I was only scheduled to give one presentation ("How to talk, or not talk, to your clients about Perl") but after hearing some of the opening remarks at the conference that spent too much time and energy, IMHO, declaring that "Perl is not dead!" I signed up to give a new talk about possibilities for re-framing that sentiment.

You can view a video of the talk, or you can view my slides [PDF].

Ever since I upgraded my iPhone to IOS4 (the latest version of the phone's operating system), the Mail application has been flaky when it comes to syncing mail messages via IMAP. Duplicate messages, empty/blank messages, messages dated 12/31/1969, messages that are deleted and then re-appear, and so on.

At first I thought it might be my phone hardware, which had been cursed from the beginning (a story for another time), but after that phone died and Apple replaced it with a brand new one with fresh firmware and settings, and it STILL happened, I was convinced it's the software on the phone.  Other people are having the same issue all over the place.  But it can be hard to make Apple believe this - said the Apple Genius Bar worker at the Apple Store in Chicago, "they're probably all just using the phone wrong."  Wha?

So I decided to look at the source code of the iPhone mail program to see if I could find the problem, but Apple doesn't make that source code available.

So I decided to turn on the Mail program's debugging options to have it output the results of the IMAP sync sessions, but it turns out the Mail program doesn't have any debugging options.

So I decided to look at the log files on the phone's operating system to see if they reported any software issues I could address, but actually I can't look at those log files even if they exist because Apple doesn't let you look behind the scenes.

So I decided to report the issue on the project mailing list that all of the iOS4 developers monitor, and it turns out that no such mailing list exists.

So I decided to go report the issue to Apple to see if they can help.

After submitting a case online, I was called back in 27 seconds (FAST!) and talked to Chris from Apple, who works in iPhone support.  He was very good at gauging my level of tech savvy and talking to me at an appropriate level, so he quickly confirmed that I'd already done all of the normal troubleshooting steps they recommend.  I asked him if this was a known bug, and he said not as far as he could tell.

Chris then connected me with Shawn who is a senior adviser on the iPhone tech support team.  Shawn told me that in fact I had identified a known bug with the iOS4 firmware.  VINDICATION!  He said that they've mostly been seeing it in gMail syncing issues, but that they're aware of it as a wider IMAP issue.

I asked Shawn for the unique identifier number for the bug so that I could go follow the progress of a fix on their public bug tracking system, but it turns out that Apple doesn't publish information about known bugs until they're fixed.

I asked Shawn how I could learn more information about when this would be addressed or other recommended fixes in the meantime, and he said I would just have to wait and see.

(Chris and Shawn at Apple were excellent tech support reps within the confines of what they're allowed to do and say.)

Bottom line: these are the horrors of using a closed-source, proprietary product for a key piece of tech functionality in my life.

What Apple can do better:

• Test its Mail software's IMAP syncing functionality more thoroughly before releasing it to production.
• Publish information about known software/hardware issues BEFORE they're resolved so that people having those issues can see what's up and possibly even contribute to the resolution.
• Train its store Genius Bar workers so that they don't dismiss a legitimate complaint about functionality problems with smiling condescension.
• I'm pushing it here, but hey, it's my blog: release the source code for iOS and related applications.

If you've had this issue with your iPhone, or similar software/hardware troubleshooting experiences with other vendors, feel free to share in the comments.

I installed compact fluorescent bulbs throughout my house, and the big box stores lit up their parking lots day and night.

I decided to drive my car less, and the oil companies spilled millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

I installed a rain barrel to water my organic garden, and the big agriculture companies shipped genetically engineered, highly processed food around the world for me to enjoy at a moment's notice.

I made a living running a business that tried to care first about doing the right thing, and my government used the taxes on our income to prop up businesses that lie, cheat and steal.

I participated in the democratic processes, and my elected representatives acted out of fear, ignorance and pursuit of personal gain.

I volunteered in my community to try to make it a better place, and my neighbor threw a bag full of trash on the sidewalk in front of her own home.

I tried to honor all forms of life and make space for non-humans in a life crowded with humans, and I killed a bird with my car.

