Rogue Techies Monthly Meeting: April, 2019

There was no Tech Talk scheduled, and there was a large group of young people congregating around the closed and locked Board Room, so we had dinner at the Big Table in Luna Cafe. Much more lively!

This evening, we decided to have an open discussion about a variety of tech-related topics:

Upgrading Windows; 500 machines, both in-house and mobile.
AWS: Best training is AWS Architect, to get started.
Internet Time as relates to the continuing fragmentation of online/cloud data hosting and processing.
Best ISP offering fastest service in Southern Oregon?
Universities seem to be funneling graduates to corporate jobs and avoiding preparing them for freelancing.
Young people are being encouraged to look outside Southern Oregon for jobs.
Ashland declared one of the 10 Best Cities (outside Silicon Valley) for startups.
Retail industry on the skids.
Job referrals.
Business Continuity; producing an in-house wiki
Tech Talk Suggestions: Containerization | Training | 5G | Marketing

Some businesses are in the process of upgrading their Windows machines (~500) from Windows 7 (or 8…) to Windows 10. For ideas and recommended products that might make this a bit quicker, you are invited to read the wrapUp of last week’s Upgrading Windows discussion at the SOGGy Geek Meet.

Last month’s Tech Talk on AWS highlighted the extent to which computing is being fragmented yet again. Decades ago, mini-computer-based data processing began with one process running on one machine (RTOS) and then transitioned to time-sharing, then multi-tasking, then multi-processing, then client/server, then virtual machines, and is now moving towards containerization where you can combine different versions of software as you build a layered instance for individuals in order to satisfy discrete revision needs … and each instance is running standalone; essentially, RTOS. Again. Full-Circle.

This progressive fragmentation is a feature that appears to be elegantly-handled by AWS products, making it a comfortable place to host a business application. Amazon’s Free-For-A-Year marketing technique gets business customers hooked … and their data settled … as storage requirements gradually expand … and monthly costs keep pace with that expansion. Effortless! And then…

Internet Time rears its head. With so much fragmentation, that puts pressure on turnaround time at each node—and geographic proximity becomes a factor; something to consider when you think about medical issues and transportation times, as two quick examples. For more information, you are invited to read about Harlan Stenn’s excellent Tech Workshop on Internet Time.

The need for speed is driving the promotion of 5G Networks … stay tuned—and plan on attending the upcoming Tech Talk on 5G; check the Rogue Tech Hub Events Calendar for details.

The City of Ashland was recently declared one of the 10 Best Cities (outside Silicon Valley) for startups. They seem to be addressing necessary tasks in order to be prepared for emergencies; Business Impact Analysis (BIA), Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP) and Business Continuity Planning (BCP).

On another, non-technology side, retail seems to be taking a nose-dive as operations of major chain stores are in transition; some closing, others redefining their business model to accommodate the rise in online traffic. Check this link to see if your favorite brick-and-mortar store might close. And, here’s one that is redefining their business model … coming soon to our area?

With retail a dwindling option for college graduates in transition to the World Of Work, the discussion moved to how universities are [not] preparing graduates for types of available transition work. Instead of overlooking the fact that many college students do not read books [Really!], have no concept of what their aptitudes, skills and goals are, and do not seem to have a feel for the kind of talent local companies are looking for, why not encourage them to learn simple business concepts, how to market themselves, teach them ethics (if necessary) and in general, prepare them to operate on their own—as a product to local businesses who are in search of talent of interest to all business types that can keep their business on the ascending side of the Growth Scale.

Last month’s Tech Talk on Producing an InHouse Wiki inspired many of us to investigate this concept as an ideal way to catalog business operations, as well as be prepared for disaster. Since this is sort of a specialized talent, it might be a great profit center for a freelancer.

As for job referrals, there’s the ongoing mantra of “It’s who you know that gets you in; it’swhat you know that keeps you there!”^©

Suggestions for upcoming Tech Talks include:

Containerization
Training
5G
Marketing Oneself

Please visit the Rogue Tech Hub Event Calendar for dates and times. And, if you have a topic you’d like to present—or hear about—please attend one of the networking meetings.