Back when I first started in IT I was working for a small home ran business. We got a contract to do some work for Kiwi Dairies (now part of Fonterra) to upgrade their computer systems.

At the same time Kiwi was pushing for a paperless office. Part of this push was to produce 400 sheets of paper for the PC rollout. Wow, that's a decrease in paper if ever I saw one.

But what I have noticed in the 10 or so years I've been in IT is that there's a marked difference between so called tech companies such as service providers like the company I work for and the so called no

In my last entry I spoke about NIFE and DFTSOD. Of the two NIFE is the only excusable form of design because they had the best of intentions. Of course they say "The road to hell is paved with best intentions" so I guess Microsoft's headstone would read "He meant well but he's in Satan's arms now".

One aspect of PC design that irks me as an engineer has to do with weight. My Mac Mini with its half inch steel perimeter and it's power supply laying on top weighs less than many laptops out there. WHY? The Mini is a desktop machine (yes okay it uses lap

I've been on this planet for a while now and during my tenure here I've seen many examples of the most insidious forms of idea development ever. NIFE (Nice Idea, Failed Execution) and DFTSOD (Design For The Sake Of Design). The latter is pronounced "daft sod" on account of that's who came up with the idea in the first place, some daft sod.

I'm a fan of neither as they make life a pain to live. For example, and this is going to get a bit gross, one example of DFTSOD was when I helped my mate move. After the shift I had to christen the dunny and