Copyright Reform Process in Canada

Posted: May 31st, 2004 | Author: John Koetsier | Filed under: personal, technology | 1 Comment »

I googled my name out of 1 part idle curiosity and 2 parts ego boosting.

Interestingly, this link popped up first.

It’s a submission I made ages ago when the Canadian government was looking for public input into copyright reform. I’ll reproduce it here for my amusement, and perhaps yours.

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Bad, Bad, Bad Characterization

Posted: May 28th, 2004 | Author: John Koetsier | Filed under: books | 1 Comment »

I’m reading (or trying to read) a book called Hour of Judgement, by Susan R. Matthews.

Erch, it sucks.

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Installing Software on Mac OS X: Improvements Needed?

Posted: May 27th, 2004 | Author: John Koetsier | Filed under: technology | 12 Comments »

Ever since I upgraded from MacOS 9 to the first version Mac OS X, I’ve often wondered how user-friendly OS X is with regard to installing software.

Finally (now that I’m using the latest (Panther, 10.3.4), I thought I’d document the install process and make some notes as I go. And using my usual usability test criteria, I’m going to pretend and act like I am a computer neophyte.

By the way, I noticed that Paul Thurrot linked to this article (he hated the title; he was right; I changed it). Paul seems to think I was talking about “Software Update,” which is Apple’s automatic update system; I wasn’t. Software Update is actually very good software. What I am talking about is installing NEW software in Mac OS X.

Also, I have “open safe files after downloading,” a preference in Safari, turned OFF, due to this bug, which has not actually been fully squashed.

Anyways, read on for more info …

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Wow, I Don’t Feel Like a Handyman

Posted: May 27th, 2004 | Author: John Koetsier | Filed under: home, personal | No Comments »

In my last post, I talked about feeling like a handyman … since we’re installing laminate flooring.

Well, that was shortlived.

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Installing Laminate Flooring

Posted: May 19th, 2004 | Author: John Koetsier | Filed under: home, personal | 5 Comments »

Wow. I feel like a handyman.

We’re installing new flooring – laminate hardwood – on our main floor. Don’t let anyone fool you – it’s a lot of work. And we haven’t even started laying the floor yet.

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The Ridiculously Easy Upgrade

Posted: May 14th, 2004 | Author: John Koetsier | Filed under: blogging, personal, technology | 1 Comment »

I just upgraded this blog from B2 Evolution to WordPress.

They’re both based on the same codebase, but that was the most amazingly easy unbelievably laughable upgrade ever.

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Radio Userland is Awful Software

Posted: May 11th, 2004 | Author: John Koetsier | Filed under: stupid, technology | 1 Comment »

I have had absolutely no time right now for about a week to go into details, but seriously: Radio Userland has been pumped up to be the best thing since sliced bread, but when you download and install it, it lays a huge big fat stinky egg.

And it doesn’t stop stinking for a VERY long time.

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The Mac Market Share Solution

Posted: May 4th, 2004 | Author: John Koetsier | Filed under: technology | 2 Comments »

What is the solution to Apple’s low market share?

Well, in my first ‘Mac Market Share’ article, I talked about the real Mac market share myth – that market share doesn’t matter. In the follow-up article, I said that the root cause of the market share problem was an Apple fixation on aesthetics to the exclusion (I do not say detriment) of most other considerations.

There are caveats to both those assertions; the positions are not quite that simplistic; read the articles themselves if you have not already.

But expand Apple must, or it will wither, die, or become something that, 10 years from now, we will not recognize as Apple.

And there is a solution that does not demand a change in Steve Jobs’ aesthetic vision.

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Not Quite Whistling Past the Graveyard

Posted: May 4th, 2004 | Author: John Koetsier | Filed under: christianity, family, personal | No Comments »

Between church services on Sunday I took the kids for “an adventure.”

That’s Koetsier family code for: let’s go somewhere and have some fun, when we don’t know where to go. Ususally we just leave the house and go wherever our fancy takes us.

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Who the heck am I

Posted: May 3rd, 2004 | Author: John Koetsier | Filed under: family, personal | No Comments »

I’ve been (slowly) building this site for maybe a month now. I guess if you’re reading this, introductions are in order.

Here goes …

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