The art and science of risk management

"Computers, networks, and information security seem to fall comfortably under the heading of science, but science alone is not enough. Security system developer Tripwire recently conducted a survey in cooperation with the Ponemon Institute to find out whether IT professionals consider risk management to be "science" or "art."

Ponemon surveyed 1,320 respondents across the United States and the United Kingdom: IT professionals working in information security, risk management, IT operations, business operations, and compliance. Participants were asked, "In your opinion, is information security risk management an 'art' or 'science'?"

Ponemon defined the two concepts for the purposes of the survey. "Science" means basing decisions on objective, quantifiable metrics and data. "Art" refers to analysis and decisions that are based on intuition, expertise, and a holistic view of the organization.

Two-thirds of those from IT and enterprise risk management or business operations sided with "art," while nearly two-thirds of the respondents who work in IT security and IT operations chose "science."

Tripwire CTO Dwayne Melancon weighed in with some thoughts on the results. His take is that those who work in business operations and risk management generally don't believe a precise answer is necessary in order to make a decision, so they favor art. Those who work in IT operations and security, on the other hand, view the world of risk management as a math problem with a specific answer, so they see it as a "science".

Melancon explains that the disparity between art and science is the crux of the problem when it comes to managing risk effectively. "People with these viewpoints are talking about the same thing, but they are using very different language, which can make it difficult to come to a mutually agreed point of view."

The simple reality is that risk management is both an art and a science. Computers are precision instruments that operate purely on ones and zeros. Computers--how they work, how they can be attacked, and how you manage risk and protect them--are devices that function based on science. But there is also a human factor--both in terms of the attackers and the victims--that adds an element of unpredictability, mixing intuition and art with the science.

Attackers are adept at exploiting the human factor to bypass security controls. Effective risk management depends on having the right tools in place--the science--while also having the big picture in mind, and understanding that the user is generally the weakest link in the security chain--the art."

http://www.itnews.com/it-management/62821/art-and-science-risk-management

At the company I work at sees risk management as an art. You can get basically any outcome what the top management wants to hear. Deloitte created an action plan for different stages of risk management implementation. At the first two levels you can get any outcomes eventually. I was shocked when I saw that but this is the truth.

Today's workers demand flexibility, mobility--and Facebook

"Three thousand people, Americans and Canadians aged 18 and up, were surveyed over an 18-month period that ended this April. The results paint an interesting picture of a rapidly evolving modern work force. 
The desire for unprecedented work flexibility is the key touchstone of the surveys. That flexibility is manifest in just about every facet of the work environment. Workers want to decide where they work (home, office, coffee shop), when they work ("9 to 5" is all but dead), and how they work (preferring to use their own equipment over corporate-issued machines). Already, 70 percent of workers say they work from an alternative location than the office on a regular basis, and 66 percent said they use or want to use a laptop or tablet to allow this kind of flexibility. "

http://www.itnews.com/business-issues/63362/todays-workers-demand-flexibility-mobility-and-facebook

My friend just got a job at NOKIA using Facebook as a job searching tool. I do not know he did it actually, but certainly will ask him.
To me using social media as a job searching tool is very unusual. I need more time until I adopt to them. But I agree that in a long run everybody has to face with the impact of the social media on the job search process either implicit or explicit. 

How to embed TED videos to your blog

You go on to TED.com and click on a video. It automatically starts buffering the video then you hit stop.

At the bottom left corner of the video you click on the button says: embed <>

. You will get the same pop-up window where you can set the size of the video on your blog and in the top row you can copy and paste the code to your blog. But be careful to switch from writing to HTML view and then you insert the code then switch back to writing again and keep doing what you were doing.

SAP expands reach of app store, looks to improve reviews

"You know you're not in iTunes anymore when the app you're eyeing has a US$1,050 price tag, but SAP is nonetheless expanding its online shopping experience in a bid to entice its customers to purchase enterprise software the way they shop on their smartphones.
The store now contains more than 2,000 applications from SAP and some 1,000 partners, the ERP vendor said Friday. The offerings include mobile, cloud-based and on-premises software. 
Other recent improvements include the ability to buy some partner applications using PayPal, new tools partners can use to build out storefronts and expanded geographic availability of the store to 26 countries. New additions include Belgium, Denmark, Hong Kong, Norway, the Philippines, Spain and Sweden, SAP said. 
Bazaarvoice's technology helps companies generate reviews, push them to partners' sites, and encourage customers to share them, according to its website. In January, however, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Bazaarvoice over its acquisition of PowerReviews, saying the deal "substantially lessened competition in the market for product ratings and reviews platforms in the United States, resulting in higher prices and diminished innovation." 

