webdevmatt

So, one of the great things about running is, all you need is shoes and some clothes and you can go running. No ball, no team, nothing by you, the road and some shoes. Then you start to run more and more, and like anything else you find special gear that you “have to have”. Maybe some special socks, sneaks, and who knows some neat things you can take on your runs (heart rate monitor, ipod, GPS). So this winter I got myself a pair of Gortex running shoes. I figured I could wear them outside and stay dry, and wear my other shoes indoors. Gortex has always been a great way to keep dry with boots, jackets and gloves, why not running shoes.

The winter went by and my feet got wet. I attributed this to my aggressive sloshing in the puddles to take the shoes to the extreme, and essentially getting water over the ankle of the shoe, but now, I’m not so sure. It was a beautiful day for a run, 49 degrees and a slight drizzle, are there any better conditions for the Gortex shoes? I got on the road, and not more than 2.5 miles in, sure enough, my left foot was soaked. Not just wet, when I finished the run, I could have got a few shots of hydration directly from the shoe. Any runner knows this phenomenon adds about 1 or 3 lbs to your feet and a nasty swamp foot upon finishing (not to mention the swimmers prune foot as well K).

Nike, I know Gortex doesn’t make a faulty product, I think I’m coming for my money or a new pair of shoes.

So we are looking at a new challenge facing IT and it’s users. A shift from security v. usability to green v. usability. We have made the pledge for green and we must comply. We as users have to understand the commitment we are making and look at this as a positive change, not an inconvenience.

History
Security policy has always been a mode of contention between IT and it’s users. Whether it’s entering passwords, or even more obtrusive the old time out for inactivity. “15 minutes isn’t enough time.” has been an age old rumbling.

Next Step
With that short piece of history. Now we are going green with IT, and will be following EPA recommendations which has the potential to compound these rumblings.

1. The screen will go dark after 5 minutes, a definite challenge for those doing presentations. Will there be any reprieve for this type of activity.
2. The hard drive will go to standby or hibernate mode after 30 minutes. I have heard the occasional rumble of “45 minutes isn’t long enough.” This action will require a press of the power button and a logging in at the security window.

A new battle has begun. We must change our thinking once again in order to adhere to our commitment to lowering our carbon footprint. This is a good thing, and maybe even a point of discussion when our screens time out during a presentation, it’s all positive.

It’s been a full day. I got out the running email early, we’ve got a location but no accompanying runs, they are supposed to follow later in the day. Fast forward to 5pm, oh shit, I forgot to send out the runs :(.

In steps Listas, what if previous runs were posted out on the web, I would not be in this dilemma. But, you can do that anywhere matt. True, but the wiki esque feature in Listas makes it a little bit more compelling than some other means :|, and I’m trying to see if people like Listas as well :). So runners, come one come all, it’s time to put out some runs from some of our favorite Central New York bars, I’ll start em up, and please feel free to add to them. Let’s see what Listas is all about, and oh yeah, don’t forget to show up at the meeting spot (no one showed today :(). It was a beautiful day to run :), and at least I made the most of it :p.

Here’s the first list, pretty lame : Dark Horse Runs