Stephen A. Joyce

Archiving those important emails just got easier

Stephen Joyce — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:12:40 +0000

I have spent the last two weeks downloading, uploading, re-downloading, and re-uploading thousands of archive emails to and from two different mail servers in a futile attempt to keep four years worth of corporate email in searchable archive using Gmail. Since we (Sentias) decided not to continue managing our own Linux/Qmail corporate email server and to use Gmail instead, we have been struggling with the issue of how we move over 6 GB of stored emails to Gmail. I’m sure I am not the only person who has had to deal with this, which is why I decided to share an excellent application that has made my life so much easier. The application is called MailStore and it is developed by a company called deepINVENT based in Germany.

In their own words…

deepinvent Software GmbH is a dynamically growing German IT company, specialized in the development and sales of e-mail archiving solutions. The company is run by its owners, who can take advantage of the counsel from an experienced advisory board consisting of top management experts from international corporations.

MailStore allows you to download a local copy of your entire mailbox and gives you the tools to burn the archive to CD/DVD or to export it in a standard format to another mail service. The features include:

Archive and consolidate all email messages centrally, securely and permanently
Search all your email within fractions of a second (incl. the contents of attached documents)
Integrated CD/DVD burning utility to backup your archives with just one click
To conserve disk space, MailStore Home saves only a single instance of each attachment and applies a smart compression algorithm
Preview archived messages directly in MailStore and reopen them in your local mail client (e.g. Microsoft Outlook)
In addition to backing up the entire archive, your messages can be exported to a variety of destinations
Messages are stored MIME-compatible, and can be recovered at any time without information loss (e.g. to import them in other applications)

MailStore also provides a business tool called MailStore Server which allows organizations to download and archive corporate email without the need for intervention from users. MailStore server can act as a proxy that stores copies of incoming and outgoing messages in the archive. The cost of this software is $599.

For more information about MailStore and to Download a copy of MailStore for FREE, visit the MailStore website.

The Four Characteristics of a Great Leader

Stephen Joyce — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:32:18 +0000

I had the privilege of attending the recent 21st Century Leadership Speaking Event with General Colin Powell. It was a last minute attendance. I received a phone call about an hour before the event from a colleague who had an extra ticket. The event was very well attended by many of Vancouver’s elite including Permiere Gordon Campbell. Gen. Powell spoke on a variety of topics including his views on the War in Iraq, the upcoming Presidential election, and the current state of the World economy.

Besides Gen. Powell’s comfortable demeanor and powerful presence, I was really impressed with the simplicity of his wisdom. As a leadership junkie, I am always looking for tidbits of knowledge from proven leaders. As Gen. Powell spoke I twittered the nuggets so that I wouldn’t forget them later, not to mention it drives my sms twitter fans nuts cause I end up posting twenty or more posts in the span of about an hour.

Here is what I learned from Colin Powell:

The principals of leadership have remained the same. Followers accomplish the goals set by the leader. This is in line with the definition of leadership that I learned:

Leadership is the art of influencing human behaviour so as to accomplish a mission in the manner so desired by the leader.

Great Leaders…

communicate their passion, they make they passion infectious.
invest in their followers by giving the tools they need to be successful.
recognize their followers and praise them when praise is due.
are strong enough to recognize when a follower is not working out and are able to remove them.

The quote I will take away with me…

“You’ll know that you are good leader when your followers will follow you just out of curiosity”

Gen. Powell later clarified that curiosity can be replaced with trust.

In the Distant Future… the year 2000…

Stephen Joyce — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:10:06 +0000

For those of you who have not yet discovered the Flight of the Conchordes, here is a sampling. This is the Robot Song. These two Kiwis are absolutely hilarious. Enjoy!

Are we condoning behaviour like this?

Stephen Joyce — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:01:45 +0000

Many would argue that perhaps I am over analyzing the content of one of the newest Dairy Queen ads, but being the father of two girls, I can’t sit by and laugh off the theme of this commercial. For those of you who haven’t seen the ad, I have included it below for reference. Watch it first and then continue with the post.

