Your Headshot - LinkedIn DON'Ts

I initially made a headshot for use with my articles, then my blog, but, almost everyone has a LinkedIn profile these days, and everyone needs a photo there. In today's post, I'll give you some DON'Ts for professional looking photos, and on Friday I'll tell you how to make a good headshot by yourself if you're disinclined to pay someone to do it for you.

In the November 2012 homepage poll, we see that 52% of AUGI members have a LinkedIn profile, 60% use Facebook and 24% use Twitter.
73% of recruiters are checking you out online, even if you don't give them a specific link yourself. You want to ensure you're presenting a professional image when they do find you.

But, I'll just assume we're purely talking LinkedIn, serving as an online resume and a way to stay connected with colleagues, current and past (and potentially, future), though you might use your headshot across a wide variety of sites.
After spending some time on LinkedIn, here are some headshots faux pas that cause me to twitch:

DON'T use a logo or cartoon as your image, that's even worse than having no image at all. Same goes for anything goofy like sideways or upside-down images
DON'T have no image at all, it makes your profile look incomplete and feels impersonal

You're 7x more likely to have your profile viewed from search results, if you have a photo than if you do not

DON'T be a gender-bender. If you've got a gender-neutral name, having a photo with a man and a woman in your shot is probably not going to prevent sexism, it will certainly be awkward and confusing
DON'T have more than one person in your image. This isn't Facebook, no matter how proud you might be of your partner, children, best buddy or pets, a professional site is not the place to show them off. This profile is about *you*, not your spouse, keep that in mind and don't mention them anywhere
DON'T get sloppy on your crop job. The photo is of you and your best bud and you just crop him out, but, we can still see his shoulder. Take a couple of minutes to use a real image editing program to remove any trace of other people
DON'T use a really old profile image. I like gray hair on the fellas, but, I roll my eyes every time I see your headshot from back when your hair was a different color
DON'T use something sexy. I cannot believe I actually have to say this, but, guys... keep your shirts on! And, of course, ladies, come-hither duckface looks are for your OKCupid profile, but not for your resume.

If you want some examples of things to DO, check out some of the images of your favorite authors or LinkedIn connections. Before doing my last headshot, I looked closely at a few respected writers in the industry to see how they presented themselves and tried to emulate their poses and styles

DON'T have a busy background. You need a plain background so that you are clearly the focus. Again, this isn't a family photo album or Facebook, the background should be either a solid color, or a simple stage (like a desk or bookshelf, no trees or anything with a lot of detail... not that you have to shoot in front of a blank wall, just that the final image should not contain them)
DON'T have a panorama, even if it's a blue sky or a white mountain. The focus should be on your face... not a miniscule pixel that vaguely resembles a human
DON'T ignore the aspect ratio. Sizes should be changed by cropping or scaling, not by freehand resizing
DON'T brag on your hobbies. Do you like cars and traveling and sports? That's nice, but, bring it up after you're hired. I think more exotic images or expensive toys could potentially make an employer feel like you are out of their price range or more interested in playing than working
DON'T dress too casually or display logos on your clothing or wear hats, flashy jewelry or sunglasses (or too formal... men *might* be able to get away with using a tux shot, if it's done right, but, no wedding dresses or evening gowns, ladies)

DON'T make it look like a mugshot. Okay! having a straight-on shot under fluorescent office lighting in an unflattering color isn't the *worst* thing you can do, but, I assure you, you can do better. Throw in some angles and use decent light to make a big difference

I'll cover how to do headshots solo, and on the cheap, in my next post

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Siemens Shape-based Searching

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN CADdigest, January 7th, 2013

Geolus Shape-Based Searching for Reusing CAD Parts

“Reuse” is a popular focus in initiatives across PLM today. It is an area where efficiency is improved by not repeating work and by making derivative products from existing ones, rather than starting from scratch.
It is one of the most basic benefits of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE). The more we leverage existing parts, the easier it is to maintain internal standards, freeing resources for innovation. Another incredibly important byproduct of reuse is that each time we reuse rather than re-invent, we slow the increase in complexity of our inventory.
Every part that is needlessly invented creates a ripple of waste throughout the product management lifecycle (PLM). There is no such thing as a cheap part.