I tried to resolve my conflicts in a non-violent, restorative way, and my President sent tens of thousands to kill and die in my name.

I tried to honor and respect women, and the culture said I wasn't a real man.

I tried to live with integrity and tell the truth, and the people said I wasn't doing my part to perpetuate the commonly accepted narrative.

I tried to have hope, and they said but someone's got to pay the bills, there's no time for that.

Encouraged

My friends Hilde and Charlie are creating a bakery on their land in Michigan, Laughing Tree Brick Oven Bakery.  They built a wood-fired brick oven themselves and they're focused on using local grains and ingredients.  I've tasted Hilde's baking before, and so when they offered an opportunity for friends and family to invest in the business, I didn't think twice about signing on.  Excitement!

Aaron is taking several months to bike across the country.  He's experiencing the poetry of the places he visits, and having many other adventures that he's been kind to share on his blog.  He seems fit to wander.

Richmond has rallied around a local business owner who has taken on the daunting and exciting task of restoring the train depot building here.  He's got big plans, and he's invited the community to join him in his dreaming.  It's been good for us, and even better for our children.

Beautiful murals evoking light, laughter, history, music and movement going up all around town.

A retirement celebration full of love, laughter and deep admiration.  New chapters and a sense of the great wide open.

A small chance of further complications, just a few more procedures to get through.  Sighs of relief and easing of fears, more than I realized.  So glad we're doing it together.

Friends and loved ones who are advocating for their own happiness in new ways, saying -- sometimes quietly, sometimes out loud -- "I'm not going to take it any more."

A summer bright and bold, constantly reminding us of its presence with pounding heat, daring us to waste all of a beautiful day to the droning of the television or in the make-believe world of air conditioning.

Tasting the bounty of the earth, proof that heaven is here and now.

Life created, life given, life received, life renewed.

Having served on the CRC board in the past and having volunteered as a trained mediator, I came to greatly appreciate the idea that members of a community can resolve our interpersonal conflicts in ways that promote non-violence, justice, reconciliation and a deepening of connection, without resorting to the sometimes scarring machinations of the legal system. The CRC existed to facilitate those experiences, through its mediation program, educational work with local youth, and its rich history of related efforts in the Richmond area and beyond.

As a mediator, I had the honor of witnessing some magical moments between family members or co-workers where the conversation transitioned from accusation and battling to understanding, compassion and hope for moving forward. As a board member, I had the honor of working with a driven and passionate group of volunteers and staff who believed in what the CRC was about and what it could do for the community.

While the principles and practices of mediating conflict are certainly still available to anyone who wants to pursue them, it's sad to see that a place like the CRC can't sustain itself right now.  My hope, of course, is that this is an ending that will lead to other beginnings down the road.

Many people have given life and breath to CRC's mission over the years, and I'm so thankful for their work.  I'm especially thankful for the careful and surely painful work that the current board members have taken on in reaching the conclusion to lay the CRC down.  I hope that Richmond can find some way to honor what CRC did and stood for in the ways that we carry forward.

The photos and videos I've posted on Flickr capture some of the experience, and while the trip held too much adventure to describe here in great detail, I'll hit some of the highlights below.

Our trip was a nice combination of planned itinerary (primarily, the week-long stay on the boat M/Y Eric to tour around the Galapagos) and "wander around once we get there" mode.  The Lonely Planet Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands provide indispensable for the whole experience, from helping with food to lodging to cultural experiences and everything in between.  We were also visiting in advance of the heavier tourist season, so we were able to get into most any experience without advance reservation.

In the cloud forests of Mindo, to the northwest of Quito, we were so impressed by our stay at El Monte, a jungle lodge where we had a cabana for two nights.   Between the beautiful spot we had right on the rushing Mindo river, the amazing home-cooked meals three times a day, the beautiful main open-air lodge, and the warm and friendly staff, we were in paradise (mosquitoes notwithstanding).  We also had a chance to meet and dine with travelers from around the world, some of them on multi-month trips – it was quite fun (and okay, sometimes exhausting) to discuss politics, religion and economics with such a wide variety of global perspectives.  El Monte was created and is run by Tom and Mariella, who have worked hard to create an experienced powered by renewable resources (mostly hydro and solar) and supported by an amazing staff of cooks, guides, and hospitality coordinators.  We felt like we were among friends and well taken care of.

