Back in the early 2000's when phones were barely getting smart and phone companies were charging for text messages like they were solid gold, I made a j2me app that could send SMS-es over GPRS trough a website that was offering free SMS-es. That way you could send 10 SMS-es for the price of one.

The app got some traction in my country. At the time ICQ website also had an option for sending free SMS-es. So I made an international version witch got featured on some blogs. But then within a week I got a cease and desist email from AOL lawyers. So that was the end of that.

- Think YOU'VE got a personality complex? I'm a software engineer who majored in marketing.
- Think YOU'VE got a phobia about failing? I wrote a book on developing for Google Glass. And tech edited another on Hailstorm.
- Think YOU'VE got self-confidence issues? I had a run of 7 straight rejections by companies in the Fortune 500.
- Think YOU'VE got reservations about flexing your certifications? I held a MCP in FrontPage.
- Think YOU'VE got paranoia about your degree? My MBA's from the University of Phoenix.
- Think YOU'RE a glutton for punishment? I - Think Android Content Providers are a good idea.
- Think YOU'VE got a confusing skill set? A hiring manager told me I was "too passionate about technology to work here at Microsoft".
- Think YOU'VE got issues with intellectual property? I was given a cease-&-desist order for the first domain I registered.
- Think YOU'VE got false bravado? I had over 400,000 followers on Google+.

While all of these are hilarious quips and great social ice breakers, they're all 100% true. Enjoy your day. ;)

Stories from a Startup #2

One day our CEO stormed through the office, going door-to-door holding a cease-and-desist notice he got from our ISP because someone decided to pirate "Chappie" at work.

Definitely wasn't me. 👀 Don't know if he found out who did it, though... but we all certainly knew.

So this conversation went to HR territory really fast:

ITGuy: Do you have a cable I can borrow?
me: Maybe, why?
ITGuy: My brand new cable won't work on this printer.
me: <hands my super long cable to him>
ITGuy: Hey that worked!
me: I will test the other cable.
ITGuy: <leaves>
me: <finds no issues and works fine with my computer testing with a speed test>
me: <talking to other guy> I think maybe he didn't plug it in all the way. Sounds like a personal issue.
OtherGuy: Wait, what?
me: I think anything I say after this is going to sound bad.
OtherGuy: Yeah, I think so too.

Things I thought about later:
My super long cable worked, but the ITGuy's shorter cable didn't. Maybe he needs training for plugging in cables?

So, what's your IT trivia?
One of my favourites is sosumi.
When Apple Computers started up they were sent a "cease and desist" notice by Apple Music (The Beatles).
They reached a settlement that Apple Computers would never publish music and Apple Music would never sell computers.
So when the Mac came out and played a tune on startup, the filename was sosumi.
Wikipedia now appears to dispute this, saying that sosumi wasn't the startup sound, but some other sound - any Mac experts care to comment?

Real question, not troll. There is debate about it and I really can't figure it out.

Besides having the title software "engineer," is there really such a thing as a software engineer?

In the US, to be an engineer you have to be regularly tested by a regulated governing body, apprentice under another engineer for years, and be certified on a state level. Whereupon you are personally liable for your designs being FREE from errors.

For one thing, nobody can write bug free code, and the idea of being personally responsible for each bug is terrifying.
And two, I've seen news of people calling themselves software engineers in the USA and Canada and getting a cease and desist or sued for it, despite any level of qualification.

I'm sure there are engineers, especially electrical, computer engineers who also program.

But... ?

I don't know, I can't say either way.
That's why I'm asking.