John D. Head aka "Starfish"

In both of my Lotusphere 2010 sessions, JMP106 “Kum Bah Yah” Meets “Lets Kick Butt” : The Integration of IBM Lotus Notes and Domino with Microsoft Office, .NET, and IBM Lotus Symphony and BP214 IBM Lotus Symphony : Finally, A Developer's Friend, we used the PSC Getting Started Sample Database. I promised to share it with everyone - and I apologize for the delay.

This database has samples for the following technologies:

1. Lotus Notes automating Microsoft Word
2. Lotus Notes automating Microsoft Excel
3. Lotus Notes automating Microsoft PowerPoint
4. Lotus Notes automating Microsoft Project
5. Lotus Notes automating Lotus Symphony Documents (UNO)
6. Lotus Notes automating Lotus Symphony Spreadsheets (UNO)
7. Lotus Notes automating Lotus Symphony Presentations (UNO)
8. Lotus Notes automating Lotus Symphony Documents (LotusScript)
9. Lotus Notes automating Lotus Symphony Spreadsheets (LotusScript)
10. Lotus Notes automating Lotus Symphony Presentations (LotusScript)
11. Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) reading Lotus Notes
12. VB.NET reading Lotus Notes
13. C# reading Lotus Notes

Every sample gets the PSC Getting Started Database and inserts the text string from the Session Name (sessionname) field on the Configuration Profile document.





You can change the value to anything you want. We wrote these demos so you can learn one and then compare to the next sample. You will see the same code used over and over (1 thru 10 at least). This isolates what you have to learn. We plan on adding more to these samples over the year. Please feel free to download, use, and if you have your own products you want to include - send me the samples!

I am still trying to decide if this belongs on OpenNTF.org or not ... but for now it is here.

Thanks to Alex Kassabov, Eric McLaughlin, and Jimmy Minata for helping on this database.

I would like to congratulate the New Orleans Saints on their Super Bowl 44 win. To the team, organization, fans, and city - enjoy and celebrate. Oh wait, it's Mardi Gras time - you are already celebrating. Just keep it going :-)

A special congratulations to Pierre Thomas, the running back who scored two touchdowns. I got to see Pierre play 2 seasons with the University of Illinois Fighting Illini. He was overshadowed by Reshard Mendenhall at school, but man has he come on strong in the NFL. Pierre was not drafted. He earned that spot. And I think he is the best back on the Saints. Here is a great tribute video to both Pierre Thomas and Kelvin Hayden of the Colts, another former Illini.

Sean Payton, head coach of the Saints, Saints special teams coach Greg McMahon, Saints assistant special teams coach Mike Mallory all served as assistant coaches at Illinois as well. Congrats to them.

I had the chance to record some thoughts on how PSC uses Lotus technology at a Lotus event last fall. Here are the results:



I hate seeing myself on video, but that is a great video :-)

I wanted to thank everyone for coming out to a great evening of social media and real life makeover goodness. We had a great crowd who were engaging and interactive. As promised, here are the slides from last night:



I wanted to thank our vendors:

Halo [For Men]
Nicholas Joseph
The Shinettes
Robin Walker of AskRobinWalker.com
Mark Beier
Ellehomme Medspa

A shout out to Nathan Freeman for the amazing logo which everyone loved!

Also, thank you to my co-speakers:

Mark Carter
Christopher Rollyson

And our host, the Metropolitan Club of Chicago. Speak thanks to Christy Cumbo of the Met Club for her amazing efforts! We are looking to do another Social Media Makeover event sometime in the May / June time frame. I will post more when there is something to share.

With the Symphony 3 Beta 2 Download, there is a new look and feel for the Symphony.lotus.com webpage



Love the logo in the bottom right :-)

IBM Lotus Symphony 3 Beta 2 is now available!

Lotus Symphony 3 Beta 2 is now available! Give it a try. Tell us what you think.
Lotus Symphony 3 Beta 2 represents a major new advancement for our Lotus Symphony users. Based on current OpenOffice.org 3 code stream. Lotus Symphony 3 Beta 2 offers loads of new features and capabilities and improved file fidelity. The Lotus Symphony team is excited to get it out to you and get your feedback.
Lotus Symphony 3 Beta 2 introduces support for Visual Basic Macros, OLE Objects, and embedded audio/video as well as delivering business card and label templates commonly used. Users will also find enhanced support for and interoperability with Microsoft Office 2007 files and OpenOffice.org file formats.
We've enhanced the user interface and added features throughout the product, such as support for nested tables, presentation masters and Digital Signatures. Lotus Symphony 3 Beta 2 also makes improvements on commonly used features such as comments and DataPilot tables for pivoting on large datasets.
So, download Lotus Symphony 3 Beta 2 today and try it out.
We do caution you though, as with all betas, there are still some kinks to work out before we're finished. So, please treat this as beta code and not production code. And, please take care to choose the right forum for support and feedback.

