Network World

Halloween treats at Network World

It's a full moon here at Network World, with Halloween stuff bursting forth from every page. Michael Cooney collected a dozen projects that seem to have been inspired by mad scientists. Keith Shaw pulls out the spooky sound effects for the annual podcast, "True Tales of Terrifying Security."

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• Jeff Caruso's blog
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The Zero-Click Connection Manager

I was in Toronto yesterday speaking at a forum organized by Bell Canada and Trellia Networks. My part of the program was providing an update on wireless in general, and I stressed (as I always do) that an emphasis on cool radio technology and cool devices is often misplaced in an enterprise setting. The core emphasis must instead be instead on management, especially out to the device.

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• Craig Mathias's blog

Cisco wants to know if your network is heaven or hell

Cisco is getting into the holiday spirit. It's throwing a Halloween party in Second Life on Oct.

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• Cisco Subnet's blog

Halloween’s scariest truths

Unless you live in Transylvania County, N.C., Tombstone, Ariz , Pumpkin Center, N.C.

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• Layer 8's blog

Danger, Will Robinson!

Casey Willborn shows what happens when network administrators notice heating ducts up in the ceiling, in his entry in our post-contest Halloween Alpha Geeks competition. The balsawood airplane is on its way! And we have plenty of 'em, so send in your photo.

And see our Halloween page for more.

• NetworkWorld Community's blog

More on the Subnet Mask guy

Mark Madden, winner of our Alpha Geek costume contest, agreed to answer some questions; we figured you'd want to know:

Madden reports he came up with the mask a few years ago while working for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, not long after the foundation had moved from some space above a pizza parlor: "In those days our wiring closet was a desk with a couple of Cisco 5000s and spaghetti everywhere." Today, he writes computing security policy and does Web development for a large airplane manufacturer.

He likes the creative when it comes to Halloween: "I was a nun a few years ago with a long brown robe and habit.  It didn't work out too well; I had a mustache and was getting too much action from the men so I had to become a monk."

What's the scariest thing about IT today? "It's always been that IT seems to have a holier than thou attitude towards the common users.  I've been on both sides and can understand how they get their attitude, but it doesn't help the situation, or the users."

A whole host of scary networking costumes for ghouls of all ages.

• NetworkWorld Community's blog

Yes, we have a winner

OK, determining a winner in our Hallloween costume contest was possibly the toughest decision your judges have ever had to make in their Network World careers.

For one thing, we only got three entries (I still cling to hope this is just because more people didn't know about the contest, not because our readers are not interesting or because they hate us or something). For another, what they lacked in quantity they made up for in quality - all three were costumes we'd be proud to wear, if only because Draculas are so overdone.

When it came down to it, though, we had to give the first-place award to Mark Madden, because, while minimalist, his costume combined two things that appealed to us: It had something to do with networking and it represented a bad pun/inside joke that absolutely NO ONE who doesn't work in networking would ever get - and it made everyone here groan. And here he is, in his Subnet Mask:

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• NetworkWorld Community's blog
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Another entry in our Halloween costume contest

Quick! What is Mark Madden wearing? Answer below if you can't figure it out.

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Data Center Man

OK, I had my doubts anybody could top the Klingon High Command entry in our Alpha Geek costume contest, but for sheer IT geekery, Dan Richfield, president and CEO of Easy CGI is a definite contender:

You still have time to mail your entry in. What are you waiting for?

• NetworkWorld Community's blog
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Can you top this?

Al Grosser submits this portrait, taken on his wedding day (yes, of course he got married in full Klingon regalia) for our Alpha Geek costume contest. Is there any point in even continuing the contest? Do we have a winner? What? You can do better? Mail a photo of yourself in full costumed regalia (but do it before midnight, Oct. 20, or you'll be too late - see complete rules).

• NetworkWorld Community's blog
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