A Freaky Microsoft Dynamics CRM Blog : Word of the moment

Today's word: Freak

mennotk — Sat, 19 May 2007 11:51:55 GMT

Why did you choose mscrmfreak as the name of your blog? I get this question a lot from partners and customers. I would like to explain it here by using some examples.

A devoted fan or follower; enthusiast: a baseball freak.
A person who is wildly enthusiastic about something: a film-freak.

After reading the above examples, it should be clear to you that I, even after almost 9 years in the CRM business, still love CRM. The great benefit of choosing a "different" name for my blog is that people remember it without writing it down. If people do forget, they remember two words "freaky" and "CRM". Guess what shows up when you type these two words in your favorite search engine....?

Below I pasted the translation of "freak" in many languages. If your language is not here, please feel free to add it in the comments.

Arabic:	إنسان شديد الحَماس
Chinese (Simplified):	成瘾者
Chinese (Traditional):	成癮者
Czech:	fanda
Danish:	nørd; fan; freak
Dutch:	fanaat
Estonian:	-hull
Finnish:	hullu, intoilija
French:	mordu (de)
German:	der Freak
Greek:	μανιώδης
Hungarian:	vminek a bolondja
Icelandic:	maður með tiltekna dellu
Indonesian:	keranjingan
Italian:	fan

Japanese:	～狂
Korean:	…광(狂), 열중하는 사람
Latvian:	ar kaut ko pārmērīgi aizrāvies cilvēks; fans
Lithuanian:	kas pamišęs dėl ko nors
Norwegian:	frik, —narkoman, —apostel
Polish:	maniak
Portuguese (Brazil):	fanático
Portuguese (Portugal):	fanático
Romanian:	maniac (după)
Russian:	фанатик
Slovak:	fanúšik
Slovenian:	navdušenec
Spanish:	fanático
Swedish:	fantast, fanatiker
Turkish:	tutkun, hasta

Today's word: Mother's Day or Moederdag?

mennotk — Sun, 13 May 2007 09:59:00 GMT

Today it is Mother's Day in the U.S.A. or Moederdag as we would call it in Dutch. Today would probably be the first Mother's day that.......(read more)

Word of the day: i.e.

mennotk — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:08:00 GMT

Ok this is funny. Don't you notice that a lot of people uses abbreviations and such and they actually do not know what it stands for? Well today I wanted to find out what i.e. means and it seemed that a lot of people are using it but don't really know what it means. Even my girlfriend, who is a real language geek, didn't know! I thought it was an English abbreviation, but I was wrong, it is a Latin phrase. We Dutchies use those a lot but we don't abbreviate everything, we use the full words like "Idem"

After doing some research and talking with John I now can tell you what it means: i.e. stands for "Id Est". It means "in other words". Read this article to get the full explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Id_est#I

The word of the moment: Vista

mennotk — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 11:15:00 GMT

Just wanted to see what Vista meant since it just launched and I haven't had any time to do it earlier. I did some research and pasted it below. I guess my girlfriend will be proud of me again, me using expensive words and stuff...

-noun
VISTA - Pronunciation [vis-tuh]

A national program in the U.S., sponsored by ACTION, for sending volunteers into poor areas to teach various job skills.
An unincorporated community of southern California north of San Diego. It is a resort and agricultural area.
Volunteers In Service To America.
A distant view or prospect, especially one seen through an opening, as between rows of buildings or trees.
Such an avenue or passage, esp. when formally planned.
Vista, South Australia
VISTA is the Visible & Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy

My personal favorite:
A far-reaching mental view: vistas of the future.

The Netherlands, Holland, Dutch and New York...

mennotk — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 04:06:00 GMT

Where is Holland?
What is The Netherlands?
What is Dutch?
...New York yes New York?

I got a lot of these similar questions already and since this Dutchie moved to California I will teach you guys some stuff about my country.

The Netherlands literally means "low countries". It is the conventional short form used to describe the Kingdom of the Netherlands with Amsterdam as our Capital. About half of my country is less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) above sea level, and much of it is actually below sea level. An extensive range of dykes and dunes protects these areas from flooding. Numerous massive pumping stations keep the ground water level in check.

