Developing Java Agents for Lotus Notes under Eclipse

I started developing some java agent for Lotus Notes 8.5 .

The native Lotus Notes eclipse environment does not really meet my needs.

I usually use a regular eclipse environment to develop my java applications with all its nice help features.

I wanted to develop these Lotus Notes java agents under the same environment, but when calling Lotus specific java classes, I got some errors because eclipse could not reference the right jar.

I fixed the problem by just adding Notes.jar (that I found in LotusNotes program directory) as an external jar in the build path of my eclipse project.

Prezi: the next Powerpoint?

Looking for the next Powerpoint?

Have a look at Prezi an online program with some very interessant features such as more dynamicity, online editing...

Here is a real example from Lars Hilse.

bCisive: more focused than mindmapping

I've tried bCisive . I found it interesting, because it focuses more on decision making or researching than wild brainstorming. Though doing wild brainstorming is also useful sometimes...

All models are false but some models are useful

George E. P. Box said:"All models are false but some models are useful..."


My CMMI related white papers.

Begot by butcher...

Begot by butcher, but by bishop bred
How high his highness held his haughty head

Agile in 1 sentence

Here is a question on LinkedIn where people define Agile in one sentence:

What's the Elevator Pitch for Agile?

Let's say you got into an elevator with a senior executive and you had 30 seconds to sell Agile to them, what would you say?

Carolyn Sanders writes:"Agile delivery is about two things: you usually don't know what you want until you see something, so deliver something real as early as you can; and if you're going to fail, fail fast.

Agile in general is about being fundamentally honest with each other, about money, about technical delivery and quality, about requirements andtime - that's why it's so scary for some people."

Mark Hawkins writes:"Methodology that empowers a project team to collaboratively take ownership of their deliverables to ensure successful completion of the project."

Change awareness is the source of innovation

"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" Harry M. Warner, Warner Bros Pictures, 1927

"The discipline of innovation", by Peter Drucker, lists several types of innovation divided in 2 groups: sources from inside companies or industry and external sources, such as incongruities, demographic changes or new knowledge. An example of a technological change triggering innovation was the arrival of mature sound film technology in years 1920s.

If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have asked for a faster horse. Henry Ford

Innovation comes from or is influenced by culture, resources, infrastructure or process.

Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable. William Pollard

Basically, change and awareness to change occurence in various areas (market, technical, culture) is the source of innovation. Changes in those areas that you are not aware of, are useless.

The things we fear most in organizations: fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances are the primary sources of creativity. Margaret J. Wheatley

The Chinese word weiji (危機 translated as "crisis") is often said to be composed of the characters for "danger" and "opportunity".

The goal is to take advantage before others of these opportunities and to build innovation above.

I consider high-speed data transmission an invention that became a major innovation. It changed the way we all communicate. Dean Kamen

My innovation involved taking an idea from the telecommunications and banking industries, and applying that idea to transportation business. Frederick W. Smith

Some innovations trigger an endless chain of subsequent innovations. That is what is usually called "humanity's progress".

Dinosaurs demise on LinkedIn: fullfillment of the prophecy

With the new Linkedin search page you get the final step of what I prophetized 2 years ago following the exact steps:

• 1st step: cutting visibility from 4 to 3 levels (summer 2005).
• 2nd step: limit mega-networkers activity (winter 2006).
• 3rd step : enforce the no email policy (summer 2008).
• 4th step: take off the “sort by number” search option (december 2008).

Read it at:
http://eric-mariacher.blogspot.com/search/label/dinosaurs%20demise or
http://eric-mariacher.blogspot.com/2006/06/dinosaurs-demise-on-linkedin-dont-read.html

Marc Freedman is not going to earn any money any more :(

Complainte de Mandrin

Nous étions vingt ou trente
Brigands dans une bande,
Tous habillés de blanc
A la mode des, vous m'entendez?
Tous habillés de blanc
A la mode des marchands.

La première volerie
Que je fis dans ma vie,
C'est d'avoir goupillé
La bourse d'un, vous m'entendez?
C'est d'avoir goupillé
La bourse d'un curé.

J'entrai dedans sa chambre,
Mon Dieu, qu'elle était grande,
J'y trouvai mille écus,
Je mis la main, vous m'entendez?
J'y trouvai mille écus,
Je mis la main dessus.

J'entrai dedans une autre
Mon Dieu, qu'elle était haute,
De robes et de manteaux
J'en chargeai trois, vous m'entendez?
De robes et de manteaux
J'en chargeai trois chariots.

Je les portai pour vendre
A la foire en Hollande
J'les vendis bon marché
Ils n'm'avaient rien, vous m'entendez?
J'les vendis bon marché
Ils m'avaient rien coûté.

Ces messieurs de Grenoble
Avec leurs longues robes
Et leurs bonnets carrés
M'eurent bientôt, vous m'entendez?
Et leurs bonnets carrés
M'eurent bientôt jugé.

Ils m'ont jugé à pendre,
Que c'est dur à entendre
A pendre et étrangler
Sur la place du, vous m'entendez?
A pendre et étrangler
Sur la place du marché.