http://www.itnews.com/cio-role/60002/sap-expands-reach-app-store-looks-improve-reviews

I warmly welcome the idea of launching an SAP app on the market. They have to keep up with the market change and hot trends. SAP using the app could tap a new flow of cash to the company. Inexpensive, flexible product feeling can reach the potential customer.

11 signs your IT project is doomed

"1. The project has launched without senior buy-in
2. No detailed project plan exists
3. Meetings have been scheduled without concern for team member availability
4. Users have had little (to no) early involvement
5. The project targets the minimum specs
6. Testing is an afterthought
7. No recovery plan is in place in the event of failure 
8. Expert recommendations have been rebuffed without testing outcomes
9. The go-live date is a weekend or holiday
10. Expectations have not been set
11. Skimp on training"

http://www.itnews.com/it-management/59664/11-signs-your-it-project-doomed?page=0,3

We are about to launch a new application and I have four years experience in software development or planning and I also faced with very similar problems. Only the clear and honest communication can resolve the conflicts for failure.

Nirmalya Kumar: India's invisible innovation

"Can India become a global hub for innovation? Nirmalya Kumar thinks it already has. He details four types of "invisible innovation" currently coming out of India and explains why companies that used to just outsource manufacturing jobs are starting to move top management positions overseas, too."

It is very interesting how he sees the changes in India. I went to the Bangladesh professor who is the father of micro lending.  For innovation you do not need big money. You just need the right incentives and motivation.

Is HR social?

Here is the social HR!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2013/01/03/2013-the-year-of-social-hr/2/

"At first, I thought it was weird to think of HR as "Social HR", but upon second thought, it makes sense.  HR has largely become integrated with social media websites, and as a result, more traditional HR practices are fading.

The article mentions that HR is becoming "gamified."  Recruiters earn virtual "badges" for accomplishments and the entire process has become almost like a game. The article explains,  "Deloitte believes that letting employees share their badges – earned through completing various training modules – on Twitter, LinkedIn and in their company’s intranet is a huge motivator. People like having something to show for their achievements, especially as employees at all levels become ever more invested in maintaining a robust personal brand. The technology research firm Gartner, Inc. predicts that 70 percent of Global 2000 businesses will be managing at least one “gamified” application or system by 2014."

The article also talks about the "death of the resume".  Due to the use of LinkedIn and the building of personal brands, a paper resume is growing less and less useful.  Not only is personal branding something that will be necessary for you to do to get a job, but this article suggests that it will be a required skill of employees.

Finally, the article notes that recruiters will be finding you before you seek them out.  That already makes sense to me.  I have clients at work who I have create general accounts on job search websites for that specific purpose.  It is interesting to see how staffing agencies might change their approach in response to this changing technology." - http://goo.gl/1e4FH

Nine things to consider before accepting that IT job offer

"1. Know What Motivates You

This sounds simple, but many people don't really know the answer to that question. The first response is normally money and while it's a great motivator, there is more to life than money. According to Simpson, many times it's not the primary factor behind what motivates people. - See more at: http://www.itnews.com/it-management/59146/nine-things-consider-accepting-it-job-offer#sthash.2U53wven.dpuf

2. Know the Job History

3. Research the Company
Knowing as much as you can about a prospective employer is only in your best interest. Know what they do, what their products are, what people are saying about them in social media. There are number of places you can find this information--for example, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Glassdoor, to name only a few.

4. Get It in Writing

5. Know the Company Culture
Experts agree that the offer letter should include some specific information and any points that you negotiated. 
Do they seem serious and conservative? Maybe they have a laissez-fair attitude and joke a lot. How are the offices set up? Is it a cube farm? Is the company responsive when you try to contact them?

6. Who's the Boss?

7. Talk to Potential Peers
You want to meet your direct supervisor for sure, but you should also try to meet everyone in your chain and anyone you'll have to work closely with. This isn't always possible depending on the size of the company.

