jastram.de Blog - Business

Good grates for ReConf Talks

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:04:46 -0400

The Organizers of ReConf 2013 just distributed the results from the feedback sheets. Participants had to rate presentations on a scale from 1 (very good) to 4 (mediocre). The best grade of all talks was 1.35, the worst was 3.43. I had two presentations.

Werkzeuggestützte Konsistenz zwischen Anforderungen und Spezifikation

Fachlichkeit	1,58
Vortragsstil	1,74
Qualität der Präsentation	1,63
Anspruch (hat der Vortrag Ihrem Anspruch genüge getan	1,95
Gesamteindruck	1,74
	*1,73*

Eclipse RMF in Action

Fachlichkeit	1,52
Vortragsstil	1,43
Qualität der Präsentation	1,59
Anspruch (hat der Vortrag Ihrem Anspruch genüge getan	1,55
Gesamteindruck	1,54
	*1,53*

I am quite happy with these results.

ProR development continues (Eclipse OpenSource RE tool based on RMF/ReqIF) - feedback wanted!

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:05:23 -0400

I am project lead on the Eclipse Requirements Modeling Framework (RMF),
which also contains a tool called ProR for requirements engineering (http://eclipse.org/rmf).
In two weeks, we'll start a sprint to improve the GUI. We welcome
feedback, so that we can prioritize properly before starting the sprint.
More details can be found here:

http://www.formalmind.com/en/blog/next-pror-snapshot-coming-soon-please-help-us-prioritize

We appreciate any feedback!

BTW: You can subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular updates regarding ProR and RMF.

http://www.formalmind.com/de/blog

Finally: New nuclear reactors being built

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:43:43 -0500

As a German, I live in a country that prides itself in its abandonment of nuclear energy. Personally, I consider this a tragedy. Hearing that elsewhere new reactors are planned is good news. Before you flame me (or stop reading), please hear me out.

First, I acknowledge that nuclear energy has a problem - Fukoshima demonstrated that. But I would argue that the problem has less to do with technology, but with regulation. With proper regulation, and above all transparency and supervision from independent bodies, nuclear energy promises to be a safe, economic and environmentally friendly technology.

So let me dismantle the arguments against nuclear energy:

Safety: The truth is, nuclear energy is safer than everything else we have. The estimates from the death toll from Chernobyl ranges from 5,000 - 200,000. My guess is that both numbers push agendas. Either way, this picture puts death by oil, coal and nuclear into perspective. But as it does not cite clear numbers, let me throw in that 24,000 deaths every year are caused by coal-fired power plants in the USA alone! This is just the US (Think how high the number probably is in China and India), and does not include deaths through mining. Do the math yourself.

Waste: Storing nuclear waste is a huge problem. Less known is the fact, that many of today's aging reactors were designed to produce material for nuclear weapons as a byproduct, but also large amount of waste. There are several promising designs that produce significantly less waste. Not only that, there are also ideas for "cooking" the waste (Pyroprocessing), which could get rid of radioactivity in as little as 100 years while generating energy. But more research is needed here.

So, what's to be done?

Regulation: Here I see the biggest problem. The energy industry ruined the reputation of nuclear power by practicing secrecy and obstruction for decades. Japan's TEPCO is notorious for this, but I'd argue that Europe's Vattenfall is not much better. Compare this to the aviation industry: The low fatality rate is impressive, inspite of a technology where failure can easily lead to hundreds of deaths. But if something happens, the incident is analyzed and published with merciless rigor. We need the same oversight, rigor and transparency in the energy sector.

Technology: There are many promising reactor designs that could be safer, produce less waste and use cheapter fuel, like Molten salt breeders. Other designs include PRISM and IFR designs in general. Some of these are specifically designed to close the nuclear fuel cycle. While this does not remove the existing waste, they promise not to increase the waste problem.

I consider it madness to abandon this technology, rather than to try to tame it. I applaud Bill Gates for investing in nuclear technology. We have a serious energy problem on this planet, and nuclear power can be a part of the solution. Everybody is talking about the environment. Nuclear power has the potential to help.

Infos und Schulungen zu GnuCash

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:30:53 -0500

Über meinen Eintrag zur Einrichtung von GnuCash ist Franz Schreiner auf diese Seiten gestoßen. Auf seinem Blog bietet er weitere Infos und Schulungen zu GnuCash. Ich kann nichts zur Qualität der Schulung sagen, da ich daran nicht teilgenommen habe - aber es ist sicherlich eine interessante Ressource für Leser, die tiefer in das Thema GnuCash einsteigen wollen.

Ever wonder why GPS/Map services are free these days?

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:54:32 -0400

Google Maps on Android, Nokia even offering offline maps for navigating abroad - who pays for all this? Well, here is an interesting idea: charge big merchants for leading you past their stores - even if it is a detour.

Sales 2.0

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:06:25 -0400

How to align Sales and Marketing in today's technology environemnt? Here is an insightful interview with Dave Fitzgerald of Brainshark, by Sramana Mitra.

GnuCash-Einstellungen für Skatbank

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:00:42 -0400

... und wieder GunCash-Einstellungen, diesmal für die Skatbank: Ein Teil der Informationen steht auch bei der Skatbank online (HBCI mit PIN/TAN).

Vorsicht: Bei der falschen HTTP-Version friert GnuCash einfach ein!