Our time in the Galapagos Islands was phenomenal.  The main theme of the encounters with the land and the animals of the islands is that they don’t know any fear of humans, and so it is possible to walk right up to a sea lion, a blue footed boobie bird or an iguana and look them in the eye. And that we did, day after day.  We sunned on the beach with the magnificent families of sea lions, and then joined them in the water when it got too hot. We snorkeled around amazing coral reef with penguins, sting rays, sharks and the most beautiful varieties of fish. We hiked through lava rock formations to see iguana resting and watching, huge bright red crabs sunning, waved albatross nesting, and great blue heron quietly stalking. Pelicans swooped by just inches away, and finches (all 13 varieties) showed us their nests. We watched in awe of the giant tortoises that had been alive longer than Kelly and I combined, slowly moving around their home in search of the best grass, the coolest pond.

After the Galapagos, we headed south into the Andes mountains for the city of Banos, where we originally intended to stay just a night or two, and ended up soaking it in for five days.  Banos seems to be the Ecuadorian equivalent of Boulder, Colorado – an outdoorsy person’s Mecca buried in the mountains, with myriad activities you can take on to pass the time.  Every block offers touring companies that will take you rafting, kayaking, canyoning, jungle tripping, go-carting, mountain biking and more.  There are trails extending up to the volcano and surrounding volcanic formations that range from steep to “are you kidding me?”   The best part is that once you’re done with your outdoor adventure, this place knows how to help you relax.  There are natural baths with water heated by the volcano, massage and spa companies on every block (most professional, some not), and so many different restaurants representing cuisine from around the world, it can take an hour to decide what to eat.  I think we found a good balance of high adventure (the most intense Class IV+ whitewater rafting either of us have ever done) followed by relaxation (ask me about the spa experience sometime).

Adjusting to different forms of transportation was a source of constant excitement on this trip.  As is apparently the case with much of South America, the experience of taking a bus between cities is very common, and can be very harrowing (especially for the uninitiated tourist).  Taxis in Quito seem to top even the most white-knuckle-grip experiences I've had in cities in the U.S.  One private driver we hired was an amazing and knowledgeable personal tour guide as he deftly navigated the different terrains, while another had never been to the destination we hired him to take us to and ended up depending on us for map navigation.  The Quito airport runway is a little bit short and sits smack dab in the middle of a densely populated city, so takeoffs and landings were a little nerve-wracking.  And it turns out that I am capable of getting quite sea sick, which I found out on night #1 on our Galapagos boat in the form of an evening-long  vomiting session on the sundeck.  Things got better from there, thanks in no small part to the great care from Kelly and the crew (and Scopolamine), but there were some moments where I wasn't sure I was going to make it.  All in all, figuring out transportation was an adventure in itself.

This trip was the first real international travel I'd done in more than a decade, and my first time to South America.  Despite all of my detail-oriented preparation lists and packing and figuring out finances and scattered attempts to brush up on Spanish, in the end I just dove into the experience and let it take me where it would - this almost always resulted in great joy.  It was an honor to travel with Kelly, and we took good care of each other while enjoying the company greatly.  Ecuador was a beautiful, welcoming, diverse, complicated, amazing place to visit, and the experiences we had there were perspective-bringing and life-giving.

I'll be happy to tell you more about it when I see you next.

Unfortunately, most of the responses (and the ones favored by the Obama administration) are focused on paying insanely large amounts of money to private contractors to create and deploy complex technological solutions in hopes of addressing the threat.

What advocates of this approach fail to appreciate is that (A) most of the actual threat comes from uneducated human operators of the technology in question, and (B) deploying homogeneous, technologically complex solutions often makes us more vulnerable, not less.

