Change the background of your Sametime client

Lotus Business Partner Carl Tyler has created a cool (free!) plugin which allows you to change the background of your Sametime Connect client.  Surf on over and check it out.

Can you copy document from one TeamRoom to another?

I've been trying to help someone with a problem they are having when copy and pasting documents from one TeamRoom to another.   When they paste, the documents are not retaining their categories, but I can't reproduce the issue using either the Notes 7 TeamRoom, nor the Notes 8 TeamRoom.



When I go into a second TeamRoom and use Edit - Paste, the new documents are created, and the category is there.

Does this work for you?   If not, what version are you using?

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Is it just me, or is this new Heineken commercial a copy of the Liberty Mutual commercial from two years ago?

I’m thinking about a new tag-line

"If knowledge is power, then sharing knowledge is the ultimate power-trip"

My Experiences With Apple: Part 1

If you've been following me on Twitter lately, you know I've been struggling a bit with my new Apple Macbook Pro.  While I've had some issues, there are also things I really like.  I'm viewing this experience much like a new relationship, there is a lot of excitement over the pretty new thing, but there are some awkward moments at the start.  It is also like learning a new sport, frustrating at first, but as your talent grows, so to do the rewards. (Thankfully there are less bruises than falling down when learning to snowboard).  Finally, it is like learning to eat vegetables when you are young, you may not enjoy them at first, but they will (hopefully) be good for you in the long run.  Ok, enough ridiculous metaphors...

I want to be clear that I have no preconceived bias (positive or negative) towards either the Mac or Windows platform.  I do admit that I have habits and expected behaviors, developed over the years of doing things a certain way.  Like most people, I've been a Windows user for a long time, but I'm also not totally new to Mac, as I've had a Mini since the very first model came out.  However, this is the first time I've used a Mac as my full time machine.  Also, I'm using OS X on a Macbook Pro, so the experience is slightly different (more difficult) due to some keyboard constraints of a laptop vs. a desktop.  I hope my Mac zealot friends read this post with an open mind, and I equally hope Windows users don't get scared off.

Whenever I read generic comments like "so and so sucks", I always responded calmly with "Can you please be more specific?".  So following that theme, I hope this post highlights some of the legitimate issues I've encountered during the first week of my new Apple life.  I am going to do a follow up post which equally highlights the things I really like.

So here you go, in no specific order...

- I have to use the mouse a lot more than I am used to.  For example, you can't press ALT+"a key" to bring up the menu items for a program. (ex: ALT+E for the edit menu).  You can press fn+control+F2 to get to the Apple menu, then press the left or right arrow key to navigate to the desired menu heading, then the down arrow to get to the list of available commands, but wow, that is some serious finger gymnastics!!! Via System Preferences you can change the behavior of the fn keys, such that you do not have to press fn before pressing the desired key (ex: command+F2, instead of fn+command+F2) so that does improve things, a very small little bit.

- I'm finding navigation around documents to be very difficult.  The delete key is really performing a backspace, and to delete you have to press fn+delete.  Where are end, home, page up, and page down? I know the answer is Fn + arrow keys, but it does not feel comfortable yet.  This may be fine in the long run, but my mind and fingers are not trained for that yet.

- I don't understand the five modifier keys! 1. fn, 2. control, 3. option (or alt), 4. command (or apple), 5. shift.  Using the above navigation issues as an example, why do I press fn + delete, or fn + arrow keys?  Shouldn't it be option + those keys, because fn is to access features of the F1-F12 keys?  And when is something modified by control vs. option vs. command?  I'm still pressing control+x,c, or v for cut, copy, paste.  I have to keep reminding myself it is now Command.  (BTW, Windows keyboards have similar issues)

- I am not accurate with the touchpad yet.  I spin around the screen like a drunk driver trying to parallel park.  That is not an Apple issue, it is just me having used a trackpoint for a decade, so hopefully I'll get used to it.  For now, I've been using an external mouse.  I will say that two-finger scrolling via the touchpad is great, as is two-finger tap for secondary mouse commands.

