Since returning from LS11 I have been simply swamped with work, but it has been very trying work, and I have made quite a few mistakes, thankfully these have been turned into lessons, the first one is to do with Amazon Web Services.

Now AWS is a very good service, but they do assume that you are not a prat (in my case its not a valid assumption), do NOT make any assumptions with them, take everything they say at face value, so “Terminate” does not mean “force a shutdown” it means TERMINATE

The evil Ben Poole has been sending me links since I terminated LDC’s primary instance (but as he had bang up to date replicas of the Db’s we were working on, I can hardly complain), the most useful of them are this one and this one

but in summary:

1) YOU may treat an instance as mealy a virtual server, but amazon don’t, they treat it more like a temporary session on their system, and will delete it instantly on the bases of one button click (plus conformation)
3) Turn on instance protection (found under the instance management menu in the AWs web console)
4) The nice little “Volume” (or drive) that is automatically created when you make a instance, only lasts as long as the instances life, if you terminate the instance it will delete (while you watch and cry), assigned proper extra ones
5) As soon as you are happy with you instances set-ups, build AMI (templates) of it and take snap shots of your volumes (in addition to backups)

nuff said

Like most people I think a basic brain dump is the order of the day for lotusphere 2011

It was the hardest lotusphere I have been to work wise, I did not get half of what I was due to finish….er..finished.

Lotus idol, a fantastic opportunity for me and a bonus for LDC, one I was grateful to have been given, though personally I think the session proposed by Peter Presnell would have given more to the community.

Numbers up on last year, but hardly any time wasting, even at parties, there was much heads together stuff, card exchanging, serious conversation and plan making

Bill Buchan has been much maligned over the years and is a very easy room mate once you get over the fact he only needs about 2 hours sleep per night (party till 4.30am, up at about 7.00am)

I spent some time with the Nokia boys and admired both the hardware of the new phone and the idea if combining the power of C++ with what looked to me like a graphical library that feels strangely like flash animation (tweening and what not), however I found my self discarding it in the face of android and iphone, later on I expressed this opinion and the expressions of vague disgust on the faces of a couple of colleges forced me to re-evaluate the stance (yet another reason to work in a community), but is this how people think when they compare notes and other platforms? you take the shiny popular one? bearing that in mind I think the largest challenge for lotus in the future will be not technology base, but the re-branding and coping with the poor lotus brand perception without ditching what I personally have found to be the best tech community.

The LDC T-shirts went down well, will have to maintain the same standard next year

think that’s it, everything else has been said by everybody else

Old Comments

Mark Myers(06/02/2011 11:46:06 GMT)

@nathan, our pleasure, as i mentioned to a few of your colleges it was great that after GBS made such an investment in this LS that numbers were up and people were much more positive than last year, a good sign, a good omen for the future

Nathan T Freeman(06/02/2011 02:07:59 GMT)

For the record, the LDC shirts were OUTSTANDING. Thank you so much for mine!

Keith Brooks(06/02/2011 03:14:40 GMT)

Dang, I didn’t get one.
Sorry I missed your idol session, no one told me you won it.

Mark Myers(06/02/2011 11:52:53 GMT)

@keith no worries, well get you one

Yes I know its STILL a ASW title, but there is a new freebie.
This lotusphere is The London Developer Co-op’s second official outing, and while we are not on a stall we are sponsoring (with others) the UK Night, and continuing with giving out T-shirts, this year there will be a design for each day, and you can get them by collaring Matt White, Julian Woodward or myself, as normal there are limited numbers, so grab them no matter how hung over and grumpy we might look

This years designs (20 odd in all) held all sorts of ideas, including the one that has found the higher calling with Bruce Elgort, but as LDC’s resident deviants Ben and I could not resist continuing a side theme of violence and ‘safe for work’ porn, with the same disclaimer*
here are 3 of them converted for wallpapers, enjoy

*if you like them, then all of LDC’s work will provide you with the same joy and satisfaction, if you don’t, then Matt promises not to let me near your projects and assures you that the rest of LDC are people of skill and dignity

Old Comments

Mark Myers(17/01/2011 21:49:19 GMT)

3X t-shirts, check, being an pimp for a naughty nurse, check….heeeey!!!

Mark Myers(17/01/2011 16:25:10 GMT)

xl wasn’t it?, ill hold one for you!

Stuart McIntyre(17/01/2011 15:28:44 GMT)

Genius!

Pedro Quaresma(19/01/2011 13:09:31 GMT)

Can we get different sizes… and more wallpapers of course!

Paul Calhoun(17/01/2011 18:51:16 GMT)

If you have some for the “larger” community I would love to advertise for LDC (3x)

Thanks.

Roy Rumaner(17/01/2011 16:14:20 GMT)

I already have my shirt from last year in the pile to be packed to wear at this year’s show. Now I have to make sure to get the new one to match

Mark Myers(20/01/2011 00:36:54 GMT)

what sizes would you like?, and more will come during lotusphere

Andrew Magerman(17/01/2011 20:12:57 GMT)

Awesome.

You wouldn’t happen to have the phone number of that nurse?
I am feeling faint.

I was going to blog 10 things to do at lotusphere but frankly the best guide for lotusphere is here at Andy’s House O’ Blog, so am going to find and shake the hands of at least 10 types of people instead, these will include:

1) A Community Leader e.g. Bruce Elgort / Paul Moony / Warren Elsmore

2) A Xpage Guru e.g. Matt white / Steve Castledine / Tim Clark / Tim Tripcony / David Leedy

3) A founder e.g. “The Turtle” / Ben Langhinrichs

4) A symphony Guru e.g. John Head / Paul Bastide

5) A Party Animal e.g. Bill Buchan / “the Bob”

6) A First Timer (also introduce this person to one someone else)

7) A Java Guru e.g. Mikkel Heisterberg / Julian Robichaux / Bob Balaban (if he was going)

8) A Celebraty e.g Ed Brill / Vowe

9) A Connections Guru e.g. Clayton Coleman / Chris Lamb

10) A Blogger (who you actually read) and make a comment on at least one thing they have written

Old Comments

Mark Myers(05/01/2011 09:29:15 GMT)

@craig good call

Mark Myers(05/01/2011 15:23:16 GMT)

@Bill, ha!!!, your mild == everyone else’s wild

Craig Wiseman(04/01/2011 22:54:54 GMT)

11?) Find Ed Brill, Maureen Leland, Mary Beth Raven, Darren Adams, Susan Bulloch, Steve Castledine, Andre Guirard or any of the other wonderful IBMers and tell ’em thanks for fighting the good fight!

Bill(05/01/2011 13:36:24 GMT)

Me ? Party Animal ? Those days are gone..

—* Mild Bill

Barry(06/02/2011 01:18:04 GMT)

I was #6 (Met at dinner @ Flying Fish)