text:
Project management LITE
a roadmap for merging project management styles
Manager, National Programme Management Office, Health Services Executive
The Health Service Executive (HSE) was established in 2005. This merged a number of different Health Boards and organisations. To enable this change and achieve its objectives the HSE launched The HSE Transformation Programme (2007 – 2010) consisting of 13 programmes with 119 projects. In parallel, the HSE established a National Programme Office (NPMO) with the responsibility to implement a standard Project Management Methodology and approach for the management of the 119 projects. Following the implementation of the HSE there were many different methodologies and styles to project management as each of the 11 areas were independent organisations up until then.
The paper describes how the NPMO developed a standard methodology and implemented it for the Transformation Programme. Following a review of the process in operation it identified the weakness in the adopted methodology and approach. The paper includes an outline of the challenges that faced the HSE and the NPMO to develop an alternative approach for the management of projects, one that had better buy in and effectiveness.
The process undertaken to develop a revised approach to project management resulted in the development of HSE Project Management LITE. The roadmap in developing this approach is outlined together with the key principles adopted to implement Project Management LITE.
The content of this paper refers to work that was undertaken in the Health Services Executive (HSE), Republic of Ireland. The HSE is responsible for managing and delivering health and personal social services in Ireland. It is the largest employer in the country with just under 110,000 staff and a budget of almost €14 billion (HSE Annual Report, 2009, p. 9).
In 2005 the HSE was established following the passing of legislation to change the existing structure that had been in place from 1970 for the delivery of Health & Social Care Services to the population of Ireland. The HSE sought to create an integrated Health Service by combining the management and delivery of these services by the Eastern Regional Health Authority and 10 regional Health Boards and a number of other organisations within one authority. Each of these Health Boards had their own CEO and management structure and while they delivered services as per the policy and budget allocation as defined by the Department of Health & Children (DOH&C), they primarily worked as independent organisations. The amalgamation was primarily focused on the reorganisation of service delivery so that it would be integrated and provided in a consistent, standardised manner conforming to best standards of practice and quality. Organisational structures had to be redesigned and implemented. The HSE was to be managed through one CEO and four Regional Directors as opposed to 11 CEOs and their management teams.
To enable this change and achieve its objectives the HSE launched The HSE Transformation Programme (2007 – 2010). The programme of work described the current service delivery model that existed in 2007, the vision of the desired state to be achieved by 2010, and the priority actions needed to attain that vision. The priority actions were classified into 13 programmes with 119 projects. These were large-scale programmes and projects, e.g., Programe 3 covered the following:
(The HSE Transformation Programme 2007 – 2010)
"Project 3.2 Services configuration implementation – NE transformation plan" covered the reconfiguration of the services delivered in five hospitals—transferring services from one hospital to another, discontinuing some services in this area and transferring some services for delivery to Community Care.
In order to maximise the prospects for successful implementation of these priority actions, the CEO mandated that these programmes and projects should to be managed using a standardised project management methodology. These projects were identified as a priority for the newly established HSE National Programme Management Office (NPMO).
When established the NPMO found that there were many different methodologies in place throughout the HSE while in some parts of the organisation methodology-based project management was not practised at all. To standardise the process it developed and implemented an Interim Project Management Methodology (IPMM).
Following use of the methodology for a year its effectiveness was reviewed. The review was very informative and allowed the NPMO to revise and redesign its project management approach and toolset. This drove the development of the HSE Project Management LITE methodology.
Transformation Programme and Projects
The HSE launched its Transformation Programme (2007 – 2010) that encompassed two broad categories of propriety activities:
Category 1 - Direct Services that had six programmes and
Category II - Enabling/Infrastructure that had seven programmes.
Each programme was allocated a senior manager from within the HSE to act as Programme Lead.
In conjunction with the programme leads, the NPMO obtained the agreement of the HSE's Senior Management Team to proceed with a total of 93 projects and 26 sub-projects within the Transformation Programme.
Management were acutely aware that the HSE was undertaking one of the most significant change programmes in the history of the State. International evidence points to a high failure rate in implementing transformational change. Organisations have realised, often following painful failures, that managing change differs significantly from managing the business. To minimise the risk of failure the NPMO was requested to develop an appropriate Project Implementation approach and methodology that would ensure standardisation, transparency, good monitoring, and effective progress reporting.
The HSE National Programme Management Office (NPMO)
The HSE established a National Programme Management Office (NPMO). In the previous Health Board structures, each Board decided its own approach and methodology for project management and to what extent it wished to use project management methodologies. Just prior to the implementation of the HSE a Project Methodology Guide for use with projects within the Health Board Structure was published by The Health Board Executive (HeBE). This was a first step to being some standardisation to the management of projects throughout the Health Boards.
The NPMO was to implement a standardised methodology, providing a toolset, training and field support to project teams. The vision was that this approach would build a project management competency within the HSE that would support the organisation in its goal to implement change in a structured project environment using a standardised approach. While the focus for the NPMO was on supporting the Transformation Programme the output and learning was to be applied to other large-scale projects in the HSE.
In providing project management support to the Transformation Programme the NPMO was specifically asked to:
– Develop appropriate management processes, including portfolio, programme, and project management to support the HSE Transformation Programme 2007-2010.
– Support the CEO and Management Team through formal programme assurance.
– Manage the monthly, quarterly and annual monitoring and review process for the Transformation Programme.
– Provide direct support to programme and project managers including intensive field level activities.
– Support the development of programme and project management capability within the organisation through the development and delivery of specific methodologies, standards and training.
Managing the Transformation Programme using a Project Management Approach
The Environment and Culture
The NPMO had to deliver a structured and standardised approach where the current environment had different approaches to project management, different documentation in use, and different levels of experience in managing projects. In addition the NPMO was just established and had not yet built a relationship with existing managers throughout the HSE. The Unit had to establish itself, identify its way of working, develop a project management standard within the HSE and in parallel implement, and support a robust project management methodology for the implementation of the largest change management project in the history of the state. The level of change that had taken place with the implementation of the new HSE structure was significant, which had many managers and staff adjusting to their new roles and environment.
Senior management was of the view that there was a good knowledge and experience in the application of project management discipline throughout the regions.
Developing a Standard Project Management Approach for the Transformation Programme
The NPMO decided to develop an Interim Project Management Methodology (IPMM) for use by the HSE project teams pending the development and adoption of a national standard HSE Project Management Methodology (PMM). This approach was taken as there was an immediate need for standardisation to be adopted and implemented. There was not time for the agreement and adoption of a final methodology.
The NPMO reviewed existing documentation that was in place from the former Health Board structure. This included the PRINCE Methodology, which was adopted for ICT Projects together with The Health Boards Executive Project Methodology Guide based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge - PMBOK produced by the former Health Board Executive organisation (HeBE) in partnership with The Centre for Project Management, University of Limerick (HeBE Project Methodology Guide). An IPMM was published that aimed to provide a structured, accessible and user-friendly approach for all HSE personnel who were involved in projects. Where an existing and robust PMM was already in place and was being followed rigorously, there was no requirement to adopt the interim methodology.
The objective of the IPMM was to ensure that projects were conducted in a disciplined, coherent, and consistent manner. The ultimate goal of the methodology was to promote the delivery of quality services projects that would be completed on time and within budget. All projects undertaken within the HSE were to be conducted within a formal project management methodology.
Implementing the Interim Project Management Methodology (IPMM)
Work started to apply the principles of the IPMM to the Transformation Programme projects. The programme had a good governance structure with the management team taking on the role of the steering group. The setup of the programme with the breakdown of the priorities into 13 different programmes broken down into projects and sub-projects was a good starting point and very much in line with the IPMM. Programme leads were identified to manage each of the programmes.
Project managers had to be identified and assigned to each of the projects. The majority of the projects were service delivery. The appropriate people to manage these projects needed to come from the services, e.g., clinicians, nurses, physiotherapists, etc. Project management cannot succeed unless a good project manager is at the controls. "It is far more likely that project managers will succeed if it is obvious to the subordinates that the general manager has appointed them" (Gautam). Due to the budget and manpower recruitment restrictions it was necessary to appoint the project managers from existing resources with their existing workload shared by their colleagues. In many cases project managers could only be freed up to mange the project on a part time basis while maintaining their existing workload. "Leadership of a project team requires many skills beyond technical knowledge. A team leader must be able to communicate effectively and work well with all stakeholders" (Brown, 2009).
