North Coast Connections

There is no question that we live in a small world. In my work in the justice field, I collaborate with work teams that are spread all over the US, and sometimes the world. In order to work on reports, drafts and other files, we use online collaboration tools that enable us to post files, edit, save versions and notify users when changes are made.

In my own website, JusticeServed.com, we use a cool "projects" application built by the talented Carter Fleming of Gold Dog Design. Carter uses a programming language called Cold Fusion that allows the website owner to perform all sorts of administrative chores "behind the curtain" without having to hire a 12 year old child to serve as your webmaster. The projects page is hidden behind an Intranet where authorized users have to log in and gain access with a password. Even then you can designate who is allowed to see and participate in a particular project, so users only see those projects they are a part of.

I'm now working on a collaboration with the IJIS Institute to update their Pre-RFP Toolkit that justice agencies use to buy technology (an RFP is a Request for Proposal). The IJIS collaboration tool is even cooler than mine. They, too, use an Intranet where only authorized users are allowed in, but instead of posting a file, the documents we're working on are stand-alone website pages. When the 6-person team makes changes, it is done by "right clicking" over the area needing edits and adding "comments."

IJIS then uses an RSS feed to the project team can "subscribe" and be informed of changes made by other team members. RSS is Rich Site Summary, or Really Simple Syndication – a lightweight XML format for distributing news headlines and other content on the Web.

Engaging the world outside of the North Coast is necessary in order to make a decent living and bring in outside revenue. However, traveling in and out of Eureka is a major inconvenience, and during severe storms it's downright impossible. Using online collaboration tools is a great way to "telework" without leaving the comfort of your own home.

Incidentally, we used these GoldDogDesign.com collaboration tools to build the Redwood Technology Consortium into a credible "virtual" organization where organizational formation documents, minutes, Tech Beat draft articles and all sort of business files are kept and shared in the Ethernet.

Hey, when it works well, tech can be very powerful. I'll save other blog postings for comments about when it doesn't work well.

Chris Crawford
www.justiceserved.com

Posted by Chris Crawford at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After the service has been in place now for almost two years, I finally had the chance to try the Horizon Air Eureka to LA flight the week of Feb 13. I admit it wasn't my first choice of air travel. As a VERY frequent flier, I try to keep my business clustered with as few carriers as possible so I can rack up miles and (more important) elite status that comes in handy when I'm flying standby or need other considerations on the road like 1st class upgrades. Still, I enjoyed the Horizon flight and I'm thankful for another flight choice in and out of our admittedly remote paradise.

Part of the Horizon experience flying to either Portland or LA is the "triangulation" with Redding, in which 1/2 of the flights stop in Redding before landing at your destination. Sure, the stop is short, but it's still one more delay and one more complication that could result in canceled flights and missed connections. What's worse, the traveler has to discern whether the Redding stopover is actually on the itinerary, because some travel agents or online booking services don't make it very clear. You have to look closely at the flight duration or the small print, and even that can be misleading. Mine said "1-stop." OK, technically and compared to non-stop, this means the airplane will make one stop before reaching its destination. But to the untrained eye, 1-stop means the plane will take off and make only one stop --- where you want to go.

I admit I'm cranky. It's just that I do a LOT of flying. My personal best was 1997-98 when I made 12 trips to Hong Kong. Trust me, overseas travel with the extreme time differences and extraordinarily long flights is not for the squeamish; these were 15 hours each way. Even though I don't travel nearly this much today, I still fly a lot. Since Jan 1, I've traveled to Costa Rica, San Francisco, Colorado Springs, Chicago and back to San Francisco. Next week, I go to Salem, Oregon. This is only the middle of February for gosh sakes.

As it stands, I'm treated like Norm on Cheers when I arrive at the SFO Red Carpet Club. Maybe, this is why I wasn't totally at ease on Horizon. I don't belong to the American Airlines or Alaska Airline private airport clubs, so I'm stuck with trying to get work done balancing a laptop near the gates. I consider my United Airlines Red Carpet Club membership as not optional. Occasionally, I'll find myself in some out of the way location, such as Biloxi, Mississippi where I went last year, and there won't be a Red Carpet Club. But otherwise, it's a welcome oasis where a road warrior can relax, get a high speed data connection and a nice snack.

And then there are the 1st class upgrades. Some of this may sound hedonistic, but the truth is that traveling first and business class means you arrive refreshed and ready to go to work. Considering that even a mundane trip nowadays seems to take at least 12 hours, it's hard to hit the ground running after flying all day (especially with time zone changes).

