How to fix just about everything

(at least politically & economically)

by Paul Dube

Some believe our political system is broken because our supposed representatives no longer represent us. Instead, they introduce Bills or Amendments and vote on those Bills not with our best interest in mind but their own - fueled by what they can receive by way of lobbyists and special interest groups. So how do you use a broken system to fix itself?

To start with, we will need a new Bill. One that allows us to enact other bills on our own, much like California's Proposition system. Once that is in place, you can use it to pass other reform measures. Here's a start:

1. Congress shall attach no amendment that does not amend the original bill.
2. All ‘earmarked’ funds shall be funneled into job creation / reeducation programs.
3. With the exception of those that involve National Security, all Bills made by a member of Congress shall be made publicly (in a central place on the internet for example).
4. With the exception of those that involve National Security, all amendments made by a member of Congress shall be made publicly (in a central place on the internet for example).
5. With the exception of those that involve National Security, all votes by all members of Congress shall be made publicly (in a central place on the internet for example).
6. All members of Congress, and all government agencies, and employees thereof shall be subject to all laws passed by Congress.
7. All members of congress shall participate in the same health care system their constituents have available to them and at the same cost.

What other Bills can you think of?

The secret of "The Secret" and of Life

Or should I say I have "realized" the secret. Please bear with me for a moment...

At this point, I believe most people are familiar with the books, movie, and discussion surrounding "The Secret". If anyone has not, the movie site is here: http://www.thesecret.tv - the book can be found on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Extended-Rhonda-Byrne/dp/B000K8LV1O - and discussions abound. However, there is a secret to "The Secret"!

My life so far, has been much like most I suspect, full of struggles (of one kind or another). I feel fortunate that I believe that there have been more happy time than unhappy - or at least thankfully, that is what I remember most. I remember some of my very young days where, if we didn't have anything to play with, we made something. Often, we made up what we made. One of these things was something that we would now consider very dangerous... we, as 5 year olds, sharpened popsicle sticks and ran after each other threatening to stab each other - we called it "hunk of bologna", or should I say baloney. I remember how, when we were driving to visit relatives, people in other cars used to try to count heads and my 9 siblings and I would hold up ten fingers. I remember going to family reunions wearing a name tag that said "Paul - son of Donna & Paul" because the gathering was so large.

More recently, I remember meeting my stepdaughter for the first time, she was 9 then and a real princess. I remember her asking me to "please ask my mom to marry you." I remember her as the flower girl at the wedding. I clearly remember the first time she called me "Dad".Soon, I will be going to her wedding, walking her down the isle with her mother.

I remember the honeymoon - that seemed to go on for at least ten years before starting to settle down into a "more normal" married life. I remember that, no matter how much of a struggle the day was, I always went to bed peaceful and content with my wife by my side.

By now, I think you too have realized the secret, and meaning of life. It is a four letter word... LOVE... but not just any love; the deep, passionate, lay down my life for another kind of love.

No matter how hard life is, the search for and nurturing of this deep love is the secret of life. I hope everyone finds it and remembers. I was feeling sad when I went to bed last night because something I wanted to happen seemed to have hit a dead-end. I woke up this morning with this realization and the sadness vanished.

Thinking of not exhibiting at trade shows?

According to Sarah Needleman, that might not be a smart place to cut in this economy.

Exhibitions Game

Trade shows can be worth the sometimes-high expense. If, that is, you’re smart about them.

MAY 11, 2009

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

For small-business owners trying to navigate the economic downturn, spending money on trade and consumer shows might seem like a luxury better reserved for more prosperous times.

Not so, say many experts, who believe that exhibiting at—or at the very least attending—these events is one of the smartest things that a small-business owner can do, regardless of the state of the economy. Not only do exhibitions provide critical exposure to potential buyers, they also are essential for learning about unfamiliar markets, building personal relationships and getting an up-close look at the competition.

Read the whole story here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204475004574127150841322822.html

The Unemployment Rate Calculation

What is the unemployment rate calculation, how is it calculated, and is it accurate? Since the measurement is an estimate of the number of unemployed with respect to the labor force, it is more proper to call it a ratio but we will continue to use rate for consistency. The official unemployment rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) might not be an accurate representation of the unemployment situation.

We will examine the source of the data used to calculate the unemployment rate. Then we examine whether including more factors might provide a more accurate representation of the jobs situation.

Source of the data: the BLS

The data comes from a report called the Current Population Survey (CPS), also known as the Household Survey. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the agency that collects and publishes the data, including the CPS itself, and the economic measures derived from it. The BLS also calculates several alternative measures of labor underutilization.

The CPS is a monthly survey conducted by the BLS (BLS, 2008f). It is a survey of 60,000 households where the data is collected (BLS, 2003). “The sample is selected to reflect the entire civilian non-institutional population. Based on responses to a series of questions on work and job search activities, each person 16 years and over in a sample household is classified as employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force” (BLS, 2008b).