Monté sur la potence
Je regardai la France
Je vis mes compagnons
A l'ombre d'un, vous m'entendez?
Je vis mes compagnons
A l'ombre d'un buisson.

Compagnons de misère
Allez dire à ma mère
Qu'elle ne m'reverra plus
J' suis un enfant, vous m'entendez?
Qu'elle ne m'reverra plus
J'suis un enfant perdu.

What are generally the top priorities you would address during first months in a new job?

This is a question asked on LinkedIn: In a new job, what are generally the top 5 priorities you would really address during the first month and then the two following months ?

One of the answer was:

First month:

- Know who is who in what places. DON'T judge
- Know the systems you have to work with
- Know your job and who is your client, internal or external
- ORGANIZE yourself
- LISTEN to people, NO MATTER WHAT

2 next months:

- Get involved in projects that will help you know you job
- Know the daily routine of your direct report
- Get in better touch with the clients
- Know what the problems are and what you are really facing
- AND NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON A PROBLEM. It won't go away

May you be successful.

Agile Maturity Model

Here are 2 interessant articles I found talking about Agile Maturity Model:

• The Agile Maturity Model
• An "Agile Maturity Model?"

Java Extracting only first Integer value from String

Here is the new java function that extracts the 1st Integer value from String:
String s = new String("Eric Mariacher 1965 AoxomoxoA 1967 Cowabunga 2009 ");
Matcher matcher = Pattern.compile("\\d+").matcher(s);
matcher.find();
int i = Integer.valueOf(matcher.group());

Here is the old java function that extracts the 1st Integer value from String:

   3:    public static int findNextValidInteger(String s) throws Exception {
   4:
   5:      // detect 1st digit after start of string
   6:      int beginIndex=0;
   7:      int endIndex=1;
   8:      int length=s.length();
   9:      while(!s.substring(beginIndex,endIndex).matches("\\d")) {
  10:        beginIndex++;
  11:        endIndex++;
  12:        if(endIndex>length) {
  13:          throw new Exception("No digit found.");
  14:        }
  15:      }
  16:      int i_startNumber= beginIndex;
  17:
  18:      // detect 1st non digit after start previously detected 1st digit   
  19:      beginIndex=i_startNumber;
  20:      endIndex=i_startNumber+1;
  21:      while(s.substring(beginIndex,endIndex).matches("\\d")) {
  22:        beginIndex++;
  23:        endIndex++;
  24:        if(endIndex>length) {
  25:          break;
  26:        }
  27:      }
  28:      int i_endNumber= beginIndex;
  29:
  30:      // return absolute value of integer
  31:      return Integer.valueOf(s.substring(i_startNumber, i_endNumber));
  32:    }
  33:
Can also be done the following way, but may take lot of resources if String
is very long and you only need the 1st Integer.
  35:
  36:    StringTokenizer str = new StringTokenizer("A 1965 Eric");
  37:
  38:    while(str.hasMoreElements()) {
  39:      System.out.println(str.nextElement());
  40:      int i = Integer.parseInt(str.nextElement());
  41:    }
  42:

Innovation Quotes: Brainstorming

"The problem is never to get innovative ideas in your mind , but how to get the old ones out."

"We can believe that we know where the world should go. But unless we're in touch with our customers, our model of the world can diverge from reality. There's no substitute for innovation, of course, but innovation is no substitute for being in touch, either." Steve Ballmer

"My innovation involved taking an idea from the telecommunications and banking industries, and applying that idea to transportation business." Frederick W. Smith

"The metaphor is perhaps one of man's most fruitful potentialities. Its efficacy verges on magic, and it seems a tool for creation which God forgot inside one of His creatures when He made him." Jose Ortega y Gasset

"But an innovation, to grow organically from within, has to be based on an intact tradition, so our idea is to bring together musicians who represent all these traditions, in workshops, festivals, and concerts, to see how we can connect with each other in music." Yo-Yo Ma

"The mind ought to sometimes be diverted that it may return the better to thinking." Phaedrus

"Don't try to come up with the proper answers ; target coming up with good questions." Stanford professor Bill Lazier

"Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction." – Pablo Picasso

Innovation Quotes: Setting an innovation friendly environment

"Innovation comes from the producer - not from the customer." W. Edwards Deming

"We need a positive economic agenda that invests in the innovation and growth that will create jobs for middle class families and ensure that America remains the world leader." Rick Larsen

"This is the nature of genius, to be able to grasp the knowable even when noone else recognizes that it is present." Deepak Chopra

"The innovation point is the pivotal moment when talented and motivated people seek the opportunity to act on their ideas and dreams." W. Arthur Porter

"The greatest obstacle to innovation in organizations is the unwillingness to let go of yesterday's successes, and to free up resources that no longer contribute to results." P.Duckler

"The achievement of excellence can only occur if the organization promotes a culture of creative dissatisfaction." Lawrence Miller

"Human societies vary in lots of independent factors affecting their openness to innovation." Jared Diamond

"Innovation is this amazing intersection between someone's imagination and the reality in which they live. The problem is, many companies don't have great imagination, but their view of reality tells them that it's impossible to do what they imagine." Ron Johnson

"Mindless habitual behavior is the enemy of innovation." Rosabeth Moss Kanter

"Ideas, like young wine, should be put in storage and taken up again only after they have been allowed to ferment and to ripen." Richard Strauss

"It is the responsibility of leadership to provide opportunity, and the responsibility of individuals to contribute." William Pollard

“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat”

"The only thing that makes people and organizations great is their willingness to be not great along the way. The desire to fail on the way to reaching a bigger goal is the untold secret of success" Seth Godin

“Orville Wright did not have a pilot’s license.” Gordon MacKenzie

Innovation Quotes: Where does innovation come from?