The NPMO devised a set of templates for use. Guidance documentation was produced and a training programme developed. The resources from the NPMO provided field support. Working with the project managers and sponsors to develop their Project Initiation Documents and Scope Statements proved challenging. This part of the project took longer and placed a greater demand on the NPMO than was envisaged. While it was clear that the project managers coming from the front line service were a key asset to the project the need for support and training in the IPMM was proving challenging. These managers knew their area of business, were capable of getting the buy in for the change, could bring their colleagues with them in the project but struggled with the disciple and the use of the tool set that was defined for use to manage the project. Due to the double demands on the project managers to maintain their existing workload or at least 50% of it and to find time to manage the project it proved virtually impossible to extract them for training in the IPMM toolset. They were eager to make the project work and welcomed the training opportunity but for many the demands on their time were so great that attendance at training courses often had to be forfeited.
As the Transformation Programme progressed the tool set was used. Scope statements and project plans were developed with ongoing progress reporting put in place.
A key part of managing the project was the completion of a monthly status report for submission to the CEO and steering group. The programme leads compiled the reports from their project managers and submitted a summarised report to the NPMO. These reports used the red, amber, and green (RAG) concept for reporting from the project manager up to CEO level (RAG Status definition – Imperial College London). The NPMO collated the information and produced the overall management report for the CEO and steering group. The NPMO also had to provide an independent assessment on how the projects were progressing and how accurately the state of the project was being reflected in the reports. Each quarter a more detailed report was prepared.
Review of the Operation of the Interim Project Management Methodology in Operation
After the first year of the Transformation Programme and the use of the IPMM, the NPMO reviewed the application of the methodology and its effectiveness. The review included feedback from the users and the management team. The findings showed that while the IPMM was in place with the tool set being used it was not being as effective as required. The users found it to be an additional overhead and struggled to see a real benefit from its use. The findings showed that in some instances templates were being completed to fulfil the need of the methodology as opposed to assisting the project. It also showed that while scope statements and plans were in use they were not accurately reflecting the real objectives and status of the project. While monitoring and progress reports were in place and being completed they were not giving the information on the projects that was needed. The NPMO could gain more knowledge from onsite visits and one-to-one interaction with the project managers. In summary the IPMM appeared more to be an end in itself—perhaps just to meet the discipline and requirement to manage the project according to the prescribed methodology. "However having a framework in place is no guarantee of success and we delved a little deeper into the issue by asking about how the methodology is used by staff' (Clarion, 2008).
Building on the Feedback and Getting a More Effective Project Management Approach
With this information the NPMO had to pause, reflect, and identify how the situation could be improved. It had developing a standardised approach, agreed a tool set but while in many cases these were being used they were not achieving the desired result. At this point the HSE drew on the expertise of the Project Management Institute of Ireland through its Training Partners OLASIT/Turlon & Associates to provide guidance on what needed to be done. On presenting the findings of the review of the current project management approach OLASIT/Turlon & Associates asked the HSE to focus on the "Level of Maturity" of the HSE as an organisation for the management of projects. This was a new concept for the NPMO. The NPMO had to familiarise itself with this concept and identify how it would help to address the issues identified in project managing the Transformation Programme projects.
Learning and Building on Organisation Project Management Maturity (OPM3)
The message we delivered to HSE managers is that project management maturity refers to the level of consistency in which projects are managed. It was important to develop an understanding that it does not mean that projects in an immature project management environment are less successful. It means that projects have different levels of consistency in how they are approached, managed, and delivered. Organisations that have a high level of maturity are found to have a higher rate of success with the projects they undertake. OPM3 helps organizations understand their project management processes, ensures that their projects are tied to the organization's larger strategy, and measures and guides their capabilities for improvement. The standard OPM3 maturity model has five levels.
Using this concept of five levels of maturity the NPMO examined the operation of the IPMM to identify what level the organisation was at for its management of the Transformation Programme using a project management approach. It was easier to get engagement from managers using this concept for review of the current project management approach.
Developed based on OPM3 in Association with OLASIT/Turlon & Associates in developing HSE Project Management "LITE"
Recognising the HSE Project Management Level of Maturity
Following an analysis of the project management approach in use in the HSE for the Transformation Programme the NPMO identified that while there were some pockets of advanced project management approaches and skills in the organisation. Overall, the organisation had a low level of project management "maturity" particularly in the service area. The highest level of maturity was in the ICT areas. Also, the analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the management of projects for product implementation as opposed to service delivery change management projects. The NPMO learned that the HSE had judged the level of competency in project management higher than it was in practice. The IPMM that had been introduced needed to take this into consideration.
Key Areas to be Addressed
An outcome from looking at the Organisational Level of maturity was the acceptance that changing the culture to one of project management disciple would be a slow process. It would take time to get buy in, to demonstrate the benefits and to develop appropriate skills. Producing guidance packs and templates with training would not make this happen. The NPMO needed to start building a project management culture and create a mindset for project managers.
Change the Culture/Environment
Another key learning related to the process being undertaken when managing the project. While the NPMO had succeeded in getting consistency and standardisation in the use of the IPMM tools there were significant differences in the processes being undertaken to identify the information to populate the toolset, e.g., while there were project initiation documents, scope statements, work breakdown structures, project plans, etc., the content was not accurately reflecting the project. The process of identifying the project details needed to be improved.
Change the Approach to Planning
In addition to the above when the NPMO examined the lifecycle for managing projects it found that the greatest strength in the organisation was in the "Execution" Phase—there was a great eagerness and traction to get to the doing phase—little time was spent on the Initiation and Planning Phases. Some projects never were closed out and completely passed over to the business.
Exhibit 3 shows the effort that was recommended as part of the IPMM.
Developed based on Training Course and Materials for Diploma in Applied Project Management 2007 – 2008
The project managers struggled in creating the implementation plans. While plans were completed they were not accurately reflecting the work that needed to be done and also as milestones were being achieved greater insight into the project objectives was being gathered resulting in significant updates to the plans.
Creating the Mindset of the Project Manager
Together with starting to build a culture of project management the need for developing a mindset for project managers was absolutely key. Plans, status reports and action lists will not on their own make a successful project. Project managers needed to understand the importance of managing and involving stakeholders and have effective communications in place. Use of a power grid as outlined by Peter Taylor (2009, p. 38) was encouraged.
Creating Project Management LITE
Armed with this information the NPMO with the guidance from the Project management Institute of Ireland through its Training Partners OLASIT/Turlon & Associates set about to revise its approach to Project Management. It had to take a lighter approach and focus more on culture, mindset, and process.
The underlying message was that using a project management approach did not have to be a burden in itself. To get the message across we build on the branding name of "LITE". The use of LITE as a banding name got the message through that the process was changed and much more useable.
The roadmap adopted to build Project Management LITE was:
- Identification of why projects fail and communicate this message
- Accept the Organisation Project Management level of maturity and explain it and communicate it. Identify a roadmap for improving the level of maturity
- Develop a culture with greater focus on stakeholder engagement, communications, and change management
- Develop a mindset for project managers
- Train and develop project managers
- Never stop reviewing and improving.
Creating a Project Management Culture
In creating Project Management LITE the HSE kept to the forefront the reasons why projects fail and kept communicating this message. Only with an ongoing consistent message can one start to change the culture. There are many reasons why projects fail but using the 80/20 rule the most common reasons can be grouped as follows:
(Based on studies by the Standish Group International consisting of 8,380 development programs/projects at 365 U.S. companies.)
In addition, the HSE was very cognisant that "Many business change programmes do not provide the expected benefits: (Source: IMA, Inc; all rights reserved 1997)
(Wallace Simon 1999 - 2007)
|of companies are unsuccessful in implementing change programmes
|70% to 80%
|of companies do not obtain the expected return on quality improvement investments
|of cultural change initiatives do not achieve the required change in the organisations culture
|50% to 60%
|of customer service programmes do not result in benefit to the customer
|60% to 70%
|of companies do not realise expected benefits from implementing technology initiatives
The Principles of HSE Project Management LITE
The principles and basic elements were agreed and communicated under the LITE brand name.
- Implementing a "liter" process to support the management of projects, with the end goal of building a structured, consistent, and useful process.
- The aim is to support Projects and not the process. A "just as much as needed" approach should be applied.
- Ensure consistency in the use of project management principles, tools and techniques, terms, etc.
- Educating service staff in how to use the process rather than follow the process.
Project LITE: basic elements
- Agreeing the idea
– someone needs to give the "go ahead" for an idea
- Agreeing what the end will look like and what needs to be done
– the work required needs to be defined so that everyone involved knows what is to be delivered
- Timeframes
– the schedule and milestones need to be agreed
- Governance
– someone needs to be responsible for approving the plan as well as delivering and managing the project
- Implementation
– someone needs to do the work
- Status
– there needs to be clarity on how the project's progress will be tracked
- Issues and risks
– the issues and risks emerging during implementation need to be managed
- Connections
– where the project is dependent on other work being done, this needs to be identified and managed
Updated Life Cycle
The project life cycle process was refined to incorporate a series of checkpoints (gate reviews) and approvals. At the end of each phase, a Gate Review was to be undertaken. The check lists had to be meaningful and realistic to the project, not just a one-fits-all approach. The NPMO was to work with the project managers to develop and agree the check lists at the start of each phase. At the end of the phase there were to be no surprises on what needed to be achieved for approval to proceed to the next phase. Everyone was to be clear on the milestones and objectives for each phase. This helped greatly with the planning of the project.