Reuse is not limited to parts, but also extends to processes. If we can recognize a situation where a particular manufacturing process or CAE strategy can be applied to rather than reinivented, savings can be recognized.

This is great, in theory. The difficulty comes when trying to locate those existing parts for reuse. If a search for a desired part turns up nothing promising, then I suspect most of us would decide to just start recreating the design of the "missing" parts from scratch. 

We tend to find information through text-based searches, putting data such as part number into a search field; this data is known as metadata or attributes. However, looking for existing items using metadata can fail for a number of reasons, including:

• The part might not have been filed with the correct attributes.
• The company might have grown through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) which means there will be a cultural mix of attribute names.
• Using suppliers' terminology will help communication with them, but it does introduce new cultures, just like M&A. This is compounded when dealing with multiple suppliers of the same part.
• Design shops may span continents, introducing local language issues.
• Spelling errors and irregular adoption of terminology and abbreviation will also be common.

If the expected metadata is not associated with the part in the first place, the search fails even when the needed parts are in the database. The only possible resolution in cases like this, discounting manual review of every file, is shape-bases searching. 

A Solution Through Shape Searching

One shape-based solution is Geolus, from Siemens PLM Software. Geolus has the ability to digitize “shapes.” It captured the essence of shapes as a digital index. It has the ability to compare indices and determine if a part is similar to other parts in the enterprise. Two good analogies are fingerprints and DNA. People’s fingerprints or DNA do not change when they change their hair, clothes, or names. Similarly, the Geolus index of a part is the same, no matter which keywords are associated with it. The index is unaffected by a part’s position or orientation. This is important when browsing assemblies for parts.
 
Geolus is a search engine that returns results in order of shape similarity and additionally reports the comparison of the size of the search part and the resultant part as a percentage. It can return exact matches as well as parts that are merely similar. 

For example, if production is halted because there are no more parts in Bin A, a search might find a source of alternate identical parts that enabled production to continue. A similarity search is appropriate if there is an initiative to identify parts on which production can standardize.

Searches can begin with a simple 3D sketch or an existing part, perhaps paired with some attribute(s). When a search returns a result, it reports a weighted list in order of similarity, along with identifying information, a report on the size compared with the original part, and a preview of each part. This image shows a set of search results on an existing part, as launched from a Web browser.

Example of a ‘seed’ image, used to search, and the associated results

(image provided by Siemens)

Notice that the parts are ordered by shape similarity and that, in this case, the defining attributes are also included in the results. The attributes are chosen by the customer and can include items such as release status, release date, owning engineer, project, supplier, cost, and so on. This collation, of non-geometric information through geometric means, facilitates queries such as “Which supplier has this part for the best price?”

How Geolus is used

Geolus is designed as a plug-in. It is accessed through your Web browser. It could also be integrated into existing software from Siemens PLM; such as Teamcenter, NX or Solid Edge. It is also available in aClass, a product from a Siemens partner, BCT.

The geometry that Geolus processes can be any one of the following formats: Siemens' own JT, VRML or STL. Attribute data can be in CSV, XML, or PLMXML formats. For example, I could sketch a bracket shape, and then specify that I am searching for one made of stainless steel and/or designed in a specified year and/or having a certain price.

JT, VRML and STL are all neutral file formats. Geolus can read a mix of these file formats into the same data depository. It does not matter if the originating CAD systems are varied, which makes it a powerful tool in a multi-CAD environment.
 
JT just became an ISO International Standard for 3D visualization, and is a lightweight format that can range from data-rich to very basic. Parasolid is the 3D modeling kernel used by MCAD and architectural software like SolidWorks, Solid Edge, and Vectorworks. D-Cubed is the library of software components licensed by Siemens PLM, and is used with many CAM/CAE applications, such as NX and Solid Edge.

On Siemens' Youtube channel, I watched the sketch of a part in NX, a high-end 3D CAD system from Siemens PLM. The selection of the desired part and the call for the Geolus search did not take long and previews of similar parts popped up quickly. From the results screen, I could see additional information reached by clicking on the 3D preview of each part presented. Through the search screen, I could even see how to replace the sketched part with one of the designed components. This appears to be a simple and easy way to swap out a "napkin sketch" for an established component.

