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Agility focuses on delivering business value to the customers as rapidly as possible. So, how does the team assure the business that it's delivering the most value possible in the right priority? It's more than prioritizing user stories or estimating development effort with story points. Through presentation and interactive exercises, Ken Pugh explains how to estimate and track business value throughout an agile project. He presents two methods for quickly estimating business value for features and stories, and shows the relationship between business value estimates and story point estimates. Ken illustrates how to chart business value for iteration reviews and demonstrates what estimates really mean in both dollars and time. On a larger scale, Ken shows business value as a portfolio management tool for prioritizing feature development across many projects.
Cognitive scientists tell us that we are hardwired for deception, which makes accurate estimation almost impossible. We must simply accept that our estimates are best guesses and continually re-evaluate as we go, which is the agile approach to managing change.
The team, running Scrum by-the-book for three months, was continually failing to meet its delivery dates. As a result, trust between the business managers and the team degraded almost to a point-of-no-return. The team, which held bi-weekly retrospectives, could not pinpoint the problems causing its inability to ship. Mitch Lacey was asked to assist the team in finding the root cause of its problems. He analyzed multiple aspects of the project-from individual work items to planning meetings. While multiple issues were identified, one thing stood out above all others--the estimation process used had caused the team to miss its deadlines. Mitch discusses the estimation problems the team was having, how they were discovered and fixed, and the resulting improvement in financial and customer satisfaction.
An agile approach can deliver recognizable value to organizations. Using examples from recent projects, David Garmus demonstrates that software development projects can benefit from using the agile methodology when appropriate. Delivering a project in an organization that is following an agile implementation methodology can be faster and more productive than the same project in an organization that is using the traditional waterfall approach. David provides actual delivery (project performance)
Gone are the religious wars of plan-driven vs. agile software development methodologies and practices. Recent surveys indicate agile practices are being adopted in many software development organizations, with others seriously contemplating making the switch. The question from most organizations now has turned from plan-driven vs. agile to which agile practices they should use in their development process to most improve their business results. The experiences of other organizations that have adopted agile practices help answer this question. Based on her empirical studies of Extreme Programming teams and other agile practices, Laurie Williams shares her views on which agile methods have been most beneficial to industrial teams practicing agile development. Armed with real data, you can implement changes with more confidence that they will add value in your organization.
Agile methodologies may be coming soon to a project near you. Agile software development holds the promise of faster development, less cost, fewer defects, and increased customer value, all while maintaining a sustainable work pace in a high morale environment. As a tester, you may be wondering, "How will agile affect me?" We've all heard stories that agile methodologies have no place for testers. In this presentation, Jean Tabaka changes that perspective. She will highlight the fundamental tenets of agile software development, the project management frameworks that support these tenets, and the engineering disciplines that naturally fit in these frameworks. For some testers, the agile approach can be a jolt to their long-held beliefs of how testing should be done.
Whether you are building a brand new product or evolving an existing system, understanding the business needs of your customers is the foundation of a marketable product or valuable internal application. Few of us are experts in interviewing techniques, and few customers talk about their tasks, needs, and context in neat, concise statements about requirements. Hone your elicitation skills and learn what it takes to get beneath the surface and understand your customers: their world, how they work, and what really bothers them. With effective interviewing techniques and skills, you will get inside their heads and better understand their needs within their context.
As a decision-making framework, a test strategy outlines the vision and values that drive the project and keeps you on a clear path in times of change or uncertainty. A good test strategy makes you more resilient to inevitable changes as the project progresses. However, each test
project needs its own strategy depending on the business and risk profiles of the applications, technology in use, development methods, and even the experience and culture of the test group. In this interactive session with James Lyndsay, you will learn about a wide range of test strategy
These days, we hear a lot about unit testing, testing for programmers, test-first programming, and the like. Design techniques for such tests and for improving system testing are often called white box test designs. Join Rex Black as he explains the basics of white box testing and compares
white box with other types of testing. Find out how the metaphor of "boxes" can inform-and confuse-us. Rex discusses the basis path tests, including cyclomatic number as a measure of complexity and a way to determine the number of tests necessary to cover all paths. He walks
As software professionals, we all care about quality. We focus our efforts on building quality into the code and testing to assess quality and find errors before our customers do. However, there is an important element of quality that comes before all that and is critical to delivering reliable software: quality working relationships and quality interactions. Esther Derby covers pragmatic strategies for building, strengthening, and maintaining working relationships with all stakeholders-managers, customers, team members, and peers. The first step is to build a foundation of trust and respect. Then, we must focus on interests rather than positions and seek joint solutions to problems. We should use the richest communication channel available for our interactions and make a generous interpretation of others' actions.
