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October 25, 2002—In this issue:
1. COMMENTARY
- Thinking Outside the Box
2. ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Subscribe to Windows & .NET Magazine and Receive an eBook Gift!
- Real-World Tips and Solutions Here for You
3. WHAT'S NEW FROM CERTTUTOR LIVE!
- FEATURED THREADS
- Enter Our New eBook Drawing!
- Folder Redirection
- Switching from Permanent to Contract
4. RESOURCES
- Link of the Week: The New ExamCram Site
- Tip of the Week: Don't Scrimp on Tools You Rely On
- Question of the Week: Exam 640-607
5. INSTANT POLL
- Results of the Previous Poll: Big Brother
- New Poll: Are You Annoyed Yet?
6. NEW AND IMPROVED
- Take a NetOp Course
7. CONTACT US
- See this section for a list of ways to contact us.
1. COMMENTARY
(contributed by Dick Lewis, [email protected])
If you're like me, you admire people who can generate creative new ideas. At work, you might see people who aren't very technically gifted reap rewards because they regularly offer new and innovative ways to solve technical problems. Ironically, often those people with the technical skills have to work out the nuts and bolts of implementing these solutions.
You've undoubtedly had the experience of having an idea that seemed a bit too unconventional. Perhaps you feared that the idea might sound stupid—that if it were truly a good idea, someone else would've already thought of it. In some cases, these fears are legitimate; in most cases, they're unreasonable hindrances. But what's important is someone will eventually offer a similar idea, so why shouldn't it be you?
Alex Osborn, an advertising executive, pioneered brainstorming in 1941. Osborn found that typical meeting protocols actually squelched creativity. The open format he introduced invited participants to develop large quantities of ideas, without filtering anything out. He encouraged group members to build on one another's suggestions instead of becoming locked into defending their own positions. By considering even the wildest, seemingly unworkable ideas, the group could often reshape unusual notions and launch creative and workable ideas. Brainstorming has become a popular way for companies to generate fresh concepts and continues to be an effective business tool.
Personal brainstorming is outside-the-box thinking on a personal level, without the group meeting. With personal brainstorming, you must refrain from self-criticism. Try to think of wild or exaggerated ideas, then build on them. Watch as the unworkable transitions to workable, chaos becomes order, and the quantity of ideas nets quality of ideas.
The problem-solving mindset that most of us employ in IT training, planning, and troubleshooting roles can act as a barrier to effective personal brainstorming. If you're in a meeting and someone offers an unusual idea, your first inclination might be to examine the risks and offer reasons why the idea will fail. Generally, employers encourage this mentality and appreciate people who can analyze risks quickly and save time and money by avoiding problems. But this quick-read ability is in direct opposition to the concept of personal brainstorming, where you withhold analysis until later.
Are you ready to think outside the box? You can start by taking some risks and sharing ideas as they come to you. You might see resistance among your colleagues initially, but they'll likely grow to appreciate your innovation and build upon it. Realize that not every idea is a good idea, that the timing might not be perfect, and that the market conditions might not be ideal. You might need to shape and hone a concept over time or bounce it off others to leverage the idea and see it grow from the foundation you built. What's important is that you step forward.
You can also volunteer for tasks that are outside your comfort zone. Perhaps you'll find an area where you can become your organization's go-to person or resident expert. Seeing the implementation of your creative ideas can be more satisfying than financial rewards, which will likely follow.
If you're in a management position, encourage creative ideas by creating a threat-free atmosphere for discussion. Have employees think about "requirements plus": For example, what can you do to not only meet a client's requirements but anticipate requirements that the client doesn't yet know exist? Develop mentoring opportunities by teaming creative thinkers with others who need to develop this skill. Realize that employees can put in their 40 hours a week and never really have to offer creative ideas; your job is to help them break out of that mold.
On an individual level, use personal brainstorming to think more openly about your career and your training choices and strategies. Take rationality and self-criticism off the table and consider the IT industry—where is it headed, what interests you, what new areas would you like to learn about and pursue, and how can you apply your training effort and dollars more effectively? When you're brainstorming, no wrong answers exist. Good luck.
