July 2007

As a hiring manager I'm always skeptical when I get a resume filled with "technical" classes from one of the myriad of technical schools around the country. When I've worked with graduates of these programs it seems they have a marginal, but usually satisfactory, understanding of how technology is supposed to work. The problem is I rarely need people who can work with technology that is working. If technology is working and things are simple there is little that end-users need. Even relatively simple tasks like deploying computers depends upon a specific understanding of the complex situation that is most business networks. Few organizations do a "out of the box" installation of a Microsoft Active Directory and run 100% machines that work in that environment. These complexities mean a technical manager is quickly looking for skills that don't come from these technical schools. Ironically because they do tend to come in people who are self-motivated to learn the technology any way they can often the requisite skills are stronger in those who haven't been through this sort of program.

So what does this have to do with Dreamweaver? A friend recently commented that when they look at resumes they similarly discount the web credentials of anyone who lists Dreamweaver, Front Page or other similar programs on their resume for much the same reasons. Usually they've gone to a class or two on web design and don't really understand the web my friend explained. It is far more important that a person who is going to be using the web heavily and designing for the web understand how the web works, what a are key factors in search engine optimization, organic marketing, usability, content management systems and customer service than an understanding of how to use a particular piece of software. In other words the conceptual body of knowledge is far more important than how to push buttons in a software package.

Extrapolating into the mechanical world the Dreamweaver and Front Page slingers of the world are shade tree mechanics. Many of them very good and able to put together quite pretty things and make things look good. Just as many a shade-tree mechanic can do wonders on that '67 Mustang the Front Pager can put the shine on a '97 vintage website. If '97 works then you're done. When it comes to working on the '06 Prius the shade tree mechanic is at a distinct disadvantage. Though at it's heart there is a gas engine, the HTML of the automotive world, there is a much more complex system in play that takes more tools and understanding than the average shade tree mechanic possesses. If you want a '07 website that can keep and build audience and become the business tool you need then you'll do what those in the know do and use a content management system. Best of all when you want an '08 website your job will be much easier.

Of course I am far from the first to raise this point. And it would be wrong to take away the idea that Dreamweaver doesn't have a place. It is a great tool for designing a site even if it is a poor tool for maintaining the content on the site once it is designed.

My list of challenges with DirecWay internet service is well known to regular readers. Over the last several years I've had occasion to do the drive to the office on several extra occasions simply because it is not practical to do the work I do over a DirecWay connection. The speed is acceptable but the latency issues of satellite combined with DirecWay's broken proxy servers preventing XML-RPC calls make work impossible.

Not long ago a colleague asked about cellular-wireless connections. Having had decidedly mixed results using the Treo in this capacity I recommended against it. "It is more hassle than it is worth," I told my colleague.

When I began looking again at what was available I saw the Sierra Wireless AirCard 875U has Mac drivers out there. An express card was a consideration but that would work with only one laptop where the AirCard can go into any of the computers I have or use.

Visiting the AT&T store I confirmed that my part of the world has only EDGE networking and not the speedier 3G wireless. Having heard over and over about how the iPhone is "crippled" by EDGE I was leery and left the store disappointed. In the car a change of heart sent me back in to confirm that I have 30 days to return the card and I put down the cash. Suffice it to say that the first 15 minutes with the card, on the EDGE network, proved that it won't be going anywhere.

I have been working recently with a Drupal application where it is necessary to bring in some data from a non-Drupal database. Eventually these features might roll into a module and the data may move into Drupal but for the moment it sits alone in another database.

An hour or so today disappeared into trying to figure out why various theme_ functions did not work properly. Calling theme('item_list', $list); for example returned broken pages and error messages in the log. After searching for what I was doing wrong in calling theme_ it finally hit me that the error log messages were complaining about not finding the system table and not having parts of the theme. From there it was quick to find the information (which I posted as a comment as well).

The upshot is you have to return to the 'default' database before doing theme work. Read the full version for a code examples.

There is little secret that the Southern Nevada Water Authority(SNWA) is out to suck Nevada dry. One of the real problems for Las Vegans is to figure out when SNWA is dealing with reality or when it is a SNWA magic looking glass version. For example SNWA wants us to believe it would be a good idea to spend billions of dollars (like at least tens of billions) to build a pipeline to get all that unused water.

However, other experts don't agree with SNWA's calculations of how much water is or isn't in areas like Dry Lake Valley (heh, it just sounds like a place for a pipeline to get water). See for example: "Tom Myers, a consulting hydrologist for the Great Basin Water Network, said the water authority is asking for several times the amount of water that's available, according to data compiled previously by the state engineer's office."

That's right. SNWA wants to spend billions and billions of dollars to build a pipeline. Not only will it vastly increase the security risks to Las Vegas and send Sin City deeper into its tailspin of unsupportable growth, but now they're proposing straws to places without the water they claim is there.