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Big Data, Black Boxes and WMDs

As someone who worked in the database field for many years and taught database theory and programming at the college level, I was initially enthusiastic about the Big Data phenomenon.

Read more: Big Data, Black Boxes and WMDs

Alan Cooper – Persona grata

It has been over twenty years since I read Alan Cooper’s book “About Face – The Essentials of User Interface Design”. At the time I was working as a product manager for a division of a Fortune 500 company. I had become interested in programming

Read more: Alan Cooper – Persona grata

Microsoft Becomes an Internet Company

It’s almost 20 years ago now since I attended a noisy product launch at a dark, cavernous convention centre on the outskirts of Toronto. The event was to promote Microsoft’s new “.NET everything” strategy.

Read more: Microsoft Becomes an Internet Company

Start Dumbing Down Your Website

Google’s long talked-about “mobile first” strategy is now rolling out in earnest. Here is a quote from the Google Webmaster Central Blog of Monday, March 26, 2018:

Read more: Start Dumbing Down Your Website

Photo by Mario Gogh on Unsplash

Why this blog?

I am finally -- happily -- retired after a decent run of almost 20 years in the IT business.

During those 20 years I worked as a developer, programmer, data analyst, trainer, college professor and IT consultant.

I came to IT late. The time immediately before was spent in sales and marketing.

I have many fond memories of my co-workers, my students and my customers. I even have fond memories of some of my bosses. I experienced many frustrations as well. Hopefully the stories in this blog will be instructive but also let readers know they are not alone.

I mulled over various names for my consulting business and settled on Business Data Solutions. I pictured myself creating databases and developing software that would help businesses solve their data problems. I learned that the problems were often with the people working at the business; that databases and software were just part of the solution.

Rick O'Brien


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