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PraxIS newsletter contents for 2005-2006

Index to current year issues is at http://www.sysmod.com/praxis/index.htm

Contents for 2003-2004 are at http://www.sysmod.com/praxis/archive0304.htm

Contents for 2000-2002 are at http://www.sysmod.com/praxis/archive.htm

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Patrick O'Beirne, Editor

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December 2006

1) Risk & Security
New vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word
UK NHS IT Plan: £12Bn at risk?
Creeping errors

2) IE7
Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage

3) Marketing
Killer Web Content - new book
Social Networking websites questioned

4) Spreadsheets
Tip: Identify missing input values
The Long and Winding Formula
Yet more error reports in the news

5) Off Topic
Cartoon: when the only tool you have is a hammer....
18 Web links in this newsletter

November 2006

1) Human Error
"We don't make those kind of mistakes here"
Book review: 'Human Error', James Reason

2) Information Quality
IRM UK Data Management and Information Quality conference

3) Software Testing
Testing Accessibility and Performance

4) Spreadsheets
Updates on the Eusprig web site

5) Off Topic
eVoting cartoon

18 Web links in this newsletter
 

October 2006

1) Risk & Security
     Euro conversion looms again
     Testing software and electronic calculators
     Stock spam pays off if they're quick

2) Data Quality
     Review of Tufte's 'The Visual Display of Quantitative Information'
     European DM+IQ conference, London, Oct 30-Nov 2

3) Spreadsheets
     Excel 2007 databars misrepresent zero
     More rave reviews and more downloads for 'Spreadsheet Check and Control'
     Free books on Excel

4) Off Topic
     C More or Less

10 Web links in this newsletter
 

September 2006

1) Risk & Security
Controlled databases leak via spreadsheets
Free Security Engineering Textbook
BS 7799.2:2002 Audit Check List for SANS
Securing Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

2) Software Quality Assurance
Mark Fewster on Test automation
Harry Robinson on Model-Based Testing

3) Spreadsheets
Online MS Office tests - different styles
Excel Charts - old and new techniques
Bonus materials for owners of 'Spreadsheet Check and Control'

4) Off Topic
If Tech Companies Made Sudoku
O'Beirne's Cube and Its Origins

18 Web links in this newsletter

August 2006

1) Risk & Security
Poisoned data and code

2) Software quality
What is an error?

3) Quality and Testing events
European DM/IQ conference
SoftTest Ireland, afternoon 5th Sept: Test automation, Model Based Testing

4) Spreadsheets
Eusprig 2006 Conference, Cambridge, UK, July 5-7
London Excel User Conference July 19-21
Bonus materials for owners of 'Spreadsheet Check and Control'

5) Off Topic
Unusual articles on Wikipedia

21 Web links in this newsletter
 

July 2006

1) Risk & Security
     Security Breaches Pandemic

2) Software quality
     Joel Spolsky talks about his first design review with Bill Gates

3) European affairs
     .eu domain land rush may pay off for some
     GGPhi, a Low-Cost, Low-Power Galileo/GPS Carrier Phase Receiver
     IT Skills Certification: EUCIP and SkillsCert

4) Spreadsheets
     Bonus materials for owners of  'Spreadsheet Check and Control'
     Eusprig 2006 Conference, Cambridge, UK, July 5-7
     London Excel User Conference July 19-21

5) Off Topic
     Singing in the heatwave
     The apt quote

17 Web links in this newsletter
 

June 2006

1) Risk & Security
     Software asset management becomes an ISO standard
     Software asset management tempts salespeople
     Records management and data retention policies
     Individual differences in risk and uncertainty management

2) Software Testing
     Career Development for Software Testers, Rightsourcing

3) Spreadsheets
     Office 2007 Beta 2 available
     New Microsoft whitepaper on spreadsheet compliance and Excel
     World Cup Fever targeted by virus writers
     Are you tracking the Excel Knowledgebase?
     Eusprig 2006 Conference, Cambridge, UK, July 5-7, 2006
     Google Spreadsheets

4) Off Topic
     Newsletter on personal effectiveness

14 Web links in this newsletter

May 2006

1) Risk & Security
    Microsoft April Patch problems
    Security Awareness Yahoogroup
    Open Information Systems Security Assessment Framework Draft 0.2
2) Quality
    Unconscious Incompetence
    Grumpy IT Managers
3) ICT news in Ireland
    Irish National Developers Conference 2006
    ICS Conferences at ICT Expo
4) Spreadsheets
    Eusprig 2006 Conference, Cambridge, UK, July 5-7, 2006
    Reviews: Spreadsheet Check and Control - " a unique book"
    ScanXLS user feedback
5) Off Topic
    Tippling and Taxes

