Community Gets "In the Know"

thank you to all the WWITPRO community members, supporters, sponsors and players out there!

We had an overwhelming success at our WWITPRO in the Know event we held Wednesday October 17, 2007.

there were over 75 members of our community out to this fantastic event! I had such a good time (setting aside my Rick Claus-like technical difficulties) and presented Home Server to an enthusiastic group of people.

We had a special visit from two groups of women involved in IT courses at Conestoga College!

Peter and Don gave excellent presentations and of course - Ruth gave us some enlightening information as well! I had so much fun and met so many people! What a great time!

The executive committee has agreed that this needs to be a semi-annual event - so we'll be putting together another event in the very near future.

Community Means…Giving

I was having dinner with a friend not long ago and we were discussing our communities. I happened to mention that my family is considering a BIG move from our lovely City of Waterloo to a much larger, busier community just west of Toronto.

We were discussing community and how we enjoyed different aspects of the communities we grow up in, how things have changed from the 70's when no one locked their doors, kids could run and play outside without the fear of child predators, and neighbours watched out for neighbours. Those were the good old days, now we discussed the fears we have as parents, the growing crime rates (which really aren't growing – they are staying the same, it just seems like they are growing because there are more people living here so there is more crime…we accept that).

One area we started to discuss in great detail was the changes to the professional communities we have belonged to over the last ten to twelve years. I have been a member of the Society for Technical Communicators, The Computer Trainers Network, DigitalEve, various Women in Networking groups, and my most favourite and passionate is the IT PRO community of WWITPRO.

We admitted that one of the reasons we both started to look at professional organizations like the STC and CTN was to assist in networking. Networking is huge business (and I don't mean the COMPUTER NETWORKING!!!) but what I really wanted was not only a place to network and meet people, but a place that I could learn and grow professionally.

Many of the groups, I felt, were all focused on people looking for the ME ME ME – I'm not like that. Yes, I really want to get better at what I do and I really want to learn new things and have new experiences, but I don't want to be in a battle for attention at a community event, and I certainly don't expect people to pay me because I give them some tips on how to use Microsoft Office more effectively. Many of the networking events I'd been to in the past were all about getting things out for you and not helping other's achieve what they came for. I often left these meetings feeling deflated or frustrated and many times I felt I had wasted my time AND my money (if the event wasn't a free event).

That is why I felt so honoured when Ruth Morton, then of a fantastic consulting firm Agora Inc., now a Microsoft TechNet Canada Team Member, asked me if I was interested in being involved in a new IT focused professional group geared to educating and networking for IT Pros in our area! That was back at the end of 2005 and since then I have been an executive member and am not the president of the group, hoping to make my mark on the community by showing others in the area that it is A-OK to give your time, energy and knowledge to others without expectation.

In the long run, I believe I will learn the most from my participation with this group. I have so many ideas on helping to rebuild the good name that IT Pros beginning with Certifications. We've already created several Microsoft Server and Operating System study groups and have helped 7 of the participants to pass different Microsoft certification exams. I myself and working towards completing a couple of certifications – and knowing the value of certifications AND experience, I feel that offering a place to help an IT Pro or even a FUTURE IT Pro on their way to successfully completing an examination is one way to not only build our IT Pro community but make it strong.

So – what community means to me: building strong community members willing to give as well as receive!

Getting in the Know

Waterloo Wellington IT Professionals announces a fantastic new event!

Get in the Know with the WWITPRO in the Know event coming soon!

check back for details - www.wwitpro.com

Presently we have the following lined up:

Ruth Morton, Microsoft
Don Spencer and Peter Piluk - Executive WWITPRO Members (Don is Co-Founder)
Yours Truly, President, WWITPRO

we'll look at some new stuff, some fun stuff and just all around have a great time.

The venue will be the Holiday Inn, Cambridge and the event will begin at 7! We hope to make this the single most successful IT Pro event in Cambridge.

Study Group Success

We have had our first MCDST study group Success!

Congratulations to Tim Jackson who passed the 70-272 exam!

Study Groups work - if you are intersted in participating we will work on the next session in the next month or so. www.wwitpro.com

MVP Visits WWITPRO Study Group

We are so pleased to have Mitch Garvis, Microsoft MVP and Small Business Specialist, offer to assist the WWITPRO group by offering to instruct a three day session to assist some of our WWITPRO members in preparing for the Microsoft 70-282 Exam.

Thanks Mitch for your contribution to our IT Pro community!

Excel-erate Your Spreadsheets

I am so excited.

I know you can't tell - but I am doing the Happy Dance around my office (and it's not a pretty sight so it's a good thing I'm alone!).