Once you get past the flashy headlines and attention-grabbing introductory stories in these articles, meant to scare us into believing how real the threat is (basically, bloodthirsty hacker terrorists are trying to kill us all), each of them seems to come back to one of two recurring themes behind these threats.   Either a human being messed something up, or a piece of technology wasn't secure enough and is now being exploited.

For the first case, it's usually things like "so and so unknowingly downloaded a virus onto their USB flash drive and then plugged into a secure government network - things exploded!" or "an e-mail user clicked on a phishing scam link and had their password stolen."  For the second case, it's usually "Windows machines are insecure, and so they get taken over and absorbed into botnets, which can then wreak havoc through denial of service attacks" or "a security hole is found in a product made by a brand that everyone was supposed to trust, and so it's running EVERYWHERE and OMG we're all going to die."

But in throwing hundreds of millions of dollars at cyberwarfare defense we will most likely see only minimal resources devoted to end-user education and training to defend against social engineering, poor personal security practices, and the related actual vulnerabilities.  The funding will also not include programs to hold hardware and software vendors more accountable for selling more secure products and services to end users.  Instead, it will go toward funding secret surveillance and the further shifting control of the Internet into military hands.

With this approach, in the end we'll be back to where we are right now.  End-users will continue the insecure personal practices that lead to security breaches, and the continued homogenization of hardware and software will amplify the potential impact of every security hole discovered.   This is not helpful.

In an article in today's Palladium-Item about changes to Richmond's zoning code that were passed last night, City Councilman Parker is said to have stated that, "he didn't think the council should support something that might put someone out of business."

Parker's words are a manifestation of some of the more regressive and misdirected thinking that too often dominates in Richmond and Wayne County's governmental leadership, but that is rarely verbalized so succinctly.  The statement was a reference to claims by Porter Advertising and their supplier, Productivity Fabricators, that the new sign ordinances included in the zoning code (which place some restrictions on billboard advertising) would put those companies out of business.

Why is this regressive and misdirected, and why is it good that the zoning changes were approved anyway?

First, let's take the claim that the Richmond City Council might be putting someone out of business.  It's certainly true that this government body has the ability to enact policies that could make it very difficult for one kind of business or another to do business in Richmond (and when it comes to humans rights organizations, look out!).  But that's a lot different than implying that the Council is responsible for maintaining the financial health of a particular for-profit operation in town throughout all kinds of changes in culture, policy and governance.

When a City brings its community's regulations up to modern best practices, be it in areas of safety, food service, transportation, health care or signage, it's a given that business models of the past will need to adapt.  Big tobacco, tanning salons and the fast food industry know this very well.  It would be quite unfortunate if the folks at Porter Advertising hadn't thought to learn how trends in community zoning and signage policies were eventually going to impact their business, and then prepared themselves to make changes accordingly.  But again, that's their job to do if they want to succeed in the wonderful world of capitalism, not City Council's responsibility as a government entity.

Secondly, even IF we accepted that City Council was indeed in danger of "putting someone out of business," I'm still not sure that's in itself a reason not to pass one piece of legislation or another.  This is the fear-based line of thought that keeps communities like Richmond stuck in the past: we'll only allow things to change if they will create jobs (any jobs, no matter how low the jobs pay or how temporary they are), and we'll fight against any change that might force someone to do something differently, or that might endanger jobs.

A basic function of lawmakers in a representative system of government is to encourage change that represents the diverse and changing interests of the community and discourage change that conflicts with the interests of the community.  If someone came to the City Council and requested legislation that would allow them to dump toxic waste in the middle of downtown, I would hope Council members would be okay with putting that someone out of business. I'm sure that in this town, if a proposed zoning change was going to encourage the flourishing of adult entertainment venues, the Council would fall all over themselves to put those operations out of business.

These may be extreme examples, but consider that it might just be a good thing for our community to have tighter restrictions on the size and placement of large commercial advertising signs throughout our landscape.  Is anyone else tired of only being known to strangers by the RV billboards that introduce us to travelers on I-70?

