Domino Interface

Many in the ICS community have made the statement that Notes and Domino are dead. Many in the ICS community have been questioning the future of Domino and they have ever right to do so considering the lack of and inconsistent communication from IBM and lack of improvements to the platform for the past 4 years.  Yes we have had improvements regarding SSL security fixes but that was driven by the discovery of serious vulnerabilities in SSL. Like many customers and IBM partners, we built many many Notes applications internally and for clients. Some of these applications are still running on many of our clients and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. They do not have the coolest interfaces since those capabilities weren't around even from other vendors at the time they were developed. They are clunky looking, but they are secure which is very important since the beginning of Notes and more so these days.  IBM announced yesterday that they are extending support...

It is two weeks away from the start of MWLUG 2016.  So get registered for this last ICS conference event in the United States for this year. http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/register.xsp

Here is the 2016 Top Ten Reasons why you should be coming to MWLUG: #10: 52 technical and business sessions with great speakers #9: Why the ICS community is one of the best technology communities on this planet!!! #8 Bats, lots and lots of bats #7 What color suit coat will Bill Malchisky wear to the conference #6 Simplicity BEER!!! #5 MUSIC #4 Why Kim Greene is the true Drinking Champion of them all #3 Watch Richard Moy mess up his words at the OGS because he never scripts or practice his speeches #2 Whether Justin Hill loses his bet again . . . And the #1 reason to come to MWLUG 2016, learn whether Darren Duke will take off his shirt at the Thursday Evening Event again? So get registered and we will see you in three weeks http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/register.xsp

The session schedule for MWLUG 2016 is no available online at: http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/schedule.xsp There is still time to register for MWLUG 2016 at: http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/register.xsp

We are please to announce the MWLUG 2016 - Thursday Social Event will be held at Zilker Brewing Company, rated as one of the best breweries in Austin, TX. This private event is open to all registered MWLUG 2016 attendees. Attendees that are interested in a tour of the brewery are welcome to join us during the event. We will be providing a bus from the Four Seasons Hotel to Zilker Brewing Company and back.  MAKE SURE  you have your MWLUG 2016 badge when we board the bus and at the event at Zilker Brewing Company. We will be providing food from a local establishment yet to be announced. So come join us and register for MWLUG 2016. http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/register.xsp http://www.zilkerbeer.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ZilkerBrewing/

We are please to announce the MWLUG 2016 Opening General Session speaker is Katrina Troughton, General Manager, Social and Smarter Workforce Client Success. Katrina brings a unique perspective our ICS community. Katrina Troughton is General Manager, Social and Smarter Workforce Client Success. Katrina leads IBMs worldwide sales force for collaboration, social, exceptional digital experience, and smarter workforce solutions. Katrina has more than 23 years' experience in the IT industry, with more than 20 years spent in senior management roles at IBM. Prior to leading this sales team, Katrina led the Business Analytics team for IBM's Growth Markets Unit, IBM's WebSphere business for IBM's Growth Markets Unit, both, after spending four and a half years as Managing Director for IBM New Zealand. Other key roles include Software General Manager for IBM Australia/New Zealand, and sales executive for Information Management for IBM Asia Pacific. Katrina has served ...

As with our 2016 theme "Defining the Art of Collaboration," the MWLUG 2016 conference brings everyone together to share knowledge and expand awareness of innovations in IBM collaboration community, thus building and growing our community. For MWLUG 2016, we have arranged a special private tour for all conference attendees of the IBM Design Center in Austin, TX for Wednesday, August 17, 2016.  This tour is limited to the 120 attendees only.  We will be providing a bus to bring attendees to the IBM Design Center.  The first bus will leave the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin at 8:00 AM and will continue to drop off and pick up attendees to the IBM Design. The last bus will leave the Four Seasons at about 10:45 to 11:00 AM.  T he last returning bus that will arrive back to the Four Seasons at approximately 1:00 PM . You must be a registered attendee by the time you board the bus and have your MWLUG 2016 conference badge to participate in this event. ...

IBM Champion, Gabriella Davis, talks about why she is excited to be speaking and attending MWLUG 2016.

We are please to announce for MWLUG 2016 we have 54 sessions including some of the most diverse and innovative technical and business sessions in the ICS community. Speakers range from many first time speakers with innovative ideas to over a dozen experienced IBM Champion speakers. So get your notepad ready and learn as you attend these incredible sessions. PS: There are still a few sessions missing in the list and we will be publishing them soon. http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/sessions.xsp MWLUG 2016 is coming in less than two months, so get registered. http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/register.xsp

We are pleased to announce that the MWLUG 2016 Opening General Session Guest Speaker is singer, song-writer, and founder of Swan Songs, Christine Albert. Christine will share her unique perspectives on collaboration and how the music industry has embraced collaboration technology. Special thanks for Amanda Bauman of IBM for helping us get Christine. Christine Albert Christine Albert is an Austin, Texas based singer-songwriter, studio owner and Founder & CEO of Swan Songs, a non-profit that fulfills musical last wishes. Christine is also the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy (known for the GRAMMY ® Awards) - the first independent artist and only the second woman to hold this esteemed position. She has released 12 independent CDs as a solo artist and as part of the Folk/Americana duo “Albert and Gage” with her husband, Chris Gage. 3rd Coast Music noted that Christine has “one of the best and purest female voices in Austin”. She is wel...

