Where is the balance between compassion and business? I recently hired a freelancer to do a project on a fixed-price contract. The payment schedule was fixed to certain milestones, but our contract specifically said the contract was fixed-price and not...
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Is content re-use necessary?
Help me understand. The Associated Press won a court battle recently, in which the court ruled that an aggregation service had violated "fair use" under copyright law by reprinting AP content without sharing profits. My reaction is mixed. Only ... no, it isn't. As a...
Activation Required software poses a serious risk to your business
More and more software developers are selling software that must be “activated” after you buy it. Though this seems reasonable on the face of it, it quietly makes the vendor a critical part of keeping your business running. This article explores why activation-required software is a huge business risk.
Do you just think you have integrity?
Do you have integrity? Or do you just think you have it? I have been pondering what integrity is, the last few days. I have a friend, "Ashley," who has done some stuff that many people would consider to be well into the gray area of ethical behavior. He admits he did...
Is texting in meetings rude?
Do you think it's rude to text/email during a meeting? Some say it's multitasking. An article I read celebrated "the skill of following along in person while simultaneously [doing other stuff]" Alas, that skill simply doesn't exist. Our brains are not wired to...
Engaged employees perform best.
Gallup Organization has been looking at employee engagement for many years. They've famously found that only a small percentage of our workforce is actively engaged at their jobs. Often, company discussions about people policies center around employee well-being as an...
Internet: mass manipulation tool?
I'm downloading Trust Me, I'm Lying by Ryan Holiday, about media manipulation on the internet, at the recommendation of a professional journalist friend. As I read a few of Ryan's blog articles and PR interviews from the book, I'm struck by how much his experience...
Gun control? Yes.
(Warning: This is long. And I'm sure I'm going to make myself unpopular with this one.) I favor gun control. Here's why: guns kill people. "But wait," you law abiding gun owners cry, "Guns don't kill people; people kill people!" Denial is More than Just a River in...
An apology: 8 Secrets of Success
In my post about Richard St. John's TED talk, I critiqued his research methodology and spent the entire post pointing out flaws. I was wrong. He has since contacted me and pointed out that my assumptions about his research were incorrect. Indeed, he did his research...
Business, Finance, and Jobs
The economy looms large in this year’s Presidential race. Romney is portraying himself as a Harvard MBA businessman who can bring fiscal responsibility to the nation and restart the ecomony. There are three concepts that most people don’t seem to understand. I’m...