Blockchain and Chill

How did we get to a place where we actually have a protocol that uses other computers to process data on other computers and somehow this earns some currency that has value. The funniest thing about the Blockchain ( and Read more…

The 80/20 Rule

I wonder if the Pareto optimization rule (aka the 80/20 Rule) applies to data and information? In hindsight, you probably need less than 1% of the information you collect to actually run your business and make decisions. Of course, much Read more…

Altered Information

You got altered information You were told to not take chances… That pretty much says it all…except for the underlying assumption that someone out there as unaltered information. But the mere process of categorizing information already filters and alters information Read more…

Data Cadence

What is the cadence of data? Cadence is a concept from both theory of constraints (Eli Goldratt) and lean manufacturing (Womack, Jones, others) that is used to sync the operations of the factory floor to the pace of the slowest Read more…

The World’s Biggest DB

I wonder what the world’s biggest database is? Is it Facebook? Is it Amazon? Is it Google? Microsoft? Maybe it is Oracle or Salesforce? Maybe it is the credit bureaus or credit card companies? Or is it some government agency? Read more…

Email as a Proxy for Work

I have been listening to Cal Newport’s latest book entitled, A World Without Email. The premise is that we need to change our working patterns to reduce our reliance on distracting and often unproductive email and other electronic messaging tools. Read more…

There’s a Field for It

One of my longest running information technology dilemmas has to do with database fields. In the early days of databases, there was always the desire to solve everything just by adding another field… If you were using a generic database Read more…

Behaving Badly

To say that there is a lot of bad behavior on the Internet is an understatement. And I am not just talking about the disingenuous and unnuanced commentary. While those issues carry over into the general use of technology, there Read more…

IT Clutter

The amount of IT clutter is enormous. And I am not just talking about about IT hardware clutter that is sitting in storage somewhere. The are just so many files, accounts, databases and other forms of digital clutter. It can Read more…