As you celebrate Memorial Day with your barbecues, cookouts, sporting events, picnics and etc please take a moment of silence to remember and honor all the service men and women who gave their Last Full Measure of Devotion to our country. Each year I read Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on this day and I am so moved by it. It holds true over 150 years ago and still holds true to this day. "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived  in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, w...

Abstract Submission for MWLUG 2016 has been extended to June 1, 2016, 5:00 PM CST. We forgot that this weekend is Memorial Day weekend and many are out of town. So there is a few more days that you can submit your abstract. http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/sessionabstract.xsp

Last week I presented at the 2nd quarter ATLUG meeting.  It was nice to be in Atlanta in 80 F weather considering Chicago was near freeze and always below 40 F for so many days. I would like to thanks Lisa and Darren Duke for having me as their guest speaker.  The presentation and code for my talk are available using the following link. https://www.dropbox.com/s/j7znw069ajyw3d2/Phora%20Group%20ATLUG%20-%20Presentation-2016-0519.zip?dl=0

Abstract submission for MWLUG 2016 is closing soon.  Abstract submission will close on May 27, 2016, 5:00 PM CST Are you new to speaking? Well here is your chance to speak at a conference on a topic that you know well. Every year we reserve a number of speaking slots for new speakers. So take this unique opportunity to speak at a MWLUG conference and submit an abstract. To submit your abstract go to: http://www.mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/sessionabstract.xsp We look forward to getting everyone's abstract. http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/countdown.xsp

Thanks to Lisa and Darren Duke, I will be presenting at ATLUG on May 19, 2016 on combining my two favorite open source frameworks, Twitter Bootstrap and Dojo, to create widgets that your can use in your web-based application. This presentation is not XPages specific. The presentation will be held at the IBM Technical Exploration Center in Atlanta. So if you are a web developer using or thinking about using Dojo and Bootstrap come join me or to just listen to me rant and rave. IBM Corp  (Building A) 6303  Barfield Rd.,  NE Atlanta ,  GA   30328 Technical   Exploration   Center Creating Bootstrap Widgets Using Dojo Twitter Bootstrap is one of the most popular responsive CSS frameworks available. Dojo is one of the most comprehensive and powerful JavaScript framework available. However, Bootstrap only comes with jQuery-based widgets by default. But if you can only combine Bootstrap and Dojo together, you as designers and develo pers w...

We please to announce that registration for MWLUG 2016, Austin Texas is now opened.  The eighth MWLUG conference will be held at the Four Seasons in downtown Austin, Texas from August 17 to 19, 2016. We expect this to be our biggest MWLUG conference with many exciting events and learning.  We are planning two pre-conference events for which registration will be open soon, including a tour of the IBM Design Center in Austin plus a trip to the Alamo and the San Antonio Riverwalk. http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/register.xsp Special thanks to Mike McGarel for creating our brand new redesigned web site. Abstract submission for MWLUG 2016 is currently opened for potential speakers.  Abstract submission  will close on May 27, 2016.  http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/sessionabstract.xsp We are now open for sponsorship. Diamond and Platinum Sponsorship are closed, but we still have Gold, Silver, and Bronze sponsorship available. If you are interested, s...

Abstract submission for MWLUG 2016 is now open.  Mike McGarel and his team worked hard on our new redesigned conference web site.  Abstract submission will close on May 27, 2016. Are you new to speaking? Well here is your chance to speak at a conference on a topic that you know well. Every year we reserve a number of speaking slots for new speakers. So take this unique opportunity to speak at a MWLUG conference and submit an abstract. To submit your abstract go to: http://www.mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug.nsf/sessionabstract.xsp We look forward to getting everyone's abstract.

We are please to officially announce that MWLUG 2016 will be held on August 17-19, 2016 at the Four Seasons in Austin Texas. We have secured a special rate for this event. With all the new innovations that IBM and IBM Business Partners are creating with our favorite technologies, we are "Defining the Art of Collaboration" which is our theme for MWLUG 2016. We are expecting an even greater turnout this year at MWLUG 2016.  We are planning many activities and new formats to make this a special event.  For attendees that are interesting in coming earlier, we are also working on a special event on Tuesday, August 16, 2016.  We will need to determine if there is enough interest before we book this event.  More information will be coming soon. Sponsorship for MWLUG 2016, will be starting very soon with presentation abstract submission in April.  We look forward to seeing everyone in Austin. And yes, we are cooking up a few surprises.

Today I was able to spend an hour writing up my thoughts about IBM Connect 2016.  I have had no time in the past few months to blog and continue my current series, but made a special effort to write this article. Like many, I had low expectations this year for IBM Connect given the venue from last year.  For me the greatest asset of IBM Connect for many years has been networking with the ICS community whether they are IBMers, IBM Business Partners, or IBM Customers. Most sessions in the past became just IBM marketing sessions. This year, I was glad to see less of that and more sessions that I can learn and benefit from. Moving IBM Connect to the Hilton was a big plus not just in the layout, but also for us who always stayed outside the main hotel. It was much easier to get to.  The Dolphin and Swan was getting very old and arrangement for attendees who stayed outside was a pain.  I hope they do it again at the Hilton Orlando. I know some did not like the newspape...