While prepping course content to deliver a custom session on Microsoft Office Excel 2007, I came across the feature I think I like the most.

DATA BARS!!!

I am a visual person. I like to see what numbers are and compare them with a visual representation so charts and graphs and other graphics are excellent for me.

This feature allows us to very quickly see the difference using a tiny embedded chart displayed RIGHT IN THE CELL!!!!

Now when I have a value in a cell, I use the Data Bars feature from the Conditional Formatting Drop Down in the Styles Ribbon of the Home tab! (Wow-that's a breath!!!)

I love, love, LOVE this feature.

Give it a try and see what I mean!

Vista Dilemma – I think not!

I must report that I've had no problem at all with my installation of windows VISTA - what I have had problems with was my display on my laptop....

not because my laptop video card sucks, but more because it was defective.

I was not able to use the 3-D flip feature of the new windows vista and everything on my screen that was supposed to be white was actually very tiny blue and white stripes...

I sent my laptop in to be repaired (under warranty thank goodness) and now all is right in the world of my vista install!!!

Hoooray -

Office 2007 – Early Adopter That’s ME

I cannot tell you enough times how happy I am to be involved with the review and creation of various Office 2007 courseware materials. I am really looking forward to the release of the Office 2007 courses and the new Office 2007 MOS exams!

As an early adopter of Office 2007, I have found myself falling more and more "in-like" with this product every day!

You know that as with all good changes, a few old stand-bys have to leave...that's the case with the new Office 2007. Yes, I love it! Yes, it's great to work with! Yes, there is a learning curve associated with using and implementing this product in the workplace! So - Don't Be Fooled!

Take some time to play before you really get into the swing with the Office 2007.

Why? well - it seems that Office 2007 is closely tied into SharePoint. (SharePoint is a fantastic tool free with Windows Server 2003 that allows you to collaborate more effectively with your teams) Some of the great features I really liked about Office 2003 like Reviewing and Tracking Changes, or the Compare and Merge features are gone within the program itself, but are alive and well if you are using SharePoint or SharePoint Portal.

The good thing is - in my organization, we use SharePoint - the bad thing is, some people who edit and review documentation for our organization don't use it - so we lose that nifty feature.

But you know - the good things far outweigh the bad...I love the new drawing features, the graphics are easier to work with and while the new "Ribbons" took a bit of getting used to, I am able to do everything I used to do only MUCH QUICKER and I find I'm much more effective in my communications as well.

Give it a try and see for yourself.

MCDST Study Group Open For Registration

I am pleased to announce that Microsoft Canada has agreed to provide some study materials and resources for members of the Waterloo Wellington IT Professionals.

Our next scheduled session will be for those wishing to group study, prepare and discuss the MCDST exam 70-271 - Windows XP.

I have many interested so please let me know if you are intersted in attending: Jacqueline@wwitpro.com

Small Business Server 2003 Study Group (70-282)

WWITPRO is proud to provide a new venue for assisting those interested in passing the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Exam 70-282.

We've started an in person study group and it is very exciting!

Check out the WWITPRO website for information.

Office 12 – Biting the Bullet

You may recall I mentioned in a post quite some time ago that I was really excited about the future of the Microsoft Office suite of products.

I'd seen a webcast and it was all wonderful and made me excited to be in the computer industry.

I have had access to the Office 2007 (formerly Office12) beta download and Windows Vista some time ago, but the idea behind the beta software residing on my laptop that I use on a daily basis didn't put my heart rate to a resting state.

This evening I attended the June WWITPRO meeting and met up with a Technet Advisor Barnaby Jeans. We always have excellent discussions and tonight was no exception. He mentioned how much he really likes the Office 2007 Outlook, and me being the email lover that I am thought, "Well if Barnaby is working with it, this release must be good." So I installed the Office 2007 Beta 2 cd for only Office (there were four cd's in the pack - I have yet to install them all - give me time) and got to work on it right away.

The install was really quick. It allowed me to keep my existing install of Office 2003 (with the exception of Outlook - which is obvious we shouldn't run two versions of a mail client) and it retained all of my settings. A seemless upgrade from Outlook 2003 to 2007 and my Exchange profile and all pop accounts worked great. My mailbox retained all of the email, appointments, tasks etc as I had in 2003 and WOW - can you say SLICK.

The interface is clean. There are still many menu and toolbar features in Outlook that you don't get in Word/Excel/PowerPoint or Publisher, but what a wonderful tool.

I've yet to dive deep into it, but the look and feel makes me happy I took the plunge. You can find a download of the beta software at the the Microsoft Office site.

I highly recommend taking a look at the future of office productivity software.

