me

Talk about Markdown to SLUUG this Wednesday

personal, technology / /

I’ll be giving a talk to the St. Louis UNIX Users Group next Wednesday night about Markdown, a tool I absolutely love.

You’re invited to come. Please do – I think you’ll definitely learn a lot.

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011
Time: 6:30 – 9 pm
Where: 11885 Lackland Rd., St Louis, MO 63146
Map: http://g.co/maps/6gg9g
Directions: http://www.sluug.org/resources/meeting_info/map_graybar.shtml

Here’s the description:

John Gruber, the inventor of Markdown, describes it this way: “Markdown is a text-to-HTML conversion tool for web writers. Markdown allows you to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format, then convert it to structurally valid XHTML (or HTML). Thus, ‘Markdown’ is two things: (1) a plain text formatting syntax; and (2) a software tool, written in Perl, that converts the plain text formatting to HTML. … The overriding design goal for Markdown’s formatting syntax is to make it as readable as possible. The idea is that a Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like it’s been marked up with tags or formatting instructions.”

This talk by Scott Granneman & Bill Odom will cover the basics of Markdown’s syntax, key variants of Markdown, tools for composing Markdown (including vim, of course!), and ways you can easily transform a plain text file written in Markdown into HTML, JSON, TXT, LaTeX, man, MediaWiki, Textile, DocBook XML, ODT, EPUB, Slidy and S5 HTML and JavaScript slide shows, RTF, or even Word!

If you have any questions, please contact me. Hope to see you there!

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Speaking at SLUUG: Amazing, Stupendous, Mind-Blowing Apps for iPad2

business, personal, technology / /

Jans Carton & I are delivering a talk at the St. Louis UNIX Users Group at 6:30 pm this Wednesday, 8 June 2011, titled “Amazing, Stupendous, Mind-Blowing Apps for iPad2”. We’ll be demoing iPad apps live for everyone. If you want to find out more about the iPad, or discover some awesome new iPad apps, then come hear Jans & I speak.

Here’s the complete description:

It’s becoming crystal clear that tablets and other mobile devices are leading the computing revolution into the next decade, and at the forefront (at least for now) is Apple’s iPad. Scott Granneman & Jans Carton will demonstrate iPad apps that they find particularly useful, cool, or amazing – sometimes all three at the same time! You’ll see apps for everything from video to games to reading to productivity, and much, much more. We guarantee you’ll see something that makes you think, and something else that makes you go “Wow!”.

The meeting will be held at Graybar Electric Co., Inc. at 11885 Lackland Road, 63146. Directions are at http://sluug.org/resources/meeting_info/map_graybar.shtml, & a Google Map can be found at http://goo.gl/maps/jnpX.

Speaking at SLUUG: Amazing, Stupendous, Mind-Blowing Apps for iPad2 Read More »

A solution to two-way task list syncing on a Mac & iPhone

personal, tech help / /

I just published a page on my website about a solution I’ve found to an important issue: how to keep task lists on my Mac & my iPhone that are synced. I used to use The Hit List, but the developer’s failure to come up with an iPhone solution has led me to abandon it. To read about my solution, check out “Two-way Syncing Task List Software on a Mac”, at http://dev.granneman.com/techinfo/tools/tasklistsoftware.

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Linux Phrasebook in Russian

business, language & literature, personal, tech help, technology / /

My book, Linux Phrasebook, which is still selling well & still just as useful today as when it came out in 2006 (& will be for another decade or two, given how consistent the Linux command line is), has been translated into Russian. You can find it at this Russian website, where I found out that it’s translated title is Linux Карманный справочник, which looks pretty cool. The other cool thing I found out from going to the page is how to display my name in Russian: Скотт Граннеман.

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Interviewed for an article about mis-uses of Twitter

business, law, personal, social software, tech in changing society / /

The Saint Louis Beacon published an article on 27 April 2009 titled “Tweets from the jury box aren’t amusing“, about legal “cases across the country where jurors have used cell phones, BlackBerrys and other devices to comment – sometimes minute by minute or second by second on Twitter, for instance – on what they are doing, hearing and seeing during jury duty.” In it, I was quoted as follows:

The small mobile devices so prevalent today can encourage a talkative habit that some people may find hard to break.

“People get so used to doing it all the time,” said Scott Granneman, an adjunct professor of communications and journalism at Washington University. “They don’t stop to think that being on a jury means they should stop. It’s an etiquette thing.”

Moreover, he added, the habit can become so ingrained in some people – even those on juries who are warned repeatedly they should not Tweet or text or talk about they case they are on – that they make excuses.

“It’s habitual,” Granneman said. “They say ‘It’s just my friends and family reading this.’ They don’t know the whole world is following this.

