Thoughtsofanidlemind's Blog

  • Analyzing what’s in the Exchange 2010 SP2 RU1 update

    Microsoft released Exchange 2010 SP2 RU1 (roll-up update 1 for Exchange 2010 Service Pack 2, or version 14.2.283.3) on Monday, February 13, 2012. As you probably know, a roll-up update provides a complete set of fixes for a software product and once applied, brings a product as up-to-date in terms…

  • Snowy rugby weekend in Rome

    Last weekend, I was in Rome for the Six Nations clash between Italy and England. An uneventful flight from Dublin to Rome’s Fiumicino airport (FCO) was marred only by the slow baggage delivery. FCO took 50 minutes to get bags from the plane to the conveyor belts – I can’t…

  • An increase in web site quality from at least one site – Hurrah!

    I was delighted to read the story in Kerry Lauerman’s blog (editor-in-chief of Salon.com) describing the trauma Salon.com experienced in its attempts to drive web page views followed by the success that the site has gained by reversing course to focus on quality again. In brief, Salon.com went from the “me too”…

  • The trials and tribulations of writing and reviews

    I guess an author wouldn’t be human if they didn’t check out the reviews of their books that are posted on major book-buying sites like Amazon.com. I do this on an irregular basis, mostly because other tasks get in the way. Often, I learn from the reviews and appreciate the…

  • Microsoft’s PST capture tool appears… eventually!

    A collective sigh settled upon the worldwide Exchange community after Microsoft’s much-anticipated but late release of their free-to-use PST Capture tool occurred today. The tool was originally announced in July 2011 for delivery by the end of the year. Essential testing, especially through a restricted external test by some members…

  • Monday miscellany

    Some random thoughts to fill in the vacuum of a boring Monday afternoon in January… First, why doesn’t the Nokia Lumia 800 running Windows Phone 7.5 display a status bar to show the current state of the battery, wireless connectivity, and so on? You can reveal the status bar, but…

  • Shared mailbox or public folder

    A recent question asked to this blog as to whether I thought it a good idea to use a public folder as a repository for a shared calendar. My answer was “no” as I consider using a shared mailbox to be a much better response. That answer deserves some explanation, so…

  • Twitter can make twits of us all

    It might be that the nature of Twitter will either delight or infuriate those who consume its feeds. I’m not quite sure which side of the line I come down on, but I do continue to use Twitter. My problem with Twitter is two-fold. First, there’s the low to very low signal…

  • Exchange 2010 Inside Out receives “Distinguished” award

    I received a note from Microsoft Press yesterday to let me know that Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Inside Out had received a technical publications award. The note said: “Every year, Microsoft Press enters our highest quality titles from the past year into the Technical Publications competition hosted by our local chapter…