16 Web links in this newsletter

April 2006

1) Risk & Security
BCS on the Computer Misuse Act 1990 / 2006
.eu domain landrush 'fiasco'

2) Software testing quality
SoftTest Ireland - on SOX and Skills
Certification of Software Testers

3) European research
Satellite Research Interest
Galileo, the European Satellite Navigation System

4) Spreadsheets
UK Excel User Conference - July 19-21, 2006

5) Off Topic
Cartography dream realized
20 Web links in this newsletter
 

March 2006

1) Risk & Security
90% of mail sent to sysmod.com is spam
Metadata - electronic fingerprints
Data Protection: guidance for (non-IT) professionals
Guidance for Small Business on Fraud threat

2) Business Continuity
Webcasts on Business Continuity Management (BCM) and IT
Emergency Planning & Bird Flu
Europeans get nervous of flu surge

3) Informatics for Development
Wireless Networking in the Developing World - free e-book

4) Spreadsheets
More spreadsheet errors in the news

5) Off Topic
The Apple Intel ad reloaded

20 Web links in this newsletter

 

February 2006

1) Risk & Security
     Grey area
     Article on security for Small to Medium Business
     Free guide to fraud prevention for Small to Medium Enterprises

2) Software Testing & Information Quality
     Software Testing SIG Feb 16 Steve Allott, Brian Lambert
     Information Quality Forum Feb 23, Dublin

3) Search Engines get more assertive
     We know what you searched last summer
     Cloaking gets the dagger
     SEO a weak case for standards

4) Spreadsheets
     Spreadsheet Validation in FDA regulated industry
     Spreadsheet Auditing for Free
     Training course in spreadsheet auditing methodology with Ray Butler
     Spreadsheet Check and Control book applause

5) Off Topic
     Free MIDI rehearsal line parts for choirs

19 Web links in this newsletter


January 2006

1) Risk & Security
Windows WMF Vulnerability - update available
Spam Attacked
'Rootkit' uprooted

2) Things noticed
Chance would be a find thing
Action Items
Google's Software Starter pack for consumers

3) Euro
Eypo, evro, eiro, ewro ...

4) Spreadsheets
ScanXLS updates due this month
Training courses booking for Feb 2006
Updates for Spreadsheet Check+Control book

5) Off Topic
Silly ideas and images

17 Web links in this newsletter

 

December 2005

1) Risk & Security
    US Military removes Word documents from the Web?
2) ICT and Development
    ICT for Poverty Reduction: Necessary but Insufficient
    $100 laptop: hope or hype?
    Jhai PC and Communication System
3) Euro
    Preparations in the new EU member states adopting the euro
4) Spreadsheets
    David Heiser's analysis of Excel statistics & mathematics
5) Off Topic
    'Not Valid in Kansas' poster
    'God's Debris' free ebook
 13 Web links in this newsletter

November 2005

1) Risk & Security
    Secret tracking codes in laser printers cracked
    Security Awareness - survey and measurement
2) Quantitative Ecommerce
    Amazon Sales Rank tracking and estimation
    The Long Tail of markets
    Used books, Amazon marketplace, special offers
3) European & Irish news
    SoftTest Ireland half day conference software testing case studies
    Irish subsidiary lets Microsoft slash taxes in U.S. and Europe
    Euro convergence
4) Spreadsheets
    Training course in spreadsheet auditing methodology - Dublin, London
    'Spreadsheet Check and Control' book reviews
    Free MS Office certification tests
    SCANXLS listed on Microsoft Marketplace
5) Off Topic
    Pakistan appeal
    The laws of Murphy and others
    Use MS Maps for your mileage allowance calculation

30 Web links in this newsletter
 

October 2005

1) Risk & Security
How to break software security
Mail loop
2) IT quality
pPARs for the course in IT project oversight
3) Irish Computer Society
Events for October
4) Spreadsheets
Spreadsheet Check and Control - book launched
David Gainer's blog on the new Excel 12
5) Off Topic
Hippo, birdie, two ewes
14 Web links in this newsletter

September 2005

1) Risk & Security
Lessons from Hurricane Katrina
Global Security Week & Security Awareness
2) Software Testing
James Whittaker talks to SoftTest Ireland on Breaking Software Security
Cracking good books
3) Mobile Spammer fined
Fined for deceptive calls
4) Spreadsheets
Audit Course
Book Launch
5) Off Topic
Auction sites and academic studies