Revised Detailed Planning Process
Following a number of workshops on some of the projects it became apparent that the approach to detailed planning needed to be revised. The projects were service related projects with significant change management elements where the vision was clear but the objectives and deliverables was challenging to define for long periods of time. There were many dependencies from milestones achieved that were impacting the next phase of the project resulting in the plan being revised. An alternative approach as recommended in the PMBOK® Guide had to be considered—"Decomposition may not be possible for a deliverable or subproject that will be accomplished far into the future. The project management team usually waits until the deliverables or subproject is clarified so the details of the WBS can be developed. This technique is sometimes referred to as rolling wave planning" (PMBOK® Guide, 4th Edition, 2008, Chapter 5, p. 120).
In revising the methodology for the Detailed Planning Phase the introduction of Rolling Wave Planning was a welcomed change. The Rolling Wave Planning approach implemented was to have key milestones for every 90 –100 days and to have detail plans developed for these 90 –100 day periods. "Instead map your journey in a series of 100-Day Wins, aligning your deliverables by end date. So every 100 days you've finished a number of major milestones" (Deloitte Consulting, 2002, p. 22).
The planning of very large projects is critical for efficient management and control but is challenging. "There are two extremes in the management, organisation, planning and control of such projects with many variations between them—Complete centralisation or Complete decentralisation (Harrison, 1985, p. 236). An appropriate balance to be identified depending on the programme.
Revised Monitoring/Status Reports
The Status Reporting process was reviewed. While there was a strong favour for exception reporting a balance in reporting was recognised as sometimes the focus on exceptions/slippages does not give the full picture.
"Unfortunately experience has shown that reporting by exception must be treated with caution, as often it is the unexpected that causes trouble" (Harrison, 1985, p. 317). Getting an effective status reporting process in place takes time and revision (O'Connell Fergus, 2001).
Changing the Mindset of Project Managers
Having addressed key areas like the Project Life Cycle process, changing to Rolling Wave Planning and the Status Reporting process the next area to be addressed was the way of working in a project management environment. The most significant change to be achieved was ensuring that the process was being undertaken in an effective way to ensure that the information on the project that was gathered was reliable and robust. To achieve this, the HSE in partnership with their training partners OLASIT/Turlon & Associates built a specific training course that was focused on building what was believed to be the correct mindset of the project manager. This mindset to be one to concentrate on the process of the project as a whole, with high concentration on communication, change management, and stakeholder management. Workshops and facilitated sessions with stakeholders were to become the norm for identifying scope, milestones, and deliverables. This course is accredited by the Project Management Institute of Ireland.
Project managers welcome the training. From a series of training courses the key concerns that project managers identified were:
Doing the right thing
Lack of knowledge and skills
Keeping project invigorated
To end project
Conflict resolution
Knowing what's expected
Risk and patient safety
Ability to deliver
Maintain credibility
(Built from workshop feedback on Reconfiguration of Acute Hospital Services, Cork and Kerry, 2010.)
The NPMO took feedback from project managers on what they wanted to achieve from the training, summarised as:
Where and how to start
Understanding of role
Structured approach
Time organisation
Delegate appropriately
Stages in a project
Managing people
Framework and tools
Push and pull
Gaining trust – team /stakeholders.
By taking the approach of listening to the project managers the NPMO found that the Training Programme was of interest to project managers and helped to build their skills. However, it is only with use of the methodologies, building on the recommendations and skills developed as part of the training that the HSE will develop a competent pool of project managers. No training or methodologies can replace the skill sets built from the experience of managing projects.
While progress has been made in identifying the ways of improving project management in the HSE particularly for large-scale service delivery projects its implementation is at an early stage. Significant learning came from the management of the projects in the HSE Transformation Programme.
We can conclude that creating a project management culture in the organisation is fundamental. In conjunction with that an appropriate project manager mindset needs to be developed—one that is focused on stakeholders, change management, and communication as opposed to well presented and completed templates. The process is essential to define and manage the project but it should be based on the concept of "just as much as is needed." Sometimes, we as project managers, become too focused on the project management aspect itself—turning project management processes into an end in themselves as opposed to supporting the process.
The learning and training identified is being applied in the HSE. A large-scale project for the Reconfiguration of Acute Hospital Services, Cork and Kerry is being used as a primary pilot project. Learning on the implementation and use of Project Management LITE continues with a view to continuous improvement. A Project Management Guide for Acute Hospital & Pre Hospital Emergency Care Services Reconfiguration was agreed on in June 2010 and endorsed by the Department of Health & Children.
The NPMO continues to develop the project management skillsets and mindset within the HSE. The following roadmap is the route for the improvement of project management over time within the HSE.
Brown, B. (Aug 17, 2009). Picking a Team Leader. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/content/project-management-picking-a-team-leader-a140037
Clarion. (2008). Project Management 2008. Practices in Irish Organisations (Chapter 7, p. 9). Retrieved from http://www.ippm.ie/docs/articles/Project%20Management%20Ireland%202008.pdf
HSE. (2007). The HSE Transformation Programme (2007 – 2010) Retrieved from http://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/FactFile/HSE_Approach/Transformation_Programme_2007-2010_/
HSE. (2009). Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009. Retrieved from www.hse.ie/eng/services/Publications/corporate/AnnualReport2009.pd
HeBE. (2004). Project Methodology Guide -The Health Boards Executive Retrieved from http://www.lenus.ie/hse/handle/10147/42849?locale=ga.
Imperial College London (2011) – ICT Project Process – RAG status definition Retrieved from http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/ictprojectprocess/pmtools/ragstatus1
Gautam, K. (2010) Selecting the Project Manager: An Executive Decision from POME. Retrieved from http://moso-technology.com/2010/08/selecting-the-project-manager-an-executive-decision-from-pome-by-gautam-koppala
O'Connell F. (2001). How to Run Successful Projects III: The Silver Bullet Reading, Massachusetts: Addison Wesley Longman.
Project Management Institute. (2008). A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) Newtown Square, PA: Author.
Standish Group International. (2005) Why IT Projects Fail. Available at http://www.projectperfect.com.au/info_it_projects_fail.php
Taylor, P. (2009). The Lazy Project Manager .Oxford, UK: Infinite Ideas
Wallace, S. (1999 – 2007). The ePM Book. Available at http://www.epmbook.com/buschangeprog.htm
© 2010, Sarah McCormack
Originally published as a part of 2011 PMI Global Congress Proceedings – Dublin, Ireland
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A total of 20 events will be held annually where Easton's HIT LAB will be used for player evaluation. Event dates and locations for 2012 include the following:
About Easton Sports
Easton Sports is a developer, manufacturer, marketer and distributor of baseball, softball, hockey, and lacrosse equipment for both sports professionals and enthusiasts. Easton Sports focuses on its ability to innovate and create products of unmatched quality and performance including the #1 bat in the College World Series®, Women's College World Series®, Little League World Series®, and Slow-Pitch Softball,. Headquartered in Van Nuys, Calif., Easton Sports employs over 1,200 people worldwide and maintains facilities in Utah, California, Mexico, Canada and Sweden. For further information, please visit www.eastonsports.com.
About Baseball Factory
Baseball Factory has developed programs to provide players with world-class instruction and life-changing experiences, which when combined, lead to future success both on and off the field. Baseball Factory holds over 500 events nationwide each year in over 40 states and 100 cities. We pride ourselves on giving families an unbiased assessment of where they stand against other players nationwide. Baseball Factory events have featured more than 290 players who have played or are currently playing in the Majors and over 40,000 players have gone on to play at the college level. 98% of Division I, 70% of Division II and 60% of Division III programs have at least one Baseball Factory alumnus on their roster. Learn more at www.baseballfactory.com.


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Stories from CEF
Finding Hope in a Lost World
-Vickie Sargent Kler
In my blog Confessions from a Pastor's Wife, I like to start by saying, "I have a confession," but for CEF®, that might sound strange. But the truth is I do have a confession; I love to teach Good News Club®! And for those of you, who enjoy it too, we also share a common problem—bringing the word of the Lord to children in a world that is falling further and further into sin.
