Learn Archives - Patrick m Coyne

Engage Active Listening

August 11, 2016 by Patrick M Coyne

I guess Microsoft made it easy for me to pick on them today but it is not an uncommon problem in business (and personal) communications; Foregoing Active Listening.

Admittedly, there have been times that I was guilty of not thoroughly absorbing the issue before racing to a proposed solution. Maybe most of us are guilty of not truly listening enough. With the plethora of communication medium (email, text, video conference, chat, phone,… or in-person [God forbid]) our basic communication needs remain the same; listen to each other and respond to what we understand from listening actively.

This morning, I was attempting to use the online services of Office 365 from my laptop and I was initially pleased to have someone on the Microsoft website to quickly offer assistance. Since I was short on time, I gladly accepted the chat request. The chat transcript below displays the assistance I was given:

(While it took over 27 minutes to experience, it’s merely a 15 second read:)

Microsoft Website Chat
Duration (actual chatting time)	00:27:05
Operator	Mario
Chat Transcript
Mario: Hello, how may I assist you today? Patrick: Hi Mario Mario: Hello Patrick! Patrick: I have 365 account but I don’t have it installed on my laptop. Can I work online to use excel or do I need to install it on my hard drive Mario: I will be happy to assist you on the information of our Office 365 services, with some of our plans we offer the option to use both versions, to make sure that you have this included, let me verify your plan, ,may I have the email address that is linked to your services? Patrick: I already added my email when I started the chat Patrick: p~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~.com Mario: Thank you. Mario: Thank you for your time Patrick, I see that you have the Office Home and Business 2013 which is a one time purchase for the Office suite, with this package you have the option to install in only 1 PC and the online versions are not included. Mario: Have you considered the option to use one of our Business plans, in which you can have multiple installations with one license? Patrick: I do have 365. Maybe the email associated is my admin’s- cf~~~@~~~~~~~~.com ? Mario: Let me review that for you. Mario: Thank you for your time Patrick, making further research I found that we had a plan active , however that was a Home subscription which is now expired. Mario: If you allow me Patrick, I suggest that you contact our Billing team, since they have the information of the purchase of your services they will be able to find your current plan. Mario: Our Billing and Commerce Team can be reached at 877-913-2707, they are available Monday – Friday from 6 AM/6 PM PST. Mario: Patrick please tell me, is there anything else I can assist you with today? Patrick: Well, I may not know the email address you have on file, but I do pay for 365. My original question is still not addressed. Can I use a 365 business account to use the programs or do I need to install them on my computer. My hard drive is rather full. I really don’t see why I am wasting time for you to verify I am telling you the truth. Obviously, if it’s possible, I would need to login or get through Microsoft’s security measures. Mario: I understand your concern Patrick , however to make sure that we provide you the best information in regards of the use of the online services, we need to confirm if your plan has this feature included, in this case if with the Office 365 services that you have you have access to the installed version of the Office suite, you are most likely able to use the online version as well, however to make sure , I suggest that you contact our Billing team. Patrick: It’s not a billing question, it’s a technical question about whether I need to use space on my hard drive. Mario: Patrick, in this case with the information provided we do not have any Office 365 services active, if you have a plan that you currently use , our Billing team can assist you verifying which specific plan do you have and if this include the online version as well, since they have the information of the purchase of your services. Patrick: I realize you cannot verify my plan. I am not asking you to verify my plan. How about asking this way: If anyone has the online version of 365, do they need to install the programs on their hard drive? Mario: As online services they can be used with no need to be installed on your devices Patrick. Patrick: Thank you for finally responding to my question.

I sense that Mario, like most people, was really trying to help. But without actively listening before clicking into action, our best solutions may never be presented.

Are You Disciplined?

October 20, 2015 by Patrick M Coyne

Image Credit: DanWaldschmidt.com

Do you feel disciplined because you maintain strict habits?

Do you think you’re disciplined because you meet schedules?

I certainly agree with Dan on this:

You won’t be awesome by doing the same old things you’ve been doing before.

It takes discipline to practice improving that one skill that makes you feel uncomfortable.

It takes discipline to try new things when you are already a pro at the old ones.

Get uncomfortable!

Source: You Think You’re Disciplined, But You’re Not. | Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations

Stay Ahead of Fashion!

September 16, 2015 by Patrick M Coyne

The year was 1994… yes, over one score ago… I found myself in Paris for the ever insane Bastille Day celebration.