"The problem is never to get innovative ideas in your mind , but how to get the old ones out."

"The things we fear most in organizations: fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances are the primary sources of creativity." Margaret J. Wheatley

"This is the nature of genius, to be able to grasp the knowable even when noone else recognizes that it is present." Deepak Chopra

"The innovation point is the pivotal moment when talented and motivated people seek the opportunity to act on their ideas and dreams." W. Arthur Porter

"We can believe that we know where the world should go. But unless we're in touch with our customers, our model of the world can diverge from reality. There's no substitute for innovation, of course, but innovation is no substitute for being in touch, either." Steve Ballmer

"I consider high-speed data transmission an invention that became a major innovation. It changed the way we all communicate." Dean Kamen

"Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable." William Pollard

"My innovation involved taking an idea from the telecommunications and banking industries, and applying that idea to transportation business." Frederick W. Smith

"The Chinese word weiji translated as 'crisis' is often said to be composed of the characters for 'danger' and 'opportunity'."

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” Charles R. Swindoll

Innovation Quotes: Why should we innovate?

"Change before you have to." Jack Welch

"The winner is the chef who takes the same ingredients as everyone else and produces the best results." Edward de Bono

"You can only win the ‘war’ with ideas, not with spending cuts." Klaus Kleinfeld, President and CEO, Siemens AG

"Innovation is the central issue in economic prosperity." Michael Porter

"Innovation comes from the producer - not from the customer." W. Edwards Deming

"We are a party of innovation. We do not reject our traditions, but we are willing to adapt to changing circumstances, when change we must. We are willing to suffer the discomfort of change in order to achieve a better future." Barbara Jordans

"We need a positive economic agenda that invests in the innovation and growth that will create jobs for middle class families and ensure that America remains the world leader." Rick Larsen

"Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow." William Pollard

"If all you're trying to do is essentially the same thing as your rivals, then it's unlikely that you'll be very successful." Michael Porter

"innovation is the technological pre-condition for growth." Eric Schmidt (Google CEO)

Innovation Quotes: What is Innovation?

"Genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety-nine percent perspiration." Thomas Edison

"Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things." Theodore Levitt

"Innovation is the process of turning ideas into manufacturable and marketable form." Watts Humprey

"To turn really interesting ideas and fledgling technologies into a company that can continue to innovate for years, it requires a lot of disciplines." Steve Jobs

"Innovation is not the product of logical thought, although the result is tied to logical structure." Albert Einstein

"Business has only two functions - marketing and innovation." Milan Kundera

"Innovation is the whim of an elite before it becomes a need of the public." Ludwig von Mises

“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat”

“If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative.” Woody Allen

"True innovation is based on the recognition that a business concept represents a dozen or so design variables, all of which need to be constantly revisited and constantly challenged" Gary Hamel

"Think of invention as the laying of an egg, innovation as the laying, incubating and hatching." Gordon Graham

"Innovation is the process or result of combining previously separate ideas or technologies in useful and valuable ways" Karl Long

other resume/CV formats

Do you want to experiment non-text resumes/CVs?

Video CV, Flyers CV...

Click here: in french but everyone can understand

Video CV By Jim Newton: http://www.customvideoresume.com

Linkedin history 2006 - 2008

For a year, number of Linkedin users is going exponential vs time. When I look at number of connections vs network ratio (for myself), it can be seen that people are more and more connected with each other.

I am not inviting any more people as I reached the number of people I am allowed to invite. The growth seen in the green curve (numbers of 1st level connections) is purely passive.

I have received 12 invitations per day for the last year. I am not advertizing my email anymore in my profile as it is now "strictly" forbidden, I mainly receive invitaions from LIONS and toplinked users. By the way, I did not see any diminution in the number of received invitations when removing my email from my profile.

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard

I am proud that my team delivered firmware for the new Logitech illuminated keyboard.

I especially appreciate working with this keyboard because it is illuminated. This is useful when you surf on the web or watch a video in the evening and you do not want to be disturbed by anything else than the computer screen.
Something positive is also the fact that you choose the illumination level, as opposed to some automatic ambiant light system which choose the level for you.

This development was a challenge for our swiss team, as we are more specialized in developing wireless keyboards. We had to use a new chip that we had little experience with. The biggest obstacles we encountered was not because of the chip itself, but because of the compiler badly translating the C language to assembly code: "what you write, is not what you get". And this triggered some bugs that we had great difficulties to track and correct.