Finding out things on Facebook, breaking news Facebook by Tony Green

Facebook Image

Nowadays people are posting any insignificant occurrence of their daily lives on Facebook. Everything from how time is spent with your kids to the latest image uploaded from your smart phone. What is shocking to me are the major occurrences in people’s lives which they choose to  broadcast via a Facebook update.

Within the past few months, I learned about personal events including the passing of someone’s mother due to cancer and a couple with three young children deciding to get a divorce while reviewing of my Facebook feeds.

I am aware of the Internet Age, aren’t some things still sacred? Who would believe a life altering event would be announced in the same fashion on such a public platform as what you coworkers ate for lunch the other day?

I imagine the openness is a sign of the times. What if someone did not want to world to know the most intimate details of your life? Then again with all of the monitoring both online and off is anything a person does really secret? If we assumed there was something to hide would it be possible to conceal any personal indiscretion even if you wanted to?  

Think of the possibilities of having everything out on the open. Maybe a kind word might come from where an unexpected source. Perhaps could use the platform to get a beef off your chest or even to get some feedback on a problem which you are experiencing.

In my view, in the age of technology we cannot believe any privacy regardless if you want to admit the facts or not. What will the next piece of unannounced information someone will choose to share with me?

This sales engineer's project is dying out here by Tony Green

Image of Technology and Cash

Part of my job function as a sales engineer with a manufacturer’s representative in the utility industry is to provide our partners the technical information required to prepare quotes and estimates for high priced engineered gear. My long term goal is enabling our partners to provide solutions for our customers.   

In many ways you are bridging the gap between what is known and what is required. Upon initial glance the concept sounds simple enough. What can stop you?

  

The first thing which can be challenging is neither side is clear on the information required to quote a project.  That’s right the details. In the beginning stages of some projects the scope might undecided but by the time you call me asking for a budgetary cost should have a high level picture of what a project will entail.

The second situation which can cause problems is that everyone involved not playing along. For example, if a project is not viable for our partner for whatever reason why don't they inform me so I can break the news to the client so they can explore other options. What needs to be avoided is asking for more documentation regarding the project waiting until you get tied up in other activities.

Once a request is not answered then the answer for why the customer was not quoted becomes, we were not given all the details. Of course, what needs to provided is never specifically stated. On the other hand some customers would rather not fully specify a project but make a menial effort and let the vendor try to figure out the scope of the project for them at its time and expense for being in mind no money is made until an order is placed.

The next obstruction is insufficient information.  The specification of these high voltage systems, if not done well, can not only result in equipment failure and major down time or an unhappy customer but an accident that may be harmful to others may occur as a due to the voltage level and power outputs involved.

Without a doubt in instances as these you cannot guess, which is exactly what you are opening yourself to when the relevant information is not communicated. 

This is just another day on the life of a sales engineer. By the way, anyone reading this posting familiar with high voltage transmission cables? Until I get something clarification on this estimate I am trying to get moving in the right direction I will be on the road to dying a slow death.

Taking risks on the path to becoming greener by Tony Green

Image of bicycle in the Netherlands

I attended a Green Drink networking event at the Eulipia in San Jose a few months ago. It had been a while since I had went to any networking events I figured now was as good a time as any to get out and mingle.

Councilman Sam Liccardo, Chairman of San Jose City Council's Transportation and Environment Committee spoke about the challenges of making transportation practices greener. Naturally in many respects the issue came down to receiving funding. Interestingly enough, he mentioned a trip he took to China to try and lure foreign investors to support these projects.

One of the more fascinating ideas involved using bikes to travel in the downtown area to reduce automobile use with the value of reducing emissions and decreasing the space required to park. This room could be used, for example, to build affordable housing. He recalled a visit to Holland he made a few months back to get some insight into how San Jose should go ahead with greening its transportation since the Dutch have installed infrastructure to permit travel by bicycle.

He mentioned the need of taking risks to begin to move forward with a growing sentiment to make the world a better place. This struck an accord with me. When you think about when the dot com boom was in its peak 20 years ago the excitement was in the “changes” all these technologies might make in people’s lives.    

In short, change requires doing something other than what you have done in the past. Why should the making progress on greening our transportation practices be any different?

Author Note: Thanks to Megan Fluke who I can now put a real face with other than her Facebook page and her team for organizing this event!