Maybe a Richmond skyline with fewer and/or smaller billboards is a Richmond that residents and tourists will enjoy more.  Maybe Porter Advertising and their colleagues in the industry can innovate, adapt, change, figure out what the global best practices are in tastefully sized and placed marketing tools that make an impact.  Maybe they'll do MORE business with these changes - who knows?

I wonder what opportunities for community improvement might have been passed up over the years because a single, influential business played the "we might lose income if you do that" card?

Old minds think, "how can I stop bad things from happening?"  New minds think, "how can I help create the best possible version of the community I want to live in?"

In this case, I think City Council rightly considered the broader interests of the community to pass these zoning code changes - they may not be perfect, but as with this and other matters, we won't know until we try something a little different.

It will make me feel better to acknowledge that here, so: my blogging is paused right now.

I plan to resume a regular schedule later this summer.   I'm still tweeting, although with less frequency there too.  Make sure you're subscribed to my RSS feed or e-mail subscription so you know when I start up posting again.

Thanks for tuning in!

Trying to stop getting unsolicited postal mail from Comcast

I'm not a Comcast customer, haven't been for a long time, and never at my current address. I get postcards, letters and brochures from them on a regular basis - sometimes several times a week.  It's annoying and wasteful.  I searched the Comcast website and the Internet at large for a while for a web-based form to get on a "do not send me mail" list, and couldn't find one.  I called their 800 number and hung up after too many minutes on hold.  I finally sent in a generic inquiry through their online form, providing the addresses I wanted removed.

Done, right?  Nope.

The first response asked me to come onto their website and fill out another form with my contact information so that I could join an online chat with them about getting off their mailing list.  I wrote back and said "no, I'm not filling out another form, you have what you need."  The next response said (paraphrasing) "we really need you to join our online chat so that we can get your Comcast account number."  I wrote back and said, "I'm not a Comcast customer, you have what you need to take me off your list."  I channeled Jack Bauer: do it now.

The next response, quoting:  "I understand that you want to be included in the Do Not Mail List. We appreciate that you have given us this opportunity to communicate with you and address your concerns as quickly as possible.  I have forwarded your concern to the appropriate management team for your request to be processed Chris.  Rest assured that the request will be honored as quickly as possible, but definitely within 30 days."

So, if you want to be removed from Comcast's postal mailing list, all it takes is a phone call, an online form submission, and four clarifying e-mail messages so that your request can then be forwarded to a management team for processing within a month.  Lovely FAIL.

A bagel shop on 5th Street in Richmond

Before I was all the way in the door the woman at the service counter shouted at me across the room, "hi, can I help you?"  In the eternity that seemed to pass between that moment and when I was close enough to answer without yelling back, I tried to suppress the feeling that this would be a FAIL.

But as the server continued to have conversations with co-workers while taking my order, hope started to slip away.

When I asked to have my order just wrapped in paper and not in Styrofoam and she said "okay" but didn't pass that along to the person preparing my order, I knew my smile was not long for this world.

When I got a spritz of cleaning solution from her as she wiped the counter-top right next to me (still chatting away), my smile returned, this time with little twists of approaching insanity at its ends.

And when the server who packaged my order in Styrofoam anyway glared at me as I politely said, "oh, actually, I'd asked for paper instead of Styrofoam," huffed and puffed as she fixed it, and propelled it across the counter at me as she turned away, a sense of FAIL calm arrived.

There's a peace that comes with the clarity of  "oh yeah, I don't have to come back here again."

Ordering from Gimmees.com

At Summersault, we recently ordered some custom-made Yo-Yos from Gimmees.com for our open house event back in March.  The order was delayed and there were some communication issues that amplified the inconvenience of that delay.  But after I commented on the issue on Twitter, the owner of the company called me directly and made it right, and we got the order in time for our event.   WIN for Twitter and Gimmees.com.

Customer service lessons:

1. Don't make simple things complicated. If you're a company that sends out gazillions of postal mailings every day, have a really clear process for letting people get off that mailing list.
2. Hire staff who can empathize with your customers` experiences. If they can't, train them better, or get them away from your customers as fast as possible.
3. When something goes wrong, act quickly and boldly to make it right. It's true, "a happy customer tells one friend, an unhappy customer tells everybody."

