Being a part of BlogRush

In an effort to draw more people here (other that all of you who are searching for better ways to grow roses), I have signed up with the free service called BlogRush. I’m just testing it out right now so we’ll see how it goes. For everyone that hits my website, my website feed is then shown up in somebody else’s blog inside the BlogRush box (as seen to the lower right) that is a part of a similar category. Then there’s a little bit of a pyramid scheme where if I refer people to using BlogRush on their blogs, then I (as well as the owner of the blog) get shows on the BlogRush. And then their referrals and their referrals, and so on and so one. Well, you get the picture.

If you are interested in using BlogRush, then click on this link

Shift Happens by Karl Fisch

We use technology to spread the Gospel and help build the church in Europe. Watch this video (about 6 Minutes long) to understand why technology is such a great method for telling about an unchanging God.

Pocket change CAN change the world

The saying goes something along these lines – “If you provide a man with a fish, then he is fed for a day but teach a man to fish then he is fed for a lifetime.” There are many in this world who are visionaries. They know how to provide for their families but are unable to find the financial resources to see their visions out. Are they needing thousands of dollars to do it? No. On average, they just need $650 whether its to buy vegetables to resell in the markets of Togo or supplies for a restaurant in Nigeria or children’s shoes in Bolivia . In our Western mind set, this is not very much money but because of a method called “Microfinancing” and a website called Kiva (which means “Unity” in Swahili), its easy for anyone in the world with a little bit of pocket change (as little as $25) to invest in one of these businesses. Yes, I said “INVEST” – not give away but to be an investor in these businesses. With enough $25 (or more) investments, whole country economies can be changed.

So check it out at Kiva.org and read the Yahoo article about its founders.

For me, this is a great way that “out of the box” thinking and technology, specifically the web, can be used to better mankind.

The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:37 NIV)

Geeky humor about new versions of MAMP and XAMPP

Just some geeky thoughts I had today. For those of you that know about XAMPP (stands for “windows Xp Apache Mysql Php Perl) its a great way to have a way of developing web sites and other web applications without having to be connected to the Internet or have your own webserver. It kinda of creates a low tech webserver right on your PC. And the services needed to operate are all controlled within this little box (and pretty much no configuration needed by you). Its very handy.

The Mac version is MAMP (Mac Apache Mysql Php).

So my geeky thoughts were with the release of Windows Vista and the upcoming release of Mac OS Leopard – will the new versions then be VAMPP and LAMP, respectively?

Now the VAMPP might be a little draining but the LAMP might shed some light on the subject.

[Edit: Yes, I know LAMP is already used for Linux Apache Mysql Php]

Get our Blog in your email

I know many of you want to keep up with us through this blog but always forget to go out and look. Now we have a new way for you to get our blog – through your email. Just click on the icon above and RSSFWD will help you to sign up to receive our blog in your Inbox. That way you can always keep up with us without having to remember to go out to our website all the time.

Hope you’re having fun. We sure are!!!

(if you are receiving this via an RSS feed, the above link will not work. You need to be on our website for it to work. Also, RSSFWD does not sell email addresses so no worries!!)

Daily Prayer requests from Europe

Are you an RSS freak like me? (RSS – Real Simple Syndication) I look at a ton of different websites and I don’t have to go through my favorites to get to them. I use RSS to read them. I use a RSS Aggrigator to read them all (see my post about using these from a while back to learn more)

One of my recent adds is a new feed from Greater Europe Mission that gives daily prayer requests from all around Europe. To view the daily feed, check it out here or if you just want to get the feed, use http://www.gemission.org/praying/RSSFeed.asp.

Another great thing is to sign up for eDOT’s monthly newsletter – eDOT Connect! It’s delivered monthly to your email box and keeps you up-to-date on what is happening with our ministry eDOT. Click here to sign up or go here to view some past issues of eDOT Connect!

Top Ten Things Learned as a Professional Developer

Andres Taylor at Andre’s Thoughts has put together a good “Top Ten” list of things he has learned as a developer that resounded in my chest when I read them. They are so true. Here is the abbreviated list (with my comments):

1. Object orientation is much harder than you think – I remember learning programming in college only for them to tell me that the programming world was switching to OO, but they didn’t know what it was to be able to teach us.
2. The difficult part of software development is communication – Software development is a team adventure. Its not just the programmer manipulating 1′s and 0′s.
3. Learn to say no – True, so true. As with any job where you are the one that “makes it happen”. You have to be able to say “no”.
4. If everything is equally important, then nothing is important – I am always saying to project managers, bosses, customers – “What do you want done first?” If they say “Everything”, then my response is usally something like “I’m going to get some food since everything is of equal importance but food seems to have greater importance for me”
5. Don’t over-think a problem – I have spent two days working on an issue only to have my son (who is now 6 yrs old) say something really simple that shows me the solution.
6. Dive really deep into something, but don’t get hung up – I know a little of a lot but not a lot of a little.
7. Learn about the other parts of the software development machine – For me, I have always thought I was blessed to have first been in the business anaylst/project manager area before being a developer as it doest give me a different perspective when looking at the “Big Picture”
8. Your colleagues are your best teachers – One of the hardest times I had was when I was the only developer at a particular location. That’s when online forums became by best friends.
9. It all comes down to working software – Enough said!!
10. Some people are &$%# – While I’m not one to say this outloud, it’s true.

To read Andres Taylor’s comments with this Top Ten, see his blog here