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By The Rivers Of Babylon Paperback – Mar 1 2001
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"By the Rivers of Babylon" tells a thrilling tale of survival and the guerilla-like commando tactics of the heroic passengers of the Concorde as they struggle desperately against their attackers and attempt against all odds to reach the outside world with news of their plight in the Babylonian desert. In his first novel, DeMille makes grand statements about the nature of courage and heroism under fire, sacrifice, loyalty, altruism and love. He has crafted interesting characters such as Jacob Hausner, the security officer who cannot forgive himself for his careless oversight many years earlier that allowed the terrorists access to the Concorde's inner workings. We witness Miriam Bernstein, Golda Meir's young and beautiful hand-picked political protégé evolve away from her roots as a far left wing advocate of peace at almost any cost.Read more ›
East combines action with detailed planning and execution that fortells
the Sept 11 hijackings. The story is compelling and believable.
Another 'can't put it down book'. Demille can combine exacting detail
with fast-moving action and believble characterizations. The tension
is impressive throughout the book.
I wish Nelson Demille could write as fast as I can read.
He is among the FEW authors whose books I keep to read
again later.
My second read will be right before the movie comes out.
Enjoy this book!
Nelson DeMille's first effort is a fast paced and extremely clever tale that is in some respects surprisingly claustrophobic. Almost the entire book occurs in this Babylonian desert region. The book can be divided into prebattle, battle and post battle. It is obvious that Nelson DeMille was stretching the simplistic plot in an effort to bulk up the book. However, the pacing is relentless and the book can almost be consumed in one lengthy sitting. The author revealed almost twenty-five years ago that he could write a competent thriller and has perfected that task over the ensuing decades. A wonderful first effort.
Often there is a love story about which to hang other issues, and Babylon is no exception.
The peace mission . . . by that I mean THE PEACE MISSION, is about to take off and two Concords are flying from Lod Airport in Israel to New York. And as in every disaster movie, the planes are filled with people who aren't who they seem to be or who they are telling other people they are. What's new?
Security has been lax in the fetal stages of the aircrafts' building, and bombs have been placed in the tail of both aircraft.
The tool by which DeMille gets us there, in this case Babylon, is nearly irrelevant. What he does is put dozens of different people together, hawks, doves, traitors, heroes, cowards, zealots, and then throws in an untested Palestinian force (the Ashbals) with their great numbers attacking the defending Israelis. Hmmmmm. I wonder if Nelson fell asleep while watching John Wayne's "The Alamo" on cable before he began this prodigious effort?
And of course the story is brought together by DeMille's capacity to describe everything from the aluminum mesh in the baggage compartment of the Concord to mascara. And to do so very well.
The other DeMille characteristic is dialogue. He has a gift of making his characters speak in a manner in which we can nod our heads and say, 'yeah, a guy in that fix would probably have said something like that.'