The Netherlands are known in different ways in English and other languages. The ways are used to describe the different overlapping geographical, linguistic and political areas of the Netherlands. This is often a source of confusion for people from other parts of the world. I hope when you are finished reading this post you won't be confused anymore!

In English my country is called "The Netherlands" (or sometimes "Holland"), while the people and the language are called "Dutch". Note that in Dutch the terms for these are "Nederland (country)", "Nederlanders (people)" and "Nederlands (language)".

You might be wondering why I put New York in that title, well read below and be suprised...

A French explorer and mapper, Samuel de Champlain, described his explorations through New York in 1608. A year later Henry Hudson, an Englishman working for the Dutch, claimed the area in the name of the Netherlands. It was to be called New Netherlands.

The first European settlers in the area now known as the State of New York were Dutch settlers in the colony known as New Netherlands beginning in 1613. Much like what was later known as New York City was then New Amsterdam.

I can go on with explaining on Harlem and lots more stuff but go figure that out yourself!

Today's word: Pervicacious

mennotk — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 21:57:00 GMT

It has been a while that i posted a "word of the moment" today I learned that there are other words to tell a person that he or she is headstrong. I know I have been called stubborn, but I have never heard a person say to me "you are pervicacious". Although I think my girlfriend would use such a word on me..

pervicacious \puhr-vih-KAY-shuhs\, adjective:
Refusing to change one's ideas, behavior, etc.; stubborn; obstinate.

I think when I want to sound smart and stuff I need to say this to some one instead....

Menno?

mennotk — Sun, 21 May 2006 00:28:00 GMT

Well as you all might already know my first name is Menno. I was just searching the internet today using the new and improved www.live.com search engine and the results just suprised me. I did not know till today that there is a city in South Dakota that has the same name as me. Totally funky and i must say www.live.com has better results than g00gle.

A short description of Menno town in South Dakota:

"The City of Menno was founded by German-Russians who first came to the United States from 1847 to 1848 and settled in Nebraska. The area around Menno was settled in 1874 after delegates were sent north to find land on which to develop permanent settlements. The residents of current day Menno, different and yet united in spirit, are proud of their heritage and still celebrate it. Located in the southeastern part of Hutchinson County, Menno continues to hold its small town character."

Read more at:http://www.mennosd.org

People that know more about my name, please be so kind and drop a comment...

Happiness Recipe

mennotk — Thu, 18 May 2006 16:03:00 GMT

Today a friend showed me a nice thought of the day and i wanted it to share with my freaks reading my blog every day.

"Recipe for happiness: an insatiable curiosity, a joy of discovery, quick to forgive, hold no grudges, love without condition, stay loyal to the death, see the best and ignore the rest"

Credits: http://www.starbucks.com/retail/thewayiseeit_default.asp?act=0&first=11&cookie%5Ftest=1

Today's word: Spring

mennotk — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 00:25:00 GMT

The word of today: Spring
Just to get into the mood...sunny days are comming. I know some
parts of the world e.g.

**Seasons**
Temperate
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Tropical
Dry season
Wet season

Minneapolis are still covered in a LOT of snow,
but look at the bright they still can SAY it's springtime even though they got snow. I hope that snow is cleared when I arrive in a few days.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spring is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. Astronomically, it begins with the spring equinox (around March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere, and September 23 in the Southern Hemisphere), and ends with the summer solstice (around June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and December 21 in the Southern Hemisphere). In meteorology, it is by convention instead counted as the whole months of March, April, and May in the Northern Hemisphere and September, October, and November in the Southern Hemisphere. However, in the Irish Calendar it is counted as the whole months of February, March and April.

Read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_(season)

Today's word: Acronym

mennotk — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 09:30:00 GMT

The word of today:

Acronym
This word caused a big discussion yesterday in my comments. So today i thought i will post the complete and correct definition of acronym.

Main Entry: ac·ro·nym
Pronunciation: 'a-kr&-"nim
Function: noun
Etymology: acr- + -onym

A word (as NATO, radar, or snafu) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term; also : an abbreviation (as FBI) formed from initial letters.

