, Hyundai/Kia, Daimler, Chrysler, Fiat, BMW, Honda, John Deere, PSA, and MAN. For more information, please visit www.borgwarner.com.
SOURCE BorgWarner Inc.


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With more than 18 years of experience packaging military products, Shannon Packaging understands military specification, material capability and converting methods. Shannon fabricates custom and standard shelf pouches, tubing and sheeting products for mil-spec, electronic, medical and general industrial applications. Products include barrier pouches, printed pouches, vacuum bags and static control bags. With 16 military spec films in stock, Shannon can produce custom pouches in 7 working days.
CTrends is a franchise distributor of Shannon Packaging. Whether you are looking for price, quality, or lead time, call CTrends to meet your flow-down requirements today.
All franchise products come with a guaranteed pass-thru warranty.


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In last week's column, I outlined the requirements for setting up a useful and fast PowerPC (PPC) Linux desktop, and I'm going to start with what I consider the best of the bunch.
Ubuntu Linux has done some of the best work in the open source community at making Linux palatable for the average end user. Indeed, their slogan is "Linux for human beings", and I don't think I've ever come across a Linux distribution that's as easy to set up, maintain, and use for daily tasks as this one.
The front page of Ubuntu's website contains a declaration of principles that they call their "public commitment". First and foremost, in my mind, is their credo that everyone with a computer should have access to free, usable software no matter what platform they use.
This means they have put considerable effort into making their PPC version on par with its x86 counterpart. This's important, because some vendors just don't take the time to optimize their PPC Linux, if they make one at all.
[Editor's note: Canonical has discontinued PPC updates since Ubuntu version 7.04. The PowerPC version is now community supported.]
Another big plus is that Ubuntu releases a new version every six months and is committed to providing updates to the current version in the meantime. The importance of this cannot be overstated – with other distros, you may find yourself compiling packages by hand to stay up-to-date while you're waiting for your vendor to put out an official patch.
So if you've got open source fever after reading Ubuntu's public commitment, it's time to get down and pick out that old Mac on which you're going to try Liinux. Ubuntu only mentions "G4 and G5" on their front page, but I've read many success stories with Ubuntu on G3 hardware. It installs and runs fine, just a little slower – but usually faster than OS X on the same hardware.
Much to my puzzlement, I've run across several blue and white G3s in the past few years that refuse to take not only Linux, but also OS X, even though this is Apple-supported hardware for OS X 10.4 Tiger and earlier. Sometimes applying the latest G3 firmware update helps (always a good idea anyway), but other times it doesn't.
That's a topic for another column, but if anyone's experienced a "no Unix" B&W G3 and fixed it, please let me know how you did it!
For comparison's sake, my Ubuntu box is a 450 MHz G4 Cube with a CD-RW drive (a relatively rare configuration, as most Cubes have DVD-ROM). When I acquired it a while back, it had a bum 20 GB hard drive, so I replaced it with a 7200 RPM 40 GB drive. I also upped the RAM from the stock 64 MB to 768 MB.
Performance of both OS X 10.3 Panther and 10.4 on this Cube was okay, but definitely on the sluggish side. OS 9, of course, was extremely speedy.
Ubuntu's installation scheme packs some core components onto a single CD-ROM. Downloading and burning just one CD – versus the four or five required for other distros – is definitely a plus. On the down side, the installer must then go out to the Internet to download the rest of the needed packages. Hooked up to my LAN backed by a 3 Mbps cable modem, this wasn't a big deal for me. I'm not sure how dialup users will fare in this situation or if the installer disc even has PPP support for dialing out.
The installer itself is text-based, whereas most Linux installers have very nice graphical shells. However, Ubuntu's installer is not difficult to navigate, even for those used to point-and-click operations.
After auto-partitioning my hard drive, Ubuntu's installer found my DHCP server, configured itself, and downloaded everything it needed over the Internet. After a reboot, the rest of the packages were installed, a few configuration items were set, and that was pretty much it.
Ubuntu is similar to OS X when it comes to system administration. Many Unix variants have you set a root password at install and then create the first user account as a normal user, encouraging you to use su to switch to root for administration tasks or entering the root password into authentication boxes for graphical apps.
OS X and Ubuntu disable root and add the first user created to the sudoers file, giving them the ability to call root power when needed using their own password (i.e., using sudo at the command line or authentication boxes for graphical apps).
The difference in the two approaches is small, but the latter has a slight security edge by disabling root.