When Geolus is used interactively it is typically used to search for matches to a single part. This answers the question “What did I do last time I had an item like this one?” When Geolus reporting is used, every part is compared with every other part and the results are exported to a spreadsheet, the manager’s tool of choice. This provides a finger on the pulse across the enterprise.
 
How Geolus Works

Geolus indexes parts and stores them in a database. A Geolus index contains:

• the digital representation of the shape
• metadata as specified by the user
• thumbnail images for presenting visual feedback to the user
  

About Indexing

The Geolus Indexer is a small utility that is located with the data. (It is worth noting that you are never asked to move your data outside your firewall.) The Geolus Index is tiny compared with the original geometry. It does not contain enough information to reverse engineer the geometry. This could have been a security concern for multisite customers who choose to have a central Geolus server and so export the Geolus indices.

Strategic Uses

There are also other, more strategic, uses for the capabilities of Geolus to tackle in addition to Engineering and lifecycle management. Procurement, business analysis, and digital validation can also benefit from quick and easy access to shaped-based information.

Spreadsheets could be created to compare every item in the enterprise with every other item. This would allow bidding on the manufacture of groups of similar parts. These reports could conceivably make it simpler to detect which characteristics of parts are best used to identify units in catalogs and design specifications.

The ease of searching could help estimators to put together more accurate bids from available historic data, rather than depending on the memories of engineering staff.

Siemens PLM suggests that tracking reliability and maintainability of previously used parts could be another application of this system.

Make Full Use of the Technology

When I first took on the role of managing the archives for my hospital, dating back nearly 90 years at the time, I was continually frustrated by the misspelling of terms, and the renaming of buildings over the decades. Had I been able to sketch out the layout of a building or division for easy location, I could have found and distributed all of the available information quickly, rather than having to field verify or flip through thousands of drawings.

An ability to search by shape is something that I found fascinating about Geolus. Knowing that one could still make use of their company’s intellectual property, even if predecessors did not name or describe a part by the same standards we would use today, is quite empowering. As with any technology, implementation teams would need to ensure that the design staff are taking the time to perform the search and making the best use of all available resources.

If you would like to see this search in action, there are videos available on the Geolus channel on Siemens’ website. You can also find a couple on YouTube, they all appear to be from Siemens, such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCBg272eyRw For additional information: http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/geolus

Melanie Perry is a facilities management CAD coordinator as well as a technical editor. She writes for the Mistress of Dorkness blog about CAFM and BIM. More...

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OT: Lord of the Rings Pickup Lines

Undeniably, the most popular post on my blog is the one entitled Geek Pickup Lines. Strangely enough, one of the top searches that brings people to my little corner of the interwebs is "Lord of the Rings Pick up Lines". Due to my mention of the books in my profile. =>

Yes, that is sort of sad, given that this blog is dedicated to the serious and the professional... ~pause~ Okay, maybe not entirely. One reason I take so much pleasure in my work is that my colleagues enjoy a good laugh (see also: "You Might be a CAD Diva if...").

So, I think to myself... "Self, give the people what they want!" And, the people obviously want some Lord of the Rings Pickup Lines! So, I hit Google and found that, while there might be much innuendo, there were few one-liners of the type for which I was searching.
At the bottom of this post, I pasted in some of what I found, but, first, I'm going to try my hand at crafting a few original Lord of the Rings pickup lines:

• You don't need One Ring to find me.
• Baby, you're hotter than the cracks of Mount Doom.
• Your rejection would destroy me like an Ent destroys Isengard.
• So, hey, how about that Weather... top?
• My love for you is deeper than the lodes of Mithril in Khazad-dum.
• Speak, friend, and enter... your number in my phone.
• I'll be your Isildur and you can be my bane.
• I couldn't help but notice all of these losers circling you like Nazgul... why don't we get out of here and go back to my Mathom-house?
• No, we haven't met, unless you count in the Mirror of Galadriel.
• Your beauty has pierced my heart like a Morgul Blade.
• I'm not usually this forward, but, you've broken down my barriers like Grond.
• ~offering the Red Arrow~
• Was that a Middle-Earthquake? or did you just rock my world?
• I've heard about a great new club... want to go There and Back Again?
• You've got beautiful eyes, they sparkle like the Mirrormere.
• I'd climb the Endless Stair to be with you.