First, to dispel a myth, unemployment insurance is just that, insurance. It is not part of the official unemployment rate calculation. Not all unemployed people are eligible or apply for benefits and many remain unemployed after their benefits run out. There are no questions on unemployment insurance in the survey.

The answers respondents provide place them in a specific category. Based on the BLS definitions of employment, unemployment, discouraged, labor force, and marginally attached (see appendix for definitions), one can easily see what segment of the population one would be in at various times in one’s life. The definitions are not necessarily a problem but interpretation of them can be.

An example of how interpretation of the data and definitions can be an issue is how financial markets eagerly await the release of the data every month and react to it. Based on whether the reported unemployment rate rises or falls, the stock market often moves in the opposite direction. Many people make decisions based on the reported unemployment rate, perhaps giving it a greater importance than it should have.

Considering the sample size, 0.01% is within the margin of error, yet that small a change can create a disproportionate reaction. The BLS recognizes this and often refers to such a change as statistically insignificant. In addition, the underlying data is based on what survey respondents say in answer to the specific questions. Depending on many factors, that alone can skew the results. Misunderstanding and differences in precision may change the results.

The Labor Force Participation Rate & the Marginally Attached

To calculate the unemployment rate, the BLS starts with total civilian non-institutional population 16 years old and over and takes away those “not in the work force”; which results in the official “labor force”. Then, taking the number of “unemployed” divided by the total labor force, we get U-3, the official unemployment rate (BLS, 2008a). However, issues arise with the definitions of “labor force participation rate” and “marginally attached”. These terms are closely related since the marginally attached are part of those not participating in the labor force.

To illustrate potential issues, we look at a couple of those definitions. In 1994, there was a change in the definition of both “discouraged worker” and “employed part-time for economic reasons”. This change required that, in order to be classified as either, participants must be available for full-time work in the week they were polled (Employment and Earnings, 1996).

According to Polivka and Miller, the changes in the definition of “discouragement”
and “involuntary part-timers” created a significant drop in those populations. “In fact, fully half of those previously classified as discouraged would no longer qualify for that category” (as cited in Epstein, 2006).

Another issue may arise with the preciseness of a definition. For example, individuals who did not look for work in the previous four weeks, for any reason, are not counted as unemployed; they are “not participating in the labor force.”

About 1.6 million … were marginally attached to the labor force in September, 336,000 more than 12 months earlier. These individuals wanted and were available for work and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They are not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey [italics added]. Among the marginally attached, there were 467,000 discouraged workers in September; the number of discouraged workers has increased by 191,000 from a year earlier.… The other 1.1 million persons marginally attached to the labor force in September had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities (BLS, 2008c).

Discouraged workers are one aspect affecting the participation rate but the age distribution of the labor force is another, more significant factor. If, as Robert F. Szafran’s (2002) research indicates, the participation rate should be considerably higher than reported (2002) the “missing” workers must be “not in the labor force.”

The overall labor force participation rate is significantly impacted when large groups move into or out of a population segment with either above or below average rates for the group. There will be more distortion on the reported participation rates by age groups with a higher percentage of the population. Groups with higher participation rates will tend to raise the reported rate while groups with lower participation will lower it. One way around this issue is to adopt a technique demographers have long used and take a weighted average of the rates for each age group. Using age-adjusted participation rates removes the effects of the relative size of each age group on the overall rate (Szafran, 2002)

Other Factors

Labor Force Growth

The total eligible population, the labor force, and its components are not static. The population is constantly growing while the employed, the unemployed, and labor force participation fluctuate. If the labor force growth is negative, it is likely that the participation rate is as well. Although we cannot tell whether this is due to fewer entrants, an increase in those not counted in the labor force, or both.

Hidden participants

The data presented also miss a small portion of the labor force where the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are involved, hiding more than an additional 100,000 members of the labor force (Defense Manpower Data Center, 2008). These are civilians on active duty not normally excluded from the labor force. When the wars are over, they will be returned to the civilian population and will presumably look for work unless they are lucky enough to return to the job they had when activated.

Churn & Spin

Another fluctuation is the movement of people between the three states of employed, unemployed, and marginally attached. These movements, known as “churn” occurs naturally as people gain or lose jobs and enter or leave the labor force for whatever reason.

Some industries normally experience a great deal of churn all the time. Industries like retail, food services, and construction account for the majority of churn in total non-farm employment while accounting for a much smaller portion of total employment (BLS, 2008d).

Simply, market economies tend to create and destroy a lot of jobs simultaneously, as employers collectively allocate scarce resources for additional labor in some sectors and occupations while cutting back in others. Even in strong job markets, some jobs are being lost, just as some jobs are gained in the midst of a recession…. Each year millions of people nationally lose their jobs. But in most years, an even larger number of people find new jobs…. But over time, it is this very churn that helps struggling economies transfer resources to better uses, while keeping healthy economies robust in an ever changing world (Fitzgerald, T., Holland, M., 2005).

