• Business,  On the Road

    Telecommuting vs. Those That Don't Telecommute

    Telecommuting is seen to many as a workplace sort of nirvana.  However, it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be all the time.  The lost “water cooler” aspect of working from home, the sometimes missing collaboration and the social withdrawal can all be negatives to telecommuting.  But as more and more people from a specific business unit start to telecommute the people left in the office become more and more dissatisfied.  It doesn’t help when those who telecommute rub in that they don’t have to drive an hour each way to work any more or that they’re sitting there in their underwear working.  So keep in mind to be considerate…

  • On the Road

    On the Road: Phoenix

    If you find yourself in Phoenix, make sure to take a little time to get away from it all and head up to the top of Camelback mountain.  There’s a great view to be had and you never know who you’re going to meet along the way…

  • On the Road

    On the Road: New Orleans

    Where else in the world can you buy beer in a drive through on the way to a LSU football game and then grab some crawfish?  Where else would you want to?  I will personally always remember a time when a fraternity brother almost got beaten up by a street performer because he was drunk and getting too close to the guy with a cigarette.  The vibe there is alive and the people are more honestly hospitable than anywhere else in the south.  While Mardi Gras and hurricane’s (both the drink and the damaging weather pattern) are how most people think of New Orleans, I think of Jazz Fest and the food.…

  • Business,  Consulting,  Network Infrastructure,  On the Road

    VoIP 101

    I originally posted this at http://www.318.com/TechJournal As the name implies, VoIP refers to voice or phone calls that traverse data networks using Internet Protocol (IP). This may mean that the calls are going over the Internet, or it may simply mean calls are traveling over privately managed data networks that are using IP to transport the calls from one location to the other. This represents a fundamental change or shift in transportation and routing of traditional voice services work over analog wires. With VoIP, the voice stream is broken down into data packets, compressed and sent to its destination using the Internet (as opposed to establishing a ‘permanent’ connection for…

  • On the Road

    On the Road: San Diego

    Is it me or are all the people here just totally loaded.  I guess sometimes it’s all about who ya’ meet…  But I think the weather here is nicer than it is in LA…  BTW, Archie, sorry you had to sleep in the garage…

  • On the Road

    On the Road: Pittsburg

    One city that struck me as totally different than what I thought it would be is Pittsburg.  I expected a run-down, dirty city.  But it isn’t.  It’s really modern and nice.  🙂

  • Network Infrastructure,  On the Road

    Packet 8

    I originally posted this at http://www.318.com/TechJournal Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the technology used to transmit voice conversations over data (computer) networks using the Internet. The data network can be T-1, DSL, Cable Modems or any other high-speed Internet (broadband) connection. In the past few years, Vonage took the country by storm, offering low cost unlimited long distance using VoIP. For most residential users, Vonage is perfect. Vonage is easy to setup and use and has all of the features a standard phone would have for a fraction of the cost for most people. ViaTalk, Sun Rocket, ITP, Lingo, SpeakEasy and TalkTimes.net are all competitors to Vonage, but while…