Well... what do you think? If you can do better (and I am sure you can), please leave a comment below.

http://forum.barrowdowns.com/archive/index.php?t-12304.html

• "If you are not Luthien, then you walk in her likeness."
• Sauron: "I've only got Eye for you"
• "Pardon me, but are you elvish? You've been running through my mind without pause!"
• "If loving you is El-Rond, I don't wanna be El-Right!"
• Thorondor: Going my way?

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13200722300

• If you were an orc, I'd be sting. When you're near me, I glow!

http://people.rit.edu/kjm7425/iweb/midterm/bookLOTR.html

• If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it, precious.
• Are we in Lord of The Rings? Cause I swear you're my precious... 

http://www.dorkly.com/article/15910/6-lord-of-the-rings-pickup-lines

• You shall not pass... without giving me your number.

http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090601184318AA4iGsL

• Certainty of death, *small* chance of success... What are we waiting for?
• "Why couldn't Tom Bombadil hear the telephone?"
• "Because the ring had no effect on him."
• "Give me a ring later."
• "What's a nice elf like you doing in a place like this?"
• "Didn't we meet at the orc siege the other night?"

http://www.minastirith.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=16;t=000054;p=

(/\ please note, this thread contains a lot of innuendo, only click if you don't mind that sort of thing)

• Sauron: "I've had my eye on you for a long time, baby."
• Gollum: "Want to see my precious?"
• Denethor to guard: Come on baby, light my fire.

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If Poe did CAD...

Recently I trotted out the old favorite poem "Abort, Retry, Ignore", based of course, upon the classic literary work, The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe (I find the rhythm of trochaic octameter quite engaging).

In response, a friend posted his own composition, and granted me permission to repost it here (although, you can find it on his own blog - http://antmansclone.wordpress.com/ )

Cad upon a midnight dreary, bloodshot eyes welled up and teary
Revising a project that had changed a thousand times before–
There I sat, not even blinking; into slumber I was sinking
Pots of coffee I was drinking, drinking to stay off the floor
“How long will this last?” I wondered, gazing at my office door–
Had been there since the night before

Though fuzzy now, I still remember the hour of which my comembers
Abandoned me to alone dismember these drawings — What an awful chore!
Against all hope to hold back sorrow, vainly trying time to borrow
To finish that job before the morrow, tomorrow when I would sleep once more
Bed with pillow, couch, chair or floor–
Tomorrow I would sleep once more

Where was my undo command? I thought I had them all at hand
I looked again, and there it was, where it had not been before
Decided then to abdicate some recent work, I undid eight
Aghast, I realized my fate — I only meant to undo four
Stupid mistakes like this I invariably deplore
Forced again to redraw more

To make that wall a little longer for to make the shearwall stronger
I had to change the roof slope and eliminate a door.
Architect would not allow for that, there for the moment I just sat
Waiting for him to come back with a design he could adore.
Nary a sound I heard as he entered, returning through my office door
Red ink upon the paper more

Upon my check plots peering, as I stood there, knowing, fearing,
Before he even gestured I knew he had changed the plan some more
Finally the silence broken, as he started to betoken
The words from his mouth hardly spoken uttered changes I knew to abhor.
“Flip the plan and change the elevation of the second floor.”
Merely this and nothing more

“Can’t you just a button press to make more sense out of this mess?”
I said OK to appease him and send him from my space once more
Back to my workstation turning, anger towards him stronger burning,
Sure my next paycheck I’d be earning not only just a little more–
This shock to my system must be worth not only just a little more–
Started coffee pot number four

Music streaming from my speakers, helping me from growing weaker
Screaming songs to match the feeling of the hairdo that I wore
Nodding off and half awake, suddenly a double take
I pinched myself for dreaming’s sake; what now do my eyes absorb?
Everything was in its place, it appeared I had to do no more
I stood and breathed; a pallid countenance I no longer wore
I felt as though on sunny shore

