Jun 28, 2008

A Dose of Reality

My Last Post About Twitter, Ever:

"Look, I love FriendFeed as much as the next guy, but most folks aren’t power users to the extent that they rely on Twitter as a conversations channel. Beyond that, only a fraction of those are even aware of FriendFeed. This sounds good in theory, but when you look outside our little bubble, it simply ain’t true."


Techies and tech power users seem to live in such a strange bubble. Quick to proclaim the importance of the latest shiny thing. But we (yes, I'd include myself on the fringes of that crowd) so often forget what a minority we are. Unless you call a major tech center like Silicon Valley your home, all you need to do is head to the favorite gathering spot in your town and try talking tech with the first ten people you meet (not staring at their iPhone) and see what kind of a response you get. At the very least, it should prove humbling. At most, be sure you have your analyst on speed-dial, should you need to prove your sanity.
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Jun 27, 2008

No ice at the North Pole - Climate Change, Environment - The Independent

Tundra and Icebergs in High ArcticImage via WikipediaExclusive: No ice at the North Pole - Climate Change, Environment - The Independent: "It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.

The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic – and worrying – examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer."

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Sexy Is Not A Professional Attribute

The Beginning of a TragedyImage by E. M. B. via Flickr

Stop your messin’ around, better think of your future
6. Girls: Sexy isn’t a professional attribute
Flirty, provocative, sexualised content isn’t going to advance your career goals. Sarah Lacy’s interview with Mark Zuckerberg at SXSW is a great example. What she felt was playful, others perceived as flirtatious. The responses were swift and largely unkind.
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Jun 11, 2008

Personal Responsibility

judge judyImage by slicedgeek via Flickr

Wonderful post on Zen Habits about taking personal responsibility. Too many people don't, or won't, see their part in whatever the situation happens to be - even if it's only in their response to it.

Whenever I come upon a situation like that, I have a vision of Judge Judy when she deals with a couple arguing over this and that. When things really start to get out of hand, she'll look at the litigant doing the complaining, shrug her shoulders, and say: "you picked 'em". And she's right. So my next thought will be, what is my part in this?

Whatever the problem, you've had a hand in it - the start, the continuation, the outcome, or your response. You always have some degree of control, even if it's only over your own actions and attitude.

But the biggest one is attitude. One of the responders disagreed with the post, arguing about others controlling situation, or about medical conditions. That's true only if you are determined that there is only one outcome, and someone else determines what it must be. You have the power to leave a job. You have the power to accept your physical limitations. You have the power to find a different path. Your "failure" is not defined by others, it is defined by you.

Do not let others be the arbiters of your personal success. Accept that a certain situation (such as a job) may never work out the way you want it to. Accept that a physical limitation need not limit your spirit. The real change you may need to make may be in your definitions.


Ask the Readers: How Can You Take More Personal Responsibility? | Zen Habits
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