Salesforce IP checking is a royal PITA
Posted on April 4, 2008
Filed Under Internet & Technology, Salesforce, mobility | 5 Comments
A few months ago, Salesforce implemented a security feature that while I agree with on principle (and therefore don’t want to take steps to completely disable), it has been driving me crazy.
In short, when you log in to your Salesforce account, the system looks at your IP and recognizes whether or not you have logged in from that IP before or if your IP is already cleared by the system administrator. If it’s a new IP in your account, you have to click an activation link which sends an email to the account you’re trying to log in under. You click the link in the email which activates the IP and you’re good to log in and get work done.
Businesses that have static IPs (or even dynamic IPs that don’t move around that much) aren’t bothered by this. However, someone like me whose office usually consists of a laptop and any power outlet she can find is finding this security feature challenging to say the least.
Even when I’m home, Verizon is changing my IP at least 2-3x a day. It’s annoying to have to dance over to my email so often to authorize yet another IP address. Thankfully, that email arrives in fractions of a second after I click the link so I’m not delayed that much. Otherwise, I would just authorize entire IP blocks that Verizon DSL uses, which I’m not sure I want to do.
However, yesterday I found out what happens when I can’t get to my email: Not fun.
I did a little presentation/demo at the New York City Nonprofit Salesforce Usergroup. The meeting was hosted at Wells Fargo Insurance services in midtown Manhattan. When I attempted to log in to Salesforce, of course I got the “Activation Needed” box. Okay, so I fire up a browser window to check my email. Now that we are fully migrated to Google Apps, I no longer use a separate mail client. A window pops up that mail.google.com is blocked by the corporate firewall. The little note on the message says that all external email applications are blocked. Uh oh.
So what did we do so I could use my Salesforce account during the demo?
Another attendee (thanks again, Marc!) found that he could use my computer to log in to his webmail (SquirrelMail). I guess they let that one get away, likely since it was webmail.domain.com and not a known mail application. So I clicked the link to activate, retrieved the message on my Blackberry, forwarded to his email where he could open the message in a window on my computer and activate. Phew!
I completely agree with the extra security measure of making sure that the account holder is the person logging in to Salesforce. I agree with the notion that if there’s a doubt, notify the user via the email address on their account. But I wish Salesforce wouldn’t base this decision solely on IP/physical location. Guess what? That’s the point of Salesforce. We can log in from anywhere and move around.There has to be a better way of verifying that I’m me.
What about a software token (Mac compatible, of course) that one could install on a computer in a secure way that Salesforce could check for if it doesn’t recognize the IP address? That way, every time my computer is used to log on, Salesforce knows it’s me. I don’t know.
Maybe the Blackberry 9000 doesn’t want to be an iPhone killer
Posted on March 30, 2008
Filed Under Internet & Technology, Macintosh, mobility | 3 Comments
I’m beginning to drool over the upcoming Blackberry 9000, now that it seems to be a reality.
It has everything I already love about my Blackberry 8800, plus wifi, a faster network and a camera. I know that rumors also say iPhone is due for an upgrade later this year to AT&T’s faster 3G network.
Some of the Mac press refuse to see what’s attractive about the Blackberry over the iPhone, like this tidbit from MacDailyNews:
“Uh oh, RIM shareholders. If this is all RIM’s got, you guys and gals might want to quickly add “former” ahead of that suddenly scary description of one of your portfolio positions, as it’s now painfully obvious that RIM has learned nothing in the past 15 or so months since Apple unveiled the iPhone,” SteveJack writes.
“It’s the same old, same old in an iPhone-inspired wrapper. And that should fail to inspire much confidence in RIM,” SteveJack writes.
MDN is an extreme example because it’s a site where Steve Jobs can rob a bank at gunpoint and they’ll turn it around into a positive message for humanity, but it’s become typical to measure the Blackberry by an iPhone standard.
Some of us genuinely enjoy our Blackberrys for what they are, not as some sort of second fiddle to the iPhone. If I wanted an iPhone, I would have bought one. Sleek design can only take you so far.