And as I felt it, a glint of light shone in to aid me from my plight
Dawn’s radiant hues had lifted my soul — I could feel it in my core
But to chagrin my heart’s elation {Unhandled Access Violation}
“NO!” I screamed, “Not my creation!” I paced around my office floor
In desperation tried to get my drawing back to where it was before
Audit or recover, ultimately my file I could not restore
My drawing file was no more

Though the morn was shining brilliant, and I thought myself to be resilient
My keyboard could not withstand the shock of my mouse hitting it with force
It was over, I conceded; by the deadline it was not completed
And I sat there, felling defeated, rejected and forlorn
I looked at my computer, letting sink in the horror of that wretched morn
I turned my back, went home to sleep; trudged out my office door
And there I pledged it, “Nevermore”

- Anthony Mason - 2002

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AutoCAD 2011 Launch - Part 4 (photos & videos)

Part 1 - Tweet archive posted from event

Part 2 - notes from the webcasts

Part 3 - notes from the webcasts (continued)

Finally, part 4, photographs and videos from the event (<- link points to photos shown in the picasa slideshow embedded below).

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AU notes: CADalyst

While at Autodesk University 2009, I was fortunate enough to be invited to join the CADalyst writer's breakfast.

I had a lovely time meeting and chatting with the CADalyst/Longitude Media staff (Seth, Nancy and Cyrena), as well as a couple of experienced authors and tech gurus, Bill Fane and Paul Aubin.
I don't want to sound like too much of a fan-girl, but, I was pretty much beside myself getting to talk with these guys in this circumstance (fun fact: Bill has been writing for CADalyst since I was in kindergarten, wow!).
While I resisted the urge to do anything lame like ask for autographs, I did have to ask for a photo.

Look at me!!! Hangin with Bill & Paul!!! :-D

The big news from the discussion was that CADalyst can now be bought in print. The sample issue I saw is slightly larger than a traditional magazine, and with a much higher quality paper.


For more writing/editing geeks, here's my report from AU2007 on all of the great folks I have worked with.

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Current Work

As I mentioned last June, I have doubled my course load at Saint Louis University's School for Professional Studies. My summer semester really kicked my tail with some hard classes, and I certainly stayed busy in the fall, but, I had every intention of making some quality blog posts while I was on winter break.

Of course, I didn't know that I'd be extended the wonderful opportunity to work as the Technical Editor on the next edition of AutoCAD: No Experience Required. The author updating the text is fellow under-30 blogger, Donnie Gladfelter (better known as The CAD Geek).
I first had the pleasure of meeting Donnie at the AutoCAD 2010 launch (my tweets), and also caught up with him at AU2009. You can check out some of his videos and Ask the Expert archive from the AutoCAD Exchange (we recorded our videos in the same studio and I still crack up when I remember how many times he had to start over to prevent himself from saying 'paramedic' constraints hehehe).
So, obviously, there are a lot of deadlines associated with working with Donnie, and the fine folks at Wiley, so I've been neglecting my blog even further. I apologize, especially to those kind readers who emailed me to make sure I hadn't actually fallen off the face of the planet.

---

Now, with regard to my day job, I'm currently managing one of the largest projects I've ever been assigned (Project Management ups and downs = Upside: I don't have to do the work myself. Downside = Tons and tons of paperwork.), so that is fairly exciting.

Obviously we're also still in our slow ramp up to BIM adoption in my facility, trying to make sure the lines of communication are clearly open with everyone staying in the loop and driving toward the same goals. It's extremely interesting and a great learning experience.

Also, we've essentially completed our long review of CMMS systems and should be making our final decision soon, then we move onto the adoption/migration itself. It's... long overdue.

In addition to our normal construction and troubleshooting, our office is as busy as always.

---

School continues to be a challenge. The courses are run on compressed eight-week schedules, so that makes for some long nights and a lot of homework, it's extremely intense. However, my Professors are all really great teachers, I've felt engaged in all of my courses, and I sure don't remember that from my previous forays into the world of academia.

My current class is Programming Logic and Design, in a few weeks, I'll begin Organizational Studies and Principles of Event-driven Programming. Really good courses.

I'm also a student blogger (I know, I'm SORRY!) and am looking forward to volunteering at an upcoming Blood Drive with the ASL.

---

Remember, if you want to chat with some of the local St. Louis CAD geeks, pop into the Gateway AUG's google group forum.

