Xavier's dreams, thoughts, tech tips...

Google doesn’t want my money

Xavier — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:46:54 +0000

(Ironically they have tons of money, I have none)

Here is my problem with Google:

I want to pay for Google Drive. However when I tried it says it is not available and I need to enable it in the control panel. It sends me to their support and help section. Although after running around through a lot of posts, it turns out I end up exactly in the same post where I started.

So I TRY to file a ticket in their support system. Can’t find where. So I send a message via their “Tell us how we are doing” link.

They answer
We recommend using your dedicated Google Apps for Business support
channels, as this channel is primarily focused on paid consumer support.
Your support options are listed here:

http://support.google.com/a/bin/request.py.

So then this is what I have to say
Here is the problem. I can’t get support because my account is a free one. But I am trying to actually pay google to use google drive, but the problem is that I can’t pay.

So I am really stuck. Can’t get support because I can’t pay. I can’t pay and can’t get support because I can’t… well… pay…

So can you redirect me please to someone that can help me pay. That way I will be able to ask for support. But I won’t need support because… oh well… my problem has been solved!

Hmmmm….

How some people make me feel….

Xavier — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:18:52 +0000

Queja sobre servicio de la Clinica Biblica el pasado sabado

Xavier — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:32:33 +0000

Buenas,

Mi queja es muy sencilla, no me voy a quejar del precio (que me parecio alto) ni de como nos trataron (pues esperamos un buen rato con mi esposa con mucho dolor general en emergencias) sino que me voy a quejar del tratamiento de mi esposa.

Muy sencillo, llego con dolor de cabeza y vomitos. La atiende el doctor (apellido raro, un sr moreno) y la revisa. Ella esta en lactancia y fue lo primero que indico entonces le dicen que no pueden ponerle ni Voltaren ni otras medicinas que no son amigables durante la lactancia.

La llevan a observacion, le ponen algo intravenoso y despues de un rato se siente mejor.

Salimos y resulta que le pusieron Voltaren. De lo que el mismo doctor nos dijo, al igual que otros doctores, es que durante la lactancia no se puede administrar dichos medicamentos.

Que fue lo que paso? No deberian de tener extremo cuidado para no afectar un bebe?

iPads are for everyone

Xavier — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:26:42 +0000

Even 10 month old babies!

Space used in SQL for all tables – the most wonderful query I’ve seen

Xavier — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 02:56:59 +0000

So I saw this today in my control panel… I am over my sql quota in a small project…

Crap….

However, I found this query to find all space used in a sql database. It leverages sp_spaceused but builds a table that you can quickly review. BTW: I didn’t create it, I just borrowed it from here http://therightstuff.de/CommentView,guid,df930155-f60f-4f56-ab33-f1352ff091a1.aspx

Big thank you to Mr Alexander, whom I’ve never met in my life but such a nice query is appreciated on a Saturday night.


SET NOCOUNT ON 
DBCC UPDATEUSAGE(0) 
-- DB size.

EXEC sp_spaceused
-- Table row counts and sizes.

CREATE TABLE #t

(

    [name] NVARCHAR(128),

    [rows] CHAR(11),

    reserved VARCHAR(18),

    data VARCHAR(18),

    index_size VARCHAR(18),

    unused VARCHAR(18)

) 
INSERT #t EXEC sp_msForEachTable 'EXEC sp_spaceused ''?''' 
SELECT *

FROM   #t
-- # of rows.

SELECT SUM(CAST([rows] AS int)) AS [rows]

FROM   #t
DROP TABLE #t

Oh, and forgot to say. I deleted logs and unnecessary stuff. Shrink db and now I am well under my quota. Hoorray! Saved some money!

Why Dell hates all its international customers

Xavier — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:52:13 +0000

So, I’ve been a Dell customer since forever. Loyal customer, that is. I’ve purchased not only for myself but for the company many many Dells.

I open my account and the history is there.

Two weeks ago I purchased a computer, all went fine and was delivered a week ago. Now, being a loyal customer, I purchase another one for my family this week.