Microsoft Technet IT Manager’s Blog - Canada

As a member of the executive committee for Waterloo-Wellington IT Professions (WWITPRO) I met some wonderful TechNet Advisors with Microsoft Canada.

I was asked to prepare an article on training designed for IT Managers, so you will find my post in the Canadian IT Managers Blog.

Also, you will find another article I wrote on getting my Blackberry mobile device synchronizing with the new Office 2007 Beta.

Piracy Doesn’t Pay – Unless You are Jack Sparrow

Well it might in the short term, but big tech business is out to change that - starting with Microsoft Canada.

That's right! Microsoft Canada and Symantec join forces to protect end users from illegally installed software by taking 6 resellers to court over the case of illegally loading Microsoft and Symantec software onto PC's for sale.

And the verdict is: GUILTY
http://www.microsoft.com/canada/media/releases/2006_02_01.mspx


60 days in jail and a fine in excess of $100,000 was sentencing. This is an interesting look at just one of the 6 cases going on in the court system since late last fall.

When Things Go Wrong…

As they often do, things may go wrong when you are presenting information to an audience.

I doubt there is anyone out there that can say everything has always gone 100% as planned, and if they can say that, I'd love to have even a tiny piece of their golden horseshoe!

The thing about disasters is, they can't be planned for and that's why it is a disaster...but a few little tricks can help you get over small hurdles that COULD become potential disasters.

If you are presenting a speech:

• have cue cards, you may never need them, but just in case, they are great to help you through - if not cue cards, a piece of paper with your main points will help jog your memory.
  

If you are using electronic equipment:

• remember to check it prior to your presentation
  
• carry a spare lightbulb
  
• carry a spare extension cord
  
• have a paper copy of your presentation in the event the equipment fails
  

General Tips:

• if something does go wrong, don't stop to fiddle with it for more than ONE MINUTE
  
• appologize once and keep it brief example: "I'm sorry for the interruption, it's only momentary, let's continue."
  
• thank your audience for thier patience when malfunction is rectified
  
• if possible and time permits have a quick break - say something like "this is a great opportunity to network and stretch - please give yourself a five minute break and we'll jump right back into this"
  
• Keep Calm
  

The biggest tip I can give you is to keep calm and don't sweat it, one day you may even laugh about it - like on the way home or when you share your day with a loved one. Things sometimes happen that are beyond our control, how you deal with them is what will set you apart from other presenters.

Waterloo-Wellington IT Professionals Group

There's a new user group dedicated to IT Pros using Windows server technology!

We don't have to drive to Toronto anymore - Microsoft is going to come to us.

Check out the upcoming meetings for Waterloo Wellington IT Professional User group - we hope to see you out at a meeting soon.

Email Pitfalls – The Addict Speaks Out

I am an email addict. There - I've said it.

I love email. I love it so much, I seldom find myself going more than a few minutes without clicking that "send and receive" button just to see if there is anything new that my automatic download didn't catch 2 minutes ago.

The problem is, my like and dislike of email are close to the same thing...instant communication.

What I love about email:

Email is a tool to allow instant communication of ideas, request and deliver information and collaborate with others on projects, community organizations or even to chat with family and friends who don't live next door!

What I don't love about email:


Because email is a tool for allowing instant communication, there is the expectation that email will be read and responded to immediately. In many cases, this can cause undue stress and strain on an average information worker's daily rituals. Because others expect us to respond immediately, we feel we just HAVE to reply as soon as the email magically appears in our inbox causing us to spend time and energy on things that may not be quite so important as things like, say "Customer Service".

I'm learning to make better use of my email application of choice so that SPAM and Junk messages get into a junk folder and I deal with them on a weekly basis (unless I find the time to sift through that folder in the evenings...but really I have much better things to do with my time.

With the increase in cool and effective instant communication tools, I am finding other ways to amuse myself...while I no longer click the send and receive button every two minutes, I do find other ways to work with those around me so that when I need a quick answer or input from someone and they are available, I use Instant Messages instead.

Using MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger allow me to keep my email clutter free while I assist others in doing the same thing. I keep copies of my conversations (especially those work related messages) for future reference just like I archive my email, but most importantly, I find I'm saving time for all the really important things in life - like BLOGGING.

Well - It's been a whole ten minutes without email or messaging so I really feel I need to get my fix...oh yeah, that and my coffee cup is empty - go figure!

Windows Vista and Office 12

At a PDC Convention earlier this year, it was announced that Microsoft had finally settled on a name for the new version of Windows due for release in fall 2006.

Windows Vista is a robust OS with so many excellent features, bells and whistles, the I thought I would share some of that information here with you.