- Only being able to resize windows from bottom right is a pain in the butt.  Come on Apple, get over yourself and give in to the Window's way.

- You can't selectively delete files from Trash, it is all or nothing.

- I really miss Windows File Manager.  I want my folders locked on the left side, so I can drag and drop files around when organizing my photos or music.  Neither Mac's list nor column views work well for me.  That is not to say they are wrong, they just don't work the way I am used to.  For example, when in column view, the sort option applies to all columns, so I can't sort the folders alphabetically, but then sort the contents of one of the folders by size.

Ex: Below I can see my folders on the left, and the files for the selected folder on the right, but I can't see (or sort on) the details of those files.  If I click on List, then the folders on the left go away.

- The Mac selection model for multiple files still confuses me.  Ex: If I click on a file, then hold down shift and arrow down to select multiple files, but I go to far (select too many files), when I press up arrow, it adds the file above where I started to the selection, instead of de-selecting the last file as I would expect.

- Similar to above, I really miss Windows Search.  I can't figure out how to do simple things with Spotlight, like find all files over 100MB, or all files ending in NSF, then sort them via date or size.  Spotlight might be fast, and is really cool at finding specific items that you are looking for, but it is horrible as an overall search tool.  Yes, I know what Smart Folders are, they are cool, but do not do what I could in Windows.

- I do like how easy Macs make it to install applications by just dragging a DMG into the Applications folder, but is the idea of mounting and ejecting a disc image really something we need in 2008?  It seems pretty 1985 to me.  I'd love to see the mount and eject steps removed, or at least hidden.  Also, the idea that all information about a program is contained inside its .app package is total hogwash!  Programs leave files all over the place like in Library, Preferences, Log directories, etc.

- I am using the highest resolution my Macbook has, which is 1440*900, and while the wide-screen is cool, I really miss the higher vertical resolution, and find I have to scroll up and down a lot more than I used to.

- I'm not sure why, but I keep hitting cap lock instead of A

- My wrists get very sore typing now.  The Macbook keys are set much further back then they were on my ThinkPad, and the front of the laptop is pressing against my forearms in a very uncomfortable way.  At home I can get past this by using a laptop stand and gel wrist pad, but on the road, this is a problem.

- I don't like the way mail.app handles attachments (showing them embedded by default), and I have to keep clicking on them and choosing view as icon.

- I miss having a "New" menu available on my desktop or in folders.  For example, to quickly create a text file.

- The Address Book is far too basic.  At a minimum I'd like to be able to add category or tags, but ideally I'd like to be able to add other fields as well.  (spouse, children, etc.)  I have 14 years of content stored in my Notes names.nsf, and I don't think Address Book is going to allow me to replace that.

- I think it is crazy that Apple installs 3.15 GB of printer drivers.

- Finally, and again, not Apple's fault... but I REALLY REALLY REALLY miss SnagIt.  I've tried every tool suggest to me thus far, but none of them can do what SnagIt did.

So there you have it, some of the things that have troubled me this week.  Many of you have been extremely helpful via Twitter and chat, and I want to thank you very much for that.  I am sure my questions will continue!  By the way, I went to my local Apple store and spent some time with one of their training staff.  He was awesome, and agreed with almost all my complaints.  Not once did he tell me "Well you are just not doing things the Apple way".  It was very cool.  He suggested some great training learning/how-to videos from Apple's web site, and I also bought a book about switching from Windows to Mac.  I will try and read it as soon as I can.

The date for Lepofsky-Polloza has been changed

A few days ago I mentioned my leaving-IBM party at, at Flat Top Johnny's.
I've had to change the date, and it will now be on August 6th.
A few surprise guests might even be showing up!

Incredible Customer Service... via Twitter!

Earlier this morning I posted a problem I was having with Firefox 3 on Twitter...



A short time ago, "firefox_answers", an ID I did not know existed posted an answer.



Monitoring Twitter for customer support... Well done Mozilla team.

