Redesigned User and Group Management in 2.7

Scott O'Reilly, May 16, 2013

With version 2.7 we've made user and group management much easier to use, especially for organizations with more than a few users. We've added a search box to make finding users and groups easy.

We've also redesigned the editing process. The form is cleaner, and you can now add users to groups right on the same form.

The groups screen got a similar makeover. You can now specify group administrators who can add and remove other users from the group. We've also hidden all of the low-level permissions in a collapsible "Advanced Permissions" box.

All of this is in version 2.7, so be sure to let us know if you want to be a beta tester!

New Bulk Edits in 2.7

Scott O'Reilly, April 2, 2013

Another thing that's brand new in version 2.7 is the bulk edit functionality, which lets you edit multiple scorecard objects at once. If you need to edit a lot of scorecard structure, this can save you a ridiculous amount of work.

To edit multiple objects at once, just create a report that displays multiple scorecard objects. Then click the "Edit Scorecard Objects" button.

You can then select which specific objects you want to edit, or you can click the "check all" link. Then click the "Edit Selected Scorecard Objects" button.

This brings up a dialog where you can change just about anything with the selected scorecard objects including the name, description, owners and updaters, metric calendar, aggregation type, etc.

We think this is really going to save our customers a ton of time. It's all in version 2.7, which is hitting beta soon, so let us know if you want to be a tester!

New Scorecard Builder in 2.7

Scott O'Reilly, February 26, 2013

Version 2.7 is hitting beta, so let us know if you want to be a tester!

One of the best new features in 2.7 is the Scorecard Builder. It's a new Scorecards sub-section that helps you build and edit your scorecards quicker than ever.

In the past, the only way to add new scorecard objects was to right-click on an existing object in the tree and choose which type of object to add as a child. You then navigate through a wizard, adding one object at a time. Although this can still be done, the new subsection is much more efficient.

In the Scorecard Builder sub-section, you see all of children of the currently selected object. These children can be edited directly in place, and there's a form for a new scorecard object at the bottom. When you're done filling out the form you can either hit the "save" button or the enter key on your keyboard. The Scorecard Builder then saves the new object and creates a new blank form. That means you can add as many new object as you want without taking your hands off the keyboard!

We think that this new scorecard building method is much more efficient than creating a single object at a time through the wizard, and there's a good chance you'll agree.

In Remembrance: Kirby Kitson

Conor Crimmins, November 16, 2012

It is with a heavy heart that I write to say that yesterday Spider Strategies lost a beloved member of our team, Kirby Kitson.

Kirby joined Spider in June 2011 as our Manager of Product Training. In this role, Kirby was very much the face of Spider to our customers: training them on our software, providing helpdesk support, and working to create or update Spider’s training materials so that they were easier for our customers to use.

Kirby possessed a captivating combination of energy, enthusiasm, and sincere compassion that made him so good at what he did. Kirby loved to help others and he consistently went above and beyond to ensure that he addressed the need or answered the question of every person he came in contact with.

In the 18 months that Kirby was a part of our Spider Strategies family, he made a lasting impression on all those around him. We will forever remember Kirby’s wonderful smile and dedication. We will miss him dearly.

The entire Spider Strategies family is heartbroken by the loss of this wonderful, kind, and caring young man. We remember that Kirby was not only a cherished colleague and friend, but a loving grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin, brother, and son.

Our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences go out to Kirby’s family, including his parents, Bob and Judy, his sister Holly, his brothers Greg and Jeff, and all his nephews, nieces, and extended family.

Apple: Please Design Better Serial Numbers

Matt Sgarlata, October 10, 2012

Apple consistently gets high marks for customer service, so when I visit an Apple store my expectations are high. Very high. Maybe even too high, because each time I go I feel my experience could have been better. On my last visit, there was one thing in particular that I felt they could improve on: their serial numbers.

Let me explain. When I visited the store, I was immediately greeted by an Apple employee. I told him that my laptop's power cord had died. I expected he would tell me I needed an appointment to see a genius, but instead he started working with me right away to verify my power cord was the issue. Awesome! Once we established that, he went to selfsolve.apple.com to check on my warranty status. He typed in the serial number for my laptop and the system said my laptop was not under warranty, even though I knew that it was.

Fortunately, I knew what to do because I had been through this exact same situation a year earlier. I typed in the serial number myself. After several tries we discovered that, yep, he had swapped an S and a 5 in the serial number. Once we figured out the error, he gave me a new power cord with no charge and no paperwork.

On my way home, I thought about how my experience could have been better, and I realized it would have been totally different if the serial number was entered correctly from the start. I would have been in and out of the store in just a few minutes with no hassles and no paperwork. Humans make mistakes, so you can't really expect every serial number to be typed in correctly every time. But you could change your serial numbers so that they avoid characters that can be confused for one another. So, skip the letter S, the number 5, the letter O and the number 0. Actually, skip all of the letters and numbers in this great knowledge base article I found for iTunes.

Apple prides itself on the design of its products, down to the smallest detail. I hope serial numbers are a detail Apple considers improving!