Still, Horizon is fun ... when I returned from my trip to Chicago, I connected through Portland and they gave us a free microbrew on the flight to Redding / Eureka. Because Eureka travelers now have more choices in flights, the overall traffic at the Eureka/Arcata airport has gone up substantially. This is good news because it helps us to justify a control tower and even more flight choices. See some of the airport expansion plans at www.RREDC.com.

I love Eureka, but I also deeply appreciate the chance to see the rest of the world. It makes me appreciate the North Coast all the more. Especially when I return from Chicago where it was 12 degrees and snowing. YIKES !!

Chris Crawford
www.justiceserved.com

Posted by Chris Crawford at 09:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A little noticed milestone was passed January 27, 2006 when Western Union (www.westernunion.com) announced it is no longer going to process telegrams. Ironically, the announcement was made in an Internet posting, in recognition of one of the major technologies that lead to its demise.

Telegrams were a huge part of our American culture. Although Americans did not have an exclusive hold on the telegram, our movie lore and fiction is riddled with dramatic announcements that came by telegram. The Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life has the hero saved at the last minute by a telegram announcing a credit line to cover bank losses. Our war experience brought dread to the telegram carrier, who often brought news that a family member or loved one was injured, missing, or worse.

What's even better was how telegrams looked and read. Because the user paid by the word, text was usually "economic," or highly shortened. Then there was the STOP phrase that ended each phrase, much like a radio operator would sign off to allow response. The quintessential telegram would read:

Received your message STOP taking the train at midnight STOP will be in Chicago by Tuesday STOP

Then there was the color ... telegrams were printed on yellow paper with text printed by teletype, or originally the text was pasted in strips of paper onto the sheet. The masthead across the top read WESTERN UNION on the first line and TELEGRAM on the second.

Letters, Telexes, faxes and emails finally caught up with the telegram. Our youth today will now be one more step removed from the realities of our parents and grandparents.

But before we raise our glasses in a final toast to Western Union, the news of the company's demise is grossly overstated. WU is still a major provider of wired financial transactions and an efficient way to get money to someone far away. With about $3 billion in annual revenue, Western Union Financial Services, Inc., is actually owned by First Data Corporation, a major financial service provider with headquarters in Colorado. First Data has no intention of retiring the Western Union name.

In a strange ode to telegrams, our cell phone text messaging carries some of the same abbreviated, staccato communication style. Only there will not be thousands of text messages pressed inside of Bibles, books, scrapbooks and files, as there have been telegrams over the ages.

Chris Crawford
www.justiceserved.com
Feb 11, 2006

Posted by Chris Crawford at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are few things more ritualistically rewarding to a man than a haircut and shave at a barbershop. Sure, I've had my share of haircuts at salons that cater to men and women, but barbershops are almost coded into a man's DNA because our fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers used to follow the same routine. What prompts this blog topic is the quintessential local barbershop that somehow manages to balance between high tech and low tech. This is a tale of City Barbershop in Eureka that has a great website at www.citybarber.com

In these days of "metrosexual" males and gender bending, what could be more macho than going to a barbershop for a shave and a haircut? Not the kind of shave and haircut you normally get, but the full Monty from days gone by ... a hot steaming towel, straight razor, hot foam, haircut and scalp massage. In this digital age, it is refreshing to experience something so analog. But what makes City Barbershop so special? They have kicked it up by blending in technology. Their website is very cool, with descriptions of dozens of haircuts, barbershop history, online appointment schedule and even a webcam to watch customers undergoing treatment. Not enough? They also add a wireless Internet connection so you can surf the 'net and check your email.

The proprietor, Bill, is happy in his barbershop venture, but he didn't always ply this trade. Bill was a graphic designer for 20 years working in web design and the world of high tech in Santa Barbara. When he decided to change careers, he obviously didn't drop his appreciation for technology. Even though most people don't connect barbershops with tech, when you see the two blended together it's like an exciting new cocktail.

City Barbershop received the "Times-Standard Reader's Choice Best of" award for 2004 and 2005, and it's no surprise. When customers find Bill, they tend to come back. He also caters to boys and young men, so he's likely to have generations of customers lining up to get in.

Don't get me wrong ... I'm a huge supporter of gender equality. It's just that sometimes we all need a little refuge, and for men that means doing something that's uniquely male. If you've got a Y chromosome, I heartily recommend City Barbershop. Look up the website for the phone and address at www.citybarber.com.

Chris Crawford
www.justiceserved.com

Posted by Chris Crawford at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)