Wednesday, April 23, 2014

It depends on your definition

Bill Clinton famously said "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. " Where his point was the tense of the word meant 'is' it happening currently, not same meaning as 'was' something happen several years ago.
When it come to communication words have the meaning we give them, so it all depends on your definition. This is why in an IT project we have a data definition library but its often the common everyday words that can cause the most trouble, if not defined.

Example 1:
Jack: Are you using the your server slice.
Jill: Yes.
Jack:  Are you using the your server slice Today.
Jill: No.
In Example 1, Jack wants to use Jill's Server Slice to do some work right now, however, Jack never says that, so Jill thinks Jack is trying to get ride Slices that will never be used. Difference being: can I 'have' the that slice VS can I 'borrow' that slice. Yes, this conversation actually happened:)

Example 2:
Jill: We can not use this tool because its not enterprise.
Jack: What's your definition of enterprise?
Jill: The tool doesn't say its enterprise.
Jack:  I could contact the developer and ask to add the word 'enterprise' to the tool's description.
Jill: I see, we need better criteria. It needs to be supported and recommend by Salesforce.
Jack:  Well, here is a recommendation on the Salesforce wiki. Now what's your definition for support? Do you mean online documentation like on the tools website?
In Example 2 Jack has recommended a tool to auto load files into salesforce. Jack is really trying to understand Jill's definitions by both offering suggestions and asking questions for criteria to understand the root cause. Also note that Jack 'accepts' the definition given by Jill and never 'tells' Jill its a poor definition or 'dumb idea'. Jill quickly realized that the definition of enterprise needed to be more then just a keyword and came up with real criteria that added value and minimized the risk of using the tool. Enterprise companies should always have criteria for evaluating a software program and tools they uses so they can compare the options when making a decision.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Google maps error inside salesforce and other systems!

Remember all those Google maps you had inside your Salesforce org. Well Google change their Terms and conditions and just like Google ad words, well you can guess were this is going. Basically if you've been using Google maps inside your SalesForce org, you now need a Google Business License to not get an error when you keep using it. (Rumored to be at about 10k). Worse then that is that most apps on the app exchange that use Google may not be using the correct license so when this change in conditions happens on February 1 you'll be getting an error page. The “Find Nearby - Accounts, Contacts, Leads” has been confirmed to be an app that will not fit these new terms and conditions. One could try to modify the app to open the map in on Google's website instead of in Salesforce (Unmanaged Version https://github.com/scarstens/FindNearby). Other apps and even the popular Visual  Force page on the Account or Contact view summary page may have used similar code and therefor also be in error soon. I'd imagine this not limited to just Salesforce, as any system using the Google Maps API to display a Google map would be having this error. Links to Google map will still work.
You can read the full warning that Salesforce is sending to its users below:
{Original Source on Salesforce Communities https://success.salesforce.com/_ui/core/chatter/groups/GroupProfilePage?g=0F9300000001qWn&fId=0D53000001NK2yY}
Google Maps API Terms of Service

At salesforce.com, your success is our top priority, and we are committed to working with you to identify which features will help you best achieve your business goals. We want to notify you of an important change regarding the availability and support of the Google Maps API. Have you installed the “Find Nearby - Accounts, Contacts, Leads” AppExchange package which uses the Google Maps API? Read on if so!

What is the change?
Google has recently updated their terms of service for Google Maps API. Starting February 1, 2014, the commercial use of the Google Maps API will require a Google Maps API for Business license. Unless you currently meet the following criteria, we recommend you reach out to Google to get a Google Maps API for Business license to keep using embedded Google Maps:
Your organization has a Google Maps API for Business license, OR
You’re using an AppExchange solution that has a commercial agreement with Google

Note: The “Find Nearby - Accounts, Contacts, Leads” AppExchange package does not have a commercial agreement with Google. You will need to obtain a Google Maps API for Business license to continue using this package.

Who does this affect?
There are three main categories of salesforce.com customers who will need to comply with Google’s terms of use:
You use the Google API to get a Google map view inside of your salesforce.com instance
You have inserted a public key (as opposed to a Google Maps API for Business licensed key) into a VisualForce page to render a maps view
You have installed any AppExchange solution that makes calls to Google (i.e. “Find Nearby”) that do not have a commercial agreement with Google

It will not impact you if:
You use links to Google Maps that open a new browser tab or window that takes you directly to maps.google.com
You use an AppExchange solution that has a commercial agreement with Google

When will the change occur?
The terms of service will go into effect on February 1, 2014. After February 1st, if you do not have a Google Maps API for Business license, your users will receive an error message on their webpage or device when accessing “Find Nearby” or any other page within your Salesforce application with embedded Google Maps. The message will direct you to this site: https://developers.google.com/maps/support/availability, where you can find more information on how to obtain a Google Maps API for Business license.

What action should I take?
If you use Google Maps or Google Maps API in any of three categories outlined above, we recommend that you visit this page: https://developers.google.com/maps/support/availability to get a Google Maps for Business license. If you use an AppExchange solution that uses Google Maps API, we encourage you to contact your AppExchange solution provider to understand if they have a commercial agreement with Google.


Some have questioned the authenticity and noted that Google contacts where unaware of the change and so were Salesforce Account Reps. I'm not sure as to what info is being left out of the above warning, and why.