I’m relieved that RIM is staying true to its focus on functionality first and foremost. Given a choice, I think I may still choose Blackberry when both companies roll out their new devices in a few months. When I want to use my phone to update Twitter or send an email, I’m thinking of the message, not the tool. I think the iPhone’s awkward keyboard will always be a barrier for me. We’ll see what happens when I have the opportunity to walk into an AT&T store later in the spring and (hopefully) hold both devices.
When it comes to technology, in my opinion, the best design quickly gets out of the way and doesn’t have to try too hard. This is why I still feel that the MacBook Air is an interesting proof-of-concept but will fail long term unless there is more thinking towards functionality than just being “impossibly thin.” Maybe it was impossible for a reason.
Frankly, If RIM can adapt the browser on a Blackberry to work better with “iPhone enhanced” sites, that may be all it takes for me to stick with their devices and never look back.
My vision for data portability utopia
Posted on February 24, 2008
Filed Under Nonprofit, Salesforce, mobility | 2 Comments
I’ve been following the conversation around the “collaboration wars.” Tit for tat comparisons between Microsoft Word and Google Docs. What’s the point?
I find it ironic that users yell and scream that they want one massive application that does everything including the kitchen sink, then scream “bloat! bloat!” when companies try and deliver exactly that.
We have choices, people. That’s good. Let’s celebrate the smaller, more streamlined applications that do a fantastic job at a few core tasks. It’s not about the application’s features, it’s about how they handle data. They must spend as much time worrying about how a user is going to bring existing data in and out as they do worrying about how the user will create and manage new information.
I’m tired of reading about how the data portability movement is all about social network profiles. It’s much more than that (I hope). You’ll sell me based on what you do with the data I feed in, and how easily you let me take that data out again…not on how tightly you hold on to me once I’m a customer. My “data” is not just the photos I upload or my friends’ birthdays and email addresses.
Case in point: We have our Call-on Congress event coming up in a couple of weeks, where we’re bringing in 40 advocates from all over the country for an advocacy training day and visits to Capitol Hill. We are prepping materials for folders for the advocates, as well as what they’ll bring with them to their Congressional meetings. I’m up here in New Jersey, the rest of the staff is in Virginia. The VA-based folks are writing the copy, it’s my job to do the formatting/layout, making sure all the documents look consistent.
Here’s what we’re doing to make sure all the documents are accurate and ready to go:
- Each document starts as a Google Doc in our Google Apps, collaborated between folks within C3 to make sure the wording is right.
- Once it is approved and ready for formatting, I get a task assigned to me in Salesforce letting me know. Even though other tools we use have task management features, Salesforce is our trusted system for assigning tasks between us so we stick with it.
- If I haven’t already been collaborating on the document, the final version is shared with me in Google Docs.
- I export the file to Word and if it’s just simple text, I leave it in Word to add logos, formatting, headers/footers, etc. Otherwise, I bring the text into InDesign for more complicated layouts.
- I export the file to PDF. If I feel the team needs to review the layout (since the copy is already final), I’ll make the PDF editable/reviewable in Adobe Reader and post to our shared WebDAV server we only use for Acrobat comment layers. Otherwise, I just create a simple PDF and leave it at that.
- We use Basecamp for project-related messaging and files. So I’ll post the final PDF there, either with a message letting folks know I think they need to review/comment on the PDF or I’ll post directly to the files area in a “Ready for binders” category I set up.
- I mark the task complete in Salesforce, which lets folks see which documents still need my attention.
- When the binders are ready for assembly, folks just have to view the “ready” file category in Basecamp and pull down the final documents for reproduction. Since the files are all PDF now, I don’t have to worry about font issues or the layout shifting around when it’s opened by someone else using the Word 2003 or 2007.
No files are emailed. No single tool would work as well as when we use them all in a clear, organized fashion. To me, it’s like trying to build a house with a swiss army knife. Even though you can use the end of a saw to bang something in, you’ll do a better job if you reach for a hammer.
Basecamp is handy for project milestones, messages and files, but the lack of WYSISYG in the Writeboards makes that part of the suite unusable for us. Google Docs is phenomenal for collaboration, but painful for formatting compared to desktop software.
