topicalhuman.com

Interesting article about the value of trying to seduce people into being an ‘insider’. I’ve always though it was cooler being an outsider. What do you reckon?

You know what it is like when you go to a party and someone asks what it is that you do, as a way of starting a conversation. It happens to everyone. I really hate getting asked that question most of the time, because unlike being able to say something like “I’m a carpenter”, or “I’m an accountant”, or “I’m an international celebrity chef” which are all pretty straight to the point, I always end up having to give some long explanation.

You see, I work in sales. It is my profession, and I’m a professional. My area of expertise is I.T. However I hate having to say that I’m in I.T. sales because all of a sudden people want to buy video cards off me. I’m not that kind of salesperson. So instead I try saying something like “I provide high availability and scalable network solutions to results-orientated business”. And that just sounds terrible; I mean, it just oozes sleaziness.

Of course, I could just try giving a straightforward, no-frills explanation of what I do. The problem with that is that after about 30 seconds the unfortunate wretch who asked me the question starts to lose consciousness because, frankly, the answer is dreadfully boring to people not in the industry.

Anyway, the point of this is that I think I found something that could lead to a better way of answering the question, “So, what do you do for work?”

In an interview with Claire Swaffield, the CIO for the Sydney Opera House, on ZDNet she states:

“What I bring is not a technical head — couldn’t tell you a server spec if it came up and hit me in the face — but I can translate what a business problem is, and work with organisations like HP to come up with a solution to solve the business problem.”

In a nutshell, I do something similar. I’m on the other side of the fence i.e. the supplier/vendor, but the gist is the same. I help to translate business problems into a meaningful technical solution.

Yes, I help to translate business problems into a meaningful technical solution.

At least its better then what I’ve been using so far.

Actually, this is mainly aimed at the drivers of these vehicles, although it bears repeating that a fraction of people who drive these vehicles actually need to.

The Sydney Morning Herald has an article on 4WD drivers here. They raise a few of the following points:

• 4WD drivers were almost four times more likely than car drivers to be using a mobile phone (while driving).
• 4WD drivers are 26 per cent more likely not to wear a seatbelt.

I particularly think this statement bears repeating:

“Although 4WD vehicles are safer in a crash, their owners may be placing themselves and other road users at increased risk of injury,” she said. “They take the risk because they are higher up, they feel they can see better … but the person in a car or the pedestrian on the road has a much worse outcome.”

I’ve written about this before, and gotten some comment on it. I wonder if this is likely change anyone’s view. Probably not.

I love using technology to communicate, and I do very often. However I am very reluctant to use mobile phone text messaging and Instant Messaging programs to communicate on a personal level. I just thinks it doesn’t work - short brief messages lead to ambiguity and confusion. Robert Scoble has some similar thoughts.

I’m often amazed how many people I know whose communicate with their boyfriend or girlfriend more often by text messaging then anything else. It’s great being able to keep in touch, but how much can you be talking about before you’re trying to carry on important conversations through this medium? That is when, from my observations, troubles usually start (and usally end badly).

I seem to be in the minority though. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? Am I missing something? I can’t help but think I’m not…

I had to post about this article in the Sydney Morning Herald reporting on some recent upheaval at Channel Nine (one of the major Television networks in Australia).

In short, a member of  upper management at Nine has allegedly admitted that their program A Current Affair has little to do with journalism. This is part of an affidavit from an ex-Nine employee. Seriously, we don’t need a disputed affidavit to figure that out.

More Gold: In the same article Sam Newman opines that the recent round of sackings at Nine carried out by Eddie McGuire were only “…sacking insignificant and incompetent people”. Sam - have you looked in the mirror? Sam Newman is one of the biggest tools on TV. I hope he doesn’t wiggle his way out of this round of redundancies. If he does, everyone else would have to have a fair case for unfair dismissal, surely?

I spend a lot of time posting here, and in ‘real-life’, bitching about how crappy this world is. If you don’t think this is a messed up world we live, I hope you enjoy living under that rock.

However, life is pretty good. In spite of every lousy thing that happens to the people I love, to myself, and to any other unfortunate person in the world, there is still a lot of good things that happen. This always, in my experience, revolves around other people, and having a positive, meaningful interaction with them. It never revolves around money, possessions, social standing or any other such thing.

I guess I’m being pretty vague here. Oh well. You know what I mean. I hope…

[Kind of on a related note, I really dig this article]

Queensland have beaten New South Wales in the deciding Game 3 of the Rugby League State of Origin series for 2006. They won the game by two points, through some amazing play by Jonathan Thurston and Darren Lockyer, and in spite of some terrible refereeing and some spirited opposition by the Blues.

It is amazing to me that New South Wales still nearly won the series for (what would have been a record) fourth consecutive year, despite only really playing one, maybe two dominant halves of football over the three games. It amazes me (although it shouldn’t any more) that Queensland found the resolve to win the game with only five minutes left and being behind on the scoreboard.

Awesome game. (Levi, you really would have loved this one!)

Briefly, for anyone who cares, the new job is going well and I’m settling in, so I expect to start posting a bit more regularly again.