Somethings I’ve done include turning off Outlook email notifications, not entering twitter and avoiding as much as possible using Instant Messaging while totally focused. The findings have been great. It turns out not all email needs to be answered immediately (it’s even better if you wait as you can think of a better response). Also twitter can wait, I can answer messages using the same system as with email.

Although I’ve diminish to the most these kind of interruptions, there are some that have been impossible for me to achieve, or even block, and those are software updates.

It’s unbelievable the amount of popups I get asking to install updates for this and updates for that. For example:

1. Windows: Every week there’s something new that needs to be updated. Some security patch or software update or component. The great thing about these updates is that the computer needs to be restarted. There’s no single or small update that doesn’t. Since I start hearing the hard drive screaming and I notice the update icon on the clock bar, I start sweating right way. I start planning to stop what I’m doing, or what  if I get up to take a glass a water and find Windows has already restarted the computer for me (thank you) when I comeback and I’ve lost whatever I was doing.
2. Adobe Reader: Really? Adobe Reader needs that much updating? Last week I had it and went to their site to check what was being updated. Like 70% of the list is made of security updates. Yes, security updates. Is Adobe Reader that hackable?
3. Apple: Yes, I have to generalize here. This little Apple window opens up every time one of their products needs an update. I’ve manage myself to meeting some of the Apple product line up by this update window. I have installed some Apple products I didn’t even know of, and yes, all of them requires me to restart my computer.
4. McAfee antivirus: I know, this needs to be updated to refresh the virus list, but the core software? In the last couple of months I received like 3 major updates to the core and if I don’t restart the computer it starts pooping out messages that I might be at risk. I turned off the whole thing and still keeps popping out messages of risks and restarting. Come on!

In conclusion, keep in mind when developing software to:

• Be gentle when asking to upgrade.
• Try to make it at least once a month (if possible once every quarter).
• Avoid restarting the machine once updates are installed. This is an architecture issue, it’s possible to do it.
• If a restart is needed, just ask me once. I know how to read.

PS. Windows updates have asked me thee times to restart the thing while writing this post. So long, I have to restart.

What software update annoys you the most?

It seems all that is gone by now. Yesterday I received an email from a vendor which we bought a software product about two years ago. The subject said something about their social media sites. When I read the email, they were simply sending a link of their twitter and Facebook site asking me to click on the link and follow them or to just like them. I just though, what? Just like that? I though about running into a high school friend that I haven’t seen for a few years and all of the sudden telling me: hi Jose, how are you? hey there’s something I wanted to tell you…do you like me? eehhh, mmmm, what was your name again?

So, this is email isn’t far from that story. I sometimes complain about some vendors, specially in the tech sector, that once you buy their product, you don’t hear about them never again. This was one of those cases. I haven’t heard from them since two years and now I receive this email asking me to like them.

Sincerely. Not cool software company, not cool.

Try always to have some kind of conversation. These are somethings you could do:

1. Send valuable things about you, your industry or about the product. How about that feature long hidden in the product?
2. What other customers are doing for the product.
3. Tips about what other things i can do with the product.

The point is to establish some kind of conversation, but don’t start sending me emails asking me to like you. It’s just too soon for me.

What are you doing to get your customers to like you?

The site basically shows a Google Map with the principal Santo Domingo buses routes in the city in combination of the Santo Domingo metro (subway). For now, the subway only has one line (the red line in the map). This forms the official Santo Domingo Transportation system of the city and is a great resource for tourist but also to local users.

For the moment, the only income we can get from the site is the AdSense ads from Google, although we are brainstorming some other ideas.

For marketing, we are using SEO techniques and placing some special keywords that get us in front of search engines. We’ve create a Facebook fan page where users can joined if they liked the service.

It’s really a different service, but we’re excited in trying these new things and we’ll be updating ahead how everything evolves.

I really like experimenting with maps and playing with streets and avenues and trains. So, if you are planning to visit Santo Domingo when you get your latest vacation in Punta Cana, Bavaro or Samana, then take a visit to Santo Domingo Transit Map. You will find all the official bus routes in the city and also incorporated the recently created first subway line.

Leave any comments on the same site’s contact section.

Since the beginning of computing someone had the brilliant idea that for storing files and documents the best way to classify them would be to create a hierarchy and structure of folders or directories and begin dumping them in there.

Today we have end up with hundreds and hundreds of folders in our hard disks with lots and lots of files. Sometimes I don’t even remember where I created a folder and even further what the files inside there represent.

And a simple explanation for this is that we as human beings don’t think like a hierarchy. Our memories are not stored in a hierarchical path that we follow to remember where we left the keys of our car yesterday. We just kind of make a full search on the brain for keys and the place just comes up. Now, that’s a way to store and look for things.

My suggestion here is that we try to stop using folders in general applications and in document management systems like SharePoint. Try to classify files in document libraries using meta data fields in SharePoint which get indexed by the search engine and also lets create filtered views about information. Folders will just complicate things creating a hierarchy of files. Investigate a little and you will notice that almost any folder can be replaced for a meta data property. And also you will get sharepoint workflow like an added bonus.

• SharePoint Blogs


• Heather Solomon Blog


• Bill Simser


• Mark Kruger’s SharePoint Blog


• Luis Du Solier [El valor de la colaboracion]

Following the guidelines posted by Jakob Nielsen in his article Weblog Usability, I have made a minor redesign to the site.

I have added to the left side a bar that explains pretty much who I am and what I write about. You will also find a page with more details about me, a photo and some other interesting stories.

About Me

I was born in La Romana, Dominican Republic.
It’s an island in the caribbean with fine white sand, beautiful beaches and
wonderful people.

I studied high school in San Pedro de Macoris
(from the famous song of Juan Luis Guerra) where great baseball players like
Pedro Guerrero, Sammy Sosa and George Bell are from. Yes, I know, why didn’t I
became a baseball player too? I would have been making millions by now just for
playing. Well, I think about it like once a year, but I always come to the same
conclusion every time: it’s not just for me. I played with my friends back in
high school and always remember been the last one selected on the list. Since
those days a figured something was wrong .

After high school I moved to Santo Domingo, the
capital, where I had the opportunity to enter INTEC, one of the best
universities for studying Computer Science, my fascination. After finishing, I
immediately started undergraduate studies about Information Technology. After a
year and half, I decided something was missing, and started an MBA in the
Universite du Quebec au Canada.

Work Life

Since day one in work, I started as a
consultant in the technology area. First thing I did was Business Intelligence,
using the first version of Microsoft OLAP Services. Then, after a year, I was
transferred to ecommerce and B2B Internet applications, the boom of the moment.

After that, I was developing custom software
applications to several companies and managing software projects. At the same
time, I was teaching about software in my university.

SkyXoft

Since I began working, I always though about
starting my own company. There was a moment in my working life (and some feeling
inside) when I decided when was the right moment. So, together with my brother
Emilio Leon, we decided to start SkyXoft on March, 2004. We started as a
consulting company and one of the first projects we came up with was to develop
a workflow application for a client. I look at the needs on the market and
though that every company should have a product like this, and decided to make
it our flagship product. We’ve been growing since day one delivering benefits to
our customers.

Business And Process

I started the site on October 2005 and I’ve
been writing about processes and business since day one. You can start browsing
for articles right now and feel yourself welcome.