Your use of social media may vary - and that's okay

Palindrome Mileage,
originally uploaded by Matthew Oliphant.

I was chatting with someone yesterday about how encouraged I am about being able to reconnect with family members (aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, etc.) - near and far. Of course I would love to connect with them on every social network in which I participate. Yet I have to recognize that there are several that don't even have access to a computer. Or, as one uncle said, "I can't even remember my email address!"

That's true for a lot of people in general. The new media playground consists of numerous tools, websites, and the like. While some people are early adopters of social media tools and new media technologies, others prefer a slower approach. It may take many months or years before someone close to you decides to get on email or start writing a blog, let alone record a podcast or even join a social media network.

Another interesting dynamic in social media is the idea of being connected to many people or just a few. Some people want to be connected to a few people with whom they can build close relationships; others like to be connected to everyone; still others choose somewhere in between.

Connected,
originally uploaded by localstatic.

I used to be critical of one approach over the other, but I realize that each serves a purpose. I can appreciate that people like Chris Brogan, Christopher Penn, Robert Scoble, and Mitch Joel have decided to be super-connectors. I also can appreciate that Clarence has decided to connect with only a handful of people. I myself have opted for somewhere in-between.

Some folks like to be connected to others all around the globe, while others prefer to remain local. The same can be said among certain user groups, such as podcasters, bloggers, people looking for jobs, others in the same industry, and so forth. You find all kinds in social media.

As we play in the new media playground, I strongly believe it's important to let others play as they like and be ready to help others try out something new - if and when they ask.

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Check out my other blogs:
Journey Inside My Mind Blog
Journey Inside My Mind Podcast
Get That Job!
QuotesBlog
Twitter.com/danieljohnsonjr

Related tags: daniel+johnson+jr, chris+brogan, christopher+penn, robert+scoble, twitter, social+media+networks, new+media+playground, blogging, podcasting

Celebrating the past present and future

Thoughts from the commute

Mobile post sent by danieljohnsonjr using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

Mobile post sent by danieljohnsonjr using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

New Media Cincinnati Meetup, January 2008

New Media Cincinnati meetup:

When: January 12, 2007 4:30-6:30 PM EST
Where: Panera Bread Company, 405 East Kemper Road, Springdale, OH 45246 (map)

This is an informal meetup for people in the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Dayton areas involved with or who have an interest in new media (podcasting, video podcasting, blogging, Facebook, Twitter, social networking, etc.).

Everyone is welcome to come.

For more information on the store, please visit their local website: http://www.panera-centralohio.com/

The restaurant management has reserved the meeting room for us and politely requests that the group collectively spend at least $25 while we're there. I don't think this will be a problem.

The store has free wi-fi, so feel free to bring your recording equipment. There is currently no single topic of discussion planned. However, if you have something that you'd like to share with the group, please contact Daniel Johnson, Jr.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact:
Daniel Johnson, Jr.
(513) 373-4442
danieljohnsonjr@newmediacincinnati.com

Facebook: http://www.newmediacincinnati.com
Google Calendar: http://tinyurl.com/2caxxp
Twitter: http://twitter.com/newmediacincy
Jaiku: http://jaiku.com/channel/newmediacincy
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/newmediacincy/

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=6323616508

If you have a Facebook account, please RSVP over there; otherwise, you can send an email or RSVP in the comments below.

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Check out my other blogs:
Journey Inside My Mind Blog
Journey Inside My Mind Podcast
Get That Job!
QuotesBlog
Twitter.com/danieljohnsonjr

Related tags: daniel+johnson+jr new+media+cincinnati

Reorganizing clients in Darwin provides opportunity for SQL Server clean-up

This is a post where I share more of the technical aspects of my job as a 'conscientious programmer/analyst'.

The company I work for is reorganizing clients into new databases in the Darwin business system (a customized version of Microsft Great Plains Dynamics), and the business sees this as a great opportunity to clean up a lot of things. This view is especially shared by us who work in the IT department.

The 12 current databases are, for the most part, the same in their structure; i.e., same tables, views, stored procedures, and so forth. The company has used these multiple SQL Server databases to for specific types of clients, based on their industry classifications, etc.

Street Sweeper,
originally uploaded by itsray.

One bit similarity is in the paycodes that are used. Paycodes, for the purposes of what I refer to in this and other posts on this blog, refer to specific codes that are used to signify specific payroll transactions. The company has paycodes set up for regular and overtime hours, commissions, bonuses, mileage reimbursements, and other types of income. Additionally, there are codes for deductions, such as cash advances, uniforms, payments made by the employee for benefits and 401(k). Moreover , there are codes set up for benefits, which include an employer's contributions to health care and 401(k), and the like. Finally, there are a separate set of codes for both state taxes and local taxes.

It may be easy to imagine, then, over time, and as clients come and go, that the databases would have lots of various codes. Mirror that across 12 databases, and it becomes more complicated. Furthermore, I've discovered that the code descriptions are not consistent from database to database. That the business has a need to reorganize clients into new databases presents a great opportunity to clean things up, as a result.

Yesterday, the Director of IT and the Director of Special Projects asked for a list of active codes for active employees, across all 12 databases. I am the guy they turn to in order to get this done quickly. Because of my experience with how the databases have been set up, I usually know pretty quickly which tables to use in my SQL scripts.

In this particular case, I was interested in the Transaction History table, since it contains the three most important elements my internal customers needed: check date, transaction type, and paycode.

I initially set up the script to pull all paycodes, but I found close to 10,000 codes in use since the business started using Darwin in 2005. I checked with the Director of Special Projects, and she asked me to limit to just those codes in use since October 2007. Thankfully, that narrowed the list to just under 2000. I also included, at her request, the name of the database in which the codes were used. This proved especially helpful, since not all codes are in use in all the databases.

On my way home last night, I called into Jott to remind myself to set this up as a stored procedure.

Just another way I'm able to help keep the business engine going.

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Check out my other blogs:
Journey Inside My Mind Blog
Journey Inside My Mind Podcast
Get That Job!
QuotesBlog
Twitter.com/danieljohnsonjr
Utterz by danieljohnsonjr

Related tags: daniel+johnson+jr, sql+server, programming, business+intelligence, microsoft+great+plains, payroll, peo, darwin