So here I sit in my kitchen, connecting to my laptop sitting on my desk at Citrix. I forget sometimes how cool it is to be able to do this. I forget the early days when I never worked from home - because I didn't want to set up my "work machine" as a MetaFrame Server and publish my server. And yes, I'll confess, I still like to install apps locally, just because, well, it's MY computer, right?
Yes, I can log in through Web Interface or other connections and have all my work apps, launch a published browser to get to all my sharepoint sites, and web applications, but it just isn't as homey or comfy to me as knowing I'm on my own computer.
It's funny to see that as I was thinking about writing this post, we had a survey published about the same topic - even though I'm sadly no longer in that age group. 
Because who are we kidding - we like working in casual attire (I didn't say PJs). We like snacking on leftovers, and talking to our pets about the latest email we got from our project team. We like dialing into meetings and walking around the house while making our points.
And yes, I multi-task. I sort laundry while I listen to project meetings, with the phone on mute. Trust me, it's way better than sitting quietly in a chair at a table with 15 other people waiting for your turn to speak.
So, hooray for remote access! Hooray for GoToMyPC! And hooray for companies that support working from home - I for one, thank you!
I bet you think I'm going to talk about GoToMeeting or our old friend, Conferencing Manager. I could, but I won't. I'll leave that to others more experienced in that tech talk.
No, I'm talking about good old-fashioned people. People, people who need people,... OK, I digress (probably due to my need for lunch right now.). I think sometimes in our focus on getting our projects or software out the door, we forget how beneficial our networks can be. Yes, LinkedIn 
and other sites are great (Hey, I'm on LinkedIn myself), but face-to-face often wins out.
For example, I attended an industry conference in Q3 2006. When I transferred to Web Services in April 2007, I reached out to other attendees I had spoken to at that conference for help with one of my projects. Although the people I contacted hadn't heard from me in almost six months and didn't have the knowledge to help me, they took the time to ask their coworkers to help. Eventually I spoke to a peer I'd never met before who had a wealth of knowledge to share. She offered to present her team's approach to the issue and so I was able to share their perspectives and processes with my team (using GoToMeeting , of course). By the way, I have to say that team was from Microsoft , - so you won't catch me badmouthing them, even without our other "strategic partnerships".
Today I got the chance to do something similar. A past Citrite contacted me about a project she is working on. Since the technical details were outside my range of experience, I asked a member of the Web Services team if he could help. Lo and behold, we met today (again with GoToMeeting) - my coworker, myself, the past Citrite, and her manager. We greeted, we chatted, we outlined, we discussed, and when we were done, they thanked us very much for our help and offered to return the favor if needed. Now, our meeting today may not lead to earthshattering changes in technologies or wow anyone (although I have great hopes for their gift that's "in the mail"), but the time saved in a one-hour meeting vs. trying to figure it out on your own over weeks (or even months) can never be denied. And yes, I feel better. And I know my ex-Citrite friend feels a whole lot better.
So, in our world of technology, blogs and wikis nonwithstanding, we need to remember that networking and collaboration sometimes mean something different. And I hope all Citrites, past, present, and future are examples of that.
So, if you're reading this blog, you've discovered the wonderful new blog site from Citrix. There's loads of posts about current and future products and projects, so I thought I'd try something a little different. As I note in my profile (sorry, no photo there, not ready to expose my mug just yet), I've been with Citrix since the heady days of 1999. I started in Tech Pubs as a tech writer assigned to the (in?)famous SDKs. Back then, that's where all newbie tech writers started at Citrix. My first "real" doc assignment was the SecureICA product - yes, I said "product", back then it wasn't part of MetaFrame - no, MetaFrameXP - no, MetaFrame Presentation Server - no, Presentation Server, right? After a few years on almost every product line, I joined the ranks of Pubs Management but then decided to transfer to the Web Services team and leverage my skills (I hope) with the team responsible (then) for the Knowledge Center, a.k.a. http://support.citrix.com.
Anyway, let's get back from my stunningly interesting trip down memory lane and on to the relevance of my blog title. We've done some pretty cool things to the Knowledge Center recently as noted in my director's post. So if you've got feedback about the Knowledge Center then use the Site Feedback link at the bottom of each page. Not to leave my old Tech Pubs buddies in the dust, (not that I ever would - you know that, right?), for feedback on your current product docs (like an Admin Guide, readme, or good old F1 help), please use the Product Documentation feedback form. You should also check out Andy McAleer's blog for the latest from the Tech Pubs team.
As for me, I'd like to know what else you would like to see Citrix do in our Web space. What have you seen or experienced at other corporate site that you think is cool or helpful to you? Yes, I know I should probably ask what would help you use our products better or help you install or troubleshoot, but honestly, I think the other sites I've pointed you to cover those areas pretty well. We've got forums, we've got blogs, we've got plans for more up-to-date browsable online docs (oops, was I supposed to say that? ), so what else would be helpful? Oh darn, I used that "helpful" word again, didn't I? But you know what I mean, the whole Web 2.0 stuff. At a recent conference I attended, it seemed like the latest buzzword for the ideal user's experience was now "delightful"; not usable, or navigable, but "delightful" - Wow! So, what would delight you on our Citrix sites? I can't make any promises, and no-one should expect too much, but let's hear it and see what happens, shall we?
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