Today's word: RSS

mennotk — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 08:00:00 GMT

The word (yes AN acronym) for today is:RSS

RSS (RDF Site Summary - formerly called Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication) is a method of describing news or other Web content that is available for "feeding" (distribution or syndication) from an online publisher to Web users.

RSS defines an XML grammar (a set of HTML-like tags) for sharing news. Each RSS text file contains both static information about your site, plus dynamic information about your new stories, all surrounded by matching start and end tags.

Each story is defined by an <item> tag, which contains a headline TITLE, URL, and DESCRIPTION. Here's an example:
... <item> <title>MSCRM Freak Gets Freaky</title> <link>http://blogs.msdn.com/mscrmfreak/archive/2006/03/11/549506.aspx</link><description>insert your freaky text here</description></item>...
RSS feeds are typically used with news sites or blogs, although any website can use them to disseminate information. When an update is sent out, it includes a headline and a small amount of text, either a summary or the lead-in to the larger story. You will need to click a link to read more. The items on my blog are being published this way. A user with a Web browser (IE7) or a special program that can read RSS-distributed content can read periodically-provided distributions of my blogitems. My RSS url is http://blogs.msdn.com/mscrmfreak/rss.aspx

Michaeljon Miller is in the process of developing a RSS feed for Microsoft CRM 3.0. I will keep you updated when it is finished and ready to use. But for now you can use www.live.com to create your own startpage build from your custom RSS feeds. Take a look at the screenshot below.

Today's word: Insomnia

mennotk — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Because sleep needs differ from person to person and even year to year, there is no "correct" amount of sleep. In general, most people need between 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep in order to feel their best the next day, but some people do fine on 4 or 5 and others may need 10 or more.

The average person will spend 1/3 of his or her life asleep and adequate, restful sleep is a basic human need, like air, water, and food. Poor sleep, or the perception of it, can result in mood disturbances, irritability, lack of motivation, decreased attention span, trouble with concentration, low levels of energy, and fatigue.

I see you wondering and thinking what does this word got to do with ICT? Well I think I am 100% sure that most or a lot of people that work in the ICT sector has suffered or is suffering from lack of sleep. I know I had those sleepless nights or weeks when you were stressing on a project, had a lot of normal work or maybe a new cool idea. The smart guys would say, hey freak you are talking bout lack of sleep; well maybe I am and maybe I am not, you read in it what you want. I have tried to find a real good mix in my work and my private life, which is hard i must admit. My work just absorbs me.

So the word for today is:

Insomnia:
The inability to sleep adequately. Causes may include poor sleeping conditions, circulatory or brain disorders, a respiratory disorder known as apnea, stress, or other physical or mental disorders. Insomnia is not harmful if it is only occasional; the body is readily restored by a few hours of extra sleep.

Main Entry: in·som·nia
Pronunciation: in-'säm-nE-&
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, from insomnis sleepless, from in- + somnus sleep
: prolonged and usually abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep
- in·som·ni·ac /-nE-"ak/ adjective or noun

Sources:
http://www.medical-advisor.org/Insomnia.php
http://www.webster.com/dictionary/insomnia

Today's word: Workflow

mennotk — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 01:00:00 GMT

The word (yes NO acronym) for today is:

Workflow
The automation of a process or series of processes through the linking of tasks and activities. The CRM software automatically routes tasks, notifications and records to predefine or user selected destinations such as users, departments, or business units.

Today's word: ROI

mennotk — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 01:00:00 GMT

The word for today is:

ROI - Return on Investment
The calculation of how much money will be saved or earned as a result of the investment in a CRM solution. An ROI analysis should be prepared at the start of a CRM initiative. After a predetermined period of time has past from the date the CRM solution was launched, measurements are made to compare the benefits gained against the implementation costs.

Today's word: CRM

mennotk — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 01:00:00 GMT

As of today i will try to post a new word every day, week or month. It's always a word used in ICT. The word for today is:

CRM - Customer Relationship Management
An enterprise-wide strategy and solution that impacts customer-facing departments and processes in a company. It is designed to improve customer service, loyalty and retention, optimize profitability and help companies better manage communication and interaction between their employees and their customers, partners and suppliers.