“Anybody can go to any Twitter page. There may be only eight people following you, but anybody can go anyone’s page and anybody can reTweet – forward someone’s page: ‘Oh my God, the defense attorney is so stupid.’ That can go on and on and on.”

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My new book – Google Apps Deciphered – is out!

business, education, history, personal, social software, tech help, tech in changing society, technology / /

I’m really proud to announce that my 5th book is now out & available for purchase: Google Apps Deciphered: Compute in the Cloud to Streamline Your Desktop. My other books include:

(I’ve also contributed to two others: Ubuntu Hacks: Tips & Tools for Exploring, Using, and Tuning Linux and Microsoft Vista for IT Security Professionals.)

Google Apps Deciphered is a guide to setting up Google Apps, migrating to it, customizing it, and using it to improve productivity, communications, and collaboration. I walk you through each leading component of Google Apps individually, and then show my readers exactly how to make them work together for you on the Web or by integrating them with your favorite desktop apps. I provide practical insights on Google Apps programs for email, calendaring, contacts, wikis, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, video, and even Google’s new web browser Chrome. My aim was to collect together and present tips and tricks I’ve gained by using and setting up Google Apps for clients, family, and friends.

Here’s the table of contents:

  • 1: Choosing an Edition of Google Apps
  • 2: Setting Up Google Apps
  • 3: Migrating Email to Google Apps
  • 4: Migrating Contacts to Google Apps
  • 5: Migrating Calendars to Google Apps
  • 6: Managing Google Apps Services
  • 7: Setting Up Gmail
  • 8: Things to Know About Using Gmail
  • 9: Integrating Gmail with Other Software and Services
  • 10: Integrating Google Contacts with Other Software and Services
  • 11: Setting Up Google Calendar
  • 12: Things to Know About Using Google Calendar
  • 13: Integrating Google Calendar with Other Software and Services
  • 14: Things to Know About Using Google Docs
  • 15: Integrating Google Docs with Other Software and Services
  • 16: Setting Up Google Sites
  • 17: Things to Know About Using Google Sites
  • 18: Things to Know About Using Google Talk
  • 19: Things to Know About Using Start Page
  • 20: Things to Know About Using Message Security and Recovery
  • 21: Things to Know About Using Google Video
  • Appendix A: Backing Up Google Apps
  • Appendix B: Dealing with Multiple Accounts
  • Appendix C: Google Chrome: A Browser Built for Cloud Computing

If you want to know more about Google Apps and how to use it, then I know you’ll enjoy and learn from Google Apps Deciphered. You can read about and buy the book at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Google-Apps-Deciphered-Compute-Streamline/dp/0137004702) for $26.39. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact me at scott at granneman dot com.

My new book – Google Apps Deciphered – is out! Read More »

Preserve links after a website move with mod_rewrite

tech help / /

My blog was at http://www.granneman.com/blog, but I then moved it, after several years of living at its old address, to http://blog.granneman.com. I wanted to preserve all my links, however, so that someone going to http://www.granneman.com/blog/2008/04/20/after-a-stroke-he-can-write-but-cant-read/ would instead end up at http://blog.granneman.com/2008/04/20/after-a-stroke-he-can-write-but-cant-read/.

To do this, I edited the .htaccess file in http://www.granneman.com/blog to read as follows (For =LT=, substitute a < , and for =GT=, substitute a >):

=LT=IfModule mod_rewrite.c=GT=
RewriteEngine On 
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^granneman.com$ 
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://blog.granneman.com/$1 [R=301,L] 
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.granneman.com$ 
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://blog.granneman.com/$1 [R=301,L]
=LT=/IfModule=GT=

Works perfectly.

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My new book – Podcasting with Audacity – is out!

art, personal, social software, technology / /

Audacity is universally recognized as the number one software program for creating podcasts. Hundreds of thousands of amateurs and professionals alike have created podcasts using Audacity.

Podcasting with Audacity: Creating a Podcast With Free Audio Software is designed to get you podcasting as quickly as possible. The first few chapters show you how to install Audacity, plug in your microphone, record your first podcast, and get it online as quickly as possible. The following chapters cover podcasting-specific topics, such as adding background music or conducting interviews. Finally, the remaining chapters focus on how Audacity works, with lots of tips and tricks to make complicated editing even easier.

Read an excerpt: "Edit Your Podcast" is available on the Web or download a 950 KB PDF. An unedited version of the book is available under as a wiki under a Creative Commons license at the Audacity website.

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Sneaky advertising

business, language & literature, musings / /

I bought a mug that has no handles on it at all. I noticed that the accompanying slip of paper said, “Most Copco travel mugs are intended for right or left hand use.” Well, yes, if there are no handles, that would make sense. It goes on, “If your mug is handled, the lid is designed to fit securely in two positions, allowing for right or left hand use.” What fantastic advertising copy, creating something out of nothing! It’s like saying, “Our handles can be used by people who are right- OR left-handed! Amazing!”