Daily we see examples of how far the United States is moving away from the Lord. Our country is becoming increasingly hostile to those of us who are called to spread the word and love of Jesus Christ to children. This war on Christians is very foreign to us in the United States, but it is becoming our new normal. But CEF is a bright light shining like a beacon in the darkness.
I have just come from the most remarkable experience I have had in a long time, the CEF national conference held in North Carolina. It was a place where God fellowshipped with His children. We worshipped Him in song and praise. Hundreds of grown-ups sang and danced to the beat of Good News Club songs, sharing their inner child. I'm sure God looked on in pure joy as He was adored and venerated. It was so moving that I am still reeling from the event. For those of you who were there, I am sure you share my feelings. If you missed it, you need to consider going the next time we get together. In this time of Christian oppression, spending time with like-minded people will give you hope.
As I teach Good News Club, I see that things differ greatly from how they were just eight years ago. There are days when I feel like we are not making a difference. The children are restless; the school administration has thought of a new hoop for us to jump through—that's when I have to rely on the strength and protection that God provides. (Psalm 46:1-2.)
God has promised He would be our defender sheltering us when the storms of life come. We need to focus on the work God has given us in spite of ongoing conflict. Let us neither answer strife for strife nor lose hope. We must keep our attention on Jesus and how He acted humbly in the face of oppression, honoring God all the way to the cross. Dwell on the fact that God is on our side. Know He has promised to fight our battles.
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, knowing that in the LORD your labor is not in vain"( 1 Corinthians 15:58).
When thoughts of giving up come into our minds, we need to concentrate on these words and be filled with faith and confidence no matter what comes against us. Whatever we need, remember that God is our source and supply. We may feel tired and weary, but let God give us peace and joy to refresh and strengthen us so we can have the power to overcome any of the obstacles we may be facing. (Psalm 46:10-11.) I believe if we can do that we can accomplish all the work He has for us and bring a bounty of children to the kingdom!
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The first 2011 Auckland Area Meet-Up is this Sunday, January 16th from 12:00-3:00 pm for lunch/coffee at Columbus Coffee Ellerslie, 139 Main Highway, Ellerslie- with free three hour parking in Arthur Street.
Meetings are casual. Newcomers are welcome. SpecFicNZ Membership is not a requirement to attend.
Contact Paul Heinz at paul(at)accredo.co.nz or Grant at grant(at)discorobot.com to RSVP for table booking purposes.
We hope to see you there.


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Freeway Incident (LAFD)
7/13/13: State Route 2 WB to Interstate 5 SB (Silver Lake), Tanker Fire in the underpass tunnel. Fire involved a tank truck carrying 8500 gallons of gasoline which was fully involved. Burning runoff entered the storm drains along Allesandro St and N Coolidge Ave and made its way east approximately 1/2 mile entering the Los Angeles River. This section of the river is "soft bottom" channel with vegetation. Photos shown are from the east side of the Los Angeles River opposite Allesandro St looking west. No injuries were reported. Time of alarm 1030 hrs.Read More


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Take a look at the beta version of dw.com. We're not done yet! Your opinion can help us make it better.
Young South Sudanese have been meeting every month to clean the capital Juba. The environmental movement is a creative protest against civil conflict and unites people from warring tribes.
Wani Michael grimaces, then digs with both hands into the pile of foul trash.
It's hot — hotter than usual during the rainy season, and the burning sun intensifies the stench of rotten garbage on the roadside.
It's not a fun task he and hundreds of other young people have chosen for this sunny Saturday morning.
But they won't be swayed from their mission: Cleaning the streets of South Sudan's capital Juba — both literally and symbolically.
"We want to tell our leadership that if we can clean up our streets, we can clean up our country," Michael, co-organizer of the protest and executive director of the Okay Africa Foundation, told DW.
Under the banner #NadafaLeBeledna, which means "cleaning our nation" in the local language Juba Arabic, several youth groups are combining environmental protection with a call to end the brutal five-year civil war, which has killed an estimated 380,000 people and destroyed the country's economy.
Read more: Changing attitudes toward waste can transform communities
"As young people, we have a responsibility to bring about peace and coexistence among ourselves," Michael added.
More than fighting
Surrounded by music from a sound system installed on a truck, and equipped with brooms, gloves and dust masks, the youth move from street to street in the city center.
They find garbage everywhere they go. Piles of rubbish rot on the roadside, plastic bottles lie in ditches.
Some of the groups make it to the parliament and clean in front of the bullet-riddled wall surrounding the government building.
Bystanders look with eyes wide open; some spontaneously join in and pick up trash, others keep on staring in disbelief — most people typically avoid government buildings, which are protected by soldiers armed with machine guns.
South Sudan celebrated independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of civil war, but then plunged into a new conflict in 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused then Vice President Riek Machar of plotting a coup against him.
Violence erupted between the two factions, feeding on the country's ethnic tensions.
Kiir and Machar signed a peace agreement in August aimed at ending the brutal war. Previous ceasefires and peace agreements have broken down.
The public, especially young people, are tired of the conflict, and are ready to move on. The cleaning is a symbol of people coming together, says Peter Malir Biar, who works for a local Christian nongovernmental organization and co-organized the cleanup.
"The purpose is that young people from different, diverse backgrounds come together and move forward for peace, unity and prosperity. These are signs that South Sudanese can do more things than fighting," Biar told DW.
'Better than Rwanda'
Juba's mayor, deputy mayor and several army members were also invited to join the event. Officials need to give their blessing for the movement to avoid problems with the police, explained Biar.
The officials hold speeches, swipe the broom around for a few photos and then leave. Only Joseph Africano Bartel, undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, stayed longer and actually helped collect trash.
He is aware of the waste problem and associated health risks in the rapidly growing city of Juba.
South Sudan has no official garbage collection and disposal system. "There used to be a recycling site in Juba, but it was destroyed in the war," Bartel told DW.
Garbage pollutes rivers and other water bodies, contributing to cholera, skin infections and other diseases. Juba saw its latest cholera outbreak in 2017.
In South Sudan's First State of Environment and Outlook Report published this year, the government announced plans to adopt "reduction, reuse, recycle and resource management."
In July, the country banned plastic bags. Bartel plans to introduce high taxes on small plastic bottles to encourage people to buy big water tanks to reduce waste.
The goal is to become "better than Rwanda," said Bartel, referring to the green image of the small East African country.
'Nobody will arrest us for cleaning'
But so far, protecting the environment has not been a priority in the war-torn country where there are more urgent matters to deal with.
Six out of 10 people face severe food insecurity, half of the population is displaced and unemployment is high.
The country's currency has fallen sharply. Five years ago, $1 (€ 0.87) bought 5 South Sudanese pounds; the current exchange rate is $1 to 130 South Sudanese pounds. Even people who do have jobs struggle to make ends meet.
In South Sudan, problems are myriad and the solutions aren't easy.
But exactly this challenge forms the background of why the youth are cleaning the city. It's something they can do that shows results immediately, says Sony Valentino, one of the activists.
"Youth in South Sudan is known for doing things that are violent — but today, we want to prove to the world that the youth can also participate in developmental aspects, like cleaning the city and doing something fruitful for the country," she told DW.
The youth groups have another, more tactical reason for choosing garbage collection as a form of protest: While the government has welcomed youth participation in the current peace deal, they have been cracking down on people who openly criticize the country's leadership.
At the end of July, peace activist Peter Biar Ajak was arrested, and is still being held without charge. Michael, one of the organizers of the cleaning movement, gets regularly interrogated by security forces.
To avoid getting into trouble, the youth groups found a creative way to voice their criticism of politicians who fail to bring peace.
"Nobody will arrest us for cleaning the streets," says Michael.
Reporting for this story was supported by the African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative, a program of the International Women's Media Foundation.
Juba is keen to see the black gold pumping as South Sudan emerges out of a civil war that caused close on 400,000 deaths. DW asked Sudan expert Alex de Waal who stands to gain from expanded oil production. (27.09.2018)
One person was displaced every two seconds in 2017, the newest UN refugee agency figures show. New displacements came from crises in Myanmar, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria, in particular. (19.06.2018)
The German development organization "Sign of Hope" accuses Malaysian oil giant Petronas of poisoning the drinking water of thousands of people in South Sudan. Environmental activists warn of serious consequences. (18.04.2018)
As the armed conflict rages on, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir is looking for ways to revive the economy. The solution he came up with was to replace the finance minister. But will that help? (23.03.2018)
Recycling is on the curriculum in Nigeria, where the #WeSeparateWaste project is teaching why waste management matters and showing pupils how to get creative with trash. (17.03.2017)


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In case you are a enterprise promoting a product or a service that costs more than $500, chances are high that some of your prospects will need financing to buy your services or products. Marc Lore, co-founder and CEO of , stated in a statement that the mix of Wal-Mart's retail experience, purchasing scale, sourcing capabilities, distribution footprint and digital property together with the group, know-how and enterprise it has built at Jet— will enable the company to ship more value to clients.
