Jim Rising’s Personal Blog

Feature Article #1

Let me pray about that.

This well meaning phrase parrotted by Christians has always annoyed me. It is usually an easy way out for folks who just don’t want to say ‘no’. I always wonder if they are really going to sincerely take the question to the Lord, or if they are just buying time to make a decision, which [...]

Jim | April 4th, 2009 | Continued

Feature Article #2

Is Dell 4 hour on-site service worth it?

For this evaluation, we’ll be comparing:
PowerEdge R200
Intel® Celeron® Processor 430 at 1.8GHz, 512K Cache, 800MHz FSB, No Operating System. I also included 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB single SATA HDD.
Hardware Alone:
Starting Price        $749
Instant Savings        $210
Subtotal        $539
Hardware and 3 year 4 hour on-site 7/24 IT mission critical hardware / software support:
Starting Price    [...]

Jim | April 1st, 2009 | Continued

Feature Article #3

Why the perception of compliance certification is not always reality.

I’ve toured several data center facilities since I’ve been involved in IT. I’ve also been a direct and indirect customer of many of them. First let me say that I am happy that there are standards available that help us to measure quality control and accounting practices. Without these standards, there would be no chance [...]

Jim | April 1st, 2009 | Continued

Feature Article #4

The Internet Killed The Radio Star (or why i think that traditional media is dead)

I think it is pretty obvious that CDs are soon going to be all but replaced by downloadable digital content, and it’s only a matter of time before the format war in this space is settled. Digital downloads are too disruptive to the traditional media marketplace for them not to be placed on top. Physical [...]

Jim | March 31st, 2009 | Continued

Feature Article #5

Why In Person Customer Support Is More Important Than Ever, Or How Hastings Book Store Lost My Business

Even with all the options available to me online, I still enjoy going into a book store and holding a book in my hand before buying it. This is unfortunately becoming more and more difficult for me to do. Sites like Amazon and Half.com consistently beat brick and mortar bookstores on price and customer service. [...]

Jim | February 22nd, 2009 | Continued

About this Site

This site has started basically just as a stomping grounds for my thoughts, a journal of sorts used to get things out of my head and into a format where if anyone was interested, including me, they would be able to read it. Some of the things here are about my job, but most of [...]