Category: Living in trouble
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How culture drives innovation
Too many people see innovation as a project when it's really a process. Or maybe it's a culture. Every business, every organization, every person has to decide what role innovation will play for them. If you crave stability, then innovation will be driven by necessity: fixing things that don't work anymore. But if you want…
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How can we be fair if we don’t understand the role of luck?
I've never been a poker player, but I recently started using a computer game that frequently deals me new playing pieces on a supposedly random basis. Playing that game has made me very sensitive to the fact that, no matter my skill level, I can't go very far in the game unless the right pieces…
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The right way to fund good journalism… be an innovator
Good citizens want good journalism, and although no one of us may be able to pay the whole salary for a journalist, every community should be thinking about what they need to know, and how they're going to be sure that someone is around to find out for them. Also, publications should be looking for…
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Reasons to believe
While reading a biography of H.L. Mencken, I ran across Mencken's analysis of how 'facts' became so important to civilization. He points out that after Darwin's The Origin of Species was published, facts began to outpace tradition as a test of truth. I believe we've now come to another turning point in civilization where facts…
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Why the U.S. should stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia. Now. (Ethics for marketers)
I had this feeling but I couldn't explain it. Fortunately, Scott Galloway can. No Mercy/No Malice: Brand & Bone Saws, 2018-Oct-19 by Scott Galloway The Founding Fathers were, at their core, incredible marketers who knew the Constitution needed to reach beyond its grasp and paint the promise of America. The strongest brand in the world,…
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Unexpected signs of sanity in the universe: staff of Know Your Meme on The Verge
Lately, I've been reading many things written by technologists who think the internet has gone off the rails, and maybe (they think out loud), we should do something about it. Most notably, Dan Hon's No one's coming. It's up to us. This article published on The Verge gave me hope because I didn't expect the…
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Get better job feedback by asking “What can I do to contribute more?”
Several years ago I tried to get a co-worker to share some feedback about my performance, but he avoided it like the plague. I now realize that I made the whole process too risky for him. To find out how others see us, we need to ask simple, frequent questions that allow them to help…
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Learning about productivity from Cory Doctorow
I completely understand Cory's problems in managing multiple projects. I don't agree about the limits he finds, though. I'm always on the lookout for new projects and friends that offer a fresh angle on stuff I'm already doing, like growing a new root. I also find Facebook very problematic but I have to keep looking…
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Why we have to notice when capitalism goes off the rails, as in fake markets like Facebook and Uber
I've spent my last dime with Amazon (they would take it if they could get it). I just used up a gift card, and future gift cards will be given away to someone desperate. I'm considering giving up on Facebook, but I think I'll just do my best to avoid letting them make any money.…
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We don’t realize how much we’re all used to getting along without facts…
So here's another reason why facts don't change our mind… We're used to getting along without them. New Yorker: Why Facts Don't Change Our Minds, 2017-Feb-27 by Elizabeth Kolbert When it comes to new technologies, incomplete understanding is empowering. Where it gets us into trouble, according to Sloman and Fernbach, is in the political domain.…
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