With over 2,200 retailers expected to attend, it's the preferrred occasion to network with resolution makers and study in regards to the newest eCommerce information and developments. How do you price the newest On-line Retailer Expo? Electronics contributed to an estimated 18{11da90f28c8981dd22147b6adc3f743751ec15e11139b087082f0d88c86da7b5} of the corporate's gross sales progress in 2016, as the variety of US households that own an Amazon Echo gadget more than doubled from 2015.
The transfer follows a collection of acquisitions by main traditional retailers of online startups in an especially aggressive panorama. The Online Retailer Conference and eCommerce Expo is Australia's leading eCommerce, digital advertising and marketing and know-how occasion dedicated to the retail industry.
This throwback revolution is occurring in the midst of what in any other case seems like a retail apocalypse." Bankruptcies are rising amongst clothing chains, like Moist Seal, and retail icons, like Toys R" Us, which are stuck with a glut of buying house and squeezed between stagnating gross sales and large debt obligations The labor market in retail, once the powerhouse of the service economy, is having its worst yr of the century.
The company creates businesses in a spread of industries, including child, kids, pets, dwelling décor, furniture and eco-pleasant organic merchandise. is, by way of revenue, the most important online retailer in the Netherlands. In this case, it does not make a difference how many units the retailer sells or if he transacts his sales using his personal on-line store or solely exterior on-line market places.


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Prize-winning pianist Kirill Gerstein solos with BSO Nov. 15-17
The fates are smiling on Kirill Gerstein. The Russian-born pianist returns to Boston, where he was the youngest student ever to attend the Berklee School of Music, to perform for the first time Nov. 15-17 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His parents live in Newton, so they will get to see their son in concert at Symphony Hall. He'll be bringing his own newborn son, Lev, along as well, surely an additional treat for doting grandparents. And he'll be playing Thomas Adès concerto "In Seven Days" — with Adès conducting — along with the Prokofiev first concerto, in one of the most eagerly anticipated programs of the BSO season.
Did we mention the $300,000 Gilmore Grant?
It's been a phenomenally busy season for Gerstein. We spoke on the phone while he was in Prague — "I'm sitting on the stage of the Rudolfinum, where the Czech Philharmonic performs," he said — to play Strauss and Prokofiev. He comes to the U.S. after that to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra, then on to New York to rehearse with Adès, and finally to Boston.
Born in 1979 in Voronezh, southwestern Russia, he now thinks of Boston as home — "my American home," he calls it — and a debut with the BSO is a milestone for any musician. But to make the journey from Berklee to Symphony Hall, even though they are on opposite sides of Mass. Ave., makes it even more unusual.
During his classical training at a special school for gifted young musicians in Moscow, Gerstein caught the jazz bug. "I wanted to imitate that sound," he says, "and my teacher encouraged me to create parallel careers." He eventually met the great vibraphonist Gary Burton, then vice-president at Berklee, who invited him to come to Boston when he was only 14. Three years at Berklee were coupled with summers at the BU Tanglewood Institute, but then, "I had to make a choice," he says.
"You could spend more than the time you have in life on either field," he says. "But I went back to classical music. I still have the experience with jazz language though."
More than that, really, thanks to the Gilmore Grant — it's sort of the MacArthur for young pianists, only given every four years — Gerstein has commissioned not only classical works from composers like Oliver Knussen, but jazz settings from prominent players like Burton, Chick Corea and Brad Meldau, some of which he premiered last spring at Berklee.
But on this visit, it's music of a different genre: Adès' demanding concerto, and the first Prokofiev to boot. Adès has his own white-hot career going on — his opera "The Tempest" is currently onstage at the Met in New York. He returns to Boston after very successful appearances last year to conduct "In Seven Days," an extensive work for piano and orchestra, with optional film accompaniment (not being used at Symphony Hall). As you might guess, "In Seven Days" takes its inspiration from Genesis, although Adès' interpretation is more metaphysical than religious.
"It's a very challenging piano part," Gerstein says. "Both intellectually and physically. But it's one of those virtuosic pieces where the audience won't really notice the difficulties that I will be going through. Tom [Adès] operates with these quirky rhythmic things that destabilize the entire pianistic machine, the stuff you're used to when you have to deal with Prokofiev or Rachmaninov. He manipulates so many elements, usually just to the left or the right of where you would expect them on the keyboard.
"But the result is accessible and digestible. One can really follow the logic of the piece, and it's so richly textured. The challenges are internal, but it's a concerto for everybody."
Gerstein plays the brief but fascinating Prokofiev first concerto as well. "I love the fact that I'm doing two pieces," he says. "It gives me more of a sense of collaboration with the orchestra. This concerto is such a fresh and talented take on all the stuff a young composer is supposed to learn. It was written as for a jury competition. Half the jury walked out, and the other half thought it was brilliant. He really pokes fun at all the devices a composer is supposed to use, and compresses it into 13 minutes."
Adès and Gerstein will also team up on Sunday afternoon for an appearance with the BSO chamber players at Jordan Hall, performing a piano four-hands version of Beethoven's "Grosse Fuge." And if that's not enough for one weekend, he also joins some BSO members in the Brahms piano quintet.
"Really, it's quite amusing to be doing all this," he says off-handedly. "These are the things I would be doing with my life in any case, and I get paid for it too."
The Boston Symphony Orchestra
featuring soloist Killil Gerstein
WHEN: Nov. 15 and 17, 8 p.m.; Nov. 16, 1:30 p.m.?
WHERE: Symphony Hall, 301 Mass. Ave., Boston?
TICKETS: $31 to $107
?INFO: 888-266-1200, www.bso.org
The BSO Chamber Players
WHEN: Nov. 18 at 3 p.m.?
WHERE: Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough St. Boston?
INFO: 888-266-1200, www.bso.org


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easy-peezy homemade baby food
cranio schmanio
how big is baby? the sweet treat edition
what does 10 cm of dilation REALLY look like?
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Sweet Smell of Babies
When I think of babies, a certain smell comes to mind. One part baby powder, one part "clean linen"-scent from Yankee Candle and one part milk. I always thought this is what babies came out smelling like on their own. Never mind the fact that I never noticed the coincidence that ALL babies smelled the same. That's besides the point... : ) But this weekend I started washing my baby's clothes to prepare for her arrival with the one-and-only mother-approved detergent - Dreft. I transferred the clothes from the washer to the dryer, then went back downstairs. A few minutes later - lo and behold - the house filled with the smell of babies! It was only at that very moment that I realized what the true baby-scent is - Dreft detergent!! Who knew? Well - I'm guessing all the experienced mamas knew. So now the baby's room smells like baby/Dreft. And I love it! Makes me feel like her arrival is right around the corner!! I wonder if they have a Dreft air freshener I can hang in my car and office? That would be nice!
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Federer into 13th Basel final, faces del Potro again
Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro crushed opponents in quick-fire wins on Saturday to set up their third final in six years at the Swiss Indoors.
Top seed Federer, bidding for a record eighth title at his hometown event, was merciless with third seed David Goffin, dismissing the Belgian 6-1, 6-2 in one hour as he reached his 13th Basel final and eighth of the season.
The victory was his third straight-set rout from four matches this week at the St Jakobshalle and propels him to 6-0 over Goffin.
Del Potro fought off fatigue to win a battle of former champions 6-4, 6-4 over Marin Cilic.
"He may be tired and have some (minor) issues but that will not keep him out of the final. I'll be ready for a difficult match against an almost fully-fit Del Potro," said Federer.
Federer said he overcome the rigours of Friday's three-set quarter-final win over Adrian Mannarino.
"I'm happy I was able to turn it around today. Yesterday's match was complicated in terms of match-ups. I went through some difficult moments," said the 19-time Grand Slam title winner.
"Everything changed completely in this match. I had a better mindset, I wanted to take it to the opponent."
Del Potro won his previous titles in 2012 and 2013 at the expense of world number two Federer.
"I'm surprised to be in the final, it's my fourth week in a row after many years," Del Potro said. "My body is still there.
"I'm doing well, but in the final, anything can happen. I need to play better against Roger than I did today.
"I'm having a good end of year, it's giving me motivation looking forward to next year. Roger is the favourite to win -- but I will see what I can do."
Federer has been powering through the week as he tries to overhaul rival Rafael Nadal to finish the year as world number one.
The battle is provisionally scheduled to continue next week at the Paris Masters, but the 36-year-old Swiss will make a late decision on whether or not to take up his second-seeded position at Paris Bercy after the Basel final.