Developers either have to spread their resources thin (and therefore charge more) trying to add features that duplicate what the competition does, or they can (and should) say, “hey, this is what we do really well…stick with us for that, and go use the other guys for what they do really well, and we’ll all concentrate on ways we can make it easy for you to move back and forth so you’ll be happy with both of us.”
That is why I’ve been so jazzed about the Convio/Salesforce connector. It’s not about the tool. It’s about the conversations I’ve had with both companies, and that is exactly the attitude they are both taking.
Palm’s new ad campaign is funny
Posted on February 17, 2008
Filed Under mobility | Leave a Comment
Image borrowed from RIMarkable
Anyone who has actually tried to use Palm or Windows Mobile to download email on a regular basis is laughing hysterically right now. Blackberry email works reliably 99.9% of the time, except for when RIM is having a nationwide outage of a few hours.
I’ve owned devices on all 3 platforms at one time or another. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. Reliable email is not one of Palm’s strengths by a long shot, and it’s only moderately passable on Windows Mobile. Blackberry blows them both away on that count, even on a “bad” day.
But hey, good luck with that campaign, Palm.
10 reasons I still love my Blackberry even though it isn’t an iPhone
Posted on January 1, 2008
Filed Under Internet & Technology, mobility | Leave a Comment
So if rumors are to be believed, the Blackberry 9000 won’t be an “iPhone killer” after all because it won’t have a touchscreen.
Am I disappointed? Heck, no!
Sure, pinching my way around the web and being able to go to sites on a mobile device that I can’t now looks attractive. If I wanted an iPhone, I would buy an iPhone. I’m relieved that RIM might actually be keeping their eye on the ball and they may not be caving to some real or imagined pressure to make their devices more fruity.
Eventually, I’m sure I’ll own an iPhone. It’s in my nature. I know that. It took me until the 5th generation to own an iPod, but I got there.
My next mobile device may very well be another Blackberry, touchscreen and wifi or not. Why?
- Even with the slightly cramped keys of the BB 8800, typing on it is very easy. I don’t have to think about it. I know the prediction on the iPhone is supposed to be great, but I’m typing medical terms and proper names way too often to rely on a built-in dictionary to correct my typing misfires.
- The backlight automatically adjusts to where it needs to be for maximum visibility, indoors or out.
- The browser is fast. On a tiny screen, I don’t care that I don’t get all the images and layouts. I just want the data, and the Blackberry browser delivers what I want. Quickly. EDGE on a Blackberry is simply not the liability it is on an iPhone. That said, I won’t complain if the next Blackberry has 3G. Not sure I’d pay more for it, though.
- IMAP email just works. No hit & miss…unless it’s a system-wide outage, which doesn’t happen that often. No mysterious connection errors. It just works. Read an email on the Blackberry and it’s marked read in Mail.app on my desktop. Read/file an email in Mail.app and it’s no longer marked as unread on the Blackberry.
- Phone sound quality is excellent. As long as I have 3-4 bars, the phone sounds as good on both ends as if I was using a landline.
- Voice dialing through a Bluetooth headset. It works very well, without having to record prompts for each contact.
- Google Calendar Sync. As far as I know, the iPhone only syncs calendar data with iCal. ‘Nuff said.
- Fantastic battery life. I get about 1.5-2 days between charges on average use. The standard mini USB port means rejuicing is easy whether I’m by an outlet, my computer or in my car. Oh, and if this battery starts dying on me, I can just pop it out and replace it.
- Visual voicemail. You read that right. I just call it by its name: GrandCentral. AT&T goofed and disabled my voicemail. Took me weeks to notice. Most folks who call my cell now do it through my GrandCentral number. I only wish there was a way of directing my AT&T voicemail to the one GrandCentral inbox.
- True GPS that just works. Saved my you-know-what more times than I could count. Big blue circles showing the 10 block radius you might be at is nice. Little blue dot that shows you exactly where you are is even better.
Every complaint I have is entirely about AT&T (fewest dropped calls and more bars in more places, my eye!), not about the Blackberry itself. Hmmm….Maybe I have more in common with iPhone owners than I thought?
