Skimming RSS
Glen of LifeDev says “skimming is the new black”. He correctly states that skimming drops real input but then stumbles on his fix –
The solution: The Internet Diet. Cut back on your daily intake of RSS and other news sources. Force yourself to read nearly all of your news from start to finish.
He even goes as far as recommending regression to books. Books do not offer the same capabilities as RSS.
The real solution is adapting language to fit a world of hyper-connectivity, especially since this trend is showing no signs of slowing down. Instead of recommending his readers drop their input he should be encouraging them to write in a manner befitting this context. Concise, to the point language is key.
Gang Recruitment On Youtube
The video was clearly filmed in the hallway of the Bunker Hill housing development. At the time these morons posted the video they dubbed “Blood Gang MOB Beantown” on YouTube last December, it was quite literally the most dangerous and violent neighborhood in the entire city.
Board Of Directors Obsolete?
Justin Fox wonders if the board of directors model is outdated.
I do not think so. As with all things there are real reasons for having a board – if you sufficiently leverage it as a resource. If it’s a rubber stamping mechanism for the CEO or a holding place for friends and family – you’re doing something wrong.
Additionally Fox offers two ways out – corporate monarchy or mass direct democracy.
There’s a third option – flatten and use the current system.
Some morning blue sky:
An internal blogging/wiki network for shareholders to discuss ideas, innovations and suggestions that the directors can directly engage and get to the top levels of management.
Taking it even farther – take it to stock brokers and leverage them and their customers via the directors.
Governmental Security Bloat
Chester at TCS outlines the shift of the federal government to becoming a DoD+bureaucracy system.
If it’s true that the presidential attention span will be concerned primarily with security for the foreseeable future – say ten or fifteen more years – this does not bode well for those who are most eager for large-scale domestic reforms. It might even augur an age of diminished capabilities for the federal government.
His ends with –
Simplification of the government’s role in life might make it easier for it to more effectively accomplish its remaining core competencies: those largely related to security.
The solution is a lean platform of governance that provides security without revolving around the military. Not a tone downed version of the current nation state with a focus on security. That would be too much wasted time and money on a legacy system.
Patents Over Innovation
FSB – Stifling innovation is a pet peeve of mine –
Without the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, cheap imitations would flood the market and put us out of business, so we spend roughly 4 percent of our annual budget obtaining and defending our patents. It’s our third-largest expense, after cost of goods and payroll. We have filed more than 100 design patents, utility patents, and trademark registrations in 20 countries, and we hold two registered trademarks on our two-bottle tote.
Not a fan. Add value to your product or create a new product for your customer base. This company shows a marked inability to move into a new economic era.
As an aside: The returns on this kind of investment are fleeting. Globalizing supply chains and rapid manufacturing will pump copycat products into the economy faster than legal action can be taken. This could get very complicated with black globalization feeding this phenomenon as indicated in this WP article:
To turn the tide, Gutierrez said China needs to attack the criminal gangs that are behind the manufacture and trade of most pirated goods.