You can find me on micro-blog site Twitter:
MelaniePerry <- General CAD/Technology/OT/family tweets
MistresDorkness <- postings and highlights from CAD & BIM events I attend

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AutoCAD 2010 Launch - Quickie

I am blogging from San fransisco right now (from my iPhone, because the Hyatt has a lousy connection). I have to be brief on my phone.

Today 10 bloggers were brought to the official launch of Acad2010. We voiced our opinions on new features, hit and miss, to the people in charge of creating them.

I have been tweeting and posting pictures on twitpic all day, but, I do have two fully illustrated blog posts in the queue for when I've got computer Internet access. For now, you can check out a list of new features here:
http://www.twitter.com/MistresDorkness

Cheers!

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Book: AutoCAD and LT 2009 Bible Available

I just noticed a post on Shaan Hurley's blog revealing that the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2009 Bible is now available.

As I mentioned, I've been lucky enough to have been able to assist Ellen Finkelstein in the updating of her priceless teaching and reference work for the past two releases. Lee Ambrosius also works with Ellen on this book, in addition to everything else he does (such as programming and writing AutoCAD for Dummies).

So, if you need to learn AutoCAD, or just want to have a handy reference of anything and everything in the program, I'd recommend the AutoCAD Bible. It's heartily cross-referenced and well organized and indexed so that you can find what you need. (And don't worry that you'd be lining my pockets with this endorsement, I will not receive any royalties based on sales, so I'm purely recommending it because I think it's such a great book. Even with my 14 years behind the wheel of AutoCAD, I use my Bible for reference quite a bit)

Ellen has also done books on Powerpoint, RSS, Flash and the Open Office products... so, if you're in need of training, tips and tricks and tutorials for any of the above, you can just go here.

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AutoCAD 2009 - All the rest

I went over some of the highlights of the my initial product review of the AutoCAD 2009 release in this article back in February.

In April, AUGI HotNews published my TipNiques column on the Interface changes with ACAD09.

And in May, I did a follow up (AutoCAD 2009: Odds and Ends) listing all of the little changes, enhancements and new features that I'd come across.

In June, Brian Benton is scheduled to round out this series with a good walk through on the Action Recorder, so be sure to check it out.

There have also been some articles in AUGIWorld and in other HotNews columns about making the most of new features.

And, please note, if you want the menu bar back and things to look more traditional, just switch to the Classic Workspace.


Of course, if you're not quite ready and willing to upgrade, feel free to refresh yourself and make sure you're taking advantage of the AutoCAD 2008 features!

TIPniques: Dashboard Customization
TIPniques: Using Referenced Files
TIPniques: AutoCAD 2008 Odds and Ends

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The Wandering Writer Meets her Bosses

Autodesk University 2007 was a special year for me because of the chance it gave me to connect with my 'bosses'. Okay, they don't boss me, but, I do work for and with them. I'd like to take the chance to recognize those who have helped me grow as a writer and allowed me an outlet for some of my articles.

This first shot is from the AUGI Writer's Breakfast. This was a nice reception where we got a rundown on the circulation and milestones of AUGIWorld Magazine, AUGI HotNews and BLAUGI.

While it was nice getting a little bit of recognition from those we work with, it was even nicer to have a chance to sit down and chat with the other writers. We're a pretty varied and scattered lot, and it was awesome to connect in person.

Next up, this is my first meeting with Marilyn Law, AUGIWorld Magazine's Managing Editor. I've been working with her for the past four years. I began working with her when I took on the role of Survey Manager. I've since dropped the monthly surveys, but, we continue to work together on the Annual CAD/Design Salary Survey.

