Writing a new blog post is such a great way to express yourself. That would be true back in 2007 when I first started blogging.

In 2024 after all that has happened to the Internet, but also to myself, I don't know if blogging holds any value. Social Media have replaced blog websites in terms of being the spaces where most people express themselves and have the audience to do so. The reason that this blog was successful from 2007 to 2013 was that I wrote on the very specific niche of "Internet Political Communications" a subject I was passionate about. The result was that I really enjoyed writing each post and researching every last detail. This blog was the starting point of my career in Internet Political Communications and a 3-year journey into Politics and Public Diplomacy. Worked for the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and as a special advisor to 2 Foreign Affairs ministers and other politicians.

So the blog worked. It helped me find a job, it made me want to research and write interesting articles, and it was also a vehicle to meet interesting people and be part of great events (like the DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, talking about the launch of the new defense.gov website and the new social media strategy of the DoD).

So what now?

Do I need another niche? Can I start blogging again about a certain topic and be a successful blogger? Can the scope of the blog be more wide? Do people even care about reading a blog post instead of consuming fast scrollable media on various internet platforms?

This is what I will explore.

The Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a particularly cold winter, just as fuel prices are spiking and OPEC is cutting oil production. Overall, the winter of 2022 is shaping up to be an expensive heating season.

As building owners and HVAC professionals get their buildings ready for the heating season, dormant boilers are fired up and unexpected Startup problems arise all over.  HVAC professionals must be able to see when a Startup problem occurs in a building so that they can get on site and fix it quickly, then be able to move on to the next issue.  Buildings equipped with internet capable boiler management systems have an added level of convenience, thanks to all parts of their heating system operation being available and modifiable remotely.  BuildingNet® by Heat-Timer® is such a system, available as an ad-on to our Platinum Series Controls (large buildings), or included with our newest Heat-Timer Genesis® Controls (Small Buildings). 

Why is BuildingNet® a better boiler management software interface? 

To a user, the connection between a Heat-Timer® controller and the BuildingNet® web portal or mobile application is seamless.  BuildingNet’s highly reliable backend server software, running on a redundant network ensures 24/7 availability of control visibility. BuildingNet’s servers scale to support its customers reliably, even during the busiest time of the season. 

BuildingNet® also allows the creation of monitoring accounts which allow a boiler service and maintenance company to receive and respond to programmable alarms and service warnings. The non-proprietary and customizable nature of BuildingNet® allows the property manager to choose any service company or companies that are right for their needs, rather than be locked into a service contract like some other building management software solutions. 

BuildingNet® Organizes your entire Building Portfolio

BuildingNet® was designed from the ground up to scale easily and robustly from a single Heat-Timer® control to a portfolio of buildings with multiple controls and boiler rooms. BuildingNet® can be used for large property portfolios because their building addresses are organized in a clean hierarchy where data is presented by property address/control/data.

Other hierarchies exist within the BuldingNet® interface.  For instance our programmable alarm feature allows a tiered response to alarms.  With tiered alarms, a manager responsible for 5 apartment buildings in a complex will not receive every alarm from every building. The alarms will go first to the on-site technicians responsible, then to the technician’s supervisor. Only the alarms that are not answered after a set time period will be escalated to the designated manager.

Another way that BuildingNet® manages the complexity of a multi-building portfolio is its rich set of data analysis tools that allow building managers to spot trends and potential problems before they become emergencies.   The new alarm executive summary gives a daily summary of alarms, while the customizable report features in BuildingNet®, can give managers the ability to generate reports down to the sensor level, or create summary reports that show overall trends.  These reports can be configured to be emailed to their team at recurring intervals.

Different buildings need different controllers.  

The last reason that BuildingNet® works so well for a range of building sizes and types, is because Heat-Timer® offers the widest selection of boiler controllers in the industry.   Heat-Timer® has a Platinum series controller optimized for every type of boiler configuration, whether its hydronic or steam boilers, staging or modulating burners, single or multi-boiler configurations. And now with Heat-Timer® Genesis, we have the solution for the smaller buildings in your portfolio as well, all under the same BuildingNet® user interface.

For more information visit https://heat-timer.com

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. | Verizon slowed internet speed for first responders to fire

SACRAMENTO, Calif.— A nationwide telecommunications company promised changes Friday as state lawmakers said they were shocked to learn that Verizon slowed Northern California firefighters’ internet service while they battled what became the state’s largest-ever wildfire.

Verizon said it removed all speed cap restrictions for emergency workers fighting wildfires on the West Coast and for those in Hawaii, where emergency crews were rescuing people Friday from areas flooded by Hurricane Lane. The company promised to lift restrictions on public safety customers and provide full network access when other disasters arise.

The announcement came hours before the state Assembly’s Select Committee on Natural Disaster, Response, Recovery, and Rebuilding was set to hold an informational hearing on the incident.

“Californians who depend on first responders to protect their lives and property were shocked to learn that a cellular service provider could use its pricing policies to hinder the efforts of firefighters in the early hours of the Mendocino Complex Fire,” the committee’s leaders, Democratic Assembly members Marc Levine of San Rafael and Monique Limon of Santa Barbara said in a joint statement.

They planned to examine cellular providers’ so-called “data throttling” policies and whether they imperil public safety.

The Santa Clara County Fire Department says Verizon slowed its internet communications at a wildfire command center three weeks ago, crippling the emergency communications truck’s data speeds and forcing firefighters to use other agencies’ internet connections and their personal cellphones.

The county disclosed the problem in a court filing last week supporting a lawsuit brought by 22 state attorneys general seeking to restore net neutrality rules repealed by the Federal Communications Commission. The filing alleges that the slowdown was caused by the FCC’s action, which allows telecommunications to slow Internet speed to selected customers.

California lawmakers are considering a bill that would require internet companies to restore net neutrality in California, requiring equal data access to all customers.

But Verizon said in a statement that “this situation has nothing to do with net neutrality or the current proceeding in court.”

Rather, the county had used up its monthly data capacity under an internet plan that allows Verizon to significantly slow service. The department bought a government high-speed wireless data plan that provides an unlimited amount of data at a set monthly cost, but the company reduces speeds if the buyer exceeds its monthly allotment until the next billing cycle.

Santa Clara County Fire Chief Anthony Bowden said Verizon restored full speeds only after the department subscribed to a more expensive plan.

That shouldn’t have been immediately necessary, Verizon said, because the company’s policy is to immediately remove data speed restrictions when contacted in emergency situations. It blamed a miscommunication with a company representative, who instead told the county to upgrade to a more expensive package.

“We didn’t live up to our own promise of service and performance excellence when our process failed some first responders on the line, battling a massive California wildfire,” Mike Maiorana, a Verizon senior vice president, said in a statement Friday. “For that, we are truly sorry. And we’re making every effort to ensure that it never happens again.”

Meanwhile, a bipartisan conference committee could advance compromise legislation Friday to reduce the threat posed by wildfires. After weeks of negotiations, lawmakers have ruled out a controversial proposal backed by California Gov. Jerry Brown to reduce liability for electric utilities when their equipment causes wildfires, but their plan could include cash to remove dead trees or other measures to make fires less frequent and less severe.