Blogging Over The Years

January 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I was listening to the Mac Power Users podcast yesterday and they were talking about blogs over the years. It got me thinking about how my own blogs have progressed over the years. I remember my very first Web site was hosted at Geocities. It wasn’t much of a blog back then, but I did update it on a mostly daily basis. It wasn’t until February of 2008 that I started blogging. At that time it was really just to track my CCIE Security notes. I never imagined that anyone would read it. That first blog was hosted on Typepad. It wasn’t the best fit for me so I ended up moving my content over to a wordpress site that I set up. I honestly don’t remember the theme I used, but at some point I came across Tumblr and moved over there. Here’s a look at my old tumblr theme:

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Tumblr was simple, but still didn’t feel like the platform for me. Eventually I went back to WordPress. I was actually running two sites at the time, http://globalconfig.net, and http://www.brandonjcarroll.com. At the same time I was blogging at TechRepublic, TechTarget, and NetworkWord. It was pretty hard to keep up. Here’s a look at the Globalconfig.net theme around that time:

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At the same time I was hacking around with http://brandonjcarroll.com and I’m definitely not proud of this theme:

6A943CBF 9FB0 4420 B83A 29A4E5F2C73D

I’ve opened and closed the doors on a few sites over the years. I’ve even build training membership sites that have been purchased from me. I’ve had a ton of ton of fun over the years and have met a number of really great people, all because I started blogging about technology. I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. My challenge these days is finding the work/life balance to make sure nobody gets cheated. I have to be fair to my family and fair to my employer. But I never plan on forgetting about you, my readers.

Filed Under: News, Review Tagged With: , , ,

Getting Down With Markdown

January 15, 2013 by 2 Comments

How I use Sublime Text 2 to work with Markdown

I’ve been using markdown for a while now. I’ve used so many different editors. I’ve read post after post and listend to a ton of podcasts just trying to figure out the best workflow for me. There isn’t much that I need in my opinion. I need to write lab guides, tutorials, and blog posts, all having similar formatting requirements. The big one is the display of code, especially for the lab guides. One thing I like is being able to see what the end result will be. There are four ways I have found to do this:

Mou is nice because it has the preview in the same window, it’s live, and when you scroll the text the preview scrolls with it. But of you are working on large documents this can get out of hand quickly.

Markdown Pro is similar to Mou. In my opinion, it looks a little better. But for me the drawbacks are that it doesn’t scroll the preview when you scroll the text. This quickly rules this one out for me.

Sublime Text on the other hand is a little intimidating. But after you figure out what it can do it makes a lot of sense. I’ll admit that moving from one of the previous mentioned to sublime text 2 is a big jump, but i think that its one you will not regret, assuming you put a little time into learning how it works.

Learning the Basics of Sublime Text 2.

There are a few fundamental elements to sumblime text 2 that I recommend you learn. These elements include the following:

These are the elements that were important to me. They greatly improved my workflow and I’m sure you can do the same if you spend a little time learning Sublime Text 2’s interworkings a little bit. So before I cover these points in the way that I use them, I recommend you check out the free training videos on Sublime Text 2, at Tuts+. These videos are fantastic. They are short and to the point. Very beneficial.

How to install packages

There are two ways to install packages, with or without package control. I’m going to talk about installing packages “with” package control. The above mentioned videos cover both. So the first thing you need to do is head over to wbond.net and install the package manager.

Once you have package manager installed it’s time to install the packages that are useful for working with Markdown. For me, those packages include:

Of course there are others, but these got me started. The video below shows how to install these packages.

MarkdownEditing

MarkdownEditing changes the theme and looks a little more mike Byword. If you follow the link and look at the complete feature list you’ll see that there is more that the package does, in addition to just changing the theme. This package adds some nice shortcuts for working with Markdown.

SmartMarkdown

The other editors I mentioned above failed to work well with large projects. Too much text on one page and I was as lost as could be. An editor that I didnt mention that somewhat solves this is FoldingText. This allowed me to fold the headings up so that I could control the document a little better. It still was missing some other elements that I wanted. So when I came across SmartMarkdown I was overjoyed that I could have the folding text capability in Sumblime Text 2. Simply move to a head and hit the tab key and viola!

Markdown Preview

Markdown Preview partially solves one of my likes, and that’s being able to see what the finished product looks like. With this package you can easily preview your text in a web browser. To do this simply enter cmd + shift + p, and start typing the word “Preview”. This can be seen in the short video below:

LiveReload

The live reload feature is pretty straight forward. Just use the Preview in Browser option, switch back to your document and make changes. When you save you can come back to the browser it it should have reloaded with your changes. This is covered in the Tuts+ Video Lesson on Live Reload.

How to customize the interface

There are additional ways to customize the interface like changing the font size and so forth. The one thing that I had to get used to here is that the settings are text based rather than in a GUI window, and there are user settings vs. default settings. Watch the Tuts+ Video on it. It is covered very well there.