This borders on a year-round thing for us. She helps me to work in many of the user suggestions I receive before, during, and after the annual run of the survey.
She is truly a pleasure to work with, I have seldom met a more patient and hard-working person.
I also met Dan Teeter who, along with Tim Varnau, helps bring to life the graphical side of the AUGIWorld Salary Survey spread.This isn't my first meeting with Chris Lindner, HotNews Manager (and AUGI's new President), but, it is the first since I worked for him via AUGI HotNews. This spring I wrote a series of three articles for his TipNiques column (focused on the 2008 family of AutoCAD-based products).
(notice my ProBlogger t-shirt)
Last, but, certainly not least, I finally got to meet up with Ellen Finkelstein. I had the distinct honor of working for her in updating the 2008 release of her popular tome 'The AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Bible' (which certainly lives up to it's name).
Writing a book is a huge undertaking, and how Ellen manages to keep things so organized and describe them so clearly, I will never know! She not only gave me guidance on the work that I did for her, but, also freely answered my questions when I spoke about some of the goals that I have for my writing career.
We had a leisurely meal at a nice Italian restaurant there in the Venetian Canal and got to know one another a little better, and I'd have to say that was one of the highlights of my week! (in addition, of course, to the great Facilities Management classes and the beta, ilk and take5 meetups)I also got some writing advice from my friend, Matt Dillon.

'Don't do it!"

Not exactly the most helpful piece of advice I've ever received, but, certainly practical and borne of experience. We met up with some friends for lunch, including Paul Aubin, with whom he wrote the ADT(ACA) Advanced Implementation Guide - 2nd Ed.
(from left to right : Paul Aubin, Matt Dillon, Richard Binning, Steve and Sandy Stafford... yes, there's someone in the back, but, I can't remember who)

Okay, so I've never worked for or with fellow blogger Robin Capper on a writing project. I did have to throw him in here, because I love reading his stuff and the fact that it took us four AU's to finally meet one another. It was certainly a pleasure, we shared more than a few laughs throughout the week. ~waving at RobinZ~Two wonderful folks who read my blog took the time to come up and introduce themselves to me, which was really great. It's nice to know that people read and appreciate my words.
So, I'd like to say a special 'Hello' to Hugo Hernandez and to that-guy-at-the-subscription-party- who-called-me-the-next-Lynn-Allen-and-who-had-his-name-tag- turned-around-so-that-I-couldn't-read- it. It was great to have met you guys!

Evidently I barely missed meeting CADalyst writer and editor, Kenneth Wong. Sorry I missed you, Kenneth!

There's always AU2008 (December 2nd through 5th, 2008).

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Ergonomics / Writers Wanted

I was just working a cramp out of my shoulder, and recalled an article I'd written for the ICC newsletter last December about proper office ergonomics, which also came to mind as a portion of our safety training here last week.

Ergonomics
Does your back hurt at the end of the day?
Do you get pain in your wrists and elbows from working at the computer?
Here are some signs that your work space is not ergonomically sound:
Shooting pain/tingling sensations in arms, legs or neck
Numbness and feeling lightheaded
Squirming, you just can’t get comfortable
Popping joints

The first step to working safely is looking at your work space. Your company might have a safety department that can come out and offer suggestions and guidelines to relieve the effects of some poorly designed setups.
OSHA has some suggestions on identifying potentially harmful working conditions. http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/computerworkstation/solutions.html

Assessing your equipment setup:
Check out your chair height to make sure that your elbows are at the same level as your keyboard
You should have an adjustable chair that fits you so that your circulation isn’t being cut off from dangling or bent legs.
Most chairs don’t have adjustable lumbar support, but, they really should.
Your keyboard should be directly in front of you, not at an angle.
Your monitor should be directly in front of you, so you don’t have to bend or twist to look at it.
The monitor should also be able arm’s length away for proper viewing to minimize eye strain.
Do you have room to comfortable move and stretch your legs under your desk?

Assessing the way you work:
 
Make sure:
your wrists are straight
your arms aren’t extended
your neck isn’t bent
your back is supported
your lower legs are supported
your feet rest solidly on the floor
Accessorize for Comfort:
Wrist rest for your keyboard
Wrist rest for your mouse
Angled footrest to relieve pressure on the back of your legs
Hands-free setup for your telephone to minimize neck pain from tilting your head to hold the phone

Keep moving:
At least once an hour (preferable every ½ hour), take a break to stand up, stretch, and walk the kinks out for a couple of minutes.
If you are totally engrossed in a project, this becomes even more important, because you are focused, and your limbs are going to be under even more strain than usual.