Perhaps the most influential factor of the effect of the unemployment rate on the markets and people’s lives, however, is “spin”. Gene Epstein’s book “Econospinning: How to read between the lines when the media manipulate the numbers” describes this phenomenon in detail and this factor may be the most compelling argument for a change in the reporting of the unemployment data.

The need to milk the numbers for suspense and drama blows their importance way out of proportion. The excessive focus on the minutia of the report ensures that meaningless figures will keep getting mentioned, as when Liesman obsesses about differences of a hundredth of a percentage point in the unemployment rate. Yet the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keeps warning that a tenth-point difference is within the range of statistical error (Epstein, 2006).

Alternative Or Supplemental Measures & A Possible Alternative Approach

So far, all the data and calculations we have discussed come from the Household Survey. This section will introduce additional sources of pertinent information that is also collected and disseminated by the BLS along with suggested new ways to present the data.

For a complete picture of the employment situation, we might consider starting with the total population growth aged 16 and over, then show the institutionalized, breaking out the military, reserves (or “civilian military”) on active duty, the civilian non-institutionalized population aged 16 and over, those not in the labor force, and the labor force as trends. Since the data on the institutionalized, military, and reserves was not readily available from the sources used, an alternative is presented in Figure 1:

Figure 1 The linear trend line of month-to-month changes in civilian adult population, labor force, employed, unemployed, and those “not in the labor force” over the past year. (Dube, 2008)(BLS, 2007-2008)

Using averages may impart more information than simple numbers. In “Econospinning”, Gene Epstein suggests a 6-month moving average of the unemployment rate (2006). This is analogous to a moving average of a stock, which provides a frame of reference for where the stock or, in this case, unemployment is heading. Is it trending up or down? How does the current average compare to the past year? Just as with stocks, one can overlay moving averages of various time frames for even more relative trend information. Figure 2 shows three moving averages along with the published monthly unemployment rate.

The chart in Figure 2 indicates that the trend at the beginning of 2001 was down and the 6-month average crosses both the 3-month and the 12-month average on the way up in the second half of 2001, signaling a long trend up to a peak in early 2004. In the second half of 2004, the trend turns back down and the 3-month average signals the change by crossing the 12-month, then the 6-month averages.
Figure 2 Unemployment rate and moving averages Note: Monthly rates derived from the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPS data published unemployment rates per month 1998 – 2008 (Dube, P., 2008) (BLS, 1999 – 2008)

The 3 and 6-month averages both cross the 12-month average again mid-year in 2007 and the gap keeps widening to the most recent report. One interesting aspect that this graph shows is the near simultaneous crossing of the 3 and 6-month averages over the 12-month average on the way up but a decided gap in the crossings on the way down. This happens in both the visible upswings.

Following that with the composite age-adjusted participation rate with a breakout of the participation rate by age (data not currently available), followed by the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data, discouraged workers, and the unemployment rate together, as trends would depict the churn and give us a sense of where the job market was heading.

The job openings rate, from the JOLTS program, measures the unmet demand for labor. As a complement to the unemployment rate, it gives us a more complete picture of the U.S. labor market. “It is the flip side of at the unemployment rate, which measures the excess supply of labor” (BLS, 2002).

Participants in the Current Population Survey are interviewed several months in a row. Approximately three-quarters of those interviewed in any given month were also included in the survey the previous month. Because of this, their movements between the segments can be tracked. This effectively tracks the churn that goes on as a normal part of the labor market and is called Labor Force Flows, or “gross flows” (BLS, 2008g). The trend of this data may provide a useful measure of how the job market is changing over time. Including JOLTS data may help clarify the data.

Figure 3 Unemployment rate and JOLTS data Note: Monthly rates derived from the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPS data published unemployment rates and JOLTS published rates per month (Dube, P., 2008) (BLS, 2001 – 2008)

If we plot the unemployment rate against the JOLTS rates of Hires, Job Openings, and Separations, the chart in Figure 3 appears to show the Hires and Separations remaining fairly flat. This could be an indication of the natural churn in the labor market. The coincidence of these trends in November 2007 and February 2008 seems to coincide with an upward change in the slope of the unemployment trend and the crossover in May of 2008 is accompanied by a steep jump in unemployment. These rates cross again in September 2008 and, if they flatten out, may signal the establishment of a new, lower churn rate. This chart clearly shows the job openings trend is almost a mirror image of the unemployment trend.

Figure 4 The Alternative Measures of Underutilization rates plotted. Rates derived from the BLS published report. (Dube, P., 2008) (BLS, 2000 - 2008a)

The chart in Figure 4 shows the trend of the BLS calculated Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization. By plotting the trends, we see that all of the trends are strikingly similar. This suggests that the official rate may be adequate, despite the common feeling that it leaves out too many people, as long as it is viewed as a trend. Using just the rate compared to the previous month is akin to using the closing price on any given day compared to the day before to determine a stock’s value. It is just insufficient information to base a judgment on.