How to use some of the keyboard shortcuts

Again, there is no point for me to reiterate what is covered in the Tuts+ Video on keyboad shortcuts, but the one I have to mention is the command+D shortcut. This enables multiple cursors and allows you to select text and make mass changes. You can see this in the short video below.

How to work with a project

Another element of benefit to me is the ability to work inside a project. This is what really helped me to manage where I am in a document, what its related to, and quickly jump to other files in the project. The following video shows you how to setup a project.

Using Marked for Document Preview

One last thing that I wanted to talk about was using Marked to preview the document with another shortcut that has proven to be very beneifical. What I do here is I use the build option in Sublime Text 2 so that it builds my Markdown document and presents it in Marked. To set this you need the Marked Bonus Pack. As mentioned on the linked site you need copy the Marked.sublime-build file to /Library/Application Support/Sublime Text 2/Packages/User/. Once you have done this Marked will show up as a build system and you can then use command + b to build the document in Marked as seen below:

Wrap-up

As you can tell there is a great deal that you can do with Sublime Text 2. I’m really just getting started with it and I know as time goes by I’ll become more adept at its advanced functions, but for now this has really worked well for me. I think at this point I’m going to give the search for the best editor a rest and call it sublime text 2. Of course, it’s not perfect, but what app is?

Filed Under: Mac, Productivity Tagged With: , , ,

How can you see this and not LOVE technology

January 9, 2013 by 1 Comment

I had to post this here on the blog because when I see things like this it makes me LOVE being in a technology field and a world filled with so much cool tech.

I’ve been an iPad user for some time now, and I like what they do. As far as reading goes on the iPad, I have a number of books in iBooks that I have purchased through the iBooks Storefront, as well as the Amazon Kindle App, Reeder for RSS feeds, The Safari-to-go App, and GoodReader for pretty much everything else. I like reading on the iPad and I do it all the time. However, when something like this comes out you bet I’m going to want to check it out. Have a look at the video. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty cool! I don’t like the idea of needing a special table, but bend gestures are interesting and the fact that you have a screen that’s bendable is pretty interesting.

You can read the original article where I learned of the product here.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , ,

Finding The Forum That Fits: A Certification Forum Roundup

January 8, 2013 by 3 Comments

Breezi placeitI wrote a few days ago about mailing lists, specifically Groupstudy.com. My question was relating to the benefit of mailing lists like this. Today I wanted to extend that conversation a bit, and discuss not only mailing lists, but also web based forums.

There are a number of forums in place where one can find answers to questions related to the CCIE. In fact if you pay close attention to the homepage at groupstudy.com you’ll notice a link out to CCIE.net. The forums here are web based and offer discussions for CCIE candidates. I personally don’t spend a ton of time here.

A forum that some of you may be familiar with but might not have come to mind relating to certifications or the CCIE, is that of the Packetpushers.net forum. The forums here might be of interest because they not only tie you into peers who are working on certifications as well, but they also open the way to the large following of really smart people that the Packetpushers have built over the last few years. I have to admit that I neglected to pay attention to the forums here, but plan on remedying that in the coming months.

Still, the elephant in the room is that of the Cisco Learning Network. I have to say that this probably has the largest following, which is to be expected. There are a number of fellow instructors who monitor and respond and it’s rare that you will find another place on the web to interact with the CCIE Program manager like Natalie Timms who is in charge of the CCIE Security. There are a ton of resources here, but with the larger number of people posting here you’re bound to run into more junk. Cisco does a great job at filtering it out, but be aware that there is no criteria to post in any of the forums here (With the exception of the CCSI forums).

There are additional forums that come to mind. For example, Twitter as a CCIE Study forum is not a far stretch, but really may be more of a CCIE Peer Support forum when you think about it. I also know there are some Facebook pages as well as LinkedIN that relate here. Also, for those using GNS3 and Dynamips there are forums for that as well.

Finally, don’t forget the forums provided by the training vendors (I’ll let you look them up since I’m not so neutral here).

My Take

Do what you have to do, but don’t get so involved in these forums that you take away from your own personal development and study time. It can be easy to get caught up in the conversations and make no progress because of them. However you can’t discount the Cisco Learning Network if you’re working in Cisco certifications.  If anyone has forums to add feel free!

 

Filed Under: Link Roundup, Networking Vendors, Productivity, Tips Tagged With: , ,

Cisco 3D Catalog iPhone App – Interesting…

January 7, 2013 by 1 Comment

Cisco has released a number of apps for the iPhone and one of them is the Cisco 3D catalog. It’s not something I would have intentionally looked for but it may come in handy for those who are just starting out in their certification process, especially since many labs are remote these days. I know for a fact that some students have never seen the actual equipment they are certified to work with. So this is where the catalog may come in handy. It provides a 3D view of some of Cisco’s popular products. Not everything is here, but it’s better than something.