Roll your shoulders forward and back, and push your shoulder blades together.
Try ½ pushups, by leaning against a filing cabinet, a set of 10 a couple times a day will keep your shoulders loose.
Don’t forget your eyes! Follow the 20-20-20 rule, every 20 minutes, blink 20 times, and stare at something 20 feet away to minimize eyestrain.
You might also want to talk to your eye care specialist to ensure that your glasses/contacts are appropriate for this type of work.

Join one of the discussions on repetitive motion strain on the augi forums: http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=11656
http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=11606&highlight=mouse

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CAD/Tech Blogs

Assuming you are here reading this because you like blogs... here you go, all of my shortcuts for CAD and related blogs out there... if I've missed any good ones (which I'm sure I have) please let me know by posting a comment or sending me an email...

I've tried to sort them alphabetically by the name of the blog, or by the name of the addy... I thought about trying to sort them by product or field, but, that would be too complicated for those that cross over at a given time... 

CAD Blogs

• http://www.blaugi.com - AUGI blog, affectionately known as BLAUGI
• http://autodesk.blogs.com/
• http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/
• http://blogs.autodesk.com/inventor
• http://blogs.autodesk.com/adt
• http://blogs.autodesk.com/lynn
• http://ideasblog.adskhost.com/
• http://architects-desktop.blogspot.com/
• http://autocadder.blogspot.com/ - autocadder
• http://autodeskinformer.blogs.com/
• http://www.integr-8.com/besidethecursor/ - beside the cursor
• http://bethscadblog.blogspot.com/ - beth’s cad blog
• http://adt_blog.typepad.com/ - between the walls
• http://hyperpics.blogs.com/beyond_the_ui/ - beyond the UI
• http://modocrmadt.blogspot.com/ - breaking down the walls
• http://www.caddmanager.com/blog/ - cadd manager
• http://acecivil3d.blogspot.com/ - civil 3d
• http://coldfirecad.blogspot.com/
• http://mdouglas.blogs.com/in_the_dynamic_interface/ - in the Dyn Interface
• http://area31.blogspot.com/ - Inventor
• http://jtbworld.blogspot.com/ - jtb world
• http://www.kstati.com/default.aspx – tablet pc’s
• http://themadcadder.blogs.com/
• http://mohdqaq.blogspot.com/
• http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/ - microsoft geek
• http://mistressofthedorkness.blogspot.com/ - CAD/FM blog
• http://arxdummies.blogspot.com/ - Object Arx
• http://www.origamy.com.br/blog
• http://rcd.typepad.com/rcd/ - Robinz blog
• http://scottdurkee.blogspot.com/
• http://tlconsulting.blogspot.com/
• http://watertech.blogspot.com/ - Under the Water
• http://vizualize.blogspot.com/ - Visualize this
• http://rndr4food.blogspot.com/ - Will Render for Food
• http://blogs.msdn.com/vbide/archive/2005/07/07/436362.aspx
• http://blogs.geekdojo.net/brian/articles/Cropper.aspx

To help you keep a handle on it all…

• http://www.google.com/reader/
• http://www.newzcrawler.com/ 
• http://www.lights.com/weblogs/rss.html

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Upcoming Deadlines?

I've got a big presentation which needs to be finalized soon. ~nervous~

I was just handed the monthly survey for AUGI to prep.

I am updating the AutoCAD Community Forum Page with more great tips!

I am in the midst of writing an article (really, a collection of tips) for next month's ICC newsletter [now defunct]. (hint, it WON'T be about AutoCAD 2006! for those of you not upgrading, and sick of hearing about the new release)

I'll also be editing the other author submissions.

I'm getting ready for my next LUG meeting on the 26th.

You can see the information on the GAUG website, or on the AUGI LUG Calendar.

Remember, if you have any questions, comments, reports from meetings, popular topics, do post them in the AUGI LUG forum! (there is also a running thread in there with posts from users wishing to start a lug in their areas, pop in and see if there is someone you can connect with!)

I am also in the midst of moving (Yes! Again! They don't call me the Wanderer for nothing, you know).

I'm also trying to finalize my plans for a trip to Washington this summer to visit with relatives out there, whom we don't see often enough.

So, there are a lot of very exciting things going on in my world, but, I am looking forward to very many wonderful things in the future! Spring is in the air, the sun is shining, birds are singing... and all that other treacly rot.

Hope you have the opportunity to get out and enjoy life a little.

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