Overall, the installation is much easier than other PPC Linux variants, with Ubuntu always recognizing my sound card, video card, and other hardware without a bit of configuration. For anyone who's ever had to fiddle with kernel modules and such to get sound or video, you may shed a tear over the way things tend to "just work" with Ubuntu.
Your mileage may vary, but I know I'm not alone in singing Ubuntu's praises in this department.
Getting Started
Ubuntu uses the Gnome desktop environment by default, although they do offer another product called Kubuntu that runs the KDE desktop. Gnome vs. KDE discussions can quickly turn into flame wars not unlike Mac vs. Windows debates.
I like both, but KDE is more graphically intense. Its interface is highly reminiscent of both OS X and Windows XP, with lots of animations and nice zooming effects. Gnome is certainly a lot easier on lower-end machines with lower-end video cards. If the purpose of our Linux-on-low-end-PPC is to eke out more speed, Gnome is the way to go. It has an attractive, skinable interface that is lightweight and efficient.
The Gnome desktop won't be hard for someone with Mac or Windows experience to get used to. In fact, Ubuntu's default configuration might be a little more familiar to Mac users, with the persistent menu bar running across the top. The menu bar houses three menus – Applications, Places (much like OS X's Go menu), and System (for setting your system preferences and doing administrative tasks).
Next to these menus are a few icons for quickly launching favorite apps, similar to OS X's Dock or Windows' QuickLaunch bar. A quick right-click in the menu bar makes it easy to add more favorite icons.
From the System -> Administration menu, you will find the Update Manager, which is analogous to OS X's Software Update. In fact, it should launch automatically the first time you log in, just like Software Update. Also like OS X, you can automatically check for updates on a schedule and receive notifications when new updates are available.
Installing Software
The System -> Administration menu also houses the Synaptic Package Manager, which keeps track of what packages you have available for installation, which ones you have installed, and the related packages required to run other packages (called dependencies). Synaptic is a front-end to the command line apt tool and makes getting new software installed a breeze.
By default, Synaptic only connects to Ubuntu's "officially supported" package repositories, but I highly recommend enabling Synaptic to connect to the "Universe" repositories, which contain packages maintained by the Ubuntu community. It is quite an impressive list of software, all of it available without cost and without nagging "register me" dialog boxes.
Enabling the Universe repositories allows you to easily install the fantastic VLC and its many dependencies. VLC is a familiar program to many OS X users, who use it to view pesky video files that fail to load in QuickTime. It's an absolutely essential tool on Linux, gladly playing all the media I throw at it, both video and audio.
Some other things that don't come installed by default that I like to add with Synaptic are the Bluefish text editor, the AbiWord word processor, the Gnomebaker CD burning program, KBackgammon, and a few other of the KDE games. (Even though Gnome is the default windowing system, Synaptic will gladly install the necessary KDE libraries so you can run KDE apps in the same environment.)
Day-to-Day Use
Running over my list of requirements for a Linux desktop that meets my needs, Ubuntu rises to the challenge quite nicely.
First off, I need a modern web browser. Firefox is the default browser, and I don't think you can ask for much better in this department. Since Firefox is one of the browsers I use regularly on the Mac, it's nice that Firefox is there on Linux and works exactly the same. There are plenty of other browser options for Ubuntu and Linux in general, but Firefox is a world-class browser, and you really needn't look further.
Next I asked for an email program that will let me handle multiple POP and IMAP accounts. Evolution is the default mail app in Ubuntu, and it's more than capable. However, I used Synaptic to install Thunderbird, Mozilla's complement to Firefox. This gives me a little uniformity between my Web and email clients, and I'm familiar with the Mac version of Thunderbird, even though Apple Mail is my regular client.
I also need an IM client to connect to my iChat (AIM) and Yahoo! accounts. Gaim, installed by default, connects to these services with speed and ease, along with a host of other popular IM protocols. I've really enjoyed Gaim, so much so that I decided to download its OS X counterpart, Adium.
On the Mac, I depend quite a bit on BBEdit or TextWrangler for HTML/PHP editing and a lot of other text processing needs. Ubuntu installs gEdit by default, which is very nice, but I install the wonderful Bluefish editor. Its fantastic HTML tools make it the only program that comes close to the power offered by BareBones' text editors.
I always like to have Apache, PHP, and MySQL around for testing purposes. While not installed by default, they are just a few clicks away using Synaptic.