Del Potro, who played a Shanghai semi-final a fortnight ago and won the Stockholm title last weekend, admits that he is tiring, but intends to carry on.
"I'm tired and that is a little bit of a factor, but the only way to play Roger is to be aggressive all the time. Sometimes, even that is not enough to beat him."
The Argentine claimed his 10th win in 12 meetings with Croatian Cilic, the reigning champion who had spent just over three hours on court on Friday in putting out Hungarian qualifier Marton Fucsovics.
Del Potro has now won his last seven meetings with Cilic, who was the losing finalist to Federer at Wimbledon in July.
"I'm happy to be in the final, I hope to play good tennis for the crowd and for myself," added Del Potro.
"Not many players can beat Roger, the greatest in history. It's always a pleasure to play him, and to do it in his hometown is amazing."
The Argentine took 45 minutes to win the opening set against Cilic, the second seed.
A break in the penultimate game of the opener followed by a hold from 0-30 down gave Del Potro the lead.
In the second, the South American broke early but lost his serve in the sixth game, as Cilic levelled at 3-3.
But Del Potro gathered his resources to break straight back, finishing off victory with his seventh ace of the afternoon.


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Answering Anti-Apple Critics
There's nothing wrong with criticizing anything made by Apple. After all, Apple has fouled up many products from their Maps app, MobileMe, along with numerous and persistent bugs in OS X and iOS. However, if you're going to criticize any company, you should at least use facts.
Far too often, anti-Apple critics rely on hearsay, rumor, and half truths to disparage anything made by Apple. Even worse, they'll often resort to outright lies to bolster their position. When you can't even acknowledge facts, that's a clear sign you don't have much of a basis for criticism in the first place.
For some odd reason, Apple has attracted a horde of critics unable to think clearly in any way, shape, or form. Yet such critics have no problems vocally broadcasting their ignorance as often and as loudly as possible. Let's examine the foundation for much of the criticism against Apple.
The Laziness of the IT Department That Ignores Their Real Customers
People who work in the IT departments of companies seem to have the strangest logic. A friend of mine told me that after he requested a tablet to use when he's traveling, his company's IT department decided that what he really needed was a new laptop instead. To make sure he had the latest tools, the IT department bought a new laptop with a touchscreen display, and then to increase his productivity, they removed Windows 8 and installed Windows 7 on the computer instead.
The IT department rationalized their decision as follows. First, they wanted to be "on the cutting edge of mobile computing" by getting a laptop with a touchscreen. Second, they wanted to insure maximum worker productivity by using Windows 7, which isn't optimized for touchscreens.
If paying more for a laptop with a touchscreen and then installing Windows 7 on it so you can't take full advantage of that touchscreen makes sense to you, then you might be qualified to run the IT department at your company. Perhaps next time the IT department will give out laptops without a battery so no one can use them unless they're near an electrical outlet. To make the laptop even more useful, perhaps the IT department will refuse to issue power cords to go along with the laptops as well. That way workers will have to use the laptops only when they're in the IT department.
When IT departments twist their logic around to make completely irrational decisions, you can see why so many people just bring their own smartphones and tablets to work and skip the hassle and frustration of dealing with their IT department altogether. When people do this, you have to ask why is any company paying for an IT department in the first place?
IT departments constantly forget that their job is to maximize worker productivity, not force their own favorite technology on to others, especially when that technology isn't the best tool for anyone else. Instead of focusing on maximizing productivity, IT departments focus on simplifying their own jobs by learning as little as possible so they can dictate what other people should use without fully understanding what other people really need.
Why IT departments get away with this without getting fired immediately is one of those mysteries of the universe. Fortunately for the IT department, the CEO is usually too busy granting himself multimillion dollar bonuses to care what the IT department does, so everyone stays happy except for the poor workers saddled with inferior tools to do the actual work.
Part of the reason why IT departments continue clinging to the Windows world may lie in what Seth Godin identifies as "competence" in his book Small is the New Big. Seth argues that people who are competent know how to solve the same problem the same way, but they don't know how to solve different problems, nor do they feel confident solving the same problem in different ways. Competent people know one way to solve a problem so that's how they solve it over and over again.
Competent people fear change because that risks making them look incompetent. Rather than deal with change, they prefer dealing with what they know, which insures they can continue looking competent. As Seth Godin says, "In the face of change, the competent are helpless. Change means a temporary or permanent threat to their competence. But among the competent, the smart ones realize that change is inevitable—and that they are doomed. Hence the tremendous discomfort among our happily competent population."
Right now, IT departments (and many computer users) feel competent in their knowledge of maintaining Windows PCs. Yet dealing with other technology such as iOS or Android devices in addition to Linux and Macintosh computers, threatens the typical IT department's competence. Rather than openly accept other technological tools that may be better suited for other workers in a company, IT departments cling to the trap of competency by blocking and refusing to deal with anything other than what they already know, even to the point of making up lies about other products to justify their decision not to explore those other technology options. This is the classic case of knowing how to use a hammer so rather than learn to use a saw, a screwdriver, or scissors, use a hammer to solve every problem you see.
Ask the typical IT department if Windows is the perfect solution to every possible problem. The real answer is that no single technology is the perfect solution to every possible problem on the planet. Any IT department that insists on cramming a single technology (such as Windows) down every worker's throat regardless of what workers really need is proving their own lack of faith in their own ability to solve problems.
Until people stop fearing change because it might make them look incompetent, and start embracing change because it gives them new opportunities to be competent in other ways, too many people (and IT departments) will remain trapped in the past. Ultimately they can't help but fail in the long term, which means most IT departments are simply digging their own grave by refusing to step out of it.
Clinging to the Past
The common belief is that wisdom teeth existed when humans had larger jaws and needed wisdom teeth to grind down tough plants for food. Unfortunately as humans evolved (although some insist on staying as backwards as possible), the human jaw got smaller but wisdom teeth still remained. When wisdom teeth don't have enough room, they can cause problems, which is why dentists extract wisdom teeth.
At one time, wisdom teeth served a purpose. Now they're just a nuisance at best. Yet when you look around the computer world, you can find plenty of archaic vestiges of the past that once had a purpose but make no sense for today just like wisdom teeth.
Ask new computer users why hard disks in Windows are labeled the C: drive and they'll likely have no clue. Yet even as late as Windows 8.1, you can still see drives labeled as C: or D: drives. Logically, someone might wonder what ever became of A: and B: drives, but if they weren't around during the early days of PCs, they might never know the answer.
In the early days when computers only had floppy disks, the first two floppy drives were labeled the A: and B: drive. With MS-DOS, you had to specify which drive you wanted to use such as telling a program to save a file on the A: drive (the first floppy disk) or the B: drive (the second floppy disk).
When hard disks became popular, MS-DOS 5.0 designated the C: drive as the hard disk. With a hard disk, few people had a reason for two floppy disk drives, so computers soon only had an A: drive (the floppy disk drive) and a C: drive (the hard disk). Eventually when floppy drives disappeared altogether, computers were left the C: drive for the hard disk and the D: drive for the CD/DVD drive.
Today it makes no sense to refer to the hard drive as the C: drive, yet the remnants of that era still lingers in Windows 8.1. The C: drive designation serves no purpose any more for novices, yet still remains to confuse novices while giving them no added benefit either. Given a choice between making computers easier to understand or retaining ancient history that makes computers harder to understand, you can already see which choice tech-savvy users prefer.
Another example of useless archaic information confusing novices occurs with the keyboard. The original IBM PC keyboard stupidly combined a numeric keypad with a cursor keypad so you couldn't use both at the same time without clumsily holding down the Shift key. Yet the dual function of the numeric key still remains on many of today's keyboards.
Originally keyboard manufacturers retained this confusing labeling of keys to maintain compatibility with software that might need these specific keys. Nowadays, no modern software requires the specific use of the Home key on the numeric keypad when most keyboards also have a separate Home/End keys along with cursor keypad. Yet these ancient keys still linger, causing more confusion for no good reason.
For another example of archaic icons, ask yourself when was the last time you used or even saw a 3.5-inch floppy disk. Now look on the toolbar of Microsoft Word 2011 for the Macintosh and you can see a floppy disk icon that represents the Save command. Microsoft Word 2010/2013 also recycles this floppy disk icon for its Save command, but new computer users have never used, let alone seen, a 3.5-inch floppy disk before, so this icon makes no sense either.
Icons are supposed to be easy to understand such as showing a printer for the Print command or the scissors icon for the Cut command. Experienced computer users know what a floppy disk looks like but today's novices do not, which makes the floppy disk icon useless to help novices figure out how to use software.
