GOV IT

Strategic IT for Government

Tuesday, September 09, 2003

Apples to apples. Bob McMillan, who wrote tons of interviews and analysis for Linux Magazine before joining IDG News Service recently, reports today on a Microsoft-sponsored Forrester study that finds Microsoft cheaper than Linux/J2EE for enterprise software development. As Bob points out, what largely accounts for the difference is the price of the BEA and Oracle software used on the Linux side of the fence. Others can (and will) dissect Forrester's motives and objectivity, but the report is, on its face, unsurprising. It's reasonable for a Linux-based enterprise to choose BEA and Oracle, and it's obvious that these are expensive choices. Interestingly, the report says that some shops prefer Linux despite these higher price tags, for cultural and/or strategic reasons. ... [Jon's Radio]
8:04:02 PM

BloggerCon-October 4-5, 2003

BloggerCon in a Nutshell

Stolen from Dave's site at:

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/bloggerCon/nutshell

One place to list all the pertinent facts about BloggerCon.

Basic facts:	BloggerCon is a conference about weblogs on October 4 and 5 on the campus of Harvard Law School. The Day 1 sessions will be held in Langdell North; Day 2 sessions in Pound Hall. The focus of BloggerCon is weblogs in journalism, education, science, business and politics. We're interested in people's experiences with weblogs, now that they've been in use for five or six years, depending on who you ask. This is not a technical visionary venue, nor is it a place for political activism. Our interest is in the use of weblogs. Of course technology and politics are related to the use of weblogs. Day 1 costs between $500 and $0 depending on circumstances. We need more money to pay the expenses of presenters who are budget-constrained. Berkman Center, the host for BloggerCon, is a non-profit. We're very picky about sponsorships, we won't allow advertising masquerading as content. Unfortunately many potential sponsors expect this. Day 2 is free for everyone.
How to get there:	Here's a map of the law school campus. Langdell Hall is in the lower-left. Pound Hall is to the left of Langdell. Baker House, where Berkman Center is housed, is above Pound Hall, on Mass Ave. To get here via public transit, the best way is via the Red Line, get off at Harvard Square. If necessary, cross to the west side Mass Ave, the same side as the Fleet Bank and CVS pharmacy. Here's a street map of Harvard Square, thanks to Yahoo. Walk past the Cambridge Commons, then cross over Mass Ave, and you'll be standing in front of Pound Hall. It's a good idea to walk on the west side because you avoid the confusion of navigating a hairy intersection on foot (it's equally hairy by car). Remember, this is a very old town, and these are all paved-over cow paths.
Where to stay:	Wendy put together a list of local hotels that may have room. Book early. Again, you may want to try booking the rooms on the Web. The prices seem to be much lower when you go that way.
If you're flying:	Air travel in the US has gotten very cheap. If you have some flexibility, try Hotwire.com, if not, try Expedia, Orbitz or Travelocity. You might find it's less expensive to fly into Providence, RI, or Manchester, NH, both of which are within an hour by car of Cambridge. Sooz offers tips on flying into Providence.

7:24:47 PM