October 2006

I was checking yesterday’s statistics for Exploit Boston Radio at Live365 and noticed that someone from Saint Kitts and Nevis tuned in yesterday. I’ve never heard of that place so I looked it up on Google who then sent me to this page at Wikipedia. Ooooh. That looks like a nice vacation spot in the Caribbean. Whoever that listener is should invite us over for a visit. (I can only see country, metro and city not specific listener information, of course.)

Photo by jwc @ Flickr.

Aha! I haven’t updated sooz.com in a while. I’ve been digging into my new job at EditShare and spending more time with Michael and less time at my computer. Of course, that means I’m thoroughly behind on all sorts of stuff including updating Exploit Boston and adding new tidbits here. We went to IKEA in Stoughton on Friday night (FYI: IKEA is in the Top 10 Locations for a Friday Night Date). I don’t know if it’s really normal to love a store so much but oh how I do love Ikea. We bought new dressers, a kitchen cart, a new lamp and miscellaneous other items for a grand total of $12.34. OK, maybe it wasn’t that cheap but a bargain nonetheless.

Tonight’s plan is to see Frank Black at Axis. I’ll be taking photos for Exploit Boston and Michael will be writing words for Bostonist. Should be fun!

I started a new job this week as an account manager at EditShare. They manufacture a system that stores audio and video media files in a central networked solution. It’s used by video production companies, television studios, etc. EditShare is looking for help from someone who wants to join the company as an operations suppport specialist. Obviously I haven’t been here long enough to share a lot of information about the company; but from what I can tell and what I’ve seen so far, it’s great. I knew Michelle, the officer manager, prior to taking the job. Since they’re located in Allston near where I live, I can walk to work which I have been really enjoying this week. Here’s the job description. If you have any questions or want to talk to Michelle who resumes can be sent to, let me know!

Operations Support Specialist

EditShare (www.editshare.com) is seeking a full-time Operations and Support Specialist to join its Boston office. The right individual will be a self-motivated, fast-learning, energetic, teamwork oriented, multi-tasker looking to join an exciting start-up company. This position is full time, and is equal parts Tech Support (customer-facing) and internal Operations (behind-the-scenes product testing, quality control and delivery readiness).

EditShare is a manufacturer of a digital video server. The customers who call EditShare for tech support are mostly video editors using Avid, Adobe, Final Cut Pro, Pinnacle or a number of other non-linear video editing applications. These video editors are producing shows for Discovery Channel, A&E, Showtime, OLN and many other network and public TV projects, and EditShare’s digital video storage server is where all of their digital media is stored and shared. These customers need someone in tech support who speaks the language of video editing, but who also knows the technical specifics of EditShare’s OS. Our ideal candidate is a video editor who knows a bit about Linux, the foundation of EditShare’s technology.

The ideal candidate will:

• Learn in-depth how to install, configure, use and troubleshoot EditShare software and hardware
• Assist pre-Sales team or potential customers answering technical questions
• Assist new customers with installation – by phone, via remote desktop programs, or in person.
• Conduct training sessions with new or active customers – by phone, via remote desktop programs, or in person.
• Coordinate sending out support bulletins to existing customers, verify that customers received them, and help customers implement any actions suggested by the support bulletin.
• Assist in helping customers install upgrades
• Handle daily inbound calls to post-Sales technical support “help desk” and document calls in a Customer Relationship Management database
• Work with the overall EditShare team to contribute to product development by creating white papers and other technical documentation
• Work with EditShare team to represent the company at some trade shows,
  customer sites and industry events

The right individual will receive intensive training in EditShare software and hardware installation and configuration. Applicants need to be able to come up to speed rapidly. Applicants should be familiar with a variety of video editing applications, especially Avid and Final Cut Pro. Applicants should have a basic understanding of networking – CAT5/6 wiring, IP Addresses, CableDSL Routers, etc. Applicants should also have a basic knowledge of Windows and OS X, and especially Linux (as our product is Linux-based) – enough to help customers with the occasional command line fix, and to help enable or disable custom features before machines are shipped to clients.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND TALENTS

• Familiarity with various NLE programs, especially Avid and Final Cut Pro
• Familiarity with Linux, Windows and OS X
• Basic Knowledge of TCP/IP Networking
• Autonomous trouble ticket resolution
• Excellent customer care skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Independent, innovative problem solving
• Solution documentation

The Boston Rocks! group at HeyLetsGo is meeting up tonight (10/6/06) for outing #4 to see Take You Higher, a Sly Stone tribute band from Boston at Harper’s Ferry in Allston. They’re an eight-piece band of Boston musicians who got together in 2005 to cover the music of Sly Stone. I’m rarely into cover bands; but this is a bunch of really talented musicians — and hey, the music is fun. If you want to join us, please do. A few of us are meeting for dinner at 9PM at Soul Fire and then the plan is to walk up the street and meet up with everyone at 10PM at Harper’s Ferry for the show. The cover charge is $5.

See you there?

There’s a great profile about Tourfilter’s Chris Marstall in today’s Boston Metro on page 11. I’ve been using Tourfilter for a couple months to track concert listings for all the bands that I play on Exploit Boston Radio.

Michael is at it again with a humorous write up about ten people in Boston who he’d like to see disappear.

9. Whoever made the 66 Bus schedule. It should be nominated for a National Book Award in the Fiction category. Though I guess it’s honest, after a fashion; they promise four buses an hour, and that’s what you get. Unfortunately, they come by at :03, :04, :04 and :07 past the hour. When I lived in Arlington, I assumed the 77 bus was the worst in the system. When I lived in Central Square, I thought it was the 1. Now it’s the 66. Either the T hates me, or they’re remarkably consistent.

I ran around Boston and Cambridge during the early and late evening hours of September 28-30 to take photos at many of the NEMO Music Festival showcases. Over 300 bands performed at 30+ clubs. The highlight of the fest was seeing Melissa Ferrick perform at The Press House/Harp Magazine party at The Middle East Corner and then The Blizzard of 78 and The Long Winters at Harper’s Ferry on Saturday night.

Dig into my NEMO Music Festival photo set at Flickr.