OpenOffice 2.0 comes with the default installation and is a very worthy replacement for Microsoft Office. It handles most Office files just fine, making it possible for many to live Microsoft free. The only real trouble I've had with OpenOffice on all platforms is with Impress, its presentation component meant to replace PowerPoint. Graphic intensive and/or media-rich PowerPoint files have caused Impress to choke, at least in my testing, but most files open just fine.
I also install AbiWord as another alternative to Microsoft Word. OpenOffice Writer is fine, but AbiWord feels a lot like Word 5.1, and we Mac users have a fond affection for Word 5.1.
Most of the systems I have to remotely administer are running SSH – and therefore SFTP (secure FTP) – so a good SFTP client is nice. There are still a lot of FTP servers out there, so what I really need is an FTP/SFTP client, like Transmit or Cyberduck on the Mac. gFTP, not installed by default, is a nice little client that not only handles FTP and SFTP, but also HTTP WebDav servers and the FSP protocol.
The standard collection of Gnome games are installed by default, and after years of Mac installations, it's nice to have a few simple games installed with your OS. Personally, these are the computer games I enjoy the most – solitaire, Tetris clones, worms-in-maze games, mahjongg, etc. I'm no big gamer, as you might tell, but I enjoy these slight time wasters. There are also lots of KDE and X11 games available to install. I always get KBackgammon so I can play on the First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS).
Networking is very simple through the graphical network administration program included. Setting up ethernet networking is a snap. I've tried Ubuntu on an older PowerBook G4 with a PCMCIA wireless card and on a Dell Precision M60 with built-in 802.11g. In both cases, wireless worked great connecting to unprotected and WEP-enabled base stations. I understand that Linux has no drivers for Apple's AirPort Extreme card, but there's always the PCMCIA slot if you absolutely need wireless on a newer PowerBook.
Connecting to SMB shares is not a problem using the Places -> Connect to Server menu. I also use Connect to Server's WebDAV (HTTP) option to mount up my iDisk and it works great.
Needing a photo editor and a photo organizer app like iPhoto, Ubuntu takes care of this by installing GIMP and gPhoto. I already use GIMP under X11 on OS X, and it's all the image editor I need and more. gPhoto doesn't have everything iPhoto does, but it's more than capable.
I never could get it to properly import images from my Olympus digital camera, but the media card did mount on the Desktop, so I just copied the images that way. Situations like this are where the strengths of iLife really stand out, but the included tools do the job without much hassle.
By installing VLC, not only can I watch the .avi and .wmv files you find floating around the Net, but I get MPEG4 support also, meaning I can play my mostly-AAC iTunes library on Ubuntu. I use rsync to sync my main iTunes Library to the Ubuntu box so all my music is always there wherever I find myself working. (Neat tools like gtkpod also let you interact directly with your iPod.)
I also have a G4 with an EyeTV hooked up to it. An open source project called CyTV lets you stream EyeTV video to VLC clients on your network. This means I can also watch cable TV on my Ubuntu box, which is very cool.
Trying out Ubuntu on your Mac means doing away with whatever you have installed on it right now. If you want to dual-boot Mac OS and Ubuntu, you'll need to back up your OS X environment, repartition your hard drive, and then install both OSes. This can be a lot of work for something you're just wanting to "try out".
Support for installing to and booting from FireWire drives is very limited in Linux. Dan Knight emailed me this week letting me know he was hoping to install Linux on a FireWire drive, not only to keep his OS X environment in place, but to take the Linux environment to different computers. Ubuntu doesn't support this. TerraSoft Solution's Yellow Dog Linux is one of the few out there to offer FireWire booting as an option.
There is no Flash player for PPC Linux. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your point of view. Ubuntu includes a swf-player package for PPC, but it doesn't seem to actually work.
Skype, the popular voice-over-IP application, doesn't work on PPC hardware either.
There is a ton of software out there in the Linux world that can accomplish everyday tasks. Getting it to install or play nice with other installed software has been somewhat of a challenge in the past, especially on a minority platform like PPC.
Ubuntu has done a fantastic job of compiling all this software and putting it in a neat package not only for the x86 world, but also ensuring the PPC world has equal support where possible. This provides a lean, mean, and also secure, current, and up-to-date, alternative to OS X for older hardware.
Next time around I'll take a look at some closely related projects: Fedora Core for PPC and Yellow Dog Linux.
keyword: ubuntuppc


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text: If you streamlined a multi-peaked Cotswaldian cottage and stuccoed it, the results might look like this crisp patio home in West Lake Annex, north of Richmond Ave. between Afton Oaks and the railroad tracks. The mid-block property debuted as a listing last week at $675,000. It sits on the back half of a shared-access lot; its stylized, tree-topped balconies (above) face the back of its closer-to-curbside neighbor.