Get IBM Lotus Symphony 3 Beta 2 here. Remember, this is just the stand-alone version. There will not be a public beta of the embedded version that installs inside Notes. When IBM Lotus Symphony 3 ships, you will be able to install it on top of Notes 8.5.1.

You can also download the toolkit here.

It's not to late to attend Social Media Makeover tonight, Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010.


(special thanks to Nathan Freeman for the amazing logo!)

You get three great speakers; talking about simple changes and techniques you can use in 2010 to utilize social media in your career;

Mark Carter
Christopher Rollyson
John Head

There is also a group of great vendors who will cover traditional makeover tips for 2010, including:

Halo [For Men]
Nicholas Joseph
The Shinettes
Robin Walker of AskRobinWalker.com
Mark Beier
Ellehomme Medspa

If you are in the Chicago area, please come join us! You can get your tickets on Eventbrite. I look forward to seeing you there.

As a preview for the Social Media Makeover on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010, here is a preview of one of the vendors who will be at the event:

Christopher S. Rollyson
Managing Director, CSRA, Inc.



Christopher S. Rollyson has guided executives on using disruptive technology to transform business for 24 years.  As a management consultant at global and specialist firms, he has advised Fortune 100 companies on how to assess, pilot and scale their use of the Internet, service-oriented architecture, Web 2.0 and social networks—and he has pioneered the use of these technologies as a marketing executive. Currently Managing Director of CSRA, he has a global reputation for his knowledge of Web 2.0 and social networks. He advises firms on how to use Web 2.0 to reduce time to trust, and he speaks at conferences worldwide. CSRA's Social Network Roadmap is a methodology that helps enterprises adopt social networks more aggressively by mitigating risk while its Executive's Guide to Web 2.0 helps companies to apply LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogging and Facebook to innovate their business processes.

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/csrollyson
Linkedin: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/csrollyson
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/csrollyson
Web: http://executivesguide-web20.com
Email: subs@rollyson.net

Chris will be talking about how using LinkedIN can make an impact on your 2010. If you are in the Chicago area, please come join us! You can get your tickets on Eventbrite. I look forward to seeing you there.

As a preview for the Social Media Makeover on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010, here is a preview of one of the speakers who will be at the event:

Mark J. Carter
Founder, TweetNetworking, LLC and Networking For A Cause

Mark J. Carter is the founder of TweetNetworking, LLC and Networking For A Cause. He ran Chicago’s first Twestival (an international event in 150+ cities) and is currently setting up Chicago’s 3rd Twestival.  Carter regularly trains companies and individuals on how to get real results with social media.

A few social media projects: Carter helped jumpstart “Saving The World”; a web community founded by NY Times Bestselling author Tim Sanders (which involved running a book launch both online and offline).  Carter runs a social media team for Catalyst Ranch; one of Chicago’s premier meeting spaces for creative events and more.  He recently came on board “Story From A New Friend”; a 501c3 Non-profit in Chicago to help launch them in Chicago and then take their events national.

Carter’s social media companies started offline (consulting about how to create pivotal and profitable relationships) and then grew online by applying 7 years of “been-there-done-that” results with business networking/referral systems in the social media realm: How to use Twitter, Facebook and blogs to build your business and brand.

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/mjcarter
Linkedin: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/mjcarter
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/mjcarter
Email: mjcarter@TweetNetworking.com

Mark will be talking about how you can give your Twitter use a makeover in 2010 and more about social media for the individual. If you are in the Chicago area, please come join us! You can get your tickets on Eventbrite. I look forward to seeing you there.

As a preview for the Social Media Makeover on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010, here is a preview of one of the vendors who will be at the event:

Ellehomme Holistic MedSPA



A new medspa in the Chicago West Loop, ellehomme offers massages and other spa services in a great atmosphere with great hours on the weekdays. ellehomme will be doing chair massages and eyebrow waxing at Social Media Makeover this Wednesday!

If you are in the Chicago area, please come join us! You can get your tickets on Eventbrite. I look forward to seeing you there.

At the Lotusphere 2010 session "AD207 IBM Lotus Symphony Technical Overview", Yue MA and Erik MA talked about the architecture of Lotus Symphony. I thought the following three slides were great for illustrating how Lotus Symphony is architected and sheds some light on what is coming with Lotus Symphony 3 aka Vienna.

Here is the current architecture of Lotus Symphony 1.X:


As you can see, Symphony 1.X is derived from OpenOffice.org 1.1 code. IBM uses the Louts Expeditor toolkit to provide functionality and then has custom code for The user interface and other services. The Symphony Toolkit API sits on top of both of these to provide Java, LotusScript, and Composite Application support.

Here is the architecture for Lotus Symphony 3.X:


Let;s look at the major changes:

• First, Lotus Symphony is based on the OpenOffice.org 3.X code base (insert applause here)
• Second, we get a VBA run-time added to the architecture stack
• There has also been a reworking of the Toolkit API's and how they interface with the core product.