2. ANNOUNCEMENTS
(brought to you by Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners)
Windows & .NET Magazine is a problem-solving manual designed to help systems administrators better manage their Windows 2000 and Windows NT enterprise. Subscribe today and, with your paid subscription, you can choose from one of three eBooks about Active Directory, public key infrastructure, or automating tasks with VBScript. Subscribe now!
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Last chance to register for Windows & .NET Magazine LIVE!—sign up today and you'll also receive access to sessions of concurrently run XML and Web Services Connections. Access more than 70 sessions and save $1395. Discover why more than half of our attendees choose only our conferences to attend each year. This conference is chock-full of "been there, done that" knowledge from people who use Microsoft technologies in the real world. Register today!
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3. WHAT'S NEW FROM CERTTUTOR LIVE!
CertTutor.net Live! is the Internet's number-one training and certification discussion board. Each week, CertTutor.net Live! receives thousands of posts about Windows XP, Windows 2000, Cisco Systems, and more. We've selected three of these posts to feature here in CertTutor.net UPDATE. To join in the conversation at CertTutor.net Live!, register at the following URL:
http://www.certtutor.net/registration/index.cfm
Enter a drawing to win a grand prize pack that consists of a 128MB USB removable storage drive, a 2-year subscription to Windows & .NET Magazine, and a $50 voucher for ThinkGeek.com. Five second-prize packs let you choose from a ThinkGeek.com voucher, an Amazon.com voucher, or a 2-year subscription to Windows & .NET Magazine. To learn how to enter, see the following CertTutor.net Live! thread:
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=95&threadid=35783
Planning is important when you're implementing roaming profiles or changing the location of the My Documents directory. If you're not careful, you can overwhelm even a hefty server!
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=35800
If you're considering leaving the relative comfort of "permanent" employee status to become a consultant, be sure to consider all the ramifications carefully. See this thread for some advice.
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=2&threadid=35161
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=35779
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=7&threadid=35755
http://certtutor.net/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=2&threadid=35750
4. RESOURCES
Visit the new ExamCram site and watch for books from some of the CertTutor.net Live! tutors.
http://www.examcram.com
If you use a tool every day, spend a little extra for a quality tool with features that will increase your productivity. Even a tiny increase in productivity can be huge over an extended period of time. For example, a properly configured mouse that has extra buttons or a specialty keyboard can increase your productivity by many minutes a day and hours per month. By accomplishing more in the same amount of time, you are worth more and you might even have time to do some things that you want to do.
This week's question will help you prepare for the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) exam (640-607).
You can describe protocols as either connection-oriented or connectionless. Which of the following protocols are connectionless? (Select all that apply.)
- IP
- UDP
- ATM
- IPX
- frame relay
Connectionless protocols transmit each packet independently of packets they have already transmitted and any packets they transmit thereafter. Generally, an application further up the Open System Interconnection (OSI) layer must reassemble the packets in the correct order. The correct answers are A—IP; B—UDP; and D—IPX.
5. INSTANT POLL
The voting has closed in the CertTutor.net nonscientific Instant
Poll for the question, "Does your company monitor employee Internet use?" Here are the results (+/- 2 percent) from the 50 votes:
- 72%: Yes
- 28%: No
- 0%: I'm not sure
The next Instant Poll question is, "How many AOL CD-ROMs have you received in the mail this month?" Go to the CertTutor.net home page and submit your vote for a), One, b), A few, c), Several, d) Too many!
http://www.certtutor.net
6. NEW AND IMPROVED
(contributed by Carolyn Mader, [email protected])
CrossTec is providing in-depth, hands-on, instructor-led training classes for NetOp users at its Boca Raton, Florida headquarters. The courses will help new and experienced NetOp users learn the best methods for installing, configuring, and managing NetOp PCs on their network. The NetOp product line lets you access and support remote PCs and servers. For pricing on courses, contact CrossTec at [email protected].
http://www.crossteccorp.com
7. CONTACT US
Here's how to reach us with your comments and questions:
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- ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER IN GENERAL — [email protected]
(please mention the newsletter name in the subject line)
- TECHNICAL QUESTIONS — http://www.winnetmag.net/forums
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- QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR CERTTUTOR.NET UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION?
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