If there's a drawback to Babylon I believe it is that it doesn't go anywhere. Physically I mean.Read more ›
Most recent customer reviews
Not the best fro De Mille, in fact I was unsure if he even wrote this story himself.Published 8 months ago by Robert S. Smith
Being a huge fan of Nelson DeMille, I decided after reading Radiant Angels, to go back and take a look at any of his novels that I hadn't read. There were very few. Read morePublished 12 months ago by Linda Pfeiffer
As an ex-RCAF aircraft salvage tech/mechanic I appreciated the aircraft operational and mechanical descriptions and events.The book gave me feelings of empathy for Israel.Published on Nov. 12 2011 by John Wiley
Two jets on a peace keeping mission take off in Israel. Their ultimate destination is the United Nations in New York City. Read morePublished on Aug. 13 2009 by lawyeraau
The last third of the book really picks up, but when reading the book, it just feels weak. I do love the history that he includes and the description of Babylon. Read morePublished on Nov. 14 2005 by Mark
Awesome book! However there are some things that I didn't like. One is how Hausner, the leader of the Israel's died. Read morePublished on Nov. 14 2005 by DesertWater

subset: commoncrawl


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P0742 CHEVROLET - Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Stuck On
- Dirty transmission fluid
- Faulty torque converter clutch solenoid valve
- Torque converter clutch solenoid valve harness or connectors
- Torque converter clutch solenoid valve circuit is open or shorted
- Transmission internal mechanical problem
There is a factory service bulletin for the following Chevrolet Models:
2001 Chevrolet Lumina
2001-2005 Chevrolet Venture, Venture EXT, Venture 4WD
2001-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2001-2008 Chevrolet Impala, Lumina (Export Only)
2005-2008 Chevrolet Uplander, Uplander EXT, Uplander 4WD
Chevrolet Factory Service Bulletin P0742 OBDII Code
When the PCM detects low torque converter slip when the PCM commands the TCC OFF, then is sets the P0742 code.
The Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) solenoid valve is a normally-open exhaust valve that is used with the Torque Converter Clutch Pulse Width Modulation (TCC PWM) solenoid valve in order to control fluid acting on the converter clutch apply valve. The TCC solenoid valve attaches to the transmission case assembly extending into the pump cover. When grounded (energized) by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), the TCC solenoid valve stops converter signal oil from exhausting. This causes converter signal oil pressure to increase and move the converter clutch apply valve against spring force and into the apply position. In this position, release fluid is open to an exhaust port and converter feed fluid fills the apply fluid circuit. The converter feed fluid applies the TCC.
how to fix p0742 code on 2003 impala 3.4L how do i know which solenoid to replace...
P0742 Pontiac Montana - I'm getting p0742 on my 01 Montana code is for tcc solenoid how would i kno...
the trans is shifts hard into everything driving me nuts so I changed the transmission and still doe...
What is the TCC solenoid replacement part number? Autozone does not show they have this part for sa...
my 2001 chevy impala got this code. two days ago i was on the freeway and all of a sudden the car re...


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Emerging-Market Stocks in Deepest Losing Streak of 2012
Emerging-market stocks fell, completing the worst three-day slump since November, as concern Greece's debt swap won't get enough investor support and prospects Chinese exports are dropping damped appetite for riskier assets.
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index retreated for a third day, losing 0.3 percent at the close in New York to 1,037.71, the lowest since Feb. 1. The three-day loss is the steepest since Nov. 23.
Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA slid to the lowest this month as Brazil's second-largest steelmaker said fourth-quarter profit tumbled 84 percent. China Life Insurance Co., the nation's largest insurer, plunged the most in more than four months after reporting 2011 net income may drop by as much as 50 percent. Want Want China Holdings Ltd. reached the highest-ever closing price after Citigroup Inc. raised its rating on China's largest maker of rice cakes.
Greece is stepping up pressure on holders of its bonds to comply with a debt swap that runs through tomorrow and is viewed as necessary to avert a default. Investors with at least 58 percent of the eligible debt have agreed to the swap so far. China's Commerce Minister Chen Deming said exports rose about 7 percent in the first two months of 2012, suggesting the reading for February will be below all forecasts of economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
There is "a bit of nervousness" in markets on Greece's suggestion it will use collective action clauses, which trigger credit default swaps on the debt, to force bondholders to accept its debt restructuring, Benoit Anne, chief emerging-market strategist at Societe Generale SA, said by phone from London. "It's a big test for the global markets, it's a big event risk."