Perhaps using Gene Epstein’s U-7 would be better than U-3 for two reasons. First it doesn’t really matter much which rate is used if it is a trend and we have shown the trends follow each other closely. Second, including those who reportedly want a job should satisfy those who claim that U-3 is inaccurate since it includes discouraged workers.

Releasing this data, as suggested here, prior to the release of the CPS data might just work for giving the media, thus the public useful information about the health of the economy and job market This might allow consumer confidence to more accurately reflect the state of the economy, thus giving the American public more confidence in the government’s collection and reporting of the data.

When the Information Technology industry started, the systems produced data. In the 1980’s, the industry started to distill that data into “information”. This evolution provided for better decision-making capability. In the 1990’s, the industry continued to evolve and began moving toward “knowledge” and “knowledge management”.

What this paper suggests is following the example of the Information Technology industry and evolving what, and how we report.

While this paper raises some interesting questions, more study is required to reach a conclusion. However, it appears that using composite graphs and moving averages presents a more complete picture of the jobs situation than the unemployment rate alone. Perhaps this is what we need to evolve from providing data to supplying information and deriving knowledge.


References
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1998 - 2008). Labor Force Statistics (CPS) [Data file]. Available at: http://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cpsatab1.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2001 - 2008). Job and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) [Data file]. Available at: http://www.bls.gov/jlt/data.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2002). What is JOLTS? Retrieved Nov. 13, 2008, from http://www.bls.gov/jlt/jltwhat.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2003). Handbook of methods. Retrieved Nov. 15, 2008, from http://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch1_b.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008a). Alternative measures of labor underutilization. Retrieved Oct. 18, 2008, from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t12.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008b). Employment Situation Technical Note. Retrieved Oct. 18 2008, from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.tn.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008c). Employment situation summary. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2008, from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008d). Job openings and labor turnover summary Retrieved Nov. 13 2008, from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008e). Labor force characteristics. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2008, from http://www.bls.gov/cps/lfcharacteristics.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008f). Labor force statistics from the current population survey. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2008, from http://www.bls.gov/cps/home.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008g). New research series on labor force status flows from the Current Population Survey. Retrieved Nov.16, 2008, from http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_flows.htm
Defense Manpower Data Center. (2008, August). Contingency tracking system (CTS). Available at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2008/d20080806ngr.pdf
Dube, P. (2008) Raw unpublished data
Epstein, G. (2006). Econospinning: How to read between the lines when the media manipulate the numbers [Electronic version]. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Available from http://skillport.books24x7.com/toc.asp?bookid=16751
Fitzgerald, T., Holland, M. (2005, November). Helicopter churn: The macro view on job loss and growth. Fedgazette, 17(6), 3. Retrieved October 18, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database.
Szafran, R. F. (2002, September). Age-adjusted labor force participation rates, 1960-2045. Monthly Labor Review, 125(9), 25-38. Retrieved October 25, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Here's an IT T.I.P. - To Insure Privacy

Do Not Call me:
The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls - including cell phones.
https://www.donotcall.gov/

Do not send me Preapproved credit offers For those that are concerned about privacy and/or hate getting those credit card offers in the mail...

My recommendation is to electronically opt out for 5 years. You can opt back in any time but you don't get those offers in the mail that anyone can fill in if they 'find' the form. It beats having to shred them all...
https://www.optoutprescreen.com/

Do not mail me:
Remove your name from or add your name to individual DMA Member mailing lists.
DMA's Mail Preference Service will allow you to receive more of the mail you want to receive and less of the mail you do not wish to receive. You may add your name to individual organization lists and remove your name from individual organization lists. Complete the form and we will send it along to our members, asking them to honor your preferences. Click here to register your choices.
https://www.dmachoice.org/index.php

Leadership crisis & moving forward

If I told you that there was a way for you to resolve more of your business issues more quickly at the same time as you groomed your staff to make better decisions, work more efficiently together, align the components of your business for maximum profit, and boost morale, would you think I was crazy?

Would you think I was selling snake oil?

Well, what if you got the stakeholders in your business to get together (in the same room) periodically, bring up business issues, TALK to each other, and brainstorm solutions to those issues. Don't you think that would start getting things aligned? Wouldn't that create an atmosphere of cooperation? How do you think that would effect your business?

I call this a Solutions Task Force. It is NOT a committee. It is NOT "another useless meeting". It fosters communication, gets everyone on the same page & working together. It fosters ownership in solutions because it obtains buy-in.

Still think I'm crazy? Contact me & we'll give it a try in your business.

Looking for Mr. SEO

Everyone wants to make their site show up higher in the page rank of search engines but search engine optimization (SEO) is an arcane art, not a science. Therefore, we get very frustrated when we try everything we can think of and what others tell us and don't achieve the desired results.

