In December 2009, I posted this out of frustration.  Not that this was an unusual post at the time, as many Partners, customers and even internal IBM staff were so frustrated with the stupidity of the IBM download sites.

Then, Ed stepped in and progress was made.  Well it seems that the progress was made for Lotus Notes only.

Downloading Quickr and Sametime today, and the filenames are still useless.  Don’t even get me started on the searching for software!

The irony is that IBM actually have a useful software download site.  The fix pack central site.  If they expanded on that model for the software download site it could be made workable.  IBM really want to get the Lotus technology people to work with the websphere products (Connections, WPS, New Sametime etc).  The software downloads is one of the first port-of-calls.  Wouldn’t it be nice if it didn’t give you a headache?

So much for Irish ;)

Anguilla

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Canada

China

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Malta

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Portugal

Slovenia

Spain

Sweeden

Switzerland

Turkey

UK

USA

Well, admincamp is over for another year. Every year this conference strikes me as an exception to the rule for recent events. It is a paid-for event and makes no apologies. The presentations are content rich and go deep into detail. Having run many times in the same venue, it runs like a well oiled machine and has many repeat attendees.

However, it always has new faces and young faces to boot. Access to speakers is constant along with great food, beer,wifi and lodging all inclusive. It is a conference with meat on it’s bones and is a growing success in our space. Rudi, magda and the team out together an excellent event.
I have already promised to return next year, but will not be taking a plane;)

I have never emailed the famous sjobs@apple.com account before, but something work-related popped up that I figured was pretty “apple-cool”.  So at lunchtime today, I fired him an email, figuring it hadn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of making it past the automated and manual filters that I’m sure that account has, to the inbox of his stevinesss himself.  Well, it did.  And he replied.

Ok.. it was a single word reply, but a reply nonetheless.

Delayed as ever, but I did promise to photoblog the return leg from NLLUG.  I was going to title it “The search for Spork” but the joke would be lost on people that were not at the event.

After leaving the brilliant event, Bill and I had a secret squirrel meeting, followed by our trip to the ferry.  And guess what, it was raining.

We arrived a the ferry early and true to form the weather gods noticed we had removed our helmets so the sun promptly came out.  In, strapped up and to the bar.  Then… a series of events that will forever be called “bingogate”

En route to NLLUG the ferry “entertainment” had attempted to run bingo and I was insistent that we partook this time.  It was too surreal to not partake so Bill and I purchased our boards and it began.  An Irishman, Scotsman and a bus load of Germans all in bingo battle.Well, all in the name of taking the piss we eagerly awaited the rules and then the game began.  And we won the first round!

Then we won the second.

Then we won the third.

Howls of disbelief and laughter from us two, and evil stares from the holiday makers on the other side.  Of course, we collected our winnings.  90 quid of bar vouchers.  There was another  competition for people that bought various cocktails.  Our roll was in full flow, so we systematically ordered and drank every cocktail on the bar list to collect tickets.  Here is but a few…

And of course, we won.  Statistically considering how many of the concoctions we were shoveling away it was a forgone conclusion.  But still we howled again and took our prize.  Another cocktail.  Back to our rooms to shave tongues and get some sleep.

Arrive in Newcastle the following morning where it was raining for the first 2 hours of the trip home, followed by a dry spell and nightmare winds.  Bill and I parted in Edinburgh and as he headed north I turned west to Glasgow and onto Stranraer.  Ferry to Belfast city followed and as we approached, the view was not good.

So, for the final part of the trip, it chucked rain until I made it to my house.  As Bill put it, the whole trip equated to sitting in a chair for 9 hours with someone hosing you with a fire extinguisher for the entire time.  Good fun, great conference, good laughs, 650 miles and a very dirty, wet bike.

Will I do it again?  Of course.

Leaving London this evening to head to Admincamp (aka Rudifest).  I have been lucky enough to present at this tech conference many times and look forward to meeting old friends and new faces.

Before leaving London, I will try to pop down to the Collaboration University gang as they get ready for their Sametime/Quickr lovefest.

Via – Steve McDonagh

Although late to wrap up this event, it warranted it’s own post for posterity.  NLLUG was one of the slickest, most professional events I have been to, and that includes one you pay for.  The speaker quality was outstanding, sponsor interaction excellent, logistics and timing impeccable and venue outstanding.  In my very humble opinion I would not of used the stadium for what is comparatively a small event (compared to 70,000 seats) but the venue itself was great.  The presentations I gave are on the resources page of this site from previous events, but I will put the new DAOS one up there with 8.5.2 updates.

I beg to differ

Tomorrow I catch the early flight to Dublin and after some work in the big smoke, head up to Belfast and home.  For about 12 hours.  Then red eye to London to work there for a few days.   I, for one would be delighted if the Pope’s visit to London gets my flight canceled.