So what did you think? Here are my thoughts. This girl is about 10 years old. The suggestion that she is mature enough to use her “feminine wiles” to get gifts from would be courtiers is grossly inappropriate. Consider for a moment that this girl is 15 and doing the same thing, would you consider it appropriate? Would it be appropriate at 25? or any age for that matter?

The clincher for me is the Mom’s lack of reaction to the girl’s comment “It’s like shooting fish in a barrel”. As a parent, I would horrified if my 10 year old daughter made a statement like that. Sorry, but I don’t find the commercial funny at all.

What do you think?

Do we really need more disposable electronics?

Stephen Joyce — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:00:07 +0000

I just came across this post on Wired about the $10 cellphone.Â In this day and age you would think that companies would be finding ways to make the products they create either:

a. Last longer in order to prevent them being dumped into over crowded landfills.
b. Bio-degradable or recyclable so that they can be re-used.

The concept of a $10 cellphone means that thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of these plastic, metal, acid, cadmium, and silicon mini toxic bombs are going to be thrown into garbage bins and ultimately end up in landfills or polluting drinking water.Â Heaven forbid they should end up in some poor African country where they are dismantled and the metal parts melted down for scrap.

I’m sorry for the rant, but this sort of junk is what we need less of, not more of, in this World.Â It was nice to read that many of the commenters on this post shared my opinion regarding the sustainability of such a product.Â The quote from the representative from ASDA (a Wal-mart subsidiary) pretty much says it all…

You can just grab one off the shelf, use it once and throw it away if you wanted [...]

Nice.

5 Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Right Now

Stephen Joyce — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 05:37:20 +0000

In honour of Earth Hour I thought I would take a few moments to share with you five simple things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint right now. In fact, once you’re finished reading this post, I challenge you to get up and do the following five things. You’ll feel better for having done them and maybe, just maybe they’ll become part of your daily routine.

1. Look around you right now and make a mental note of all the lights that are on in your home. If you are sitting at a computer chances are you’re either at a desk, on a couch, or in bed. Turn off all the lights in your home that absolutely do not have to be on. While you’re at it, make note of any incandescent bulbs left in your home and consider replacing them tomorrow.

2. While you’re walking around turning off lights, make sure that the curtains are drawn around any windows. If you don’t have curtains, you might want to make note of the windows that don’t have them and consider getting some. But why curtains? Simple, curtains help to reduce heat loss through windows and also prevent direct heating caused by radiant heat from the sun. In the winter this means less heat loss which means lower heating costs. In the summer this also means less heating from the sun which means less energy spent on either air conditioning or fans.

3. Now that you’re in the room checking the curtains, check the heating vents. If the room is empty and isn’t going to be used then consider closing the heat vents. This will prevent unnecessary heating of a room that will not be serving any particular service. The heat will be re-routed to parts of the house where the heat is required and, as a result, lower your overall heating costs.

4. Once you’ve closed the curtains and checked the heating vents, close the door behind you and close the door to any other rooms that you are currently not occupying. In the winter this reduces the unnecessary heating of non-occupied spaces. In the summertime, this prevents warm air from being circulated through the house.

5. If it is hot out and you’ve got your air conditioner going, consider opening some windows and using a fan directed fan. If it is cold out, then reduce your thermostat down by one degree. In both of these cases, you will reduce overall energy consumption.

So, there you have it. Five simple things you can do that should take you know more than one short walk around your home. If you have any suggestions of your own, why not share them here.

My 5 Secrets to Happiness - Secret #5

Stephen Joyce — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:35:14 +0000

My 5th secret to happiness (but certainly not my last) is this…

Whenever you approach a situation always start by asking “How can I help you?”

I find that no matter what situation you are in, if you approach the situation with an other’s first mentality then the experience will be a much more positive one.Â This can be applied to everyday common courtesy such holding a door open for a stranger, giving up one’s seat on the bus (for those of us who take buses), letting someone merge into one’s lane (for those of us who drive), or saying please and thank you.Â Being “other centric” as I like to call it also applies well in business because, as most business people know, business is all about relationships.Â By focusing on the other person’s or organization’s needs, you can find new and creative ways to solve almost any business problem.Â Most recently, this has resulted in some really powerful win-win scenarios like the Tips from the T-List and formation of North American Chapter of IFITT.Â Both of these successful endeavours were the result of me asking the question “What can I do to help” rather than saying “What’s in it for me”.

