Processes
Emerging from my cave
I hit a wall with my writing, which is why I haven’t posted here for a while. I’m torn between plot dilemmas which need to be resolved so I can conclude my book, and the need to do more freelance work to take care of mundane things like bills. The problem with book [...]
The Collapse of the Newspaper Industry and the Emergence of – What?
Newspapers are vanishing from the print media landscape. A history of consolidation and breakdowns in journalistic quality were the precursors, now the digitial information shift is the driving force. As we lose journalistic outlets the burning question becomes: what’s next?
TED Talks and the Patterns of War
TED talks (’technology, entertainment, design’) introduce visionary ideas to a broad audience. I criticize their new Fellow program for its built-in ageism. On a different topic, there is the astounding breakthrough made by one TED Fellow, Dr. Sean Gourley, along with an international team of scientists. They have discovered mathematical patterns in warfare that make it possible to “accurately predict the likelihood of different sized attacks occurring on any given day.” Therein lies the potential to revolutionize warfare and reshape our war on terrorism.
Product polls show popularity, not quality
Searching for feed reader reviews, I find an opinion poll about what’s the “best” reader. This is silliness. “Best” is subjective, and to get a valid recommendation we need to define our needs and criteria for meeting them.
Analog Thinking in a Digital World
Pdfs are a vestige of analog thinking in a digital world. This persistance of the outmoded is a common pattern when pervasive technological change happens, but the blogosphere and altered information habits is forcing a change.
Employee satisfaction and the critique of management
Traditional means of rating employee satisfaction focus on surveys and interviews. I suggest an alternative method: to let employees critique management. By identifying who and what is problematic in a company, employees reveal not only their sources of dissatisfaction, but, if the methodology is properly structured, self-assess their own satisfaction in the process of doing so. It is a process to be recommended to companies bold enough to deal with the results frankly.