8. Know the Job Details
Throughout the interview process you should do more than read the job description. You should to get a description of what a work day would include. Does the job title match the responsibilities? Will you have the tools you need to get the job done? How will success be measured? All of these questions should be brought up in the interview process and analyzed objectively. 

9. Know Where the Company is Headed With Technology"

http://www.itnews.com/it-management/59146/nine-things-consider-accepting-it-job-offer

My partner is an IT guy who works at Morgan Stanley, we met recently and he is hesitating to take an IT job offer. When I saw this article I immediately forwarded to him. Finally he turned down the offer.

4 Barriers Stand Between You and Big Data Insight

"PwC surveyed 1,108 respondents from 12 countries and across a variety of industries. The respondents were evenly divided between IT and business leaders, and more than 75 percent worked in organizations with revenues of more than $1 billion. PwC found that organizations struggle with four major big data barriers":

1. They're blind to the importance of visualization.

2. They're investing more in gathering data than analyzing it.

3. They're facing a talent gap.

4. They're struggling with insufficient systems to rapidly process information.

Businesses Blind to the Importance of Visualization

"And yet, only 26 percent of global survey respondents are using data visualization. But the picture is very different when you focus in on top performing companies--those respondents that reported revenue growth of greater than five percent and whose companies are in the top quartile for revenue, profitability and innovation. Those organizations lead the pack in terms of plans to invest more in data visualization in 2013."

http://www.itnews.com/it-management/58515/4-barriers-stand-between-you-and-big-data-insight

My boss always says to me, that it has to be a balance between putting resources in getting the data and analyzing it. It is more important to gather useful information than very detailed confusing amount of data that can be crunched very hard.

Time management

I like the blogger time settings feature, where you can backdate your posts. It is like you are travelling back in time.
When you are running your company, being with your family, going out, planning for tomorrow, meeting your friends, buying grocery, etc. these activities all consume time, your time.
If you run out of time you just go to blogger, blogspot settings and change the date of the posting. This is where you can backdate things.

Very useful feature. I always use it on my business blog. When you write 16 spots in a row it can be a big help.

How to set up public Wi-Fi at your business

"Businesses with existing private Wi-Fi network might be able to offer public or guest access safely without purchasing additional hardware. Some consumer and small-office wireless routers offer a guest access feature. When guest access is enabled, users will see another network name (known as an SSID) in the list of available networks on their Wi-Fi devices, and its access will be separated from the main network.

Business-class routers and access points (APs) typically offer multiple SSID and virtual LAN (VLAN) features. When these features are set up properly, multiple wireless network names (SSIDs) can be broadcasted with varying levels of security, one of which could be a  guest network safely segregated from your private network.

To offer public or private Wi-Fi access over a larger area that a single wireless router doesn't cover, one economical option is Open Mesh. It's designed to provide both private and public wireless access easily, with hotspot features including a captive portal and speed limits. Plus, it uses the wireless mesh technique, which means that all the wireless APs have to be wired back to the router or switch, making installation easier. "

http://www.itnews.com/management/57973/how-set-public-wi-fi-your-business

"Offering wireless Internet access for guests can open new doors for your business. For a cafe or restaurant, customers are more likely to stay longer, purchase more items, and return knowing they can use a Wi-Fi connection. For motels and hotels, Wi-Fi is one of travelers' deciding factors when selecting where to stay. Offering guest wireless access from an otherwise private office can be beneficial too, as it provides outside associates, contractors, and other visitors with a reliable Internet connection."