For those of you who are sales people, let me stress the importance of this 5th rule of happiness.Â Being “other centric” has the ability of building strong trusted relationships with clients and partners which can lead to strong long term sales relationships.Â Approach each new customer as new opportunity to solve a business problem FIRST, the financial benefits will follow accordingly.

My 5 Secrets to Happiness - Secret #4

Stephen Joyce — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:14:21 +0000

Each of us has the potential to effect others in our community in a positive way. Since I was in school I have always enjoyed volunteering with local community groups. Whether it was collecting cans for the annual hamper drive at my school or volunteering with the YMCA as a fitness instructor or Youth Leadership Facilitator, being an active community participant has always been a cornerstone of my life. There was a period of time when I was very focused on my career that I lost sight of this and I realized after I started volunteering again just how much I enjoyed the social aspects of being a volunteer. I’ve discovered that being an active volunteer and giving of my time is far more valuable and worthwhile then simply making a donation to an organization. My fourth secret to happiness is…

“Be Generous”

I don’t just mean with money, but rather with your time and your emotions. I believe the old saying “Give and Ye Shall Receive” has more impact now then ever. If you give your time to a worthy cause in your community you will gain so many intangible rewards including a sense of purpose, increased self esteem, and innumerable social benefits.

Conducting Effective Meetings Using Roberts Rules of Order

Stephen Joyce — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:55:46 +0000

I recently attended an all day seminar entitled “Conducting Effective Meetings with Robert’s Rules of Order” presented by John Noonan, a registered parliamentarian. Naomi Yamamoto, the President & GM of the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, recommended I attend in order to ensure I had the appropriate skills to Chair the Board meetings during my term as Chair of the Board of Directors. I had some experience participating in Board meetings and had chaired many committee level meetings but had not chaired a full Board meeting. I can say with all confidence that if you expect to be chairing a meeting for example with your strata council, parent advisory council, or any other board, Robert’s Rules of Order are an incredibly useful tool for ensuring that your meetings are run in a professional, effective, and timely manner. Just recently, for example, I held my last Membership Committee meeting with the Chamber. In order to help Amber Weland, my former Co-Chair and new Chair of the Membership Committee, I presented some of the basics I learned at the session with John Noonan. The result was the first meeting I’ve held that ended on time and had clearly defined results.

Most recently, I chaired the first Board meeting of the newly formed IFITT North America Chapter Board of Directors. The meeting was held over conference call using a service called FreeConferenceCall.com which is, believe it or not, a free service that provides conference call capabilities. The meeting was to start promptly at 1:30 PM PST and end at 2:30 PM PST. We had about eight agenda items, most of which would require motions. We were able to work out way through the entire agenda, discussed some information items, and ended promptly at 2:30 PM. At first I thought that perhaps I was being too officious by utilizing the “Rules” but I actually received emails after the email thanking me for running such an effective meeting. Needless to say, I will be recommending that all Vice-Chairs and Committee Chairs attend the seminar that I attended prior to assuming their Chair positions.

My 5 Secrets to Happiness - Secret #3

Stephen Joyce — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:57:16 +0000

Karma is a powerful force in the universe whether you choose to believe in it or not. I’m a big believer in Karma because I believe that Karma is really all about the long term implications of decisions that are made in the present. In the same way ripples extend out from the point a pebble impacts the pond, the effect that a decision has on those around us extends outwards beyond our comprehension. I think this is the same reasoning that fueled the creation of the ethic of reciprocity or “The Golden Rule” which is a fundamental moral principle found in virtually all major religions and cultures. The “Golden Rule” simply means “treat others as you would like to be treated.” It is arguably the most essential basis for the modern concept of human rights. My number three rule, therefore, is really nothing new…

“Always treat others as you would want to be treated.”

This is also known as empathy or the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes. If you think first about how you would want to be treated in a situation and then apply that criteria to the other person or persons in the situation then you will find that the experience will most likely be a positive one.