you want to start something?

Jared writes

“Fun bit of political activism from the first blogger to make a UK MP resign.”

The problems I have with Staines/Fawkes are:

1. Pointless anonymity – if you’ve got a point to make, then make it. Don’t hide behind a pseudonym. Especially with the ego-fellatio that went on with sitting in shadow and keeping his identity secret while being on Newsnight.
2. You’re not really a whistle blower if you work for the other side. Wonder what he’ll do when the Tories get back in. This kind of Political agenda-wankery just bores the shite out of me. I’ve yet to see him dog the shit out of a Tory but am willing to be proved wrong here.
3. I’m yet to meet a card carrying preaching Libertarian that I didn’t think was an arsehole. This is not to say they all are arseholes. Just most of them. And yes, there are shades of grey but for the most part, the movement attracts wankers.

To be honest, I think most politicians are arseholes and wholly unsuited to running a country.

Tags: Annoyances by mj
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This little diagram was ’stolen’ from a management course I went on. I couldn’t find the reference so if anyone knows of the original diagram, then put something in the comments. I have drawn it mostly from memory here with some annotations. Click the diagram or here to see it in better resolution.

The concept is that a new start comes into a job with a highly inflated opinion of his ability and, when presented with the reality of work, quickly loses faith and confidence and has a lot to manage his way through.

I think therefore, when hiring someone, it’s absolutely essential to catch them before the big drop off in comfort (which can take months to repair).

Tags: Commentary by mj
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Continuing my work on writing about 100 different topics…

My mother is not on Facebook nor is she on any of the other social networking sites but there are members of my family who are. To be honest, my mother has just about gotten used to using a computer for email (though her replies are very infrequent).

My own Facebook profile is/was very tame. I had links to my blog posts, links to my friends, music I like and places I’d been. I deliberately cut back on Zombie Fights, Werewolf invites, Admission to be a member of the Knights of the Round Table, SuperWall, FunWall, MetaWall and all the rest of that and my main reason was that My Mother could be on FaceBook

If you log onto a standard profile on FaceBook you’ll see a lot of these mini-apps and you’ll see the content (a lot of it adult-rated) that finds it’s way onto the SuperWalls and similar applications if you’re not monitoring the content. If not your mother, imagine a prospective employer reading this stuff. You might have an innocent profile but if you’re linked to someone who sends adult-rated content and you’re on their photo gallery shitfaced and dancing naked from the waist down at a local bar, it could damage your ability to get a job. That said, I’m relatively convinced that most recruiters here don’t have the time or wherewithall to use tools like LinkedIn or FaceBook to help them find or vet candidates. And none of my managers throughout my history of being an employed lackey would have the forethought to search for me online.

It is, however, only a matter of time.

[Chris Brogan's 100 topics]

Tags: 100, Social by mj
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HiveLogic on getting into The Zone in modern offices:

“There’s no choice about how or when you’re expected produce, or under what circumstances. Here is your computer, here is your workstation, you have the tools, the florescent lights are turned on, why don’t you go ahead and get to work, thanks, bye.”

“In a best case scenario, they do a mediocre job and feel OK at the end of the day. In the worst case, they’re miserable.”

The article mentions co-working in passing but I want to focus on the above paragraph. There is an idea that co-working is a “phenomenon” and there are some who think it might be a panacea to their productivity woes.

Looking at the quote above gives one aspect that can’t be ignored. You arrive in $BIG_COMPANY and if their processes are working correctly, you should have a desk, a computer, a phone and it’s just a case of getting your userid for the system, setting your passwords and starting to work (which may or may not include weeks of reading documentation). For some people this will idyllic, for others sufficient and for some of you, it may sound like hell on earth.

So what to do about it? The co-working movement assumes some things.

1. You are a self-employed knowledge worker with current income (or have a really understanding boss). You can make money at this or this is what you need to do to make money in the future or past.
2. Ideally you’re not going to need large equipment, a precise (and expensive) model of printer or a lot of space reserved for yourself. This is about sharing. You should provide your own equipment and it should all fit on one desk and use your fair share of power sockets.
3. If you’re lucky enough to have the capacity for a meeting space in addition to a communal work and break area, then great. If not, it’s perhaps not a great environment to bring customers for face to face meetings.
4. Working alongside people who are not your colleagues will benefit what you do (via the idea that networking is more valuable to you than teamwork) and you’re not just going to try to turn them into customers.
5. You have the equipment, data and resources online to help you do your work (or have some storage space at the co-work facility). You’re also pretty good with fixing your own problems. Don’t depend on your co-workers to sort out your issues. Most of them might help but they have their own jobs to do.
6. These interesting, creative, co-working people you have shacked up with won’t prove to be more of a distraction than your Wii, the postman, two cats and significant other which you’d have to contend with if you just stayed at home. And you’re not going to be a distraction to them either with tales of your last dentist visit or the how well you’re doing on Metroid.
7. You don’t have too many odious habits, you shower regularly and you know how to use a litter bin. If you smoke, you’ll have the sense to stand outside someone else’s door rather than just outside the co-work space.
8. If the facility is for more than just bedouin workers who hot-desk from day to day, then respect others personal space and property. Seems obvious but I came into an office a few years back where the keyboard was sticky and the screen was smeared. Apparently another worker had his kids in the office at the weekend.
9. Co-working is about shared responsibilities. You owe it to the other occupants not to be a prick to them, their colleagues, their customers and, if necessary, their children. Establish the rules early about who does the washing up, who cleans the toilet and who knows how to operate a vacuum cleaner. Remember it’s a co-work facility so it will likely be a good bit more freeform and chaotic than the standard cubicle farm.
10. Pay your share of the rent and utility bills without complaint. It’s my opinion that the base cost should be your percentages of these plus 10% for eventualities. If this means it’s not economical for you or you can’t pay on time then don’t be surprised when they ask you to leave.

In short, you need to be a good co-working citizen and expect the same from others.

If you are considering a co-working facility, you could do worse than to have a look at David Rice’s blog where these questions are being considered.

Tags: Bedouin, CoWorking, Commentary, Startup by mj
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BoyGeniusReport reports on a curious exchange between a Mac owner and Apple’s Steve Jobs. Said customer was irate because he spilled water on his MacBook Pro and was quoted a base $300 to start the repair with no guarantee it would fix the unit. He emailed Steve Jobs and the reply was:

“It sounds like you’re just looking for someone to get mad at other than yourself.”

Sound unfair?

Does anyone know the amount of work that has to go into working on a water-damaged unit? I do. Of all the things you could do to a laptop, spilling water (or other beverages) on it is the worst. Don’t believe me? Consider that it’s dangerous and can immediately short out a computer with a nasty sound. Consider that water is insidious and if it doesn’t short out a component immediately, it can move to other components within the unit. Consider that even if you think you’ve dried it, it can still corrode. Consider that if it’s coffee or other beverage then you can find, months later that the computer can short out due to mould growing inside it. I’ve seen it happen.

For a water damaged computer there is only one way to ensure a fix – replacement.

Other than that, you’re going to be replacing components (and laptop components are not cheap) piece by piece until eventually you’ve replaced all the bad modules. Only if you’ve taken one apart can you know how long this takes and the patience and skill involved to do it right, under a deadline, again and again. Time is money people and who’s going to pay for this time? I don’t have sympathy for anyone with this entitlement expectation. No-one else should pay for you being an idiot and this is why I hate seeing anyone hold a drink, be it water, tea, wine or whatever, over a laptop computer. One day, you’ll be standing arguing that someone should fix it for free.

And yes, threats to never buy a Mac again are petty and stupid.

Tags: Annoyances, Mac by mj
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