Well, Josh McCormack is here to help:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - A Primer

Fri, 03/23/2007 - 05:03 — Josh

Here I'm going to tell you how to save $10,000 by doing for yourself what an SEO company would do for you. They'd talk to you for a while to figure out what you're trying to do, then look at your site, act like they're your customers, then give you recommendations.
http://interactiveqa.com/node/8

Yahoo! 360° - Yahoo! Groups Team Blog - Gmail Non-Delivery Issues

Yahoo! 360° - Yahoo! Groups Team Blog - Gmail Non-Delivery Issues: "Gmail Non-Delivery Issues

We've had reports that some users with Gmail accounts have not been receiving Groups mail since approximately March 14, 2007. This was a difficult issue to diagnose, because we were able to replicate the issue with some, but not all, of our test Gmail accounts. Some of us were missing Groups messages in our Gmail accounts, some of us were receiving them as usual. We appreciate those of you who wrote in detail about the problems your members were having on the Groups Technical Issues board and in email to Customer Care. Having detailed information helps us get to the bottom of issues faster."

jaxtr Made The Pulver 100 for 2007

Good news for jaxtr fans!

jaxtr made The Pulver 100 for 2007!

"The Pulver 100 is the first and foremost listing of privately held growth companies that represent the future of IP communications. Originally introduced in 2002, the pulver 100 recognizes companies that have substantial real-world deployments and enjoy significant growth rates. The pulver 100 has become an indicator of the leading edge in IP communications, and the companies named to the 2007 Pulver 100 represent the future of the IP communications industry."


Check out The Pulver 100 at: http://pulver.com/pulver100/

--
Thanks!
Vincent Wright
Chief Encouragement Officer
www.MLPFdomains.com
www.MyLinkedinPowerForum.com
http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/community/MyLinkedinPowerForum/
"Encouraging You. Encouraging The World"

Leadership Crisis?

Here are just a few of the many articles lamenting the lack of skills in our society:

The Empty Escalator
by
Donna J. Bear

In business workshops around the world, millions of people are pursuing skills to help them become one of tomorrow’s corporate leaders. Trouble is, they’re far fewer than companies will need. And when these potential leaders arrive at the top, will they have the right set of skills? Developing leaders to feed the succession pipeline should be an ongoing HR initiative.

http://www.cmctraining.org/trendwatchers_view.asp?article_id=67

Graduates lacking the skills for work

Britain is awash with vacancies for graduates, yet employers are struggling to find university leavers with the right skills - or the right attitude - for the job.

The number of jobs available to British graduates will grow by more than a sixth this year, but employers are increasingly worried that picky university leavers lack not only the right skills and qualifications, but even the right outlook to get on in the world of work.

http://www.management-issues.com/2007/1/30/research/graduates-lacking-the-skills-for-work.asp

High School, College Graduates Lack Basic and Applied Skills, Employers Say Written By: Krista Kafer Published In: School Reform News Publication Date: December 1, 2006 Publisher: The Heartland Institute

---

High school and college graduates lack basic and applied skills, say business leaders, according to two surveys released in October.

On October 2, the Conference Board, a global business membership and research organization, released the results of its survey of 431 employers on recently hired high school and college graduates.

While basic knowledge and skills such as reading comprehension and mathematics were deemed important, employers said applied skills--such as work ethic, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking--are even more essential to workplace success.

According to the survey, new job entrants lack both.

http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20280

Does this signal a crisis in Leadership? Why does this condition exist? Have we focused on the short-term for so long we have finally gotten ahead of ourselves and stabbed ourselves in the back? Companies used to have management grooming programs to make up for the oversight in our education programs. Not any more, they cost too much.

But I ask you, does it really? "If you think education is expensive..."
Please let me know your thoughts...

It's Over: ICANN Terminates RegisterFly's Domain Registrar Accreditation » Daily Domainer: "It's Over: ICANN Terminates RegisterFly's Domain Registrar Accreditation
posted in Domain Registrars |

RegisterflyThe party is over for Kevin Medina. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced in a letter to Mr. Medina that RegisterFly will cease operating as an ICANN-Accredited Registrar on March 31, 2007.

ICANN also terminated RegisterFly's right to use the ICANN Accredited Registrar logo on its website. The logo however is still visible in the left lower corner of RegisterFly's homepage."

...
For more information, see: ICANN and The Register Fly meltdown

True Networking

Effective networking between humans is more than just collecting a contact.
Establishing a true network of individuals requires active communication.
Communication or True Networking only occurs when connected individuals invest personal time in getting to know the other individual's talents & capabilities (see Paul's post "Networking for Business - Part 1"). This investment will take several Face-to-Face or telephonic discussions and e-mail doesn't make it.

AlignIT Advisors name Vincent Wright Networker of the Year!