Bankinfo: Wird automatisch über BLZ 83065408 gesetzt.
Benutzername und Benutzerkennung sind beides die VR-NetKey
HBCI-Version: 3.0
HTTP-Version: 1.0
SSLv3 erzwingen

Viel Erfolg!

Senate Comittee Result of Goldman Sachs Inquiry

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Fri, 27 May 2011 17:39:37 -0400

This is a really scary report regarding Goldman Sachs' actions during the financial bust. But the fact that such an inquiry takes place gives us hope. Now, let's hope that some people will go to jail. A great read!

Dijkstra - The Three Golden Rules for Successful Scientific Research

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:52:10 -0500

For personal reference posted here:

"Raise your quality standards as high as you can live with, avoid wasting your time on routine problems, and always try to work as closely as possible at the boundary of your abilities. Do this, because it is the only way of discovering how that boundary should be moved forward."

"We all like our work to be socially relevant and scientifically sound. If we can find a topic satisfying both desires, we are lucky; if the two targets are in conflict with each other, let the requirement of scientific soundness prevail."

"Never tackle a problem of which you can be pretty sure that (now or in the near future) it will be tackled by others who are, in relation to that problem, at least as competent and well-equipped as you."

Source: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~EWD/transcriptions/EWD06xx/EWD637.html

NUK Reinfall

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:16:45 -0500

Eine schöne Möglichkeit für Unternehmer zur Validierung ihrer Geschäftsideen sind Businessplan-Wettbewerbe, wie der NUK-Wettbewerb, zum Beispiel. Ärgerlich ist es nur, wenn nur ein Teil der Regeln öffentlich bekannt ist.

Ich habe bei NUK einen Haufen Arbeit umsonst investiert, da ich eine Überarbeitung meiner Einreichung vom letzten Jahr noch einmal eingereicht hatte. Das dies nicht zulässig ist, erfuhr ich nicht aus den offiziellen Unterlagen, sondern erst nach der Einreichung durch einen Telefonanruf von NUK.

Gerade in der Gründungsphase gibt es mehr als genug zu tun! Es ist eine Sache, die Regeln nicht ordentlich zu lesen. Aber dass die Regeln nicht veröffentlicht wurden ist nun wirklich nicht meine Schuld! Ziemlich unprofessionell.

Bad Experience with Afian File Manager

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:20:28 -0400

I recently installed the Afian File Manager for a customer. All they needed was a simple way for safely sharing large files with customers. There are plenty of web file managers available (free and commercial), but surprisingly few support uploads beyond what the web server allows. Afian was one of them.

Turns out they realized the big file upload with a Java Applet that chops the file into small chunks that are sent one by one and then reassembled by a PHP-Script on the back end. So far so good. It worked in their life demo, but it didn't work on our server. The difference? We used SSL. I didn't consider this an issue, as the Q&A page stated:

"Does it work with SSL?

Yes, you can use it with SSL, and there's no configuration
involved. It's just a matter of running Afian under a https (secure
http) address. Our personal opinion is that this method would be a bit
excessive. But we all know that it puts people at ease about security..."

When I contacted tech support, they told me that the Applet-Upload doesn't work with SSL. What the... didn't I just read something else? So I revisited their Q&A page, which now read:

"Does it work with SSL?

Yes, you can use it with SSL, and there's no configuration
involved. It's just a matter of running Afian under a https (secure
http) address. The drag&drop upload method however, will still be
using HTTP."

In fact, they changed this within minutes of my support question regarding SSL. But fortunately, the Google Cache still held the original text.

Afian has a strict refund policy (something that actually made me nervous before the purchase). But I thought okay, let's give them the benefit of a doubt. So I requested a refund without mentioning the Google cache page. Had they just refunded the money, then I wouldn't have written this blog entry. Instead I got this:

"Please review the agreed refund policy: http://www.afian.com/refund-policy

We did not claim that the drag&drop upload feature works
over HTTPS."

After I pointed out that the feature was offered at the time of purchase (proving it with the Google Cache link), they withdrew and issued the refund.

But this left a sour aftertaste, that is just no way to treat customers. They are free to do business as they see fit - even though changing the web site for not having to issue a refund is borderline, to say the least. But ultimately they are hurting themselves. With a little more generosity, they may trigger positive blog entries. And let's face it, with a product like this, positive reviews are by far the best marketing - and bad reviews are poison.

Google Apps Status Page

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 15:23:47 -0400

Just found a really useful link. The Google Apps Status Page shows whether there are problems with any Google app (Calendar, Mail, Docs, etc.

Where the money goes you pay for music

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:50:26 -0400

This image is scary. To be honest, it is not clear where the numbers come from, so take it with a grain of salt.

This was reblogged multiple times, check out this explanation.

How to make a living online - Gerald Roush

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:39:56 -0400

Another example on how you can make a decent living online: Gerald Roush had 5000 newsletter subscribers which each paying $130 annually. Impressive. Reminds me of Chris Guillebeau. There is an infinite number of niches like that.

Validating a buisiness plan - Sramana Mitra meets Seth Godin

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:35:48 -0400

One of the key tasks for starting a business is validating the idea - a task that is, unfortunately, often neglected. Therefore, Validation is a key ingredient of Sramana Mitra's EJ Methodology. Sramana even provides support for validation in the form of a list of "Clarify your story" questions. I was still struggling on how to engage potential customers in validation.

I found support in this Seth Godin post regarding business plans. It didn't look like much, but when I tried to restate my ideas in terms of Truths and Assertions, I realized that the Assertions were a great starting point for validation.