All of this is great news as it will allow IBM to work on performance and fidelity on top of a very current code stream. Let's look at the change in detail in the next picture:


As we can see in this chart, the User Interface Components now access the APIs and Core services directly - providing a boost in performance and a path for more functionality. All of this detail spells good news for the upcoming release of Lotus Symphony 3.

As a preview for the Social Media Makeover on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010, here is a preview of one of the vendors who will be at the event:

Mark Beier, LLC “On The Go Health & Fitness”



Mark Beier is the kind of personal trainer and private chef that can make an impact even on a busy executive. Mark understands people are going to treat themselves from time to time - he teaches moderation and balance. “On The Go Health & Fitness” helps address the growing problem small business have with promoting a healthy work-life balance within their organizations. Mark develops individual wellness programs that address the unique organizational needs of each business. These programs are designed as cost-saving strategies that reduces sick days, reduce insurance premiums and reduce employee absenteeism, while increasing productivity, increasing employee efficiency and increasing employee morale, which ultimately increases the company’s bottom line. Come meet Mark this Wednesday!

If you are in the Chicago area, please come join us! You can get your tickets on Eventbrite. I look forward to seeing you there.

As a preview for the Social Media Makeover on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010, here is a preview of one of the vendors who will be at the event:

Robin Walker of www.askrobinwalker.com



Robin Walker is one of the best Image Consultants in the Chicagoland area. She is someone you can't help but noticing on-line; she never pulls a punch. I think that is what makes her such a great expert on the ways of men's fashion. She cuts thru the typical BS and tells you exactly what is wrong. She puts it in terms a man can understand. Robin is not a "Fashionista",  she's a Product Marketer and PEOPLE are her PRODUCT. Robin will be offering advice on what you should wear for your social media head shots / photos at the event. Come to the Social Media Makeover event and meet Robin!

If you are in the Chicago area, please come join us! You can get your tickets on Eventbrite. I look forward to seeing you there.

Here is what's coming out today ...

Movies

• Adam
• Batman: The Brave And The Bold: Volume 3
• Beverly Hills 90210: Season #9
• Dallas: Season #12
• Dynasty: Season #4: Volume 2
• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: Season #1: Part 3
• Head Case: The Complete Series
• Ice Castles (2010)
• Jonas: I Heart Jonas: Volume 2
• Mary Tyler Moore Show, The: Season #6
• Mister Ed: Season #2
• Murder, She Wrote: Season #11
• Ong Bak 2 (Blu-Ray)
• Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior (Blu-Ray)
• She-Wolf Of London: The Complete Series
• Tom And Jerry's Greatest Chases: Volume 4
• Universal Soldier: Regeneration
• Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me
• Why We Fight WWII: The Complete Series
• Zombieland (Blu-Ray) (#1 in the DVDPS Top 40)
• Zombieland

Computer Games

• Xbox 360 Stereo MZX-1000 Headphone Headset Communicator with Mic (  Xbox 360)
• Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit Battery Pack Kit (  Xbox 360)
• White Knight Chronicles International Edition (  PLAYSTATION 3)
• NBA Live 09 / The Bigs / The Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian (  PLAYSTATION 3)
• Family Party 30 Great Games Winter Games (  Nintendo Wii)
• Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (  Nintendo DS)
• The Daring Game for Girls (  Nintendo DS)
• Scene It? Twilight (  Nintendo DS)
• Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral (  Nintendo DS)
• Star Trek Online (  Windows Vista / XP / 7)
• Star Trek Online Collectors Edition (  Windows Vista / XP)
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat (  Windows Vista / 7 / XP)
• Star Trek Online Timecard (  Windows Vista / XP)

Music

• Who I Am ~ Nick Jonas & Administration
• FINIAN'S RAINBOW: NEW BROADWAY CAST RECORDING/CD ~ Kate Baldwin, Cheyenne Jackson, et al.
• Hellbilly Deluxe 2 ~ Rob Zombie
• These Hopeful Machines ~ Bt
• Rebirth [Deluxe Edition] ~ Lil Wayne
• More...

my pic(s) of the week:

Quiet week - but Zombieland on Blu-Ray will be all good

For those interested, I use DVD Price Search for upcoming movie tracking and Amazon's New Releases Page for music and computer games

As a preview for the Social Media Makeover on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010, here is a preview of one of the vendors who will be at the event:

Nicholas Joseph Custom Tailors



Nicholas Joseph is a Chicago-based custom tailor that provides the best of custom tailoring at a price you can not beat. Nicholas Joseph custom tailored suits start at $499 and custom made dress shirts at $119 - the same price you will pay in most major department stores and men's shops for off-the-rack clothing. Nicholas Joseph will be at the event giving advice on both men and women's clothing and will have a great raffle prize!

If you are in the Chicago area, please come join us! You can get your tickets on Eventbrite. I look forward to seeing you there.