Networking is something we all do every day of our lives. Many do their networking ‘accidentally’. However, many also have realized the power of networking and have made it one of their tools. A tool they use for their own benefit and to help others. There is a philosophy of “Giver’s Gain”, identified & defined by Business Networking International (BNI) as “The "Giver's Gain Philosophy" is an unselfish attitude that is contagious and promotes creditable, profitable, and lasting business relationships.”

Vincent Wright personifies this philosophy. He has created and nurtured over 200 discussion groups focused on networking. Most are further focused on a region or special interest. The “Grandaddy” of them all is called MyLinkedInPowerForum. Here, he has over 5,000 members helping each other improve their lives through networking.

Vincent also has a forum for job seekers to find tips and where jobs are posted. Thousands of jobs have been posted, and presumably filled, through MyJobTiger.

Vincent has given himself the title of Chief Encouragement Officer, and he earns it every single day. He has devoted thousands of hours to helping others on these fora with no recompense.

AlignIT Advisors would like to recognize Vincent Wright’s selfless dedication by naming him “Networker of the Year” and sponsoring his work.

Saying Hello

When we meet someone for the first time, we generally say Hello, my
name is ---. Then engage in some discussion. If we 'click', we may
exchange business cards and, perhaps, set a date, time, place, method
to follow up. At some point, we may even invite that person to join us
in different venues. Perhaps invite them to join our Friday night
poker game.

Different people feel comfortable at different times and with
different people. The degree and speed with which we bring a new
person close to us is individual.

However, as we are inevitably in a rush these days, the online tools
seem to have removed all the caution and much of the etiquette from
some people. Either we don't have the time to say Hi, or think it
unnecessary and superfluous.

Every online forum I know of has a way to replicate the meet space
equivalent to the process mentioned at the start of this post. For
some reason though, the majority of people in the online venues jump
right over the introduction and go right to 'connecting'.

Why is there this dichotomy of the definition of 'connecting'? Why do
some think it is necessary to 'connect' before saying Hi? Would they,
upon meeting someone new, first give their address & telephone number
before saying Hello? I doubt it.

This also has nothing to do with the perennial Q v Q question. Notice
nothing has been said about the people involved NOT connecting. My
question is why the hurry? Why the neglect of etiquette or social norms?

Feel free to chime in. :P

Networking for Business - Part 1

Whether it’s human or computer based, networking is synergistic. The whole is truly greater than the sum of the parts. When either systems are interconnected with other systems, there is greater power than when they are not.

In computer networks, the power of “the network” lies in the applications reachable through the network. In human networks, the power is in the reach of the network. In both cases, that power is exponential.

However, there is a difference. In computer networks, the extent that a node adds power is in the permissions to run the applications contained within the added node. In human networks, the power is in the strength of the connection. If you and I are connected, the power of that connection lies within the strength of our connection. The better we know each other, and our respective expertise, the more powerful the connection. The more powerful the connection, the more power an introduction from one to the other is.

In business, the better I know of your talents & capabilities, the more powerful my recommendation to others can be.

The most powerful network to date is LinkedIn. LinkedIn allows you to leverage the power of the network you have like no other. LinkedIn is still unique in the world of “social networks” in that it is a Business Referral network.

As with many things, when you start from the beginning and work your way back to the endpoint, it takes more time & effort than if you start at the endpoint & work your way back to the beginning. So it is with LinkedIn vs. the other networks available. Before LinkedIn, you had to query your entire network, and they theirs, to find a connection path. With LinkedIn, you search for your target & the LinkedIn system informs you of your available options in terms of paths to your destination. Much more powerful than the trial by error approach of trying to find the path going forward. In addition, if there are multiple paths, you can choose the strongest path (in terms of your 1^st level connections) to the endpoint.

Networking Part Deux - a conversation about LinkedIn

For this piece, I have taken a conversation that actually took place and modified it slighty. I have removed the real names (to protect the guilty) because of those changes. However, the changes were mostly cosmetic with some embellishment of the thoughts to aid those not as familiar with LinkedIn as the participant. Please let me know if you need more clarification in the comments and I will gladly provide it.
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Fred: One thing I have noticed is that LinkedIn as a service tends to fall down a bit when you are outside of the normal job market or the VC model for doing deals.

People have multiple dimensions to their lives. LinkedIn does not facilitate the discovery of the broader spectrum of interests IMHO. This was the most true back before the extra fields for groups, interests and education were added. I was an early beta tester for LinkedIn and what I am calling a limitation seemed to be by design. I raised the issue way back when and the response was something close to 'that is not what we are about' or 'there are other services that do that.' My memory on the prior conversations is not perfect so I am focusing more on my perception of intent based on how LinkedIn is used. A related point is LinkedIn is transactional by nature and not really a way for people to develop relationships. Use email or something else is the recommendation. LinkedIn is about specific referrals and not a way to develop a network for future use.

