Topic Maps 2008 : Libraries, Information Architecture, stuff that matters

Hi folks. It's been a little while since my last confession, but rest assured I haven't been resting. The international move have gone mostly good, and we're slowing down and settling in, and my new / old job at Bekk Consulting is fantastic (and I'm re-learning just how much fun you have when you're also extremely effective and professional ... Thanks Frode for luring me back here). But before I leap into song about our new life, there's some professional news I need to tell you about;

From the 2nd to the 4th of April this year (so, in just over two weeks) the Topic Maps 2008 conference is happening here in Oslo, Norway. The lineup of speakers and topics look absolutely fascinating, and should have something for everyone, not just people who know anything at all about Topic Maps. I'm featured in two areas I know a few bits and bobs about ;

The first is my vision for a Topic Mapped library world, in which I explain why Topic Maps is more than just the perfect fit for what the library world is trying to achieve, but how the library world will forever lurch in the shadows of knowledge management and education support if they don't adopt it. This "talk" is deliberately made shorter so that people interested in all things library can have a fruitful discussion. Those who know me (fours years at the National Library of Australia up until a few months ago) know how vocal I can be about library processes and cultural baggage, but there's no denying that I'm passionate about it, and I'm passionate about it because I love the library world so and want it to thrive. And Topic Maps might just be the thing to do it.

Second, I'm holding a tutorial (half-day with lots of coffee and pens and post-it notes and bad jokes) in Topic Mapping and Information Architecture. This is not a lecture, but an experiment and demonstration of how Topic Maps is, yet again, a perfect fit for those who take Information Architecture seriously. The more information you've got, my thinking goes, the more you need a great tool like Topic Maps. Let's try it out and see. This is a practical tutorial based on my presentation "Sexier, faster, smarter information architecture with Topic Maps" that I held at OzIA 2006.

There's still space left and I would encourage readers with the opportunity to come to Hotel Bristol at the beginning of April to join me there, not because I'm talking or presenting, but because of all the other stuff that's happening, like the fabulous David Weinberger with his equally profound (yup, seen it before and loved it, and yes, looking forward to seeing it again!) presentation "Everything is Miscellaneous", which for any Information architect is a pure must-see!

I'm very excited about this conference, because there's going to be some of the smartest people I know in the world there (albeit missing Scott Berkun, and, err, not including myself in that list, of course :), and my inferior-complex will surely cause my own imploding. Wish me luck, and I hope to see you there.

Where in the world is Alexander Johannesen?

Ok, a real quickie this time to say that I'm back in Oslo, Norway (me, the kids and my wife), and back at my old company Bekk Consulting doing new and very interesting things, in a tempo I haven't seen much of the last four years. For now I bid a farewell to Australia, the library world and the public sector, and hope to see you again some other day. To my relatives, inwed or otherwise, in Australia, I miss you already, and the rest of my posse miss you, too.

I'll get back to my old posting schemes as soon as things slow down and return to normal. Stay tuned. In the mean time, you can now call me at +47 982 19 378 or email me at the usual gmail spot. Enjoy whatever you're doing.

P.S. Send more Vegemite and Mint Slices.

8 things you didn't know about me

Friend and UX superstar Donna tagged me for the '8 things you don't know about me' meme. The rules are pretty straight forward:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules
2. List EIGHT random facts about yourself
3. Tag EIGHT people at the end of your post and list their names
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged

So, here's my list of things you may not know about me:

1. I play drums and percussion, have played in bands all my life, and also does a lot of composing and production. I've made numerous CD's (demos, mostly), and used to play every Tuesday at a local jazz club in Oslo with Nissa Nyberget, Ole Marius Melhuus and Totto "Heavy" Hansen. I specialize in the udu clay pot drum, and the congas.
2. I'm a big movie buff. I grew up wanting to create movies, and me and my mate Ove Kenneth Nilsen ran everywhere with cameras and made all sorts of wierd stuff. He's since grown up and is today part of the movie industry in Norway (a reputed editor), while I had a stint working for a production company during one of their films "In the claws of the night". I also think Ove Kenneth sits on a few video snippets (me acting, writing and laughing too hard) we made together a few years back. Good times.
3. I started Norways largest live roleplaying association back in 1989 with a few good friends, and have been active in the LARP scene up until about 8 years ago.
4. I was politically active when I was younger, running around, talking publically and otherwise trying to make Oslo / Norway a more socially aware place. I've met lots of politicians and VIPs, mostly on the left side of the political gap. Yup, I like people and their interactions more than I like economic growth in a unilateral free economy.
5. One of my good mates was killed by this piece of shit back in 1993. I was sitting watching the news with my then girlfriends parents when my friend's face lit up the screen. A very surreal experience, and needless to say there's lots of stuff with this I don't really want to talk about. It seems people in Canberra - the black-metal capital of Australia - are intrigued by this whole thing and my connection to it. The short version is that I did different desktop publishing jobs for my friend's record company (in fact, I did the inlet lyrics for the Burzum record, and yeah, I met the guy; he's an complete idiot). Here's some trivia about Øystein you won't find anywhere else (because it was these things that brought our friendship together) ; he loved old electronica (Schultze, Tangerine Dream, Amoebios) and classical music. His religious beliefs weren't quite what you read on WikiPedia. His political views were closer to mine than what most people think. Enough said.
6. I starred as Sydney Carton in an semi-amateur production of Tale of Two Cities by Dickins, and have always acted on (and off) stage.
7. A bit like Donna I also feel surprised that people like me. It stems from 4 years of primary school (grades 2 through 5) where I was bullied (my father is from the Czech Republic, which seemed to spark it off). The school sent me to psychology sessions (the problem must have been me since I was the one being bullied ...) which did me no good, until the day I got a new psychologist. Know what she did? She asked me (as one of the first people to do so), "so, Alex, what do you reckon would solve the problems?" I told her that I want to change schools, such was arranged within a few weeks, and everything has been dandy ever since. Real communication is gold.
8. I can look at (practically) any piece of armor or sword and tell you what century it is from, what country (and sometimes what part of the country) it was made in, the purpose of the shapes and joists involved, who used it, contemporary cost and mostly the metal and forge techniques used. Gee, what handy skills I've got.
   

And here's who I'd like to know more about:

1. Alia, because she's the funniest person I know.
2. Donna, because she's so dandy! Already done, obviously.
3. Matthew, because he's apparently similar to me, so prove me otherwise.
4. Robert Barta, because he's a no-bullshit fighter.
5. Scott Berkin, because he's smart.
6. Murray Altheim, just because I suspect so many things.
7. My daughters, so I could understand the mischievous stuff they get up to.
8. Claudio Monteverdi, because he's my hero.
   

So long, and thanks for all the smelly fish

It's time to reveal what's going on in my life on a big scale, hinted to in my last dozen or so posts.

Yes, I'm leaving the library world. Yes, I'm leaving Canberra and the National Library of Australia. In fact, I'm leaving Australia altogether. I'm leaving process-oriented committee-driven work (surrounded by the hum of millions upon millions of flies, one of the seriously exciting features about Canberra). I'm leaving good friends and colleges which I'll miss, and a cute house that's been a safe home and haven for the last four years. I'm leaving an extended family who - despite their better knowledge - have accepted me as one of them, with friendships that will bring us back to Australia in a few years, I'm sure. I'm even leaving behind our wonderful dog Oscar (in good hands, I might add ; he's going back to his original owners) which the whole family will miss dearly.

I'm going back to Norway, to work for Bekk Consulting again, and I start at the beginning of February 2008. I'll write more about my role there later, but needless to say these guys know what they're doing, they do it fast and really well, no mucking about. They do not meddle in the semantics of FRBR for 15 years before taking baby-steps to prototype it. Either it's the right thing to do, or it is not. And if it's not, these guys don't do it. And I can't wait to get back into the habit of not doing things we shouldn't do.

We've got a house lined up (in Oslo) centrally and near my beloved woods, and a car. We're scared and excited at the same time, and hope that our Australian friends will forgive us and cheer us on in our adventure, and our Norwegian friends welcome us home and invite us for dinner, if not only for a period.

There's many things I want to talk about, from the state of the library world, to the evils of recruiting companies, to Australian business ethics, the value of friendship, and how to plan your future (which is a short piece about how you can try but will fail), but all in due time.

Right now it's time to pack, reflect, and wrap up my Australian adventure in the most positive way I can. Watch this roof, and wish us good luck in our latest big adventure.

Bits and bobs

Hi all. Just a bits and bobs post. In short ;

• My backyard paving is almost complete. I've spent 4 months (weekends) digging, sanding, edging, moving, shaking, swearing, compacting and laying, but it's worth every aching pain ; I did it myself.
• There's a reasonable chance we will be moving, but there's a few options ; stay in Canberra, move to Wollongong / Kiama (by the coast), into Sydney, or back to Norway. Once the decision is made, expect a huge rant about everything that's been going on the last few months.
• Why do people think that architecting systems in a RESTful way somehow means you can be less devoted to the project? Is the apparent simplicity of REST one of those things that make people forget to take it just as serious as other alternatives? Forgetting that you still need to be good at what you do, and that you still need to design it well?
  