When I travel, I have a rather religious belief that traveling light increases my happiness to exponential proportions. I usually bring light clothes that are easy to wash, and I tend to prioritize practicality over fashion. Another of my rules, when packing for an awesome trip, is to leave adequate space in your bag for new items scored along the way.

While packing, it was evident that I was really in the need of new shoes. I was headed to London, Paris and Rome. Rome was going to provide me some new leather shoes- she just didn’t know it yet. So, I packed my basics, along with empty space, ready for new shoes and other goods and headed off.

I did pack comfort shoes and leather summer sandals (from a previous trip to Florence) to get me through the first legs of the trip. Cozy and Cool.

Once in Paris, I learned that Bizet’s Carmen was being performed at the Paris Opera House. I love the opera, I love the building! Had to go! After scrambling around a bit, tickets were obtained and the plan came together.

As I was dressing, it became apparent that my shoe selection was a bit inadequate; grungy comfys or open sandals? Shit! No time for new shoes; the show must go on! I had to improvise.

At the opera, you would have thought I was a freak show in the circus. Yes, I was american then, too. I also realized that if Parisians love Americans, they usually hid it very well. But this was different… SANDALS WITH SOCKS?? AT AN OPERA!

I felt that I may have set back American/French relations back to the 1780’s. In fact by the scars I had from the stare daggers, I thought maybe I set back fashion to the 10th century!

And then today, I read this story on the front page of the Wall Street Journal…

Seeeee?

Photo Credit: Stu Woo/The Wall Street Journal By STU WOO And RAY A. SMITH

From Today’s Wall Street Journal:

I’ll Be Darned, Wearing Socks With Sandals Is Fashionable

At men’s apparel shows this spring, runway models sported a look that many fashion experts believe is just wrong. “It’s not acceptable,” says Sam Spector, a fashion stylist whose clients include actors Daniel Radcliffe and Neil Patrick Harris.Wearing socks with sandals—a source of endless ridicule for dads, German tourists and hippies—is allegedly in vogue. Calvin Klein Collection, Bottega Veneta, Marni and other luxury labels showcased the pairing at men’s runway shows in June. Attendees at men’s New York Fashion Week in July wore the comfortable combination. Footwear-maker Teva recently started selling sock-and-sandal packages while offering an online guide on how to pull off the look…

… Consuelo Castiglioni, creative director for high-end fashion label Marni, saw socks as an accent, “an accessory, adding extra color and texture to the outfit.” At Marni’s Spring 2016 show in June, socks and sandals were worn with dressy shirts and slacks.Some in the fashion industry applaud the trend. “Why not wear your favorite sandals year-round and pair it with beautiful cashmere sock?” says Grant Woolhead, a stylist and the fashion director for Out Magazine. He finds the I-don’t-care look of socks with sandals “kind of sexy.”

Source: I’ll Be Darned, Wearing Socks With Sandals Is Fashionable – WSJ

How to Protect Yourself from the New Android Vulnerability, “Stagefright”

August 10, 2015 by Shared Content (See Source)

Patrick shared:

What is Stagefright?

Yesterday a security researcher revealed a series of high-severity vulnerabilities related to Stagefright, a native Android media player, that affect nearly all Android devices in the world. The Stagefright vulnerabilities carry serious security implications: an attacker could exploit them to remotely control and steal data from a device by sending a victim a multimedia message (MMS) packaged with an exploit.

The Stagefright vulnerabilities affect all Android devices running Froyo 2.2 to Lollipop 5.1.1, which covers approximately 95% of all Android devices today. The security researcher who discovered these vulnerabilities first alerted Google to this issue in April and included security patches. Google has accepted the patches and sent security updates to its partners to be distributed to vulnerable devices.

Protect Yourself Now!

As an added protection measure, Lookout recommends disabling auto-fetching of MMS messages on a device’s default SMS app.

When an Android device receives a video message via SMS, by default it will automatically download the file. Therefore, disabling auto-fetching prevents an attacker from getting a device to automatically download a malicious video containing Stagefright exploits, which allows the user to delete the message and avoid device exploitation.

A device’s default SMS app may be “Hangouts”, or it may be a version of a native Android app variously named “Messages”, “Messaging”, or “Messenger”, depending on the device model and Android version. To determine your device’s default SMS app, go to Settings > Default applications > Messages.

While these instructions will make it harder for a device to be exploited via MMS, Lookout encourages Android users to exercise caution when viewing videos displayed on untrusted websites or included in messages from unknown senders.

Read more:>>

Source: What you need to know about the new Android vulnerability, “Stagefright” | Lookout Blog