TeamStudio Configurator allows me to easily do global search and replace tasks, something I used to have to do over and over again manually. TeamStudio Librarian allows me to easily copy design elements into databases, but perhaps its most valuable feature for me is the ability to right-click in the design pane of an element and insert a code snippet. Again, in my younger days, I would have typed all of the formulas and code over and over again in an attempt to master them, but now I like just inserting the code lickety-split without having to pound on the keyboard.

Lastly, another program I've been using a lot more of recently is Notes Minder, which comes with Lotus Notes. I used to check my email constantly the old-fashioned way, by reopening and refreshing my inbox. Now, however, I've put Notes Minder in my startup folder. It not only alerts me when I receive new mail, but it also allows me to see a summary of my mail without having to open or switch to Notes. This saves me a lot of unnecessary mouse-clicks and window moving during an average day.

What if I could no longer program in Domino?
No, this isn't a question about Domino's future; rather it's more of a question about my own future. I started to think about what I would do instead of programming if someday I was unable to continue because my hands hurt too much to type. I started thinking about the enormous changes and opportunities that lay in store for corporations in the future when knowledge management moves from being a buzzword to an everyday reality. I came to realize that what's really fascinating about knowledge management is also one of its greatest challenges, namely, the need to be able to not only implement knowledge management technology, but also to integrate it into the lives of everyone who's using it. That, to me, is a fascinating and difficult question that I think holds a lot of opportunity.

All of this fatalistic thinking, however, had the added side-benefit of making me realize once again what a great job I have to be able to work with Notes and Domino everyday. And hey, if I take good care of myself, I can last far into the future as well.

New technologies and innovations
I also started thinking about what kind of new technologies and innovations I'd most like to see to allow me to work more effectively and efficiently with Notes and Domino. I tried to think beyond Rnext and peer down the road to see what R"X" would be like. Here's a list of some of the things that I'd love to see:

• The ability to naturally talk to Notes and Domino to do my day-to-day tasks, such as sending email, managing my contacts, and accessing my databases;

• The ability to call up a Notes and Domino server and get a TellMe (1-800-555-TELL) style menu and navigation of not only my email and contacts, but also of any other important information on the server as well [You gotta check TellMe out, it's amazing! - DG];

• The power to run Notes and Domino so fast that I don't have to wait for the system to respond to my last command before I give it my next command. Faster response time would make a tremendous difference in my day-to-day productivity. Hopefully, the processing power of my computer will get a chance to catch up with and surpass the power of Notes and Domino;