My Top N Lists for 2009

12/29/2009 12:31 PM by Chris Toohey

From IBM Lotus Notes Domino resources to things to throw on your iPod/Zune, I recount my recommendations, favorite posts, and must-have resources for 2009. I'm calling this my Top N List (even created a new category for it on the site), as I'm not certain at this point how many topics I'll cover nor how many entries each list will contain. What I do know is that these recommendations are personal preferences or things that I think may interest some of you!

Also, these aren't ranked per se - which is why I'm using ULs!

Top N IBM Lotus Developer Resources

I'm trying to keep this very 2009...

• IBM developerWorks : Lotus Developer Domain

  Still resolving at notes.net, the Lotus Developer Domain, or LDD, is the home of all Lotus Redbooks, Redbook Wikis, Product Wikis, Discussion Forums, Partner Forums, Support Forums, and is -- quite frankly -- where all of the Notes shops geeks reside.

• Lotus Technical Information and Education Team Blog

  Being the Lead Community Advocate, you knew this would make the list. With monthly open-mike community calls, @LotusTechInfo on Twitter, and LotusTechInfo on Facebook, this group is all-about spreading news, and involving and evolving the Lotus Online Community!

• My developerWorks

  A publically-available IBM Lotus Connections environment with some pretty slick Lotus Online Community customization that - for example - synchronizes posted status updates with Facebook. If you're not blogging today (or want a hands-on experience with IBM Lotus Connections), I'd suggest you hop over here and register for an account!

• OpenNTF.org

  Despite a lot of FUD surrounding the new licensing structures, the OpenNTF.org steering committee really delivered, and birthed a revised 2.0 of everyone's favorite IBM Lotus Open Source Community Resource!

• PlanetLotus.org

  PlanetLotus.org is - according to my Google Chrome stats - my most frequently-visited webpage... and with good reason. Yancy Lent's aggregated list of IBM Lotus-related weblogs has become the go-to resource for the Lotus Online Community-minded IBM Lotus professional. Yancy expanded PL this year with the introduction of LotusJournal.com, adding click-to-share social networking features to each PlanetLotus.org aggregated post, as well as the ability to comment inline to a given post (telling you why you should click-thru)!

• Dec's Dom Blog - Learning XPages

  The man wrote a 54 part tome on XPages development. Brilliant stuff, and a must-read for any IBM Lotus Notes/Domino Application Developer.

• Devid Leedy's Notes in 9

  Starting out on his blog, www.lotusnotesbook.com, David Leedy began producing high-quality screencast tutorials covering IBM Lotus Notes/Domino (with XPages and SSJS in particular). He's since moved the Notes in 9 series to it's own site, and has joined the Spiked Studio Productions family.

Top N Lotus Knows Online Resources

• Lotus Knows - The Website

• Lotus Knows Twitter

  @LotusKnows is the official Lotus Knows Twitter account, constantly telling followers just what Lotus Knows.

  At the time of this post, Lotus Knows:

  Lotus knows folks are packing for Lotusphere. #ls10 What will you be packing?

• Lotus Knows Facebook!

  The official Lotus Knows Facebook Fan Page, reaching out to the millions of Facebook users and allowing us yellowbleeders to easily click-and-share news and information to our friends and contacts online.

• Lotus Knows YouTube

  This, the official YouTube Channel for Lotus Knows, is more a great resource for those fellow-evangelists who want to help spread the word about the IBM Lotus product portfolio. Kinda shocked - to be honest - that at the time of this post, where are only 14 subscribers listed...

Top N things to put on your iPod/Zune

Some of these are personal preference/genre related... so YMMV:

• The Taking Notes Podcast

  Bruce Elgort and Julian Robichaux have cranked out over 100 episodes with episodes focuses on product and community news. An invaluable resource for the yellowbleeder on-the-move!

• The 1352 Report

  Bruce again partners with Jess Stratton, Carl Tyler, and Sean Burgess to deliver a solid technology podcast with a slight yellowbleeder flavor. Currently up to episode 14, it's a solid recommend!

