This week, I attended the “Lotusphere Comes To You” (LCTY) event in Minneapolis. I really like that Lotus does this type of an event. Even though I attend the “You Come To Lotusphere” (YCTL) event, I find the LCTY version is a great way to bring others from your organization to the event to get a quick sneak peek at the highlights from that year’s Lotusphere.

I’m also always impressed at how well they manage to focus on the true high points of what’s going on in the world of IBM/Lotus. Quickr, Connections and Notes 8 - its all in the agenda!

The only suggestion I have for the event (which I have given to Lotus) is that these events really miss out on the hype that exists at Lotusphere. You leave Lotusphere completely excited about Lotus products, energized and ready to get back to work applying what you learned. You leave LCTY a bit more informed but also feeling like something was missing (the hype).

You also miss out (at the LCTY events) on the polished, cohesive presentations. When you’re at Lotusphere, you feel like every detail has been thought of; everyone rehearsed their part of the “show;” and someone was keeping tabs on the entire event to make sure that overlapping content appeared to be intentional (example: slides at the end that say “Other sessions you might want to see are…”).

At the Minneapolis event, it was clear that a few of the presenters didn’t review what they were going to talk about with each other ahead of time (which, honestly shocked me). The result sends a disconnected message to the audience and feels like a waste of time.

So there you go… the good, the bad and the acronym of this event in MPLS.

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I rounded out the week with a very interesting conference call. I asked out (new) IBM/Lotus account rep to setup a brief conference call to chat about Domino.Doc with the manager of our Design Engineering department (which handles so many HUGE CAD files on a daily basis, its frightening).

Before the call even started, it was weird. He informed me that he’s bring in a local IBM/Lotus business partner to the discussion - a guy I’ve know for a long time but hadn’t talked to recently. I realized that my IBM/Lotus rep’s “system” must have had this other business partner listed somewhere because many years ago we talked with him about the same product. Our IBM/Lotus rep assumed it was appropriate for him to be in the discussion - without asking about the dynamic of how that worked out last time.

That was a flaw in his logic, which I tried to point out ahead of time stating that there were people in our company who felt strongly that the project never got off the ground the first time as a function of some bad information and direction from other local business partners that were brought in to talk about the product. Regardless, the call went on.

The timer on my phone said 22 minutes had gone by before someone mentioned “Domino.Doc” (the purpose of having the meeting) and the only reason it was mentioned was because someone said “I thought we were going to talk about Domino.Doc, not Quickr.”

All that aside, its clear to me how Quickr really could be a better fit for us. Its also clear that IBM wants to use Filenet to provide the backbone to Quickr for people who need some seriously powerful document management utilities. Now that we have the latest verison of Quickr installed, we’re going to get more serious about evaluating it (the first time we tried, all of us ran into odd bugs within the first 5 minutes of using it — that’s been MUCH improved).

At about 45 minutes into the call, the IBM guys said “Quickr is really the perfect tool for shops using Notes 8.0.1.” That’s true! But we’re not adopting 8.0.1 any time soon because of the performance issues we’ve seen in testing. We mentioned this on the conference call, to their surprise. They said (and while this isn’t truly a quote … its a pretty close paraphrase):

‘Really?! You’re the first place that has EVER said anything like that! We’ve seen NO performance issues with Notes 8.0.1. Of course, you could use the “-sa”‘ switch run it without Eclipse, ’cause that’s the thing that slows it down. Eclipse is slow. Notes isn’t. I mean, anyone that has 2GB of RAM is going to see no problems with Notes 8.0.1 whatsoever!’

My problem? 95% of our systems don’t have 2GB of RAM. 65% of them don’t have ONE GB of RAM. And, oh yeah, the coolest part of 8.0.1 is the functionality that Eclipse brings to the table (side shelf, etc.) … so I just can’t justify the amount of time an upgrade would take when some of the biggest payoffs aren’t there.

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While this may seem like a vent, its not intended to be. Its intended to be feedback. I see a lot of IBM/Lotus blogs where people enlist the “what do you, the customer, want?” type of question. I think its important that blogs, like mine, exist to provide everyday insight into a sort of moment-by-moment recap of the challenges and thoughts we have about using the software that supports our business.

