The City of Edmonton is considering adding a new component to the 2013 civic election: online voting. It is likely that it will only be used for advance polls however there is a possibility that it could be used for the general election as well. It is a…..polarizing debate at best, a scary proposition at worst.
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Online Voting: Too Big a Risk
Windows 8 and Windows RT
This Friday, Microsoft is going to do something they have never done before. They are going to release two different operating systems on the same day. Yes. Two different operating system. And yet, Microsoft has chosen to talk as little as possible about it. That is a decision that is going to lead to some pretty significant confusion in the marketplace, especially in the tablet market. The worst part: it was completely avoidable.
October 26th marks both the release of the Microsoft Surface running Windows RT, as well as the general availability of Windows 8 on a variety of computers from various manufacturers. On the Surface (pardon the pun), Windows RT and Windows 8 look identical. But in many significant ways, they could not be more different.
Windows 8 is the, and I use this term loosely, “traditional” release. If your computer can run Windows 7, it can run Windows 8. Windows 8 features the Windows 8 metro experience, with the full screen apps, the tiles on the start screen, the Windows app store, etc. Windows 8 also features a robust desktop environment that will run every application you have ever used, including the Microsoft Office suite. In fact, I am typing this on Microsoft Word in Windows 8 right now.
Windows RT, on the other hand, is very different. Sure, when you turn on a Windows RT device, you will see the same log in screen, start screen, and Metro apps you do on Windows 8. You can even go into the desktop mode and find My Computer, My Documents, Notepad, Calculator, etc. Everything that is built into Windows is present in Windows RT. However, that is about where the similarities end. What happens when you get your new Windows RT tablet and try to install iTunes on it? It doesn’t work.
Windows RT runs on a different type of device than a traditional PC. The processor in a Windows RT tablet is closer to what a smartphone runs than a traditional Intel PC processor. That means that every piece of software that has been written for Windows in the last 17 years will not run on Windows RT. iTunes, games, your favorite chat clients, tax software, everything. There is no piece of software that is written for Windows on the desktop that will run on a Windows RT tablet. None. This is something that Microsoft is not talking about, and something that I think is actually a *really* big deal. Not because it is a good or a bad thing, but because the consumer is not being properly educated. I will be really interested to see what the reception to Microsoft Surface is when people start getting them on October 26th, and then immediately download iTunes only to find out that it won’t install. I have a bad feeling that consumer satisfaction with Windows tablets is going to be very low initially because Microsoft is doing such a poor job explaining the differences between Windows 8 and Windows RT.
What only adds to the confusion is the fact that in order to overcome a massive shortcoming in the Windows RT metro environment, Microsoft has created special versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote and include them with Windows RT, called Office 2013 RT. These versions are visibily identical and have almost the exact same features as the upcoming Office 2013, but work on Windows RT, and are included on the device. Boot up a Windows 8 device, and you do not get any version of office, you must pay separately for it.
Now, this is because Microsoft has not built a metro style office app suite yet, so the only way to include some kind of advanced office suite on Windows RT, they had to build these apps. That also highlights another problem with this. The Office RT apps on Windows RT are desktop apps. To use them you must jump into the desktop mode, and these apps are the only apps outside of the built in Windows Apps that will run on Windows RT’s desktop mode. This will only add to the confusion for users. On one hand I can buy a Windows device that comes with Word, Excel, etc but I can’t install anything else on it, or another Windows 8 device that doesn’t have Office, but I can install whatever I want. I understand why Microsoft needed to create Office for Windows RT, but it really is an absolute mess.
Microsoft could have avoided much of the confusion that is going to happen by really stressing and highlighting that Windows 8 and Windows RT are two different products, and making sure users know that existing apps will not work on devices like the Microsoft Surface RT. Even Microsoft’s recently started advertising campaign is adding to the confusion. There are separate advertisements for the Surface and for Windows 8, however they both show only the highlights of the Metro environment. This could easily confuse people to thinking that the Surface runs Windows 8, not Windows RT.
Perhaps Microsoft will be very clear for people who are actually buying a Surface in store or any further online stores about the differences between Windows 8 and Windows RT. But in the short term, there is likely to be significant confusion, and it is unfortunate that it could have been easily avoided.
Here comes Windows 8
Windows 8 launches this week. In a world where all of the consumer attention on shiny new things focuses on the newest smartphone or tablet, Windows 8 is quietly the biggest paradigm shift in personal computing since Windows 95.
When Windows 95 was released in 1995 it represented the biggest change in computing to that point. While Windows 3.x was a user interface that worked, it was still a compliment to MS-DOS and for many users, significant time was still spent in DOS, which was a high barrier entry for most. Windows 95 changed that. It was the first PC operating system to bury DOS, though technically it still ran on top of DOS like Windows 3.x did. And it represented a complete change in user interface. Windows 95 introduced the Start Menu and task bar, and was the first PC operating system that truly felt like a multi-tasking, multiple window graphical interface. It was the first time where users were truly able to have multiple things running on their computer at the same time, and manage/see them all. And remember, Windows 95 even came out before the internet was even known to most people. The first shipping version of Windows 95 did not include Internet Explorer or even include the ability to connect to the internet!
But even still, Windows 95 represented the foundation for PC computing for the next 17 years. Even Windows 7 at its core is still very much based on the UI that was introduced with Windows 95. The start menu is still there, as is My Computer (now called ‘Computer’). The task bar, though re-vamped, still has much of the same core functionality. Windows 7 may look completely different than Windows 95 in terms of spit and polish, but in reality over the past 17 years Windows has remained largely the same.
That changes this week, in a big way. I’m going to re-iterate what I said in the first paragraph: Windows 8 is quietly the biggest paradigm shift in personal computing since Windows 95. That cannot be understated. Take everything you’ve ever learned about Windows, and throw it away.