For the most part I have found that using other networking solutions allows one to develop connections to people who have interests that could be labeled 'topics for a Special Interest Group (SIG)' if I can use a term I know from the computer sector. Things that are not on a resume but might be a strong interest for certain individuals.

Barney: This is what LinkedIn representatives continue to say. LinkedIn's value is not in 'networking' in the sense of broadening your network, it is for leveraging the network you already have. Deepening relationships and using those relationships for referals to do business (whatever business you are in). SIGs and Forums are for getting to know people.

Fred: I have seen a marked increase in the value of LinkedIn to me now that we have groups. I do want to note that I laugh each time I consider the fact that LinkedIn's groups are largely operating outside the LinkedIn service (groups being a Yahoo thing with LinkedIn having no effective integration other than a little icon when you are a member of a specific group [that has become an approved LinkedIn Group and the member has joined it there also]). Granted you can run a search specific to members of a particular group that you are a member of.

Barney: Yes, the addition of groups did add another value point, the ability to 'network' within your group without direct connection or using referrals. This is especially useful when you don't know the person or his work but only share the common group connection. This way you can 'network' with the individual, and contact them without introduction but you will not be put 'on the spot' for an introduction to them.

Fred: With the external groups and forums, you really can get to know someone pretty well and never have any direct communication with them. After developing an understanding of a person and what they bring to the conversation you can contact them directly without any use of InMail, without any approval of other people in a chain, etc. If you enjoy the direct communication you can then go back to LinkedIn and let LinkedIn act as a way to flag that you have had contact. LinkedIn becomes a housekeeping tool.

Barney: BINGO! Once you have forged a relationship, it is time to move it to LinkedIn to nurture and leverage!

Fred: Where LinkedIn is more unique is you can search through someone's network and gain an introduction. The more people are in groups the more you can just join a group and developer a relationship with any person you might be interested in rather than seek an introduction. Granted it takes time to do so. Hence joining a group to reach someone is not that effective if you need to reach a person right now.

Barney: BINGO again! Leveraging your network to do business! {:^D With LinkedIn, while other people are going through the front door and encountering all the roadblocks, filters and gatekeepers, you get to go through the side door as 'a friend of a friend' and might get a chance to present your value proposition, regardless of whether you would have gotten past the blocks.

Let's put this into the perspective of the job seeker (but you can substitute any business dealing)... If you send your resume to HR, you could easily get blocked because you are either missing a key buzzword (or have spelled it out rather than used the acronym) but, going through the side door, you reach the hiring manager directly as a'a friend of a friend' and 'get an interview out of courtesy'. Thus you get the chance to overcome the gatekeepers percieved shortcoming.

What is Networking?

Have you been hearing a lot about something called “networking” and wondering just what the heck it is exactly?

If you’ve asked around, you probably get the sense that nobody really knows what it is because if you ask 10 people, you get 11 different answers. That may be because “networking” will be different for everyone, at least in the details of how, where, when, and why you network. In addition, many people have an incomplete idea of what we call “networking”.

In your handout, there are 3 definitions from 3 different people, an Author of a networking book and 2 company presidents. All 3 are correct, but incomplete – which is why they appear different. If you drew a Zen Diagram of these 3 definitions, there would be more overlap than difference. Here is why I say that:

First, every person on the planet that has interactions with others forms relationships. This is a natural occurrence and is a product of that interaction. Most people will attempt to assist anyone they know (whether asked or not) with advice, guidance, referrals, and endorsements (presuming they feel good about the aspect of the person they are endorsing).

The most successful sales people are very adept at forming relationships – but they are equally good at something else… nurturing those relationships. They sometimes form something that has been attributed to more discriminating groups… “The Olde Boys Network” (sometimes I think they are referring to their maturity but I digress..). “The Olde Boys Network” – many of them in fact – are usually centered around men who have graduated from the same university or are current or former members of some group.

“The Olde Boys Network” really does “network”, especially in terms of job search and hiring but some have questioned if this was done while disregarding qualifications and suitability to the task and with an elitist selectivity of who they allow in their network and casting shadow over the process.

So… What is “Networking”?

True “networking” is the natural act of forming and nurturing relationships, making introductions, referring people to others, and endorsing some; then using that network of who you know, and who they know, to help others. The extent you are successful at networking (over the long haul anyway) depends on your ability to practice those skills. Therefore, we need to hone our natural skills to improve our outcomes.

Networking is a communications based tool and a process that has no beginning and has no end. It is not a goal nor does the act of networking have a goal itself. We all learn to walk but not with the goal of walking – we learn to walk to transport our bodies from one place to another. Walking is the process or tool we use to move our body from the chair to the car where we use another tool to transport ourselves longer distances.

So, what’s the difference between the natural form of networking that we all perform daily and the practice of networking? Deliberate nurturing of relationships. Nurturing of relationships involves deepening our knowledge of others and consciously trying to help them achieve their goals through referrals, advice, and endorsements.