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2 New TV Interviews, Both on Cell Phones

overheard, technology / /

I was interviewed twice in the last couple of months by two local TV news channels, both times on the same subject: the cool stuff that even ordinary cell phones can do nowadays. Google features prominently, as does Flickr, Wireless Amber Alerts, and Cellfire. Best of all, the later one has Libby, my dog, in it, which is a nice added bonus.

KMOV’s Cell Phone Secrets (23 May 2007)

Video available at http://www.granneman.com/presentations/interviews/kmov23may2007.htm

KSDK’s How To Get The Most Out Of Your Cell Phone (6 July 2007)

Video available at http://www.granneman.com/presentations/interviews/ksdk6july2007.htm

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Out now: Microsoft Vista for IT Security Professionals

business, personal, security, technology / /

Microsoft Vista for IT Security Professionals is designed for the professional system administrators who need to securely deploy Microsoft Vista in their networks. Readers will not only learn about the new security features of Vista, but they will learn how to safely integrate Vista with their existing wired and wireless network infrastructure and safely deploy with their existing applications and databases. The book begins with a discussion of Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Initiative and Vista’s development cycle, which was like none other in Microsoft’s history. Expert authors will separate the hype from the reality of Vista’s preparedness to withstand the 24 x 7 attacks it will face from malicious attackers as the world’s #1 desktop operating system. The book has a companion CD which contains hundreds of working scripts and utilities to help administrators secure their environments.

This book is written for intermediate to advanced System administrators managing Microsoft networks who are deploying Microsoft’s new flagship desktop operating system: Vista. This book is appropriate for system administrators managing small networks of fewer than 10 machines up to enterprise-class networks with tens of thousands of systems. This book is also appropriate for readers preparing for the Microsoft exam MCDST 70-620.

I contributed two appendices to this book:

  • Appendix A: Microsoft Vista: The International Community
  • Appendix B: Changes to the Vista EULA

Appendix A, “Microsoft Vista: The International Community”, was about Microsoft’s legal troubles in Europe and Asia, and the changes the company had to make to Vista to accommodate those governments. Appendix B, “Changes to the Vista EULA”, explained that the EULA in Vista is even worse than that found in XP, which was worse than any previous EULA. In other words, Vista has a problematic EULA that users need to know about before they buy the OS.

Read excerpts: Front Matter (350 KB PDF) and Chapter 1: Microsoft Vista: An Overview (760 KB PDF). You can flip through the entire book, although you’re limited to the total number of pages you can view (but it’s a pretty high number, like 50 or so).

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Conversation with Robert

overheard / /

So a bunch of us are talking at the Central West End Linux User Group meeting. Somehow the topic of surgery during World War I comes up.

Robert: What was really bad was that those guys were operated on without any anaesthetic.

Me: Huh? Doctors had anaesthetic then.

Robert: They did? What?

Me: Ether.

Robert: Huh. How’d they deliver it?

Me: Ether bunnies!

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My reply to those “You sent a virus to me!” emails

security, tech in changing society, technology / /

On Saturday 17 April 2004, I received the following email from someone I didn’t know:

> Hello,
>
> I am not sure who you are but our security detected a Netsky virus in an
> email that you sent. Whether a personal message or a spam, please make
> attention to the fact that you are spreading viruses and have your systems
> checked. Also, when a virus is detected the message does not get through so
> we have no idea who you are or the nature of your message.

My reply

I really wouldn’t bother sending these messages out, or you will find yourself with a full-time job.

Virtually every modern virus spoofs the sender of the email address of the sender. In other words, the virus scans the infected computer for email addresses, and then picks one for the TO field and one for the FROM field. Someone that has both of our email addresses on their computer is infected, and the virus chose your email address for TO and my email address for FROM. That is the extent of it. Unfortunately, we have no way to knowing who really is infected, so emailing the person who appears to have sent the email is a complete waste of your time.

Finally, I could not be infected, as I do not use Windows. I use Linux, which is impervious to the glut of viruses and worms that infect Microsoft’s poorly-coded operating system.

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My late May, 2004

commonplace book, true stories / /

From the email archives:

On Sunday 30 May 2004 11:32 pm, Jerry Hubbard wrote:
> How is everyone? Hope the storms did not harm anyone.

My basement flooded twice, my tenant’s kitchen had water streaming in through the window frame, our backyard fence was blown down, the umbrella on our deck was blown off the deck into the yard while flipping the table over, and I found a dead cat in the alley (which I buried in our back yard).

Oh, and my car needs a new transmission: $1900.

Other than that, a typical week.

My late May, 2004 Read More »