I have been using Windows 8 at home since February. And at work since August. Through this one thing has come through perfectly clear to me: Windows 8 is a mobile operating system, not a traditional desktop operating system. Until now, Windows has always truly been at its best running on a desktop computer with a large screen (or two) and as much processing power that can be thrown at it. That is not the case for Windows 8. I would actually argue that Windows 8 gets worse as you throw bigger and more screens at it. A tablet or a smaller touchscreen laptop really is the ideal solution for Windows 8. My dual 24” monitor setup at my desk at work really shows the weaknesses of Windows 8.
That being said, it isn’t all bad. I think that Windows 8 on a purpose built device, like a touchscreen laptop, will be a good experience for most users. However, there are going to be some serious growing pains getting there. This is the first time when people will truly have to re-learn how to use a computer they have been using for the better part of two decades, and that is going to be a disaster.
We must also remember Windows RT, which is what runs on Microsoft’s surface tablet, and many coming tablets. Windows 8 and Windows RT may look the same, but they are very different. I will talk about that in my next post.
No Zero gets a zero
Yesterday in Edmonton it was revealed that a teacher at Ross Shepard High School had been suspended. The reason for the suspension was insubordination by not following a school policy that had been established well over a year ago. I don’t want to spend much time talking about the suspension itself, because the suspension was warranted. The school had a policy, the teacher repeatedly refused to comply with that policy. If I were to do that at my workplace, I would suffer a similar result. I do not question the suspension. However, the suspension needs to be removed from the actual story and issue we need to talk about, so this is the only part of this post that I will mention the suspension.
The policy in question is what I will call the “No Zero Policy.” The concept of the policy is simple; students are not to be given zero percent on school work. If an assignment is not completed or an exam missed, no mark will be assigned, and a note stating that the teacher was unable to mark the assignment is given. The result of this is that the student’s overall mark will be calculated only on work that is completed and handed in. In the extreme case where the student simply hands in so few assignments that a reasonable average cannot be calculated, an “unable to assess” is placed on the report card.
I truly don’t even know where to begin. I’ve known about this policy for years, as it has been in place in many Jr. High schools for the better part of a decade, however I still cannot wrap my head around how it makes sense. There are so many issues that can be raised that it is impossible to cover them all short of writing a novel, so I want to focus on just a few points.
Why I am not part of “Wildrose” country
I’ve said before that I don’t often dabble into politics on social media. Most of the time it just isn’t worth it. The reality is that if I say something that someone doesn’t agree with, they let me know, usually in the most rude way possible. Not everyone is like that, and There are many people I have reasonable, constructive conversations with, but the public and anonymous nature of mediums like Twitter nasty things get said. I’ve talked about that before here.
Because of that, i’ve stayed relatively silent on social media about the current Alberta election. I wrote a post here at the start of the campaign about how I wasn’t sure who I was going to vote for, and that I would let the chips fall. With 6 days to go until the vote, one thing has become clear, the Wildrose Party does not deserve my vote. I’ve tried to write this post about 3 times before deleting it every time, but this time, I’m just going to write and see what happens.
NFL Playoffs – for the record
Just want to get my picks on the record before the fun starts tonight.
No, you should never give a potential employer your passwords
I just about fell out of my chair when I read that it is an increasing trend in the United States that potential employers are asking applicants to give their Facebook passwords during the interview process. I mean literally almost fell out of my chair. The entire concept of that is so appauling to me that I can’t even begin to describe it. This isn’t going to be a long post for a pretty simple reason. Would you give an employer your mail to look through? Would you give them the keys to your house to look through? Giving up a Facebook account, email access, etc is the exact same thing.
The other consideration is that when you give up your Facebook login details to anyone, you are not only compromising your own personal information, but also the personal information of your Facebook friends, since anyone logging into your account would also have access to your friends and their information which they have shared with you.
Then there is the simple fact that if an employer is going to base whether or not they hire me on my Facebook account, Twitter profile, or any other kind of personal device like that, they are not an employer that is one that is worth working for. If an employer is not going to hire me because of a picture of me at a bar having a shot, than what realistic expectation do I have as to the type of workplace that will be?
I will say it again, never give your passwords for any kind of online account to anyone, especially a potential employer. They are not worth it. I could go on a lot longer about this, and how much of an invasion of privacy it is, etc. But I don’t need to, because the entire idea is so hilariously bad it speaks for itself.
And so the Election race begins
Well, the Alberta election has finally been called. I’ve been meaning to write this post for a few days now, knowing this day was coming, so I guess now is the time I do it. Basically, 27 days before the election, I have absolutely zero idea which way I’m voting. Zero. And let me make this clear, it is not because of the fantastic quality of each party. It is exactly the opposite.
Graham James And Our Failed Justice System
I am a little bit ashamed of the country I live in today. On March 20th, 2012 convicted sex offender Graham James was given 2 years in prison for sexually assaulting 2 boys when he was their junior hockey coach. This was the second time James has been convicted of sexually assaulting players that he coached, bringing the total to 4. Another accuser had dropped the charges as part of this most recent case, bringing the total to 5 known victims. While we will never know for sure, I think it is save to assume that there were many many more. Graham James is a convicted sex offender, sexually assaulting children, and has been given 2 years in jail. He will likely be out in 18 months. I am ashamed.
That feeling when your credit card is stolen
Last Wednesday I logged into my bank account online to check a balance. As I looked at it my eyes went to my visa. I then looked at it again. And then one more time. My Visa had a balance of about $3600, which was about $3400 more than it should have been. I looked at the transaction summary, and saw a large list of purchases that I hadn’t made. It has been a while since I felt my stomach drop like that, but something I never thought would happen to me happened, my credit card number was stolen.