What if…
Sometimes I can’t help myself. What if?
- …the Web Services department managed all of the web sites? Certified Angus Beef, AngusSource, National Junior Angus Association, Angus Foundation and more.
- …the Web Services team was given the time and resources needed to truly be a useful service to our Angus breeders?
- …we had the time to develop and market mobile ads?
- …we had the time to build a working online-only sale book for breeders?
- …we were able to access the raw data powering the Angus Association?
- …we had permission to manipulate it into something more meaningful and useful for our breeders?
- …the departments/company/child companies actually worked together, as a whole entity, instead of independent little factions?
- …the Angus e-Classifieds didn’t suck and we marketed it as a selling tool?
- …the IS department and Web department played nice, and developed an easy-to-use shopping cart, so our breeders could sell their embryos, semen straws, certificates and miscellaneous wares online?
- …we were trusted to do our jobs to the best of our abilities, instead of mistrusted and micromanaged?
Well, then…
- …our talents could really shine.
- …breeders would value our services.
- …we’d be on the leading edge, creating new products.
- …we’d help ease the Special Services department’s burden.
- …fresh insights would reveal themselves.
- …breeders could use their data as a tool, not just as a bragging point.
- …information would flow freely from one section to the next.
- …we’d generate hands-free sales revenues.
- …web sites would be tangible and relevant, when translated into money in pockets.
- …we’d be Google.
What could you accomplish, if red tape didn’t exist? What have you accomplished, despite it all?
Firefox 3 Release Candidate 1 (FF3RC1)
Good to see everyone again. This is a slightly aged review of FF3RC1, just to help me get back into the swing of things again. Note: Firefox 3 is now available.
Firefox 3 Release Candidate 1 has rock solid performance. The memory leak has been plugged and the odd JavaScript bug in Gmail that kept crashing Firefox 2 had disappeared. You can ask, but I have no answer. It was some combination of Mac OSX, Gmail, Firefox 2 and my handpicked add-ons did not mix well. My PC/Win XP, with Gmail, Firefox 2 and the same handpicked add-ons did not have this problem. Since it only occurred when I would try to check my Spam messages, I just stopped checking and deleting my spam.
The new security filters have already saved my behind. When checking an innocuous looking referral link, called bertiesmacrame.com, I was quickly redirected to an adult site. Firefox popped up with a handy little alert page and asked for an action.
Even though Barracuda would have filtered out the site, it’s nice to know that disgusting site is not going on my permanent record, even if it was an accident.
Another plus? The developers of my favorite add-ons have been keeping pace with all the betas and release candidates. One of the reasons I was so slow to switch from Firefox 1.5 to Firefox 2 was the themes. I favor the modern themes- the Web is my livelyhood, and it’s difficult to stare at a boisterous, noisy or cluttered theme. I prefer calm, clean and professional. I don’t need minimalist per se, which some mistake as ‘professional.’ There are minimalist themes available that are hard to use. Small icons do not guarantee usability- they just encourage it because of the smaller real estate allotted to buttons.
A few well-executed themes I recommend are Phoenity Modern, Past Modern, HiVis and Utopia White. For you minimalists, a promising theme to watch is Full Flat 3.0.
Aside from themes, mission-critical add-ons like Web Developer and del.icio.us, are keeping pace with the Firefox 3 development. I have completely switched over to Firefox 3 since beta 5, without using Firefox 2 as a crutch. Release Candidate 2 is now available. Take the leap, the list of incompatible add-ons is shrinking.
Summer Calm
I am taking a short break, so there won’t be any posts during the second and third week of June. With the end of Sale Season I am taking advantage of the short lull and using some time off for my personal agenda. I’m getting married June 13 and will be taking a honeymoon the following week.
Pet projects are on hold until after the National Junior Angus Show in July, so I doubt I will have much to share in the mean time. See you again on June 24!
Awww…how sweet.
Thursday afternoon one of my co-workers is throwing a bridal shower for me. Yum…this time, the cake is not a lie.