• There's some interesting upcoming changes to this website coming up. I noticed my ISP had installed PHP 5.2, so I have decided to revamp the whole thing using two recent sub-projects ; 1) my SQLite embedded Topic Maps engine, and 2) an XSLT based XML templating framework for GUI's. It's all built around a completely RESTful architecture, and it uses Blogger's external publishing capabilities to blend your blogs into your site without the need for replicating your blog template with your site's templates. More on this as we move along.
• The kids are a joy to watch grow and evolve, and my wife is still as exciting and hot as when I first met her. No matter what happens in life (see my previous post for a drop of depression) I am so darn lucky to have them. (And I mean luck here as there is no way that I could have designed anything as wonderful as them myself ...) My next life-choices revolve around them, and not me. Nuff' said.
• The amazing Happy Rhodes have released a new CD after a long while. Please go and have a listen at her CD Baby page ; support the most hearable unheard-about artist ever.
  

I think that's it, at least until some big decisions have been made. oh, and thanks to those who responded to my last post. Appreciated. Peace.

Sorry everyone

I've been under a somewhat depressive spell the last few months, which effectively has rendered me into somewhat of a recluse. The reasons are several (but reading my last blog postings certainly will give you good clues, although my eyes and migraines certainly has added a lot to it), and hopefully they will be improved upon shortly, one way or the other. All my energy and efforts have gone into being a nice husband and a good dad, so some sorries are in order ;

• Magnus, Karen, Hanne, sorry for being too far away, and for not being better at emails.
• Donna, sorry that I haven't followed up your recent big news and for not being more a proactive caffeine pursuer.
• Matthew, sorry that we haven't talked in a while, and for not being there through your troubles.
• Mark, Steve, sorry for being a bore at work, and for not engaging much.
  
• Kent and Alison, sorry for not talking much anymore, and for giving up hope.
• Mum and dad, sorry for being low on sending you emails and pictures of the kids.
• Julie and Stefan, sorry for being a neglecting (albeit far, far away) brother.
• The library world, sorry for giving up.
• The Topic Maps community, sorry for being absent.

I can only promise to try and think about perhaps evaluating if I should think about being better at dreaming about getting better at all things of personal matters. I'll provide updates and newsflashes soon enough. Big things are afoot.

Misc updates and twigs

A number of smaller updates ;

• My daughter Grace (7) today won 3rd place in the Australian Eisteddfod singing competition (8 and under, musical) with a clever rendition of "Castle on a cloud" from Les Miserables. Clever girl. Update: She also won 70m and came 3rd in 100m running in the "8 and under" category for the whole of Belconnen (district of Canberra) athletics carnival two weeks ago (how's that for an "update"), which means she's off to the state / territory games in November. Exciting stuff.



• Some of my Flickr pictures were selected for the Schmap Canberra Guides;
  
  • National Library of Australia
    http://www.schmap.com/canberra/introduction_history/p=136712/i=136712.jpg
  • Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
    http://www.schmap.com/canberra/sights_zoos/p=124655/i=124655.jpg
  • National Library of Australia
    http://www.schmap.com/canberra/introduction_history/p=136712/i=136712_5.jpg
  
  



• Happy Rhodes just released a new album, her first in almost 10 years!! A MySpace website has been put up with samples. I love this stuff!
• Stuff I'm committed to these days ;
• An article (or essay) about user-centered design in the software life-cycle, including testing (user testing, application testing, functional testing, user-acceptance testing, and variations of these) before, during and after critical decisions and how to manage the implications.
• Release the latest version of xSiteable (huh? That thing still exists? Apparently.) which is more like a clever XSLT templating system than a Topic Maps engine by itself.
• Update my website, including better synchronizing between website and blogs. Yeah, should have done it ages ago.
• Do you know I have actual plans for how to win the 20 million USD Google "get first to the Moon" competition? :)
• I'm currently laying pavers in our backyard these days, and in two months I'll start building my very own house-centric recyclable low-energy air-condition system. Being a software engineer can do that to people.
  

Sam

Just a quick movie I shot this morning of Sam (3 months old today) while just chatting to him. He just loves attention. And baths. Like daddy.