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Wait a second, I need to make sure that title makes sense… yeah, that’ll work.

I’ve been talking about my struggles with the Mac Notes 8.5 beta for some time and then I got quiet about it. I’ll admit now that I just stopped opening it and went into Paradows (Parallels + Windows) for all my Notes client needs.

But then I started to run into odd things with the Notes 8.0.1 client running a current mail template as well. First, it was slow… especially using the Outlook preview pane layout. Second, there were a number of odd behaviors, like deleting a message in the inbox and watching the highlighted message jump to the top of the list instead of the message just before the one you deleted.

So I downgraded. I went back to my Mac 7.x client and continued to run the 8.0.1  mail file. That actually worked quite nicely, until I worked off my local replica and noticed lots of inconsistencies between read/unread marks. There were a few other minor tweaks as well, so I restored my mail file back to the 7.0.3 template.

For the first time ever… this downgrade feels like an upgrade. I’ve never been so excited to go back to the way something was even though I know I’m missing out on new features, UI, etc.

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The company I work for is looking at a variety of tools that could be used to store information that doesn’t really fall into any existing system out there. The idea is to capture knowledge that is somewhat random, yet categorizable, in a way that allows people to easily search, learn and modify.

The first tool that came to mind was a wiki. The OpenNTF.com Domino wiki, to be exact. The tool allows for free-form entry of information, attachment of files, searching and versioning. Its CSS based, so changing the UI to fit into an existing system would be relatively easy. It also is RSS enabled, so when we launch Notes 8, we could include it as an RSS feed, giving people easy access to newly created/changed documents.

Really, the tool is a near-perfect fit. With one unknown: will people ‘get’ the WikiMarkup language that’s built into it. This tool is easy to find via the “Style Tips” button at the top of the page and allows you to use some common symbols to change your text appearance. Example (from editing/creating a new document):

As you can see, pound signs, asterisks, pipes, etc. all serve a purpose in the markup language. The concept is really pretty straight forward, but people who are used to a “B” button in MS Word might not get this type of “coding” to get your text to do stuff. There are a few “sandbox” type pages with examples that helps and once you save the document, the result is pretty clear and looks nice:

So that’s the big question: will people “get” the markup language or will all of the documents just look like a bunch of raw text. In all honesty, the answer to the question will be a big factor on the usability and adoption of the tool.

So now we’ll throw it in front of a few users and see what happens.

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Ever since I heard that IBM/Lotus was going to spend some serious time (and money) promoting Notes 8, I’ve been anxiously awaiting opportunities to see the results of those efforts in action. Anyone who’s talked to my lately might be surprised that I’m not posting something about my true feelings behind this ridiculous concept.*

But no, I’m living by the “if you don’t have something good to say…” rule.

While I was on Digg.com today I noticed a clever little ad on the side promoting Notes 8 (kind of). As you can see, its a nicely designed ad and I thought a pretty clever way of distributing those pieces of content.

Not bad. Not bad at all!

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* OK, so since the end of the “If you can’t say something nice…” comment in today’s world means “… then post a blog entry about it.” I felt it was appropriate to give an ever-so-brief reason for why I thought the link above is a bad idea:In short: Its a clever idea, but poorly done. It is apparently targeted at end-users but does very little to explain what the product does and why I need it … certainly not until I read the text on the cards shown after picking my “messed up animal of choice.” However, even once you read those short descriptions, you find comments like “… that’s almost as smart as Notes 8.”Now, I may be jaded on this one. So I did a study. I put that site in front of 8 people I knew that don’t work in IT and have never used Lotus Notes. I simply said “I want to show you this site about an exciting new product that you could use every day at the office to improve the way you do your job - and I want you to spend 3 minutes with it and tell me what the product is, what it will do for you and if you are interested in learning more.”

So far the answers are (summarizing common themes here):
- Um… Lotus Notes?
- Don’t know. But it has something to do with animals.
- No, not really. Why did you show me this?!
Still, I’m hopeful that other upcoming ads will be more informative and inspiring.

