#ifdef

About the same time I described a local company’s IT abomination as “antiquated”, I came across loosewireblog’s post about user determined computing. An apt description of a blossoming concept.

Why do companies inflict IT systems on their employees that they wouldn’t dare ship to their own customers? Sadly, use of the word enterprise in the name or description is an early warning that it is going to suck. Here are a few examples of internal enterprise solutions I’ve encountered recently:

• Restricted email clients. If you don’t use the corporate approved client, you can’t get support.
• Internal mail lists that don’t archive messages. What’s the point?
• Time accounting systems that suck.
• Gold plated, IEEE compliant project management tools that make your eyes glaze over with features, links, colors, formatting, buttons… Please make it stop.
• Wikis (nice try, though) that have no RSS feeds or change notification.
• Byzantine process for scheduling conference calls on an internal bridge.
• Serialized document collaboration based on email workflow.
• Over engineered bug tracking and case management tools.

Some companies see their IT services as cost centers rather than strategic. When that’s the case, employees suffer the consequences and ignore the tools. Everyone loses.

First jazz gem discovery of 2008. This album from Alan Pasqua has throwback fusion undercurrents spiced with enough modern freshness to make it extremely interesting.

The album opens with a slightly restrained title track, but quickly gets edgy on “George Russell”.

“Prayer” begins as a quiet rhapsody for piano and morphs into a meaty set of funky tunes.

Pasqua likes a growling, electric Fender Rhodes sound over lots of laid back grooving.

Much of The Antisocial Club has a hard, driving ensemble feel that you’ll love if you’re into modern quintets. Trumpet and sax are out front, frequently doubled, with twisty, harmonic melodies. Tasteful use of electronica in solos and breaks is a really nice contrast to the rhythmic beats.

The album closes with “Message to Beloved Souls Departed”, a reflective, muted ostinato with simple, rich harmonies; possibly for Michael Brecker who passed away last year.