On a webcast located on the Microsoft.com website, you can see a VERY lengthy address by Bill Gates, with presentations by Chris Capossela (Corporate VP) on the new version of Windows and the New Office12 due for release at the same time.

While the two little videos show you quick clips of Windows Vista and Office12, it is an excellent idea to take a peek at the actually three hour video (I stopped watching after Chris' presentation on Office 12) because you get to be a voyeur into the future of personal and business computing. Chris shows neat new additions to the windows capabilities like thumbnail taskbar items, 3-D window scrolling, and drag and drop document editing which allows you to edit documents from a thumbnail without ever opening the document. The old windows explorer search has been replaced with a more powerful search engine that scans your entire PC for items meeting your criteria.

As you can tell, I'm just a little excited about this - but what gets me even more excited is the new Office 12!

Instead of chatter away about it, I'll just let you watch the video...
Click here to view Bill Gate's and Chris Capossela's information.


I'm really looking forward to the changes in both the operating system and the Office Suite and I know that some of you will appreciate the changes coming our way next year!

Presenting New Ideas to an “Old” Audience

Who was it that said "Change is good"?

I know my mother said it to me when I was young, and I say it to my clients from time to time.

While it may be a cliché, change really can be good - the hard part about change is selling it. This can be exceptionally challenging when dealing with a more mature crowd. Many older workers, those baby boomers nearing retirement age, are not interested in learning to use a computer or work with new software packages that benefit their work environment. (This is a generalization, no disrespect is meant.)

It becomes increasingly important for the workplace to sell the idea of acceptance of large scale change within the workplace. One of the largest changes I've seen within the insurance industry is the move from DOS based applications to the Windows platform.

Struggles included learning to use a mouse, new terminology and constant system changes and upgrades. Gone are the days when a computer lasted ten years and the application didn't change. Now we have regular updates, program enhancements and new operating systems emerging even more quickly then some people can learn the current setup!

How do you sell the idea that change is good?

A couple of tips I've picked up along the way include:

• demonstrate how this will help (usually saying that a child or grandchild is learning the same skills is enough to raise more than a few eyebrows and coax older computer users to attempt a new task
  
• demonstrate what's in it for "me" - showing how and why a newly implemented program is necessary is a great way to make the learner feel involved in the anticipated success of the roll-out
  
• speak on their level. Never use techno-babble unless you are speaking with another techno-expert. Simplifying your language and the ideas you are presenting will ease the transition and the learner will feel more comfortable because they can understand what you are saying. Comprehension of the ideas is a important as using the tools.
  
• finally, treat other users the way you would like to be treated. Show respect and the same will be yours in return, show understanding and patience and your users will also be understanding and patient.
  

What adult learners need most is positive reinforcement, feedback and support for the technology changes they face in the workplace and at home.

Public Speaking Tips

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a number of professional functions featuring both professional and highly regarded business people as keynote speakers.

It amazes me still how wonderful, enlightening and motivating some speakers are, and also how lacking in presentation others can be - no matter whom the audience, how much they are being paid to speak or what the "warmth" of the room is like.

Here are a couple of the tidbits I found that PROFESSIONAL speakers, motivators and trainers do that they really shouldn't! I know - I'm guilty of a couple on occasion myself!

• Jiggle change in their pockets - Please empty your pockets of all change, and keep your arms in a comfortable posture either in front of you or behind you.
  
• Speak clearly - and in some cases slowly. It's hard to provide your audience with the full effect of a joke when they can't hear you for your marble-mouth! Speak up! That's why you are standing in front; because everyone wants to HEAR what you have to say.
  
• NEVER turn your back on your audience (unless it is part of your act) Turning your back on your audience can be misinterpreted for disrespect. Show respect to your audience and keep facing them
  
• Avoid leaning for long periods of time on the podium - this can be used effectively as an emphasis prop, but when you spend the entire hour leaning on a podium, you look lazy, and de-motivating.
  

Well...that's a good start - I'm sure there are many other items that can be added here so check back for updates and other tips on public speaking, presentations and training.

The Three R’s of Learning

As adult learners, we decide whether to accept information presented to us based on three things:

• RELEVANCY
  
• RELATIONSHIP
  
• RESPONSIBILITY
  

We require that the training we receive be relevant to our work or personal life. If it is not relevant and cannot be used, then it is considered to be a waste of precious time.

Adult learners require that lines be drawn to demonstrate the relationship between what we are learning and what we "DO" and how that relationship will meet our needs.

Finally, as long as we can prove that the relationship between what we need to know and what we already know is valid and is presented in a timely and relevant manner, then we will accept the responsibility to learn that material.

Of course there are many other factors that affect adult learners, these three R's are simply an example of how educators can work to ease the information transition.