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I’ve been very busy the last few weeks and find myself just now catching up. As I do, there’s a few articles and blog posts that grabbed by attention.

It all started with a few posts (like this one) about Lotus Notes 8 splash screens. What’s wrong with that? Nothing. Except that it made me realize its the closest thing to “marketing” that I’ve seen come out of IBM/Lotus on this new product.

Now, I’m a Notes 8 beta user and I can tell you that its a big advancement. I totally get the roadmap that’s inherint in this product. The use of eclipse is smart and the ability to have productivity editors (light versions of products like Word, Excel, etc.) built into the application is awesome! I think that one feature alone could draw some serious attention to Notes 8. — The problem: IBM/Lotus isn’t drawing attention to Notes 8.

Sure, blogs are talking about it. Sure, there’s a couple of news articles out there on it. But nothing on the scale of the “R5″ release … and there should be! This version has some huge potential for people. And when you add things like Quickr and Connections to the mix, Lotus quickly becomes a brand that IT Managers should be paying attention to.

Which brings me to this article from IT-Director.com. In short, the author thinks that IBM shouldn’t continue to use the Lotus brand because its not helping to draw attention to their new products. And yet, even though Information Week didn’t mention it, Lotus DOES have a strong cult following. And that probably started because people who worked at the original Lotus clearly had passion for what they were doing, be it 1-2-3 or Notes or whatever.

So let’s recap:

• Notes 8 = potentially one of the greatest versions of Notes in a long time
• Connections & Quickr = potentially great new additions to a company that IT Managers should pay attention to
• IBM = recognizing branding power of “Lotus” and continuing to use it
• Lotus = has a cult following

So … why aren’t there more ads? Maybe IBM doesn’t think that Lotus products (which fit in any organization but fit particularly well in SMB’s) aren’t attractive to small-medium business. No, that can’t be it.

I’m not sure why the only “hype” about this product is limited to blogs, trade rags and splash screens on Flickr. While the beta still “feels” like a beta, its very very promising. I say: hype it up! Let’s see some ads! Let’s see some TV time for Notes 8, Quickr and Connections. Remind IT Managers why they should continue to invest in Notes, or better yet, why they should ditch Microsoft (or other email programs … my wife’s office is still on GroupWise!) software and adopt Lotus. Its a great decision … you just need to explain to NEW customers WHY its a great decision. And it all starts with attracting their attention … in an ad.

I’ll even get you started. What about … “I am, 2.0″ - clever, eh?

Now … I’m not endorsing a redo of the “I am” ads, they had sizzle, but no steak. I think there ought to be a campaign that has some element in it that appeals to the existing Lotus cult following (thus the “I am, 2.0″ thing), but more importantly, the ads need to clearly tell NEW customers why they should consider Notes 8. Its got to have a balance of “hey this is cool and looks great” and “wow, this will make my organization faster, better and more powerful.”

Also … I know that Notes 8 is still in beta, thus running an ad right now might be premature. Then again, maybe not. There’s something to be said for hyping a product LONG before its ready to come out. If only I could think of an example of a company that does that… hmmm…..

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The Minnesota Lotus Notes user group met recently to discuss a migration from Domino to Exchange by RSM McGladrey. You can see the presentation for yourself here.

A couple of thoughts on this. First, the “problems” they identified for moving away from Domino included:

• Aging Lotus Notes solution did not meet the needs of a mobile workforce
• Need more flexible and web-based interfaces
• Anyplace, anytime access to email
• Integration with Microsoft apps
• 85% of workers are mobile most of them

The solution to these problems seems to be pretty easy to me: “upgrade to Notes 6.5 or higher.”

While we all know that Domino CAN do all of the things in the “problems” list above, that’s not the point I want to make. I think this is a GREAT example of why Lotus/IBM needs to do more marketing about Lotus Notes/Domino. Its clear through comments like this (from big companies, even) that there are basic features in Notes that people don’t know about.

Now, IBM is doing a good job of allowing this story to continue to be told because there are some good things for current and potential Notes customers to read about. However, I challenge that a stronger, focused marketing campaign that communicates the value of Lotus Notes in the enterprise would do even more good.