The typical tech-savvy user response to retaining archaic symbols from the past is to force novices to accept these cryptic and meaningless items as part of learning to use a computer, which makes as much sense as forcing people to learn Morse code just to use a telephone. Rather than make computers easier to use, tech-savvy users prefer computers that are difficult to use since it insures their own job security and self-importance.
The Vietnamese language originally relied on Chinese characters where every character requires multiple strokes to write and memorization to know what it means and how to pronounce it. Such a cryptic language kept most of the population unable to read and write, forcing them to rely on scholars to do their reading and writing for them.
To simplify Vietnamese, a French Jesuit missionary converted Vietnamese to a phonetic system to make reading and writing easier. As a result, more people could easily read and write, lessening dependence on expensive scholars.
Today's tech-savvy users are the equivalent of Vietnamese scholars who wanted to keep people as helpless and ignorant as possible to maximize their own status and salaries. Make Vietnamese easier to learn and the need for scholars drops dramatically. Make computers easier to learn and the need for tech-savvy users drops dramatically.
The reason why tech-savvy users hate simpler computer products is because it threatens their monopoly of computer knowledge. When people can learn and use computers without relying on expensive tech-savvy users, there's no need for tech-savvy users.
The next time you hear a tech-savvy user angrily dismiss a simpler computer product, ask them why. Chances are good they're really frightened of losing their monopoly of knowledge because without cryptic knowledge keeping people confused, they can no longer justify their own existence.
The Tyranny of Tech-Savvy Users
There are more people who don't know how computers work than people who do know how computers work. That simple statement can be applied to any field such as saying that there are more people who don't know how cars work than people who do know how cars work. Yet this simple statement is what too many tech-savvy users overlook all the time.
The typical tech-savvy user thinks that just because he knows how to fiddle around with command-line interfaces and memorizing arcane commands, then everyone should take the time to learn this information as well. If people fail to do this, then they should do it anyway no matter how difficult, time-consuming, or confusing it may be. Technology should be complex and confusing so only a minority of people can control it and gain power over others like priests serving the illiterate masses.
The truth is that most people don't want to know how their computers work and don't want to waste time adapting to their computers. I've been teaching computer courses for decades and the persistent, number one problem that most computer novices face is understanding and managing files.
When most people save a file, they don't know where it goes. Then they don't know how to find it again. Then they don't know how to copy or move a file from one folder to another because they don't understand how to navigate from one folder to another, or how they can keep following a hierarchy of folders only to wind up in a dead end. They also don't know what file extensions mean and why they even exist.
File management programs, such as the Finder in OS X or Windows Explorer in Windows, do not help most novices, but only confuse and complicate matters even more. That's why iOS does not offer a traditional file system, although power users constantly demand one. There are definite advantages to allowing file management, but also definite disadvantages.
By hiding file management from users, iOS makes the iPhone and iPad easier to use, but also less flexible. By offering file management, OS X, Windows, Android, and Linux gives users more power at the sacrifice of increased complexity and confusion. It's this ease of use vs. power debate that products must carefully balance, yet tech-savvy users do this all the time.
Someone perfectly comfortable installing their own operating system and building their own PC rarely complains that they can't build their own microwave oven or reprogram how it works. Instead, such computer tech-savvy users just use microwave ovens without complaining that it's lacking features for power users.
Computer tech-savvy users don't want complexity in every area of their life, just in computers. Imagine if the small minority of people who enjoy building and reprogramming microwave ovens insisted that everyone learn how to build and reprogram a microwave oven before they could ever use one. Would computer tech-savvy users eagerly embrace this type of additional complexity in their lives? Probably not, yet these same people feel no shame in urging computer novices to embrace greater complexity in computers while ignoring much simpler alternatives instead.
Most people want to use a computer, not maintain it. Only tech-savvy users enjoy maintaining a computer because it's fun for them, but they fail to realize that what's fun for them is horribly complex to almost everyone else.
If you read this blog post from EE Times, you can read how one person got tired of dealing with complexity that kept interfering with getting work done. The author initially chose an Android tablet for greater flexibility, but discovered that "…I found that when it came to daily functional use, I was spending more time making the system work than I was working at the system."
Although the author specifically talks about Android and indirectly about Linux, this could apply to Windows and OS X users as well. Computers are generally too complicated for most people to use, and few people want to take a training class or read thick books just to do something as simple as write a letter, save, and print it. Yet that's the endless refrain of advice from tech-savvy computer users to novices.
At one time, tech-savvy computer users represented the cutting edge of the computer market. Now that computers have become commodities and smartphones and tablets threaten the tech-savvy user's fiefdom of arcane computer knowledge to keep out the uninitiated, tech-savvy computer users are either embracing new technology or resisting it by refusing to read anything that contradicts their point of view. This is simply a strategy for failure that too many tech-savvy users are ready to embrace to their grave.
Given their own stubbornness, these tech-savvy users will likely reach their financial grave long before they reach their physical one. Along the way, they'll likely get more frustrated as their knowledge becomes increasingly irrelevant to the vast majority of society, and even then they'll still keep refusing to change. When you meet people like this, you have to wonder why they keep using their computer knowledge to remain as ignorant as possible about other alternatives.
Simpler computers benefit the vast majority of users out there. Complex computers benefit the tiny minority of users out there. Guess which type of computers will appeal to the majority and represent the greatest market? If you need a hint, ask yourself why the iPhone earns more than every product Microsoft sells and you should have your answer.
The Hidden Price of Cheapness
The number one complaint about Apple is that they charge too much. At a certain point, price is an obstacle. Just look at how much Apple once charged for a Macintosh compared to a similar Windows PC. Nowadays, that price argument no longer makes sense because Apple products are often just as much (or even cheaper) than comparable products.
Want a cheaper iPhone? Just get an older model and it's often free with a contract with a cellular carrier. Think a Macintosh is too expensive? Macintosh computers, like most Apple products, have a higher resale value. In addition, you can buy refurbished models of current and previous models. Still think Apple products are too expensive? Ask yourself what's more important, your time or your money?
Far too many people look at the initial price of a computer and automatically assume that the less expensive Windows PC is just as capable as a more expensive Macintosh.
Windows enthusiasts love to point out how inexpensive PCs are compared to Macintosh computers (except when they aren't), such as comparing the cost of a Mac Pro to a similar Windows PC or comparing the cost of a 5K iMac to a Dell 5K monitor where the price for a Dell monitor was initially equal to a 27-inch iMac and its 5K monitor).
One reason why PCs are so cheap is because manufacturers use cheaper parts to make them. It's much less expensive to use plastic for a typical PC laptop compared to carved aluminum for a MacBook Pro.
A second reason why PCs are cheaper is because manufacturers partially subsidize the low price by pre-installing bloatware on PCs that annoy users to buy the full version of the bloatware program. The problem is so bad that even Microsoft points out the problems of bloatware as a reason to buy a PC from a Microsoft store instead of from one of their so-called hardware partners.
The big problem with cheap PCs is that they're rarely designed to focus on the customer first. Instead, they're designed to focus on the manufacturer's profits first with the customer dead last. That's why Lenovo now risks tarnishing their entire reputation just because they wanted to make a little extra money by pre-installing adware on to their computers that compromised security.
When you focus solely on your own profits, you'll rarely benefit the customer. Vista's annoying security feature didn't improve the customer's experience or productivity and neither did Windows 8's confusing tile interface. Customers wanted a safer, more secure version of Windows that would make their life easier, not make their life harder and more frustrating. Microsoft basically released Vista and Windows 8 without caring what their customers really wanted just so they could make money selling a new operating system.
When you have companies willing to exploit the customer so they can make a little extra money, you have to wonder why so many people would enthusiastically support any company that continually takes advantage of them. How many people would willingly support a thief who keeps breaking into your house and stealing your valuable possessions? How many people would not only willingly support a thief stealing from them, but then get angry at anyone who points out this dysfunctional relationship?
There's more to choosing a computer than just price. Would you trust a car mechanic who uses a Swiss Army knife to work on your car because it's cheaper than buying specialized tools? Would you trust a heart surgeon to give you a triple bypass operation by cutting costs on sterilization so he can make a little more money on every surgery?
If a company focuses on pleasing its customers, the profits will come naturally. If a company focuses on profits while ignoring its customers, it may succeed for a while but eventually even its most loyal customers will get tired of being exploited and go somewhere else.
Business isn't only about profits but about establishing relationships with customers, which will lead to higher profits. The more you please the customer, the more the customer willingly keeps buying from you. The more you exploit the customer, the less likely the customer will buy anything from you.
Yet Lenovo will probably keep selling PCs because people will look at the price of a Lenovo PC and think only of the initial cost while completely ignoring the long-term costs such as compromised security and decreased user experience. Perhaps exploiting the customer isn't such a bad strategy after all. As long as so many people only look at price just to save a penny or two, there will always be plenty of customers for companies to exploit again and again.