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WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- An implanted magnetic device could offer a new treatment option for people with chronic heartburn that is not controlled with medication, a small study suggests.
The study, reported in the Feb. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, tested a newer approach to taming stubborn cases of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) -- one of the most common health conditions diagnosed in the United States.
GERD arises when the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach fails to close properly, allowing stomach acids to splash up into the esophagus. The main symptom is chronic heartburn.
For people who have frequent heartburn -- more than twice a week -- the go-to medications are the so-called proton pump inhibitors, such as Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium. But studies estimate that up to 40 percent of people on those drugs do not get enough relief.
The new study included 100 such GERD patients. They all received an implant -- a bracelet-like device composed of magnetic beads -- that wraps around the portion of muscle where the esophagus joins the stomach. The point is to "augment" the muscle and prevent stomach acid reflux.
After three years, researchers found, 64 percent of the patients had their acid reflux cut by at least half. And 87 percent had been able to stop taking their proton pump inhibitors altogether.
"That's huge," lead researcher Dr. Robert Ganz said of the medication reduction.
It's estimated that Americans spend $14 billion a year on prescription proton pump inhibitors. Because of the costs and potential side effects, many people would like to drop the drugs, said Ganz, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
He cited bone-thinning as one potential long-term side effect. "A lot of women do not want to be on proton pump inhibitors for that reason in particular," Ganz said.
The device his team studied is already approved in the United States and marketed as the LINX Reflux Management System by Torax Medical, Inc., which also funded the study.
Ganz said he could envision the device as an option for "some fraction" of the 20 million to 30 million Americans who take a daily medication for GERD symptoms.
There are, of course, less extreme ways to manage your heartburn. Diet changes and weight loss often help, and if your heartburn is milder, over-the-counter antacids or drugs called H2 blockers -- brands like Zantac and Tagamet -- may be enough.
Proton pump inhibitors, which block acid production, are often recommended for people with more frequent heartburn. If that doesn't work, surgery is typically seen as the last-ditch option.
Traditionally, that has meant a 50-year-old procedure called Nissen fundoplication, where the upper part of the stomach is stitched around the lower end of the esophagus.
Performed by an experienced surgeon, that procedure is very effective, said Dr. F. Paul Buckley III, director of general surgery at the Heartburn and Acid Reflux Center, Scott and White Clinic in Round Rock, Texas.
The problem, though, is that the surgery creates a rigid ring around the esophagus, explained Buckley, who was not involved in the new study. That often leaves patients with difficulty swallowing or with other natural bodily functions -- including belching and vomiting.
The LINX device, Buckley said, is designed to be "dynamic," expanding when food passes through, then quickly contracting again to prevent reflux.
"I think this will have a significant effect on how we treat GERD," Buckley said.
However, the device is not without problems: Two-thirds of the study patients had difficulty swallowing at first, although that dropped to 11 percent after one year, and 4 percent after three years.
Six patients had more serious side effects, including four who had the device removed -- mostly for substantial problems with swallowing. Two other patients had the device removed for "disease management," the study noted.
"The device seems to be a reasonable and fairly effective alternative," said Dr. Sigurbjorn Birgisson, a gastroenterologist and director of the Center for Swallowing and Esophageal Disorders at the Cleveland Clinic.
It might be an option for people who do not find relief from medication -- or cannot stick with long-term drug treatment because of side effects or expense, according to Birgisson, who was not involved in the study.
He added, though, that there should be further studies that compare the device with existing therapies, and look at the long-term effects.
Ganz agreed. The long-term risks are one question. So far, Ganz said, none of the patients in this study has seen the device erode or "migrate" from its intended location. But they have only been followed for a few years.
For his part, Buckley noted that there is a long history of failed therapies in the GERD world. One example is the Angelchik prosthesis, a doughnut-shaped silicone implant developed in the 1970s that wrapped around the junction between the esophagus and stomach. At first, it seemed to work well, but then doctors found high rates of longer-term complications; many people had lasting problems with swallowing, and in some cases the device eroded or slipped out of place.
The LINX device is designed much differently, but no one yet knows how it fares in the long run.
The estimated cost of the device was not available at publication time. The procedure is not currently available at most hospitals. Right now, Buckley said, only certain medical centers in the United States offer it.
More information
Learn more about GERD treatments from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.