Lotus Makes Blackjack

IBM Reports 2008 Second-Quarter Results

"revenues for Lotus software, which allows collaborating and messaging by clients in real-time communication and knowledge management, increased 21 percent year over year."

In search of a screen capture (and editing) tool for Mac

As someone who creates a lot of graphically rich content (blog posts, emails, slides, etc), for years two of the main tools on my laptop have been Snagit and Camtasia.   This week I made the switch to Mac, and have really been struggling to find tools to get me back to what I was able to do before.

The screen capture tools that have been suggested to me include Skitch, Jing, SnapPro X, SnapNDrag, Screenflow, and a few more.  Yes, these do basic screen, menu, and even video capture, but I've yet to find one that has the editing tools I am used to.   Skitch it close, as it allows me to add text, arrows, resize images (but it is random, I can't do consistent %'s)

The things I miss so far are:
- The ability to capture a scrolling window (meaning all the content on a screen, even when scroll bars are shown)
- Edge and border effects (like the torn paper one I use all the time)
- An post capture editor that allows me to select part of an image, move it around, copy it, etc.

The tools above may do these things, and it is just a case of me not being as familiar with them as I am with SnagIt.   If anyone can offer some help, I'd appreciate it.

Lepofsky-Polloza

Mary Beth beat me to blogging about it... Some friends and I are having a get together (not a good-bye party) on Wednesday July 23rd at Flat Top Johnny's in Kendall Square at 5pm.  Everyone is welcome.  If you think you're coming though, please let me know so we can have an approximate idea about numbers.  If you have any fun photos or stories, bring them along!

Many thanks to Erica Topolski and Mary Beth for this.

I heart my duck

Hi everyone, sorry for the lack of blogging.  I was a) taking some time off, and b) without a machine for a few days.   Now that I have an awesome new Macbook Pro, I'll start blogging again full steam!   It is late, and I want to get some sleep, but I figured I'd share this quickly...

One of the things I really like about Mac OS X is the dock.  I think Zimbra and OpenOffice are having a competition for ugliest icon, while Skitch (the heart) and Adium (the duck) are the best!



PS: I know I can change the icon via "Get Info".

Career 2.0: I’m leaving IBM and joining Socialtext

Of all my blog posts over the last few years, today's is certainly one of the most interesting.

I'm both excited and sad, to tell you all that as of today I'm no longer working at IBM.

This was not an easy decision, as I've been bleeding yellow for Lotus since 1993.  Back as a co-op student those many years ago, I never imaged the people I'd meet, the places I'd visit, or the involvement I'd have in such an exciting industry.  However, I've reached a stage where I feel it is time for me to move on.

You see, IBM is the only professional employer I've ever had.  While the benefits of working at one of the world's largest companies are immeasurable, I've always been curious about what it would be like to work somewhere else.  Somewhere smaller.  Somewhere I can gain a vastly different set of skills and experiences.  Over the years I've listened to many of you talk about how different things are in small companies.  Well, now is the time for me to discover some of those differences first hand.

So I'm jumping with joy to announce that I've accepted the position of Director of Marketing at Socialtext.

This is an incredible opportunity.  Not only will I be working at leading edge company developing amazing and innovative products, but I'll also be working with industry greats such as Ross Mayfield, Eugene Lee, Dan Bricklin (the dude invented the electronic spreadsheet!) and the rest of the amazing staff at Socialtext.  I'll blog more about Socialtext, and my role there in upcoming posts, I don't want this one to be too long.

So back to the change...

I've had so many exciting times during my IBM career, but when I look back, my top memories always revolve around the social interactions that I participated in.  I've loved working directly with you, IBM's customers and partners, analysts and press, and my top notch colleagues.  I've enjoyed all the interviews, executive briefings, visits to your offices, and especially speaking at conferences.  Without a doubt, Lotusphere is certainly the crown jewel of IT events, and I've had the incredible honour of not only attending around 10 of them (and hopefully more in the future), but I've also been part of two Lotusphere Opening General Sessions.  I can't imagine anything topping that!  I'm also extremely proud to have won the 2007 Penumbra Prism Award, presented by our partners for outstanding dedication and support to the partner community.  It is the overall Lotus Community that has made my time so special.