Turns out there is a new policy: no international credit cards are allowed. Does the fact that I have a history of purchasing many computers and servers make a difference?

Why do being not from the US is suddenly a sin for Dell. They should be half smart and at least value their loyal customers.

I am beginning to hate Dell, I know they probably don’t care about one less customer as they have many already, but they should.

Customers are the foundation of their existence, but they seem like they no longer care…

Oh yeah… Iknow what they might probably say. Use your local web site, that is dell.com/cr. However, I don’t want to. Dell uses their local sites as the dump for computers they could not sell in the US. Computers are not only more expensive, they usually have lower standards.

Come on Dell, try to care at least!

Oh.. and one more thing. I connect to the sales chat. I am waiting for like 20 minutes. And then the guy connects, and in a minute or two tells me he has been waiting for me for too long and disconnects the chat. I was in the bathroom for Christ’s sake!

Ditching the iPhone 4 for a Windows Phone 7?

Xavier — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:47:57 +0000

Well, a few months ago I would’ve thought this is something totally unreasonable. Now I tested a Windows Phone 7 and I actually did. The iPhone is just stashed in a drawer while I test the WP7. More on this soon

Costa Rica – no es de ricos sino de tontos y me incluyo

Xavier — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:09:04 +0000

Para continuar con el post del otro dia, sobre como Costa Rica es un pais para ricos, pues ya me llego el susodicho teclado.

Precio del teclado: $26
Costo de la traida: $56

Pues resulta que como el paquete es medio grande y los IMPUESTOS que nos clavan inflan el precio a un tamanno desproporcionado. Es un ridiculo y creo que con esto me voy a negar a seguir pidiendo cosas.

O sea, no hay forma de ganar. En Costa Rica todo es estupidamente caro y si se compra en US es muy barato pero nos clavan en la traida.

Que vida, no hay forma de ganar…

PD: Y hoy lei en el gobierno como un sr decia que el plan fiscal era bueno pues en paises desarrollados se pagaban impuestos altos pero se vivia bien. Claro, en esos paises no se tiene la cultura del vivazo y del pobrecillo y no se roban el dinero del gobierno de esa manera tan descarada.

Costa Rica – un pais de tercer mundo hecho para ricos

Xavier — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:39:11 +0000

Chicha me da hoy cuando se me riega el cafe encima de mi teclado, el cual Amazon me recuerda que tiene 14 meses nada mas.

Pero mas chicha me da ir a Office Depot y otros lugares y ver que el teclado que en Amazon vale $28 esta aca a 40 000 colones, que son aproximadamente $80.

La pereza es que todo es asi, los carros valen un 40% mas, cualquier cosa aplica la regla de 10, que significa que si algo vale $10 aca vale 10 mil colones que son $20, es decir casi el doble.

Y dicen que no pagamos impuestos… Y la chicha de los impuestos no es pagarlos. Es pagar impuestos para que alguien del gobierno se los robe!

JIRA and prioritization / ordering – Agile and Scrum Master tips

Xavier — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:28:45 +0000

JIRA, Greenhopper, Agile, project planning, tasking, reporting, sprint planning and similar words are my daily bread. I spend most of my time checking progress on multiple fronts. The number of tasks that I have to review and keep track of has grown to a level that is a little bit over the capabilites of a regular human being. Organization is key, the devil is in the details and if you fail to prepare you better prepare to fail.

That’s why I identified so much with James O. Coplien with his It’s Ordered — Not Prioritized! article.

My favorite way of structuring the work assigned to developers in JIRA is to sort out by fixversion using either the GreenHopper plugin or bulk change via the Issues pane and then simply sit down with the dev, estimate the duration of each task and then set the due date so that we both agree in which order they are going to be working on their tasks.

The due date is a guide, and although it is not written in stone, we need to try to reach our objectives. That’s why estimating is so important!

Here is a sample of the tasks for a specific developer in the order in which he needs to work on them:

And also the most important part, focus on the task at hand and try to finish it first. Seven tasks in progress that are “almost complete” don’t count as one!

So, how do you prioritize your work?