Brazil's Bovespa Index rebounded, gaining 1.4 percent from a three-week low, on speculation Brazilian policy makers will cut key borrowing costs at a policy meeting today. Marfrig Alimentos SA, Latin America's second-largest beef producer, jumped 8.4 percent, the biggest gainer on the Bovespa.
Usinas Siderurgicas, known as Usiminas, slipped 2.2 percent after reporting that net income excluding minority interests fell 84 percent to 44.6 million reais ($25.4 million) in the fourth quarter.
The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index of Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong slid 1.3 percent, taking its three-day decline to 6.5 percent.
China Life fell 6.1 percent in Hong Kong, the most since Oct. 20.
Shanghai-based Want Want China jumped 7 percent, the biggest advance since May 2010, after Citigroup raised its recommendation on the stock to "buy" from "neutral," citing the potential for "good sales momentum" in the next few years.
The median forecast for Chinese export growth in February was for a 32 percent advance from a year earlier, according to a survey compiled by Bloomberg before Minister Chen spoke. The data is scheduled to be released on March 10.
Nomura Holdings Inc. said Chen's comments indicated exports grew 18.7 percent last month, less than any estimate in the survey. Societe Generale revised its forecast to 18 percent.
The Kospi Index slipped 0.9 percent in Seoul and the BSE India Sensitive Index, or Sensex, slid 0.2 percent in Mumbai.
The Micex Index gained 0.7 percent today in Moscow after sliding 3.9 percent yesterday. The ruble weakened 0.2 percent against the dollar, its seventh straight daily decline.
German factory orders fell 2.7 percent in January from December, when they gained 1.6 percent, the Economy Ministry in Berlin said today. U.S. companies added 216,000 workers last month versus a revised 173,000 the previous month, according to data based on payrolls from ADP Employer Services.
Brazil's real weakened for a fourth day, falling 0.4 percent to 1.7661 per dollar. Economists expect Brazil's central bank to cut the nation's benchmark interest rate to 10 percent from 10.5 percent, according to the median of 62 estimates in a Bloomberg survey.
MTN Group Ltd., Africa's largest mobile-phone operator, jumped 3 percent in Johannesburg after saying adjusted earnings-per-share grew to 10.70 rand in 2011 from 7.47 rand a year earlier.
The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index exchange-traded fund, the most-traded ETF that tracks developing-nation shares, rose 1.2 percent to $42.91.
The extra yield investors demand to own emerging-market debt over U.S. Treasuries fell seven basis points, or 0.07 percentage point, to 350 basis points, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s EMBI Global Index.


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Simple question.
How can I use .NET to traverse the directory structure of a website?
What I want to do is access a particular directory then scan through the files looking for .html files and then download them.
I know to use WebClient.DownloadString() to copy the files, but how can I do the searching through the directories?


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Comments about '2010 Census details Utah growth; West Jordan now 4th largest city'
- Oldest first
- Newest first
- Most recommended
why shouldn't they? Who made the rule? Is it in the constitution? was it passed by congress? Being on the census webpage does not make it the law, just their rule - from whence cometh the rule?
You cite the webpage, now cite the legislation or article in the constitution.
- 4:10 p.m. Feb. 25, 2011
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@pikap1868: "Unless LDS missionaries are Federal employees they won't get
counted, nor should they."
Let's see... Rahm Emanuel, now mayor-elect of Chicago, left town for two years to work in Washington, D.C. In order to run for mayor a candidate has to reside in the city for a period of time just preceding the election. He didn't. How did he get elected, then? Political pull. Perhaps if the LDS Church have more political pull they could get the rules changed.
- 8:36 p.m. Feb. 25, 2011
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Get Fences' highly anticipated, debut album Lesser Oceans! Bundle also includes the exclusive "Lesser Oceans" 18x24, screen print poster, not available anywhere else! Explicit Content.
Track list:
1. Songs About Angels
2. The Lake
3. Dogs At The Table
4. Arrows (feat. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis)
5. Running Off The Gods
6. Sunburns
7. Dusty Beds
8. My Mountain Is Cold
9. Lesser Oceans
10. Temple Dreaming
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