The home screen displays three options:

  • Routers
  • Switches
  • UCS Servers

Each product displayed provides some technical details by tapping on markers displayed on the image. Overall its nice, but the resolution is disapointing.

My Take

Again if you are studying for certs and have never seen the equipment before it’s nice. Give it a test drive. If you don’t like it or use it you can just as easily delete it. My main gripe is the resolution.

Filed Under: Apple, Cisco, Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

Do Mailing Lists Benefit You?

January 4, 2013 by 4 Comments

In the world of CCIE there are a few avenues you can take to poll peers as well as others that are studying for the cert. One avenue is the mailing list for CCIE R&S found at http://groupstudy.com. I used to spend a ton of time on there soaking in the material that people were spouting off. It seems to me though that as time has gone by sites and lists like this have become less of a technical forum.

I think there is a seldom tapped well of experts on these lists that people may be losing sight of, in view of the massive advertising that Cisco has done to draw people into the Cisco Learning Network. Are you one of those people who only use the Cisco Learning Network or do you still use and feel that mailing lists are a benefit to your CCIE study?

 

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Welcome to 2013

January 2, 2013 by 4 Comments

Welcome to 2013 everyone!

I trust that you have all had a nice few days and hopefully have stayed safe. I just wanted to throw the first 2013 post out there to say that I’m looking forward to the interaction that we’ve had in the past whether it be here on the blog, Facebook, twitter, and now app.net. This online community has enabled me to form many friendships that could only be maintained via these wonderful social avenues.

I have been somewhat quiet lately. You all know that I go through these spurts. I’ve spent a great deal of time with my family, have been focusing on my new employment, and have been doing some personal study. While my plans may change, the immediate future is that of the CCNP and CCIE Wireless. If anyone would like to share their thoughts on essential resources I would welcome it.

I do plan to blog a bit more frequently, and to do that I’m turning to technology. I live in a world where I get nothing done unless I have it on a list. For some time now I have been using OmniFocus as my life/task management tool. I’ve put the “write a blog post” task on there, and of course I don’t end up doing it. This year I’m trying an app called “Good Habits.” It’s not replacing OF, but it’s where I’m adding anything that I want to form a habit of. I plan to track it in the immediate timeframe, and then once the habit is formed just let it go from the list. I guess we will see how it goes.

Also, I’m trimming back twitter. It’s too noisy, which is why I don’t talk much. I can’t keep up with all the conversations. So, if I pull you from my followers list please don’t be offended. If you want to get back on just ping me and I’ll add you. Sometimes I lose track of people and you may accidentally be removed.

Thanks to the many subscribers of this blog that have stuck with me through the highs and lows. Hopefully I have something to contribute this year. If not, someone should slap me with a stick.

 

Thanks again everyone,

Brandon Carroll

Filed Under: News Tagged With: ,

Cisco Documentation in ePub Format

December 26, 2012 by 2 Comments

This has most likely been mentioned, but since I’ve spent most of my time in IOS version 15.2 and lower I didn’t notice it until today.  You can now open the documentation in ePub format.  A very nice addition Cisco.  Thanks!

Filed Under: Apple, CCIE Security, Cisco, ipad, Security, Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

My Markdown Wishlist

December 18, 2012 by 2 Comments

This is more of a rant post than anything else. I’ve been using markdown for the blog for over a year, but now I’m using it for development at work. It’s an amazing way to work with text documents and convert them to PDF or HTML. If you need a primer check this post out.

My preferred editor right now is Markdown Pro. I like the way it live previews your document. Admittedly its not the most feature rich application, but its working for now. On the other hand I’ve used Byword, Mou, Folding Text (Which I still use in my workflow a bit) and a hand full of others. I like using Byword and Marked, created by Brett Terpstra, which works very well. But here’s my issue. I’m now working with documents that are potentially hundreds of pages. Because of this I like the folding Capability of Folding Text, but I can’t get past the live preview of Markdown Pro with custom CSS or even Mou. (BTW- The fact that Mou scrolls both panes is awesome.) At any rate, I want to see if I could solicit some feedback. What can I do to get that folding capability (folding text), preview capability (Marked), and scrolling capability (Mou) that I see in different applications but never combined into one app. I’m also hoping that David Sparks from MacSparky and Mac Power Users has time to provide a little input since he and Brett have written books using Markdown.

Well thats the end of my Rant/Question. Time for a little R&R.

Filed Under: Mac Tagged With: , , ,

Change Your Omnifocus Theme to Rekindle Your GTD Process

November 27, 2012 by 1 Comment

Voila Capture34 When I’m on with GTD I can accomplish great things. Well, maybe not great things, but at least i get my work done. The problem is that I lose focus after a very short time. So, I change themes. For me, changing the theme in OF makes it feel like a new app. It usually follows with cleaning up my contexts and tasks. Right now I’m rocking the Bebas Neue Theme.  So far I like it.  Now I feel like I have a brand new app that already has my data imported in it!  Can’t beat that!

Filed Under: Mac, Productivity Tagged With: , ,
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