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| "Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind... War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today." -- John F. Kennedy |
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USATODAY.com - Royalty fees killing most Internet radio stations |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
5:48 pm EDT, Jul 23, 2002 |
"Hilary Rosen of the Recording Industry Association of America says this issue shouldn't be presented as big labels vs. mom-and-pop operations: "If you don't have a business model that sustains your costs, it sounds harsh, but that's real life. If a grocery store can't afford to pay for the vegetables, they can't keep their doors open."" USA Today reports on the impending closure of 10,000 internet radio stations. Rosen says "Let them eat cake." USATODAY.com - Royalty fees killing most Internet radio stations |
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| Topic: Miscellaneous |
5:27 pm EDT, Jul 23, 2002 |
Somebody has *alot* of time on their hands.... Lego Dilbert |
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The Talent Myth | Malcom Gladwell in The New Yorker |
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| Topic: Management |
5:10 pm EDT, Jul 23, 2002 |
"We looked at one another and suddenly the light bulb blinked on." The very best companies had leaders who were obsessed with the talent issue. They recruited ceaselessly, finding and hiring as many top performers as possible. They singled out and segregated their stars, rewarding them disproportionately, and pushing them into ever more senior positions. This "talent mind-set" is the new orthodoxy of American management. Ken Lay: "The only thing that differentiates Enron from our competitors is our people, our talent." Author of _Creative Destruction_: "We hire very smart people and we pay them more than they think they are worth." The War for Talent amounts to an argument for indulging A employees, for fawning over them. "You need to do everything you can to keep them engaged and satisfied -- even delighted. Find out what they would most like to be doing, and shape their career and responsibilities in that direction. Solve any issues that might be pushing them out the door ..." ... They were there looking for people who had the talent to think outside the box. It never occurred to them that, if everyone had to think outside the box, maybe it was the box that needed fixing. Doesn't that last comment pretty well sum up many of the problems faced by businesses today? [Originally from Jeremy.] [Good article. Good discussion. Crappy conclusions. The problem isn't that there was a focus on talent, the problem was how the talent was focused on. The author makes an assertion about the failure of that system, but only provides proof that the methodology that McKinsey used/employed/pushed was broken. The "star" system is still a good idea in many ways. I've seen too many companies fail from not implementing it in at least some fashion. --Rek] The Talent Myth | Malcom Gladwell in The New Yorker |
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SF Guardian on current 'Reputation Systems' (SIC) |
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| Topic: Society |
4:59 pm EDT, Jul 23, 2002 |
"And yet I can't help thinking the reputation system is less about creating communities of friends than it is about building cults of personality around popular, "reputable" individuals... What happens to ideas that are smart but unpopular? In a reputation system, it's too easy for them to be exiled, cast beyond the bounds of what the community deems expressible... Sometimes we need to listen to people who have bad reputations. Often they are the critics, the people with a talent for seeing flaws and problems none of us want to face. Communities can't thrive if they never answer to the least reputable of their members. So, for now I'm waiting for a new community system, one whose wisdom will destroy reputations and replace them with something more meaningful. " Annalee Newitz is waiting for MemeStreams. SF Guardian on current 'Reputation Systems' (SIC) |
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A Girl's Guide to Geek Guys |
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| Topic: Humor |
4:58 pm EDT, Jul 23, 2002 |
"The sexual politics of Star Trek are pretty blunt: the men run the technology and the ship, and the women are caretakers (a doctor and a counselor). Note the sexual tensions on the bridge of the Enterprise: the women, in skin tight uniforms, and with luxuriant, flowing hair. The men, often balding, and sporting some sort of permanently attached computer auxiliary. " This is hillarious... [sic] [Originally from Decius] A Girl's Guide to Geek Guys |
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Scientists and Terrorists |
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| Topic: Science |
3:33 pm EDT, Jul 22, 2002 |
To the Editor: Terrorists and torturers read the scientific literature in order to learn new ways of inflicting pain and avoiding prosecution. The scientists who created polio virus in their laboratory and published the results (front page, July 12) have played into the hands of state-sponsored perpetrators who have the intention of developing instruments of mass destruction. The United States and the international community need a system of governance and public debate to monitor, curtail and punish those scientists who engage in this type of reckless behavior. RICHARD F. MOLLICA, M.D.
Boston, July 14, 2002
The writer is director, Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Massachusetts General Hospital. The new U.S. federal guidelines for proper and legal thought will be published next Wednesday... Scientists and Terrorists |
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Bankruptcy at WorldCom Is the Largest in U.S. History |
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| Topic: Telecom Industry |
3:32 pm EDT, Jul 22, 2002 |
WorldCom, plagued by the rapid erosion of its profits and an accounting scandal that created billions in illusory earnings, last night submitted the largest bankruptcy filing in United States history. Shareholders, who owned what was once one of the world's most valuable companies, worth more than $100 billion at its peak, are expected to be virtually wiped out. Largest. Bankruptcy. Ever. (At least for the next few months.) Bankruptcy at WorldCom Is the Largest in U.S. History |
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McBride too much for Moyes |
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| Topic: Miscellaneous |
3:19 pm EDT, Jul 22, 2002 |
Well I guess US Soccer is getting a bit uppity since their showing at the World Cup...Good for them! McBride too much for Moyes |
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Economist on the future of the Telecom Industry |
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| Topic: Telecom Industry |
3:12 pm EDT, Jul 22, 2002 |
"Expect the telecoms revival to come riding on the back of an unexpected technology that nobody in the industry has yet heard of. " Just read the last few paragraphs. Flag was interested in buying iAsiaWorks because they wanted something that would fill their pipes. This is a problem with very broad implications. Continued consideration of it is valuable. The real product of the boom is abundant, cheap telecom, computers, and people who can run them. What are we going to do with all this stuff now that we have it. Economist on the future of the Telecom Industry |
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