So I'm sitting at SourceCon 08' right now and it's been a real blast.  The information this year was greatly different from last years and definitely an event which shouldn't have been missed.  Big shout out to Suzy Tonini who couldn't be here for this, you were definitely missed by all. 

Oh, and btw, I wont the Grand Master Challenge again =X  Go me! 

So recently my contract with Deloitte came to it's close and I'm back on the market.  It was kind of a let down but that's how this whole contract thing works I've found out and it's time to move on!  If you have any interest in taking up my services please don't hesitate to contact me =] 

My resume and contact details and such are now up on my companies website =]   FeedTheBeagle.com

Cheers^^

I've recently noticed a long string of "Email Verification" websites surfacing.  The one I'm choosing to make an example of is "Verify-Email.org"  and for good reason. 

If you look at the small print at the bottom of the page at the copy right, you'll notice a link for "Email Software".  When you visit that link, it takes you to the companies website, email-unlimited.com.  The company itself is a bulk email/marketing company, and if you put 2 and 2 together, you get a spam trap! 

I don't advise using any of these sites, they're all the same.  If you'd like to wax intellectual on the logistics of why they can't possibly work on any legal level, let me know.  The truth of the matter is that these companies who actually charge for this service...  are charging you to build bulk mail lists for them and sending letting you know if the domain is valid or not.  Most companies have protection up to defer it's query so unless you plan on checking the emails of smaller private websites, who don't have the where-with-all to install security, they're useless and stealing your emails =p 


cheers^^

ps: lifehacker even had an article up about the site which was removed due to the discovery of this particular "Email Verfication" website as being a spam trap. 
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Edited:  It turns out it actually works with some sites and not with others, but it's completely independent to the mailing system.  The problem here is that it checks first against "MX Records" and then if there are none, then by domain validity. 

The MX record in layman's terms is simply a map provided by the domain "xyz.com" to the server hosting that specific mailbox on it.  If these records exist, than you may or may not have an accurate representation of whether the email does in fact exist.  The reason this is questionable is because if the MX record has orders to route any "email validation requests" or emails to a specific server designed to handle spam content, then it would return as being valid by default.  Any "email validation request" will return as being existent b/c it's sending all unknown requests to the server, and the site sees that the request has been sent to a server, hence the return is "Valid". 

Most large firms and companies have similar spam filters in tact to prevent email abuse before it becomes an individual/per user account problem.  There are several other methods for hiding email validity that these companies use to protect their employees, servers, and general interests. 

In short, will this email checker work...  you'll never know 100%.  It will vary company by company, by security administrator, by need for deterrents. 

With the near completion of the SourceCon Newsletter Name Contest coming to an end, they're currently down to 6 possible choices!  We need your help, so please vote as soon as possible!  You can vote here: http://sourcecon.wufoo.com/forms/sourcecon-newsletter-name-contest/! 

Cheers^^

It’s been whispered through the blogs, wikis, IMs, and discussion groups that SourceCon is getting ready for something new…. 
 
Keep your eyes peeled as 2008 begins. New website, new community, and new newsletter! 
 
You asked for it, and SourceCon is bringing it to you: 
A resource dedicated to the promotion, education, and advancement of the research and sourcing function. 
A monthly news piece to quench your thirst for sourcing knowledge. 
The premiere resource for the sourcing community. 
 
Featuring researching tips and tricks, best practices, Q&A, and articles written by YOU, for YOU. 
 
So what is this awesome newsletter called? WE DON’T KNOW YET! 
 
That’s right – SourceCon has a fabulous newsletter ready to bring to you, but it needs a name. 
We would like for YOU to name it. 
And we would like to reward you for doing so! 
 
To enter the Name the SourceCon Newsletter contest, please submit your entry here. 
 
The top 5 entries will be featured on the NEW SourceCon website (so new it's not even live yet!) and you will be able to vote for your favorite one there. The winning entry will have the honor of naming the newsletter, and will also receive a prize. 
 
Please keep your eyes on the blogs! More will be available soon. 
 
For additional information/questions, please send an email to SourceCon here.

Best of wishes!  Keep up all the great work! 

Today I began a new career path!  This morning at 9am I officially became a consultant for Deloitte!  No more full cycle recruiting for me!  Big kudos to my new boss, Suzy Tonini!  (Yes, I can hardly believe it myself, it's the best news I've had in a long time =] )  and also an extra big kudos to my employer, Leslie O'Connor at Search Wizards! 

Not that I did a whole lot of actual recruiting blogging to begin with, but now I can say I'm going to be completely focused on internet research technique, tips, and tricks!  Look forward to a LOT of great things =]

Cheers^^

Yep, now you can add a photo to your linkedin profile!  How much fun is this?   A lot I say! 

Cheers^^

Show your support and pre-order the film so they know how badly we all want it to return full time!  Amazon is currently selling it for only $19.99!  Go for it! 

http://www.amazon.com/Futurama-Movie-Benders-Big-Score/dp/B000UZDO62

Cheers^^

It's official.  I've made the transition from full life cycle recruiter to full internet research.  I'm psyched.  More details to come =]

I just got into a debate with a local Verizon rep over something which I've always known but something which particularly irked me. 

