Jim Rapoza

When many people hear the name Xerox, the first thing that springs to mind is a photocopier. But when many in the tech industry hear Xerox, they think of groundbreaking research that has brought innovations such as the GUI to life. Recently, I attended a Xerox Innovation Day event at Bostons Museum of Science. At […]

Can you tell whether Im a good columnist? Does simply reading my columns give you enough information to make up your mind, based on your judgment of my skills? Or would you feel you were on firmer ground if you could run benchmarks and performance tests that put the columns through simulated reader-response situations? Dont […]

The intellectual property claims of SCO against Linux are very likely to backfire. But SCOs aggressive legal tactics have still put a chill on Linux deployments. In many cases, upper management and corporate lawyers have been spooked by SCOs scare tactics and are putting the kibosh on Linux usage until the smoke clears. However, the […]

Quick question. how would you feel if this column, which appears to be a technology-oriented opinion column, were just a front to trick you into buying and installing a product you probably dont need? You probably wouldnt be happy. And even if I succeeded in making you purchase the product, I doubt youd become a […]

Businesses looking at Web content management systems are probably getting a little confused by the way products are changing in this area. Many of the biggest vendors are busy merging with other companies or integrating their products with related systems such as portals and collaboration systems. Finding a pure Web content management system is harder […]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Rhythmyx 5 Percussions Rhythmyx 5 provides all the flexibility and capability wed expect from a high-end content management application, without sacrificing usability. Excellent standards support and customization options mean it can meet almost any sites needs. Rhythmyx 5 is priced reasonably for a high-end content management system, although its higher than most enterprise […]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CMS300 2.6 For corporate Web sites that need tight content management but dont need a lot of high-end features, Ektrons CMS300 provides quick deployment and high usability at a price that wont even get you in the door at most content management companies. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS USABILITY EXCELLENT CAPABILITY GOOD PERFORMANCE GOOD INTEROPERABILITY […]

You people are such idiots! Not you, of course. I mean those other people, the ones who make it so easy for every simple, standard virus to propagate across the Web. Twice in the last few weeks, Ive had the same experience. I receive a security notice on a new virus, first Fizzer and then […]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY phpESP 1.6 The open-source phpESP update is a good way for businesses to get high-quality feedback from customers, employees and other parties. Although its not as easy to use as some commercial survey software, it also doesnt carry these packages high prices. The product can be downloaded at phpesp.sourceforge.net. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS USUABILITY […]

Started in the mid-1990s as a simple scripting language for Web sites, PHP has become one of the premier languages for developing enterprise-class Web applications (see phpESP review). Some of the most popular and powerful applications have been developed in PHP, and a growing number of commercial applications and services are also starting to take […]

Is there anything more indefensible—both technically and morally—than poor customer service on e-commerce Web sites? I dont think so. An e-commerce site can have the best interfaces, great underlying technology and complete interactivity, but if it doesnt treat customers well and isnt forthcoming with information and support, nothing else will matter. Conversely, a site can […]

So youre mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. Who are you going to call? As an IT pro, there is no organization to which you can turn to represent your interests in Washington. That needs to change. We technology workers are a community facing a growing number of threats to our […]