Friday, July 7, 2006

No further comment Judge Smacks Down SCO in Suit vs. IBM. Whack! The SCO ship is listing badly. . .[IBM Watch] 2:49:15 PM    Questions? Comments? Flames? []

QOTD OK, Tom, how do you define failure? "Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers." T. S. Eliot.  [Quotes of the Day] 2:17:36 PM    Questions? Comments? Flames? []

Checking under the bed As I learned long ago, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that no one's out to get you. Widespread paranoia. A new scientific study reveals that people in the UK are more paranoid than you might think. Psychiatric researchers from King's College London surveyed 1200 people. "We were astonished at how common paranoia and suspicion are amongst the population," researcher Dr. Daniel Freeman told the BBC News. . . Link to BBC News article, Link to Dr. Freeman's Paranoid Thoughts site (via Mind Hacks). . . [Boing Boing] 2:03:56 PM    Questions? Comments? Flames? []

Before I forget entirely. . . I should list some of the books that I've read recently; my memory being what it is these days, it might be the only way I'll remember what I've read: The Paradox of Choice, by Barry Scwartz. Not just "having too many choices makes it harder to choose," but lots of psychological whys and wherefores, and some suggestions on how to make it better. Mindfulness, by Ellen J. Langer. No, not another treatise on Buddhist meditation, although it does have much to do with the benefits of simply paying attention. This book is the source of the nearly-apocryphal story about nursing home residents who live longer when given a plant to care for. Making Use, by John M. Carroll. Case studies and strategies for developing and using scenarios in software development. Let Go to Grow, by Linda Sanford. An IBM strategist talks about relinquishing control and joining collaborative networks as a growth strategy. The Innovator's Dilemma, by Clayton Christensen. The source of "disruptive technology." I heard him speak at SCO's Forum in 1999, picked up the book, but never really read it. It pays to get some of the details behind the phrases that make it into common lingo—and thence get misused. Like "tipping point." It's not just about innovative technology, its about finding customers who didn't know that they need your new product, and who are therefore overlooked by established companies. Something like creating a niche. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. Awesome. A truly remarkable novel, I was moved, inspired, stunned, and aroused. Gaiman's skill is astonishing. . . must. . . read. . . more. The Republican War on Science, by Chris Mooney. Yes, it's worse than you think. Received, and on the reading list: Beautiful Evidence, by Edward Tufte The Long Tail, by Chris Anderson Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman A Dirty Job, by Christopher Moore Naked Conversations, by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel 12:20:11 PM    Questions? Comments? Flames? []

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