T-Mobile - MetroPCS merger

Today I had a terrible customer service experience at AT&T. It's been for a while I am not satisfied with AT&T but still that they had a good plan for my needs. Minute plan, prepaid, you pay as you go. Couple things about AT&T.
They are just far way behind of the industry standards in terms of online customer support/service. If you want to refill your account, it is truly a pain in the butt. Confusing website layout, hard to find URL, hard to log in, hard to figure out what to do and how, absolutely poor user experience. But hey, still 10 cents a minute, 20 cents a text message. But it still adds up and sometimes i do something, for example talking with somebody for 5 minutes and they charge me for 3$-s. At the beginning I called the customer service and tried to reclaim my money, but it took forever, they made sure you dont want you 3$-s back.
I was resistant for switching, because I hate doing such things, going into different shops, searching for the best deal, blabla. Then on last week I got text from AT&T and it says: your phone will stop working, to get a new Alcatel 510A for free go to the closest AT&T shop until 7/10/13. So I did today in New Haven. (My car is broken, so I stuck and work full time) and there i have been told that i have to go to a corporate store not to an independently owned like that. The nearest one is in Hamden. I said well, if this is the rule ok. I give it a try. (The text says nothing about this, just go to a AT&T store.) So at 7:30PM i went to the Hamden AT&T shop. I showed the message and the guy said, yo' gotta come back tomorrow bro'! I was shocked?! Seriously? First of all, why? Second of all, I am not your bro. Third of all, i cannot come back tomorrow. I want it now. He said the manager is not there, nobody has the code to do stuff like that. I told him i cannot come tomorrow, because i work full time. Answer: I work too from 10 to 8...You come back until 5 or you can buy it for 15$. WHAT? I want it for free. Sorry man, i cannot help you. Why cannot call the manager? Sorry, i cannot. You can come back until 7. Wait a second, you said a sentence earlier, he leaves at 5 tomorrow. Yes, he might be here until 7 though. Well, i am not playing like that. I'll come tomorrow and you will tell me sorry, i told ya come back until 5. Not me, i will not be here tomorrow.
OK, i left.
I got soooo mad at AT&T. They lost me. The reason I told you this is because I'll go with MetroPCS that is just merged with T-Mobile. Unbeatable price, great customer service, no obligations and T-Mobile network.

I wish AT&T went bankrupt. Stop using AT&T service! Do something good for you.

4 Tips for Building a Productive Relationship with Marketing

"The steps to create an effective relationship with the marketing group aren't radically different from those you'd take with another department. 

Stop talking about tech. Want to win over a marketer? Forget the campaign-management software and ask about her brand marketing plan. Putting the project work aside to find out what keeps the marketing group up at night gives IT credibility to use later. 

Be a hero. Biogen's marketers have a huge appetite for analytics. What they don't have are data scientists. Guess who does? "Our IT people have those analytical skill sets naturally," says Meyers.

Instead of hiring consultants, marketing now turns to IT's business analysts, one of whom recently designed marketing's suite of analytics tools for campaign management.

Be the heavy. Marketers work with tons of outside agencies. But Meyers--who has worked at an interactive marketing agency--knows that agencies may not put marketing's best interests first.

Meyers is the voice of reason when marketing might otherwise cave in to an agency that wants to build a smartphone app that doesn't meet the company's needs. "We're in the room so that marketing gets the most from its investments," says Meyers.

Don't be a know-it-all. "Marketing people are used to being the smartest people in the room," says Meyers. Let them be. If you have a good idea, make it seem like theirs. That is, don't present a five-page social media plan. Instead, stroll in with an idea you had in the shower and ask for input. "They need to be part of the ideation and creative process," Meyers says. "

http://www.itnews.com/business-issues/60933/4-tips-building-productive-relationship-marketing

This is a great article. I agree with every point of it. I like the last point specifically. Nobody can be as smart as anybody! This is the essence of open innovation. Involve them!!

Should your business start accepting Bitcoins?

"Bitcoins are, in the words of the Bitcoin Project, open-source, peer-to-peer digital currency. For those accustomed to dollars and cents, almost none of that makes any sense at all. Boiling it down: Bitcoins are a synthetic currency that are kept in a "digital wallet" on your PC or mobile phone. Payments are sent from one wallet to another--similar to Paypal--and an in-depth cryptographic system verifies that transactions (such as purchases) are legitimate. These transactions are verified by other Bitcoin users (part of the P2P aspect of the currency), and as a reward, those transaction processors are eligible to receive newly minted Bitcoins. (These amount to free money, but they are exceedingly difficult to obtain. This has led to sophisticated Bitcoin mining operations sprouting up, as well as an entire industry based on supporting of those operations.) 

On the other hand, working with Bitcoins isn't easy. Pricing is the biggest challenge: With a currency this volatile, you must either update prices daily (or multiple times daily) or, as Josh Tordsen of Gigastrand does, let the shopping cart manage exchange rates in real time. And once you have Bitcoins, what do you do with them? Exchange them for dollars or hold on to them in the hopes the rollercoaster ride keeps getting better? (Most seem to be keeping them because they just want to see what happens.) "

http://www.itnews.com/business-issues/60534/should-your-business-start-accepting-bitcoins

I did not know about Bitcoint, but this is a very interesting project. I would not start accepting Bitcoins because the market is not mature enough and the currency is volatile. You have to be an expert in this field otherwise should wait until the waves disappear and you can sail out without taking huge risks for small reward.