Any recent FAIL or WIN customer service experiences in your life that you'd like to share?

I've gone from subscribing to the paper seven days a week, to just the Friday/Saturday/Sunday package, to just the Sunday edition.  Here's why I'm going to finally let go of receiving a print edition altogether:

1. The print edition has been taken over by advertising. I understand that ads have long-been the bread and butter of a newspaper's business model, and I'm willing to tolerate some reasonable proportion of ads to content in order to get the content.  But when the roll of paper that shows up on my porch is seemingly made up of 95% advertising and 5% content, I can't justify it.  The resource usage is ridiculous given that I immediately recycle or throw away that 95%, and I just don't like the sense that I'm primarily paying to support a conduit for advertisers to influence me, instead of for something that's primarily a journalism product.  (For what it's worth, the online edition has also been taken over by advertising, but at least there I can automatically block out the ads with software.)
2. The local news coverage is understandably but unacceptably thin. With a shrinking staff of reporters and more pressure than ever before to produce headlines that sell papers, I find the coverage of local and regional issues and news to be lacking (at least according to the standard I put forth two years ago).  When they do cover local issues, it's rarely with a depth and perspective that challenges and engages me as a reader and citizen.  I believe the Pal-Item staff has great intentions and are working their butts off to cover as much as they can, but that doesn't mean the P-I is sufficiently living up to its role as the local newspaper.
3. The Palladium-Item hosts some of the most toxic public conversations happening in our community. If you read any given article on the Pal-Item website, there's usually at least one person (and sometimes many people) offering uninformed, insulting, immature or outright hateful comments.  The most egregious comment-makers are sometimes reprimanded or even banned, but it hasn't changed the tone of the general conversation.  When I talk to other people out in Richmond about the Pal-Item website, our conversation almost always turn to the harm being done by the online discussions happening at pal-item.com.  On principle, I don't want to help fund that conversation space any more.  It's only fair to note that the Pal-Item also facilitates some very helpful conversations too via their "PI Live!" online interview segments - more on that below.
4. It's not my job to support a struggling business for the sake of offering support alone. I'm sad about the decline of print journalism, and I'm especially sad that it's declined so far in my town, which sorely needs a good local paper.  But I don't think it's my job to keep funding a model that isn't working, just because I'm nostalgic.  I've stayed on with my subscription as long as I have somewhat out of guilt - "oh no, I don't want to contribute to the downfall of the newspaper industry" - but it's increasingly clear that that industry hasn't sufficiently regarded trends threatening its existing business models, and it's not my job to bail them out.
5. I can get the same information for free online. I'm Internet-connected to the point of lunacy, and so I can pull up the tidbits of Palladium-Item content that I'm interested in at a moment's notice on one of the glowing rectangles I surround myself with all day.  Sometimes I even learn that information sooner via social networking sites and other community resources.

So, with all of those things considered, I can't think of a reason to keep paying to have a roll of ads (with a sprinkle of articles thrown in) show up every week.

But make no mistake, I WILL give the Palladium-Item my money again - maybe even MORE money - if the conditions are right!  Some possible scenarios:

1. They find a way to bring in additional reporters or other staff to produce a more substantial and well-rounded news product.
2. They allow me to pay a slightly higher subscription fee in order to not receive all of the ads that come with the Sunday edition.
3. They make available an online edition that doesn't have advertising at all, or that at least implements it much less intrusively and much more tastefully.
4. They charge a small fee for live viewing of community events and interviews with community leaders (and then make a time-delayed version available a bit later).
5. They more fully embrace citizen journalism and crowd-sourced content, while avoiding ridiculous copyright/licensing policies.

Print journalism will either reinvent itself, or it will fade away.  The Palladium-Item will either reinvent itself, or it will fade away.  In the meantime, I'm done with supporting the in-between option - it doesn't work for me.

What about you?  If you've kept your subscription to a print newspaper, what factors support that?  If you canceled or never had one in the first place, why?