Category: Uncategorized

Tony Goodson riffs on an idea that Doc Searls threw out there this weekend.
This post brings back very painful memories of looking for jobs in Canada. Every time that I applied for a position, no matter how low in the food chain, the hiring process felt designed to make me feel inferior, especially since I had been let go from a position, prior to returning to school to get further qualified.
The US firms I spoke with (no, it was 1999, a very different time) seemed enthusiastic about my skills and curiousity. Canadian firms, on the other hand, wanted 20 years of experience for an entry-level position at $35,000(CDN).
Now, what I am finding is that many firms search the Internet looking for key words. They don’t actually look at your resume. That is why I added the note to the top of my online resume, to force people to understand what I am looking for, what I need in a company.
Any company that is only hiring because of what they think I can do, I don’t want to work for them.
I salute you Tony!

Tom Foster at the Management Skills Blog takes his lessons, and weaves them into narratives that make it easier to understand and absorb the message he is trying to get across.
Today’s message is simple:

ItÂ’s relatively difficult for team members to execute your brilliant strategic plan when they donÂ’t know the details.

This is a question that I find myself asking as I try to achieve some level of GTD in my life.

If I don’t do it, who will?

This allows to determine if I can do it (in a two-minute window), someone else can be delegated to do it, or if it should deferred.

Dave Winer and Dare Obasanjo both go after the relevance of O’Reilly Conferences.
I went to OSCON 2000 in Monterey, CA and thought it was an ok conference. But I was struck by the cliques that were there. And now, it appears that O’Reilly only invites “stars” to its conferences. Too bad.

Went in to urgent care today — I have a sinus infection.
But I saw a new doctor, and I liked her a lot. And I figured out why.
She is a doctor. She doesn’t ACT like a doctor. My regular doctor always wears a white coat and maintains a cold, impersonal approach. The doctor I saw today was a human being, and treated me like a person.
A good rule for anyone: be yourself, not the role you think you should play (unless you are an actor).

Powerbook envy really kicking in now…Darren Rowse points out his love of the Powerbook, and then points to a fellow Canadian who is learning to love her new Apple laptop.
How long must I suffer! Help me end my pain!

Jeremy Wright flames the Old Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg. [here and here]
There has been a thread in many blogs that indicates that there is an inverse relationship between the price and “quality” of the hotel, and the services offered, especially to the digerati generation.
As I have said before, I will take a Courtyard Marriott, or some such establishment over a prestige hotel anyday.
My wife and mother-in-law suggest that the 7th Floor party should be forced to rent out the sixth floor rooms directly beneath them as well; if I ran the zoo, that’s what I would do!^*
* A quote from Dr. Seuss.

Kevin Briody rubs my face with another happy Powerbook user. [here]
YEEEEEEAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH
Tick-tock goes the counter…I need a second and third job….so many gadgets; so much mortgage.
I figure Kevin’s great grandkids will be blogging about how my great grandkids finally got a 17″ Powerbook…

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions on my search for a new geek-gadget bag.
I want the Waterfield. Can’t afford it…someone (you know who you are!) suggested that maybe we can get one of their most enthusiastic users, Joi Ito, to seed a couple of us with some VC money to help spread the Bzzzz about these great bags.
Ok, so I can dream…I mean, look at the Powerbook Lust count in the top right corner of the page!

Eric Eggertson has some thoughts on Elizabeth Albrycht’s post describing how companies with rigid, hierarchical job titles can’t cope with people who know a lot about many things.
I couldn’t agree more. When asked for my title, I tend to give a vague response, rather than my job title. I don’t want people to think that they can only discuss certain topics with me. As well, I don’t want to be restricted in my opportunities simply because of my job title.
I have had the benefit of spending 6 years in jobs that allowed me a great deal of latitude in expanding my areas of knowledge, while still challenging me with interesting internal projects.
I look at those people who get stuck with “she’s a programmer”, “he’s a creative”, or “she’s in sales” tags as having their entire life experience boiled down into a sound byte.
My life is not a sound byte (or bite); my life is a large canvas, and I am constantly adding to the picture. My life is a library that is always adding new volumes.
Remember that the people you work with are people.