How to Evaluate the Risk of Outsourcing Locations

"The Classic Way to Assess Geographic Risk of an Outsourcing Location

The classic criteria for assessing geographic risk in an outsourcing location have been geopolitical stability, the general business environment, the quality of human capital, the legislative and regulatory environment, and the broader IT landscape. That's a good starting point, says Green. But it's too simple. The location analysis needs to feed into an analysis of specific vendor risk to be truly useful, according to Green.

The Right Way to Assess Geographic Risk of an Outsourcing Location

By combining location-based risk analysis with vendor viability information -- and weighing that against internal needs, tolerances, and capabilities, companies can make better overall offshoring decisions, says Green. "For example, if a location is evaluated as having high risk, there may be mitigating factors such as whether you already have a local presence in the country, the importance of the engagement (and whether it will touch your customers), as well as your vendor management capabilities," he says. "The concept acknowledges that there is a healthy degree of risk which companies should be willing to take depending on the engagement, rather than taking an approach where the lowest risk is the best option."

In addition, many IT service providers are now multinational with the ability to shift work between delivery centers, so looking at location in conjunction with supplier specifics provides a clearer picture of overall risk.

IT leaders can't afford to continue to look at location-based risk in a vacuum, according to Green. While every service provider is, in part, dependent on its local environment, "the quality and maturity of the provider will work to mitigate or exacerbate location dynamics," says Green. "Providers can take a number of actions to help mitigate the influence of geography, whether it is cultural training, process expertise, to having a network of delivery centers and partners so work can be shifted from one destination to another."

In addition, many IT service providers are now multinational with the ability to shift work between delivery centers, so looking at location in conjunction with supplier specifics provides a clearer picture of overall risk.

IT leaders can't afford to continue to look at location-based risk in a vacuum, according to Green. While every service provider is, in part, dependent on its local environment, "the quality and maturity of the provider will work to mitigate or exacerbate location dynamics," says Green. "Providers can take a number of actions to help mitigate the influence of geography, whether it is cultural training, process expertise, to having a network of delivery centers and partners so work can be shifted from one destination to another."

http://www.itnews.com/business-issues/63229/how-evaluate-risk-outsourcing-locations

It was a whole new point of view for me. The classic way was obvious and has been taught in school. This era outdated and we have to look at the outsourcing location finding as a more complex thing and associate different risks with different aspects of the business. IT can point out those differences.

Big Data Will Drive the Industrial Internet

"The conversation around big data has largely focused on clickstream data, sentiment analysis and consumer targeting. But behind the scenes, the capabilities enabled by machine-to-machine communication and advanced analytics stand poised to dramatically change the world around us.

Case in point: General Electric (GE) and its vision of the "Industrial Internet," which it suggests may bring about as profound a change to the way we live our lives as the Industrial Revolution and the more recent Internet Revolution.

"The world is on the threshold of a new era of innovation and change with the rise of the industrial Internet," Peter C. Evans, director of Global Strategy and Analytics at GE, and Marco Annunziata, chief economist and executive director of Global Market Insight at GE, writes in a GE whitepaper, Industrial Internet: Pushing the Boundaries of Minds and Machines.

Small Changes Are Big on the Industrial Internet

"The compounding effects of even relatively small changes in efficiency across industries of massive global scale should not be ignored," Evans and Annunziata write:

"As we have noted, even a one percent reduction in costs can lead to significant dollar savings when rolled up across industries and geographies. If the cost savings and efficiency gains of the industrial Internet can boost U.S. productivity growth by 1 to 1.5 percentage points, the benefit in terms of economic growth could be substantial, potentially translating to a gain of 25 to 40 percent of current per capita GDP. The Internet Revolution boosted productivity growth by 1.5 percentage points for a decade--given the evidence detailed in this paper, we believe the industrial Internet has the potential to deliver similar gains and over a longer period.""

http://www.itnews.com/it-management/63442/big-data-will-drive-industrial-internet?page=0,1

Big Data is a very hot and promising topic in IT now. However, I do not have the skillset and knowledge to digest it. Big Data is important at giant companies. To me it is unlikely that I will be a manager in any of them.
I noticed after reading this article that this is interesting but certainly not suitable for me. 