For those of you who use Verizon for your mobile carrier, using the 1 button or *86 to check your voicemail, it actually counts against your minutes.  If you dial out your own number and call it to check your voicemail however, it doesn't as you're making an IN-Network call.  What kind of BS is that... really.  Shame on Verizon.

On the upside they have some new plans which look quite nice and you should definitely check them out. 

Cheers^^

Amybeth and Jeremy both ran similar posts not too long ago so I figured I'd bite off them and do the same. 

Thanks Daphne!

Cheers^^

I've had a lot of inquiry as to the methods I used in completing the challenge at SourceCon so I figured I'd take a moment and explain =]

Despite my nature of making things incredibly complex, the answer to this query is actually quite simple.  I've been blogging about it for months, it won me the AIRS competition, and once built is the tool I use at the forefront of all my searches. 

I used my Google Coop for the challenge, nothing more, nothing less.  I did try one or two other avenues out of shear panic, given Jim's faulty numbers and nerve wracking commentary which I could hear despite having my ipod on at MAX volume.  (I was listening to the String Quartets rendition of "OK Computer - Radiohead" btw)

I used some very simple strings which laid on top of the pre-made refinements I use daily in my coops and wallah! 

If time hadn't been so critical I most certainly would have made the search more complicated and robust, but keeping it simple this time worked really well.  Big thanks to Google =]

Sorry for the let down? 

Cheers^^

PS: For those still wondering what the challenge was exactly...  We had to find and list as many individuals as possible within a short period of time.  The requirements were:

1) Must be female
2) Must currently reside in the US
3) Must belong to some sort of women's organization
4) Must currently hold the title of "Software Engineer" or "Software Developer" 

Today I'm back in the office and back to the grind as I'm sure the rest of you are.  I have a lot of people I still need to thank and give praise to so if I haven't yet, it's coming =]

I have tons to say on SourceCon and some of the neat and interesting things I've come across so you can expect an whole plethora of postings to come =]

cheers^^

It's late so I'm going to keep this brief. 

In summary:  One of the single most incredible events I've ever experienced.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the event, all of those who spoke and shared their knowledge with everyone, and especially Leslie O'Connor for all her hard work and effort!  

I would like to really also thank both Jeremy Langhans and Suzy Tonini.  Despite being in competition, I don't think I spent more time with, stayed up/out as late with, or had as much fun with anyone else at SourceCon and I couldn't imagine it really having been any other way.  You two were absolutely awesome! 

To anyone who missed it...  there is no easy way to say it, but you certainly missed out on an opportunity of a lifetime, and it blatantly sucks to be you... sorry, but it's the truth.

That's all for now.  I'll share more later and I'm sure once everyone is home and rested the intense blogging will commence all over the recruiting community =]

til than, I'm in Atlanta until Saturday so if you're still here and wanna get together at some point tomorrow, let me know =]

cheers^^


PS: I um... won that challenge thing and I'm writing this on my prize^^  

Yep, may sound silly, but I just visited a site called yoName.com.  Very impressed.  You should check it out.  It searches a whole plethora of social networking sites and breaks them down for you really nicely.  Some of the sites included are:

Bebo, Blogger, Deviantart, Digg, Facebook, Friendster, Grono, Hi5, iMeem, IRC-Galleria, Last.fm, Linkedin, Live Spaces, LiveJournal, Match, Myspace, Rediff, Tagged, Twitter, Vox, Web Search, Webshots, Xanga, Yahoo, Yahoo 360, and youTube...

Really cool, a definite must try =]

Cheers^^

So today, Jeremy Langhans was on the Recruiting Animal Show and what a time was had!  Somehow the Animal seemed to skip over me in the Sourcing Challenge interviews so I actually gave a call in today and joined Jeremy in discussion along with Amybeth Hale, and Maureen Sharib! 

It's a nice hour long block of fun times and interesting perspectives you'll be glad you listened to!  Another big round for everyone who participated and a big thanks to the Recruiting Animal for having me on the show!

It's not javascript so it's not technically a bookmarklet and it's really only useful so far as I know with firefox... But it's a complication of email strings which you can apply to searches using FireFox Bookmark keywords. 

1. Drag this up to your bookmarks:  Email String
2. Right click on the link if it's in your bar, or open your bookmark organizer, find the bookmark, and right click on it and visit properties.
3. Give it a good name like "Email" and a good keyword, also like "Email" and then click "Ok"
4. Go to your address bar and type in your keyword followed by the domain you want to look up.  Something like this:        "email gmail"  or  "email cisco"
   
5. Enjoy the results =]

It's not perfect by any means, but it will save you some time in the long run until it is perfected =]

Again, this is a FireFox only trick... I think... I haven't tested it with any of the other browsers yet.

Cheers^^

PS: I should have also mentioned, and I apologize now for having not... That the three pieces of the string came from myself, Rob McIntosh, and Rithesh Nair!  You guys rock!