While I am sad to go, I'm thrilled that I'm able to leave Lotus at a time when things are doing so well.  After the mixed messages of the early-mid 2000s, it is wonderful to see our core products standing tall in today's fierce competitive landscape.  The newest releases of Lotus Notes/Domino and Sametime are unmatched by anything else in the industry.  It is equally exciting to see Lotus expand into new markets with products like Connections, Quickr, Mashups, Symphony, Foundations, Unyte, Bluehouse, the list goes on and on.  I'm proud of the things I've done to help drive this success, and wish Lotus all the best in future.  Actually, I guess I'll be contributing my $100 towards a Notes license now, as I can't get a free ride from IBM anymore!

Also, I'll still have close ties to Lotus, as Socialtext is a partner, proving wiki capabilities into Connections.  I'd love to see all Lotus Connections customers using Socialtext, and all Socialtext customers using Lotus Connections! (plus Notes, Sametime, etc!)  I can easily think of several other potential integration points between the Lotus and Socialtext portfolios, so expect to see me blogging about this in the future.  Perhaps an IdeaJam site will be perfect for this! ;-)

I want to sincerely thank each of you for the times we've shared.  I hope to remain a very active part of the amazing Lotus community.  Dedication to Lotus runs deep in my veins, and is not something I plan on giving up any time soon!

Over the next few days I plan on blogging about some specific memories, and in keeping with today's "web 2.0" themes of open sharing and participation, it would mean a lot to me to have you post a memory or two in the comments, that way we can all have a central place to reminisce.

Trans-world teleportation!

Linden Labs and IBM Break the Metaverse Barrier, Teleport Across Virtual Worlds
"Linden Labs, the creators of virtual world Second Life, and IBM announced last night that they have achieved the first recorded teleport of their avatars from one virtual world into another."

This is a great first step.   Heck, I can barely get my address book to synch across multiple products and web sites, so this is a big achievement!

Yes, You Can Run Second Life inside Lotus Notes! (or any other Win32 app)

There has been a lot of hype in the Lotus community as of late about the upcoming capabilities of Domino XPages.  What follows is always "But what about new features for the Notes client?"  In my opinion Composite Applications for the Notes 8 client are one of the coolest things we've ever done, but I'm disappointed that they are not talked about all that much.

Here are four videos showing examples of composite applications:
- IBM Lotus Notes 8 - banking composite application - Part 1
- IBM Lotus Notes 8 - banking composite application - Part 2
- Lotus Notes 8 Composite Application Capability: Lead Manager
- Lotus Notes 8 Smart Assist Composite Application Demo

Last year Lotus released a library of 22 components that developers can use to make composite applications in Lotus Notes 8.

Lotus plans on releasing a big update to that library very soon, and you can have a sneak peak!

A few of the things that the first sneak peak mentions are:
- Update Site and Documentation Site are now separate.
- A lot more than 22 components, and you can install features at a lower level of granularity.
- Includes new components not just for composite applications, but also for the sidebar, and menu extensions.

At 2:40, notice the Export View As Spreadsheet!  I want to try that one.


In the second sneak peak you are shown how to run a Win32 component inside Lotus Notes as part of a composite application.   The example used is Second Life!



So if you are a Lotus developer, take a look into Composite Applications.   Here are some key resources:

- Lotus Notes component development in Composite Applications Wiki
- IBM Lotus Notes composite Application blog
- IBM Lotus Notes composite application podcast series
- Designing composite applications: IBM Lotus Notes components
- Developing composite applications: Composite application assembly, part 1

Search Scopes

When you want to find something online, search scopes allow you to choose the location you want to search.

On the left  is Lotus Notes 8, the right Firefox.  Both products let you simply click on the left side of the search box to be provided with a drop down list of choices of search engines.



In a future version of Lotus Notes, I hope it will be easier to develop, install, and manage additional scopes, as well as a catalog of them open to the community, with lots of developers contributing!   I believe all of these things are being worked on.