• Chris Miller's IdoNotes Podcast

  Chris delivers an excellent IBM Lotus-focused podcast, focusing on technologies and products more from an administration point of view (mostly because he's one of the best administrators in the business). Another solid recommendation here.

• IBM developerWorks Podcast

  Take note: this is the IBM, and not the IBM Lotus developerWorks podcast... so not every topic is focused on Lotus. Still (and perhaps because of that fact), Scott Laningham delivers an excellent meet-the-geek style of interview podcast!

• Podiobooks.com

  All work and no play makes Chris something something...

  I need to listen to something other than Bruce IBM Lotus-themed content... and for that I tend to rock the occasional audiobook. Podiobooks.com is a free (registration required) service that allows you to download serialized audiobooks from some of the best rising star authors out there. There are many authors, artists, and genres to choose from, and Podiobooks.com gets a solid recommend from me.

• Scott Sigler

  While I'm talking about audio fiction, I have to tell you... I've become an absolute junkie. Scott Sigler is a prolific hard-science horror author who I've mentioned before. If you are a horror genre fan -- which I am -- I can not recommend Sigler's fiction enough. Hell, if you're a sci-fi fan, I'd recommend you check out The Rookie:

  Set in a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future, THE ROOKIE is a story that combines the intense gridiron action of "Any Given Sunday" with the space opera style of "Star Wars" and the criminal underworld of "The Godfather."

  Aliens and humans alike play positions based on physiology, creating receivers that jump 25 feet into the air, linemen that bench-press 1,200 pounds, and linebackers that literally want to eat you. Organized crime runs every franchise, games are fixed and rival players are assassinated.

  Follow the story of Quentin Barnes, a 19-year-old quarterback prodigy that has been raised all his life to hate, and kill, those aliens. Quentin must deal with his racism and learn to lead, or he'll wind up just another stat in the column marked "killed on the field."

  Absolutely brilliant stories, yet I would only recommend them to those of you who can take it. Chicken scissors for crying out loud! <shudder>

• MailOrderZombie.com

  Speaking of genre content, my favorite podcast - having just completed 100 episodes - has to be Brother D and Miss Bren's Mail Order Zombie. The more observant of you will notice the occasional submission by some geek who thinks he knows what he's talking about... as well as some stylistic comparisons on the MOZ website (re)-design.

  All kidding aside, this is an excellent podcast that's not too genre deep (as to throw off the non-fans), but I would still not recommend it for everyone. I'm a horror geek, having rented countless VHS titles from the West Coast Video next door to the Chinese Restaurant where my father worked as the delivery guy... most of the time listening to this show is like being 10 years old again and getting the apathetic clerk to let me rent The Video Dead. Good times!

• The Horror Etc. Podcast

  Their latest episode was a Dexter Season 4 recap! I don't need to say much more than that really... but I will. The hosts of the Horror Etc. Podcast (Ted and Anthony) wax intellectual when it comes to the horror genre. These aren't the fanboys who like gorn or stand in line 15 times to see the latest Saw sequel, but rather put on a decent grown up show discussing a particular film genre. Good show, and a strong recommend for any horror or sci-fi (hence the etc.) fans.

• PodSafe Music Network - now Mevio's Music Alley

  So you want music in your iPod/Zune?!

  Mevio's Music Alley is an excellent resource for the budding podcaster who wants to play some music on their show (without fear of the RIAA smiting you). As a producer, you can log in and download mp3 tracks from some really decent artists. If you're a podcaster -- again -- this is an excellent resource for you. If you're not, or are hooked on the artist's songs, sometimes this is the easiest way to get them.

Top N dominoGuru.com Posts for 2009

You decide via comment on this post!

And I'm certain that I'm overlooking things here... so comment below and let me know what I've missed! I'll keep updating this post with new Top N of 2009 posts as appropriate, so check back again soon for more!