Warning:  Personal post so if you are looking for tech info or ilug stuff, move along and ask yourself why the title didn’t give it away.

I don’t blog personal stuff.  I took a look though my posts over the past seven years and rarely blogged anything personal about myself.  Sure, there have been lots on ILUG and a bit on biking recently but nothing about family or friends. I think that’s just me.

Not to say that I don’t enjoy the personal blogging of others.  It’s great to get to know a little about people you deal with from around the planet.   From Bill’s “squid”, Rocky’s family, Nathan and becoming a father, Warren and lego, Ed’s family.  I could go on.   Since Bill announced it on stage at lotusphere, it’s been no big secret.  And a cursory glance at twitter this morning shows the geek world are sending very kind wishes.  Yup, tomorrow (all being well) I will get getting married to Lynne in Belfast.  Then holiday time and off the scene for a few weeks.  This may explain the low volume of posts recently.  I have been asked countless times if I am nervous.  Nope.  Not at all yet.  Although if I follow my usual traits I will be tomorrow morning.

So expect very little in the way or blog posts, twitter or facebook updates for the month of May.   See you all on the other side.

P.

Gizmodo have released a nice article with 19 Windows 7 tips.  Take a look.

Update: Francie Tanner was good enough to point out the error in my title.  Of course I am on about 851FP2, NOT 852FP2 that doesn’t exist yet.

While troubleshooting iNotes performance issues with Domino 8.5.1FP2 server code, I noticed a new interm fix released yeseterday on IBM fix central

Abstract There is a co-requisite if you are running iNotes on your Lotus Domino Server 8.5.1 Fix Pack 2 (851FP2) as the 851FP2 code relies on the later dwabho.dll file for iNotes users running Internet Explorer. If you do not use iNotes, or if your use iNotes on a different browser other than Internet Explorer, this does not apply.

Beginning with 8.5.1FP2, there is a supplemental file for iNotes users – dwabho.dll. This file (dwabho.dll) is installed on every Domino Server Platform as W32 dll in <DataDirectory>/domino/html. When a Windows Internet Explorer web browser using iNotes accesses the Domino server (any
platform), this DLL will be copied from the Domino server into the browser.

The supplemental file fixes the issue reported under the following two SPR’s:

1. SPR #PPET84CN87 – Domino 8.5.1FP2 Browser Cache Management prompts do not stop.
The following are the errors that you may encounter:

“There is an updated version of Browser Cache Management. It is strongly recommended that you update Browser Cache Management.”

“Browser Cache Management is now updated. Close all browser windows for Browser Cache Management to take effect.”

2. SPR# NBJC7WU7WY – Error “The installation of Lotus iNotes 8.5 Control has been blocked or declined by the user” was displayed after choosing to install the ActiveX control and then simple HTML attachment control is used. Currently, ActiveX file attachment utility components are dynamically linked to Microsoft standard C/C++ libraries. This fix statically links with C/C++ standard libraries. This way components no longer have dependencies to the MS runtime libraries and works without them.

To Fix this issue, install the supplemental file to your Domino server.

This will become part of IF3 in the near future, but for the moment if you are an early adopter, you will need to follow these instructions.

With the recent posts about the “death” of Lotus Notes and the “notes is dead, long live notes” posts and the “it’s not dead, it’s just stunned posts” I have pretty much kept my mouth shut.  Some great points, and good arguments have gone back and forth (nods at Marie Scott).

I have been blogging over six seven years now (working in Notes over 13 years), and in the dark times fought many “notes is dead” posts.  Lotus Notes is in a far stronger position now, and those days are thankfully past us.   Back then customers of mine would get emails from local MS sales guys with links to any title that had “Lotus Notes” and “dead” in them.  Even if they were positive or rebuttals.  Why?  Because not everyone reads the story.  Some people just want to read the headlines.

What has changed today?  Nothing.   If you work for a business partner, these posts will be used against your customers by your competitors.  Trust me.  They will.    And in two recent cases I know of for a fact, they already have.

Today, the Bluewave workshop starts in London, covering DAOS, IDVault, Traveler, Widget management and more.  And Warren Elsmore is flying solo with the instruction.   I should be there, but I didn’t go.

Unless you are under a rock, you will know about the volcano and the end of flight as we know it (and I feel fine).  Although my flight was scheduled correctly and so was the return I couldn’t risk not making it back to Belfast.  Next week, I start my leave and will be quite busy.  Risking another flight ban and being stuck in London just isn’t an option.  So have a great day grilling Warren for all he is worth, and enjoy the beers afterwards.  Sorry I couldn’t be there.

Yep, Ed hinted at it earlier on, but we just received confirmation that Alistair Rennie is kindly coming to ILUG to meet everyone and present the Keynote.  This is fantastic news for us, and he fronts up a speaker list that is going to be amazing.  Along with that, we have quite a few surprises lined up for the 3 days.  One particular session being discussed by IBM is directly related to Lotusphere 2011.

Seats for ILUG are going fast, so you best register quick!  If you are interested in presenting and/or sponsoring this event, you may also want to get in touch rather sharpish!

On a side note, I wanted to make a point worth making.  This year IBM are really upping their game with support of user groups.  “How can we help” emails and suggestions/offers are pouring in.  Although we had support in the past (Lead by Ed, Darren Adams and Kristin Keene) this year we have people at every level offering to assist in a co-ordinated manner, understanding the nature of an event we run in our own time.  It makes a big difference.

From my twitter inbox today

I’m not saying SANs are a bad idea.  Just don’t believe the hype.

After our Bluewave 8.5 workshop in London, myself, Warren and a few others will join up for a few beverages in the Founders Arms bar in London.  We will be there from about 5.30pm onwards so feel free to join us for a pint or two.  If you are not sure where it is look below:


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Not something you see every day

I have never had to use Volcanic ash as an excuse before, but there no flights taking off from most of Ireland and the UK.  So, I won’t be at LCTY in Edinburgh.  Oh yes, screenshot taken from Flightradar24