Best of all, the people these companies exploit will turn around and become their biggest and most vocal defenders despite being taken advantage of multiple times. As long as there are people insane enough to allow themselves to be exploited and then turn around to defend their exploiters, ignoring the consumer in favor of extra profits is probably a valid business strategy after all.
The Technical Specification Superiority Complex
Ask most Windows enthusiasts why they love Windows PCs and they'll typically bombard you with their parade of technical specifications that they got at a lower price than a Macintosh. Of course, having the fastest graphics card won't do you any good if you have a cheap monitor, and having the fastest processor is pointless if you don't have memory or a hard drive fast enough to take advantage of it.
When you're doing video editing, a fast processor can be crucial. When you're doing word processing or browsing the Internet, a fast processor will be wasted on tasks that don't require a fast processor.
Even more puzzling is that many technical specifications sound good on paper but don't do anything useful in practical application. Many Android smartphones had NFC (Near Field Communication) at least two years ago, which would allow smartphone users to make payments with their Android phones just like Apple's iPhone 6 can now do.
The problem with NFC is that few retailers accept NFC payments through a smartphone, so Android's early advantage with NFC technology in smartphones two years ago was relatively pointless. What good is a feature if you can't use it?
Cramming ads with technical specifications only appeals to people who understand and care about technical specifications, which represents a small minority of potential customers. Anyone buy a car based on whether the engine can produce a maximum torque of 249Nm @ 4250 rpm? When was the last time you bought a refrigerator solely because it had a 406kWh energy consumption rating?
People obsessed with technical specifications often forget that technical specifications are meant to highlight what a product can do for the user. Technical specifications are not an end in themselves just like NFC was a pointless feature in Android smartphones in a world where most retailers didn't support payments through NFC terminals.
Windows enthusiasts often criticize Apple for emphasizing appearance over technical specifications. Then these same Windows enthusiasts eagerly embrace rival products that also emphasize appearances to the point where they almost look exactly like Apple products.
Look at the difference between early smartphones before the iPhone and current smartphones that all now closely resemble the iPhone. Look at the early Tablet PCs and notice that today's tablets all closely resemble the iPad. Even Microsoft's Surface tablet constantly gets mistaken for an iPad during NFL games.
Look at Hewlett-Packard's Envy all-in-one PC and see how it closely resembles Apple's iMac. If Windows enthusiasts want to criticize Apple for emphasizing appearances, they should also criticize Windows PC and Android smartphone manufacturers that do the exact same thing.
Even more astounding is that when Apple's technical specifications surpass rivals, critics simply dismiss Apple's advanced technical specifications as a gimmick, such as the use of 64-bit processors in the iPhone. When rivals offer more advanced technical specifications, it's a feature. When Apple does the exact same thing, it's a gimmick. Does anyone else notice the double-standard of so many anti-Apple critics?
The reason Apple doesn't emphasize technical specifications in their products is because most people don't care. What people do care about is how the product looks, how it feels, and more importantly, what that product will do for them whether it's running a quad-core processor or a wind-up spring. If a product doesn't satisfy the customer, it's useless.
Give a Neanderthal man a Windows 8 PC with 128GB of RAM and it may be one of the most powerful PCs on the planet, but that Neanderthal man won't have a clue how it could help him in any way. Now give that same Neanderthal man a spear and even though a spear is far less sophisticated than a Windows 8 PC, it will be infinitely more useful to that particular person. If technical specifications alone were the only criteria for measuring a product's value, then a spear should lose to a Windows 8 PC every time with every person.
As much as tech-savvy people refuse to admit it, technical specifications are always secondary to the actual usefulness of a product to a person. One person can be perfectly happy with a pocket calculator even though it's far less sophisticated than a Windows 8 PC. Ultimately, technical specifications mean nothing if the product doesn't help the user in any way, which is a fact that tech-savvy people have trouble understanding.
That's why Apple rarely markets to the tech-savvy crowd because those are the wrong customers for Apple. Instead, Apple markets to people who want simple solutions to complex tasks, regardless of the technical specifications buried inside the product. On the other hand, tech-savvy people prefer complex solutions to simple tasks, regardless of the difficulty in achieving any useful result (Windows 8). Oftentimes, achieving a useful result can be omitted altogether just as long as the complexity of the device provides enough advanced technical specifications to gloat about (whether those advanced technical specifications do anything useful or not).
To promote the Apple Watch in China, Apple isn't parading a bunch of confusing technical jargon to potential customers. Instead, they're strapping the Apple Watch on the cover of Vogue and letting people see how an Apple Watch can be a fashion accessory as well as a useful device. People buy emotionally, which is why technical specifications rarely sway anyone except for tech-savvy people who aren't interested in simple solutions anyway. Apple is promoting the Apple Watch for how it looks and what it can do. Nowhere will you find any emphasis on the speed of the RAM chips buried inside. Given a choice between fashion and technical specifications, the majority of the world prefers fashion, especially if the fashionable device can still provide useful results that technically-ladened devices can never do.
Will a product make customers feel good about their purchase? Will a product do something useful for a customer? Those are the only two questions you really need to consider. Technical specifications are always a means to an end, but never an end in themselves.
The Lack of Vision
One unique characteristic of Apple is that they often demonstrate a long-term vision and work tirelessly to fulfill it. When Apple introduced the iPhone 4S, the big feature was Siri, a voice-activated assistant. While critics dismissed Siri as a gimmick, they quickly offered similar products such as Google Now and Microsoft Cortana.
While these other voice-activated products may be equal or even superior to Siri, the companies behind them lacked the vision to see where they could apply their technology for future products. Siri makes the Apple Watch far more useful since its tiny screen makes traditional touch screen interfaces far more difficult.
When Apple introduces a product, they either kill it quickly (Ping, MobileMe, etc.) or they use it as part of their long-term strategy. Siri now powers Apple's CarPlay. In the meantime, Microsoft developed Windows Embedded Automative that uses a different voice-activated feature separate from Cortana.
When Apple introduced iOS to power the iPhone, they had the foresight to use that same operating system for the iPad. In comparison, Microsoft developed Windows Phone to counter the iPhone, then got caught flat-footed when the iPad came out.
In response, Microsoft created Windows RT on the original Surface tablet to compete against the iPad. Unfortunately, Windows RT apps weren't compatible with Windows Phone apps, and neither Windows RT or Windows Phone apps were compatible with Windows 8, creating three separate app stores and three different ways to develop apps.
Now Microsoft's latest goal is to offer Universal Apps where developers can write a single app that can run on multiple devices. While admirable, shouldn't Microsoft have thought of this before they introduced Windows Phone and Windows RT along with Windows 8? Chaos and confusion is the price you pay for the lack of a long-term vision.
As anyone who has suffered through the various user interface changes between different versions of Microsoft Office and Windows knows, constantly relearning new skills to accomplish familiar tasks is simply a waste of time. Technology should make tasks easier, not different and harder. Much of the problem with rival products like Android and Windows is that they suffer from Apple-envy. They want to be like Apple without actually offering all the ease of use and simplicity that Apple products offer.
The time and frustration wasted trying to get your computer to work often translates into anger that there could actually be an easier solution. People tied to the familiarity of complexity feel they've spent so much time mastering the complexity of their rival products that they're reluctant to lose their hard-earned knowledge to use and switch to something else.
Far too many people think that innovation should exactly duplicate existing technology otherwise it's doomed to failure. Just read through this list of 42 reasons why netbooks are better than the iPad that appeared in PC Magazine. Now go through each reason and you'll see that it focuses mostly on clinging to the past without recognizing the future.
When you follow a company that lacks vision, you'll often go around in circles wasting time. When you follow a company that has a long-term vision and executes its plan, then your life will be much easier with less relearning and more productivity.
To see the danger of lacking vision, all you have to do is see what Steve Ballmer, then Microsoft's CEO, thought of the iPhone back in 2007.
The Real Foundation of Criticism
Ultimately the foundation of most anti-Apple critics rests solely on their inability to see the future and accept the idea that their current technology may no longer be the best, most productive, or most popular any more. Does anyone like finding themselves suddenly obsolete overnight?
Did blacksmiths cheer the introduction of the automobile? Did slide ruler manufacturers readily accept the simplicity of pocket calculators? Did music stores celebrate the popularity of digital downloads and streaming video?
When your whole way of life threatens to disappear tomorrow, you'll do anything to fight this change including lying. Here you can see an interview with Bill Gates who says the iPad is flawed because it won't let you input any data. When you have to resort to blatant inaccuracies like this, then you know you're getting desperate, and rabid desperation is the only hope anti-Apple critics have left.