9 Web links in this newsletter
 

August 2005

1) Risk & Security
     Companies unclear on credit-card security requirements
     Hold off on ZoneAlarm 6.0 for a while
     European Spreadsheet Risk Interest Group 2005 conference

2) Spreadsheet Check and Control
     Magazine and Journal Reviewers wanted

3) Training course in how to audit spreadsheets
 

4) Off Topic
     Fun with numbers

7 Web links in this newsletter
 

July 2005

1) Risk & Security
40M Credit cards security breached
Indian call centre fraud
Forensic Acquisition Utilities
Bug Me Not
Passwords stronger than pAsSwOrD or 0qww294e

2) Tech stuff
PC remote control, remote desktop access
A telephone gizmo

3) Europe
UK Govt factsheets 'The euro: it's your business' updated
What the French and Dutch really think about the European Constitution

4) Spreadsheets
European Spreadsheet Risks Interest Group conference
Spreadsheet Check and Control book
Excel User Conference Sep 16-17, Fort Worth, Dallas, Texas
ScanXLS spreadsheet catalogue utility

5) Off Topic
Eudora time machine broken
Project Awry: a list of all the risks

19 web links in this newsletter

June 2005

1) Risk & Security
The watchdogs nod

2) Software Development and Testing
Agile & Evolutionary, rights and responsibilities of testers
Project Intelligence
CSE Software Engineer's Seminar Series at ICS

3) Eusprig 2005 Draft Programme
Register now!

4) Spreadsheet Check and Control
New book due September 2005

5) Off Topic
Spoofs

20 Web links in this newsletter

 

May 2005

1) Risk & Security
Spoof and mail list vulnerability

2) Spreadsheets
Best practice - range names?

3) Business
The publishing business

4) Off Topic
 Universe to subatomic in powers of ten
15 Web links in this newsletter


April 2005

1) Risk & Security
Compliance: SOA, SOX, COSO, CobiT, ITGI, FDA, ODCE, FEE, SLAs, FLAs, TLAs...

2) Data quality
IQ conference presentations available

3) Search Engine Optimisation
The not so obvious stuff

4) Spreadsheets
Course in Auditing Spreadsheets May 17-18

5) Off Topic
April Firsts

24 Web links in this newsletter

 

March 2005

1) Risk & Security
   New Information Quality Special Interest Network Launched
   UK Public Virus Alert web site launched
   Wanna be president of Microsoft?
   The Weakest Link

2) Web researching
   Test their Y!Q

3) Europe
   EU Constitution newsletter
   Cyberlaw: EU Law on Spam

4) Spreadsheets
   Course on auditing spreadsheets, Salford, May 17-18

5) Off Topic
   Philology and Numerology

16 Web links in this newsletter
 


Feb. 2005

1) Risk & Security
    Microsoft AntiSpyware free beta
    Spam or scam from Invitation.sms.ac

2) Software Quality
    Bug collection
    Yahoo Desktop Search (YDS)

3) Europe
    EU to equip parents with internet safety tools
    UK Draft Managed Transition Plan
    Eurobarometer survey: "The Euro, 3 years later"
    EU Eighth Directive on statutory audit
    EU couldn't make it up (straight bananas etc)

4) Spreadsheets
    Eusprig's 65 stories of embarrassing spreadsheet moments
    ScanXLS spreads in the marketplace

5) Off Topic
    Haugesund to Trondheim, the scenic route ;-)
    How To Sleep in an Airport

22 Web links in this newsletter
 


Jan. 2005

1) Risk & Security
  The Information System Security Assessment Framework Draft
  Rice University computer scientists find a flaw in GDS
  A chess-playing "bankomat"
  Security Books

2) More Internet Tools
  MSN desktop search
  Google Suggest
  Babelplex - searching in tongues
  What's in those pesky Winmail.dat files?

3) Europe
  UK Euro preparations updated Dec. 2004
  TRY, try again...

4) Spreadsheet Quality
  SCANXLS spreadsheet inventory utility now available
  Spreadsheets with more than 256 columns?

5) Tsunami

21 Web links in this newsletter


Contents for 2003-2004 are at http://www.sysmod.com/praxis/archive0304.htm

Contents for 2000-2002 are at http://www.sysmod.com/praxis/archive.htm

You can receive this by email via YahooGroups: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/EuroIS/ 


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Patrick O'Beirne
Copyright © 2000-2006 Systems Modelling Ltd. All rights reserved.
Revised: January 02, 2007 .