Just a quick note to say that Ray Camden (oh Jedi Master) has released the latest version of BlogCFC, the software that runs this very blog. So, if this site goes tonto over the next few days, you can probably guess why now… 
Get it while it's hot.
BlogCFC 5 Released
Posted by Neil
on May 12, 2006
…You do what?
Posted by Neil
on May 11, 2006
I've been asked to define a job role at work. The trouble being that I do not really have any clue as to what the job title might be.
Basically, in a nutshell, the task will be 50% developer based, with a focus on new technologies. This person's main job will be to keep an eye on the community, with an ear to the ground, checking out new products, technologies and techniques that are being released, with a view to assessing the interesting ones for possible adoption within a development team.
So, what do you guys reckon this job title should be? Technology evangelist is the closest I can find, but that seems to be working in the other direction, i.e selling your own technologies to third parties (much like Ben Forta @ Adobe).
Anyone?
The future of the Internet as an Applications Platform
Posted by Neil
on May 10, 2006
UKCFUG today mailed out to it's members mentioning this months's meeting, which isn't actually a UKCFUG meeting, but an Adobe Seminar entitled “The future of the Internet as an Applications Platform”.
The meetings lined up to be in Olympia 2 on May 24th. The format will be that of a panel discussion featuring the likes of Ben Watson (Flex PM), Andrew Shorten (Flex Engineer), Bola Rotibi (from Ovum), James Govenor of Redmonk, Aral Balkan and Andy Hood from AKQA. This panel discussion will explore topics around the design, development and deployment of rich internet applications, provide an insight into real-world development experiences and discuss how AJAX, Flex and other technologies will be used to blur the lines between desktop and web-based applications. Register on the Adobe website.
Additionally, in other UKCFUG news, next meeting after that is set for 1st June in the usual place. Presenting again is Mark Drew (the new co-manager of the CFUG) now working the session under the title “Model-Glue and Coldspring: Inversion of Control and Configuration”. Register at the UKCFUG website.
I'm on the weekly
Posted by Neil
on May 09, 2006
I was just browsing around yesterday and found myself listening to the Coldfusion Weekly Podcast by Matt Woodward and Peter Farrell only to find that I had been mentioned for my Frappr map. It's always a little weird to suddenly hear your own name coming through your headphones.
Check out the weekly, it's a great commuting listen…
PS You can also hear me in the Coldfusion Podcast, Episode 16.
So, where are all the developers then?
Posted by Neil
on May 08, 2006
If you are a regular reader, you will remember the Frappr map I started on Friday to find out where all the CF is in the world. Well, since then some 500 flags have been placed on the map telling us a fair bit about the community.
1) We now know that there are at least 400 developers out there who read blogs/aggregators regulary (i.e every 24 hours). I personally would guess at more than triple that after taking into account non-click throughs and people who didn't add a tag. Additionally, I have noticed that Sean Corfield's and Ray Camden's blogs are amongst the most-read blogs.
2) CF is mainly prevalent in the US (east beats west by some margin), the UK (south v. north) and Austrailia.
3) Around 7-8% of CF developers are female.
4) Frappr is incresingly slow and unreliable.
CF Developers map
Posted by Neil
on May 04, 2006
Due to having some spare time (which is always dangerous in my case), I have taken it upon myself to create a Frappr map, containing all the CF developers worldwide. Hopefully this will help bring developers together, helping them find out who's in their area etc. I going to try and get people to publish this, as the more people on it, the more useful it could be. So, if you have a blog/webpage/podcast, please list it, and get it known.
So, go ahead and add yourself to the map, at time of writing, I'm looking a little lonely.
var frappr_mapheight = 300;
var frappr_mapwidth = 500;
var frappr_maplat = 40;
var frappr_maplon = -45;
var frappr_mapzoom = 16;
var frappr_host = “http://www.frappr.com/”;var gid = 636523;
In any given second in the UK
Posted by Neil
on May 03, 2006
Taken from the Office of National Statistics figures
So, what do you drive?
Posted by Neil
on May 02, 2006
What people drive has always been interesting to me, as I believe it tells a lot about that person and the way that they are. So, in a vain attempt to get people to open up a little, I thought I would pose the question to you all, what do you drive?
For starters, the family wagon is a 1997 VW Passat 1.8T whilst my daily runabout is a Toyota Aygo+.
So, c'mon peeps, tell what you drive either via comments, or better still, post them up on your own blogs….