Think about it: if a company like RSM McGladrey, an existing Notes shop, can come to the conclusion to rip out Domino and replace it with Exchange based on the bullet points above … then doesn’t suggest that Lotus/IBM isn’t adequately communicating the value, features and power of their tools with each version release!?

Marketing. It works. - I’ve said before that the “R5 - I am” commercials were the closest thing I’ve seen to a strong marketing campaign. It was a good start, I wish they would have kept going.

Maybe in Notes 8?

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Even though I’m bummed that IBM didn’t release a beta client for the Mac, I did download a copy for Windows and loaded it. So far, it looks nice:

A few things I’ve noticed so far that I didn’t expect:

• “Databases” are now called “Applications” in menus and such.
• All SmartIcons seem to have been changed/updated.
• The Replicator has a few new buttons that should help clear up things in that area.
• The only change in the Workspace appears to be the replica selection button is now a circle instead of a rectange. (I was hoping for some bigger UI improvements here.)
• Your Mail, Calendar and Contacts open by default. Handy!
• “Bookmarks” look the same. Blagh.

I’ll post more as I play around with it. I find that I’m excited to test it out, but really bummed to have to open Windows more often.

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Fridays at my office are always interesting. They usually involve more meetings than you’d expect (and usually some that START at 4:30pm) and always involve people stopping by my office to chat about very random things. In short, Friday’s are an odd blend of hyper-productivity followed by immediate unproductive times.

Yesterday (which was a Friday, incase you missed it), I had 4 people stop by my office and ask to be part of a beta test we are doing. In each case, I found myself explaining that “beta” means something different than what they thought.

First, some background. Meriam Webster defines beta as “a nearly complete prototype of a product.” As you might expect, WikiPedia gives a bit more in depth description of the word which can be paraphrased as “meets the initial requirement analysis; is locked and won’t be changed unless it is to fix codes or major components that are lacking; (and most importantly) there ARE bugs in it - the testing group’s job is to find them and live with them until they are fixed by the developer(s).”

So let’s recap some of the “is” and “is not’s” of beta software:

• IS: Close to what the finished product will look and operate like.
• IS NOT: The finished product, nor is it ready to be used and relied upon like a “production” application would be.
• IS: Similar in Look & Feel and User Interface to the final release.
• IS NOT: Set in stone (it may change completely).
• IS: Full of bugs.
• IS: Your job to find them, report them and wait for them to be fixed.
• IS NOT: Free. Many people think “beta” means “free” — it may mean “free during beta” but it doesn’t mean you won’t have to own up some $ once its released.

Sure, I’m venting a bit. But I think its important for people to be clear about what they are getting themselves into when they offer to beta test. Its possible that whatever you are beta testing could work perfectly, its also possible it’ll ruin your entire computer and leave you helpless AND that your IT group won’t really feel compelled to help get to it ASAP since it was “beta.” (And believe me, IT professionals understand what this word means - they see it and get excited and scared.)

Perhaps the best way to approach a beta is to avoid it altogether. Example: the NetNewsWire “preview” (not a beta). I like their approach and I may just institute a ban on beta altogether and replace it with this instead:

NetNewsWire

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The default URL’s for WordPress are … how do I say it … ugly. But, you can fix them. Simply go into the Admin area and select the URL type you want, OR create your own using variables.

I prefer to have some of the links on my site actually look like clean URLs. For example:
http://www.dominokeys.com/blog/helpcenter/faq/

Looks nice, doesn’t it? Since I always forget how to do set WordPress to do this AND I can never seem to come up with a search string that is straight forward, here’s how:

1. Create an .htaccess file in the root of the WordPress installation directory

2. Give the file “666″ permissions (via chmod, or your FTP program’s access settings) — or do what I do: open it up for full access “777″ until you’re done w/ the next step, then go back to the default

3. In the WordPress Admin area, go to the Permalinks section (Under “Options”) and press the “Update Permalink Structure” button. If you do it right, you’ll get a confirmation at the top. If not, you’ll get some kind of error with further instructions.

What does this have to do with Domino or a Mac? Not much. — Other than you have to manipulate Domino’s URLs too (unless you like typing in DocIDs).

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