Networking without “trusted relationships”, providing endorsements, and referrals is nothing more than “collecting business cards” and may be enough for some activities but does not stand the test of time and the outcome is often no better than a ‘cold call’.

True networking is an unselfish, lifelong activity, a practice, a tool, a process. The concept of “Giver’s Gain Philosophy" is an unselfish attitude that is contagious and promotes creditable, profitable, and lasting business relationships. The group functions as a sales team for each other by serving as each other's eyes and ears.¹

So, how does that all relate to a job search?

OK, well… you know who you know but do they [know who you know]? Not likely and, in the past, everyone had to ask everyone they knew if they knew someone who… until they found someone who did. (Fell like you’re in Whosville?) Now, as with so many things computers and the Internet have given us, we have tools to help with that.

You never know who will know, or meet your next hiring manager. You need to let others know what you do, how well you do it (quantified and objective if possible), and that you are looking for another position. However, you need to try and help others achieve their goals in the process.

Why? How do you feel when someone helps you? Most people feel indebted (to some extent). If you help others, what do you think will happen? Suddenly, it’s not you searching for your next job by yourself, you have an army of people helping you in an attempt to repay you!

One reason you must make networking a lifelong part of who you are is that you build that army of people who want to help you and who “can’t say enough” (hopefully good) about you long before you need them. Those people best at this are never unemployed.

¹ "Giver's Gain Philosophy" as defined by BNI (Business Networking International www.bni.com)

Enhanced Podcasting

I'm doing a little reasearch on Podcasting to try and understand it and its potential uses. I read a post that gave this little tidbit "If a publisher wishes they can even put in clickable web-links that will open up your default browser. This is kind of neat in my opinion. It opens up Podcasts to a whole different world of possibilities. " whole story about Apple's Enhanced Podcasting.

I don't know about you but my first thought was "Great! A new way for malicious hackers to infect our systems!"

I now return to my normal research mode...

Tell me what you think!
podcasting

Backup, Backup, Backup (and test recovery)

Imagine my joy when I discovered two of my favorite bloggers talking about things I have an interest in and pointing to each other!
Dave Taylor, in his Intuitive Life Business Blog, panned podcasting for business in "Why podcasts won't help promote your business". Since I am a newbie to the world of blogging and have no thoughts of venturing into podcasting, I actually read some thoughts I was having but couldn't articulate (thanks Dave). Unless there is someone who's voice you really really want to hear, I don't see the draw. Why would anyone listen to something without a clue of whether it would be of value?
However, my friend Des Walsh, along with plenty of others (see the comments on Dave's blog). But Des went in a different direction altogether in his reference to Dave's post in "Podcasting and Cautionary Tale on Backups". Ah, backups... and the lack thereof. Des talks about Blogarama's total loss of a lot of content because they didn't have a backup. Imagine the storage you'd need for backing up Podcasting posts!
Des kind of let Blogarama off the hook (by not even questioning why not). I'm not that kind (on this topic anyway). There is no excuse for any business to not have proper backups and a disaster recovery plan that is tested and known to work. Anything less is, in my opinion, criminal.
Most companies that suffer this fate never make it back to prosperity though so I guess that is a steep enough price to pay.
security
backup
data loss

Close your Windows!

Allergic to Hackers, Trojans, & Worms?
Want to avoid most Virus infections?

What platform do you use? Is it Windows? OS X? Linux? Unix? Why do you use this platform? For most people, the answers are Windows, because that's what came installed on their machine. What makes a platform more or less vulnerable?

First, due to its installed base, Windows is a much bigger target than the others. Second, many users accept the default installation and do nothing to secure their system until they've already been compromised. Third, Microsoft has too many buffer overruns and does not handle them properly. (Buffer overruns are a major vector for exploitation.) Fourth, even though Microsoft has made changes that could make their system more secure, they appear to discourage software vendors from taking advantage of it.

Some users may say that they use Windows because a special progeam they need only runs on that platform. This is a valid reason... if it is indeed true and that program is the only one they can use to perform the given task(s). However, it is very rare that there is only one program that can accomplish the task(s) and you can usually find equivilant software in the *nix (all Unix & Linux distributions) world. Furthermore, if you really do need to run a Windows program, you can do it from within Linux! (providing you have one windows server and the right thin-client)

Are there vulnerabilities in the *nix world too? Of course. However, with a little knowledge and some planning, you can reduce your exposure greatly, especially as compared to Windows. I am told that you can make a Windows system safe and usable too and I would hope that is true. However, most people do not have the skills and patience to accomplish this.

If you are interested in finding a safer alternative, you must take stock of your needs, determine if there are alternative programs to do the same things you have been doing (it's much easier than you may think), and do a little homework to determine the right distribution for
you and plan for a safe implementation.

Many people should probably consult with someone who knows more before proceding but even that is easier than you may think.

Close your Windows, for good!

You can do it. {:^)
security
Linux
Windows
reduce costs