6 Things IT Managers Need to Know About Hiring vs. Training

1. How much time do we have to fill the gap that's been identified? "If we have plenty of time, it makes sense to train someone from the inside. On the other hand, if this is gap that needs to be filled immediately, says Rachel Russell, director of marketing at TEKsystems, "you've got to go the hiring route."

2. Is this a skills problem or a bandwidth problem? For example, says Russell, "I have people with this skill today but I only have three of them and in order to take on the workload the business requires of me I'm going to need 10. Then all the training in the world won't solve your capacity problem, you're going to need to hire."

3. Is it experience that's needed or skills?Sometimes companies just need or want someone in a role who has done this kind of work before and understands the industry at a deeper level.

4. How large is the gap? Does an employee need only a moderate amount of training and grooming to get to the next level or is the gap so large that it might take him a few years to get there.

"If it's a small gap you've got to go the training route. That is what motivates and inspires your people and lets them know that you see where they are at, you support their career efforts and support them as an organization," says Russell.

5. Does the gap represent a short-term or a long-term need? If you only to need a certain skill set to get from point "A" to point "B" then training probably wouldn't make sense.

"If the skill is one that will only be needed for a fixed period of time, and will not be needed long-term, vendor partners are an appropriate stop-gap," says Peter High author of the book, World Class IT: Why Businesses Succeed When IT Triumphs and founder of Metis strategy, a CIO advisory firm.

6. Is the gap valuable only in tandem with institutional knowledge? That is, does this gap require more than skills and experience? "Does it also need an extensive background on your internal systems to apply this skill to the organization? If so, then training makes sense to make sure you get someone with that institutional knowledge," says Russell.

http://www.itnews.com/business-issues/63879/6-things-it-managers-need-know-about-hiring-vs-training

It's been a big debate about this topic for decades. To me the solution is simple in mind. Estimate the cost of hiring and training. Most of the time you can handle the problem in house immediately but in long run you more likely to bring somebody in from outside.

The 4 smartest things you can do every morning

I found this article about the 4 smartest things that you can do every morning. It is basically time management for a complete, healthy, balanced and successful life.
I like reading about time management, i like when i read something useful and new.
https://www.openforum.com/articles/the-4-smartest-things-you-can-do-every-morning/?extlink=of-syndication-dsq-p
This is the article.
What it says is the following:
1. Check your to-do-list
I barely use to-do-list. To me it is like using a gps, while you are driving. Your brain loses it's focus tracking everything that you have to do. Thus before I am going to fall asleep, i think about the next day's schedule. What to do when. Then I wake up and do those things. When I am really buried under stuff, i do write a to-do-list just to give me a reward crossing the task I handled.

2. Do something for yourself
So true! For my mind's health my body has to be in shape too. I don't like working out, because to me it is just wasting time and I don't have that. I work out when I read, work, go to work. It sounds funny but you can work out like that. Think about that. I got a new job 10 miles away, my car is broken, i can take a bus. From door to door it takes more than 70 minutes to get there and it costs me money, have to be in a closed box with not certainly people. So i decided to go to work by bike! 45 minutes ride, it is healthy, it is cheap (free, plus maintenance), fast (i dont have to wait for anything) and it is flexible! All in one. 20 miles riding 90 minutes workout. Nice!
When i am done with 20 pages, i get down to the floor, do 50 push-ups and get back to the book. I do the same until I feel tired. Sometimes I just do 100 push-ups in 1 minute. My muschels are feeling pretty good, i feel refreshed too. Before sleeping i sit couple sit-ups just to remind my belly for being shape. Even the most effective people have deadtime! Just think about your day!
3. Have a routine
True! I am a morning person and am extremely effective in the morning. My mind shines! I can get things done quicker than at any other time. I like getting up early, so by 10am I am done with almost everything. Get up, go to the bathroom, get dressed, eat, hop-on the bike and you are good to go. It is the same at night. Block yourself out on facebook, you just waste so much time on it.
4. Start with something big...or small
The author refers to two scholars. Start with you biggest thing to do on that day and then continue with smaller stuff or vice versa. I go with the second one. I like to get small things done so I have time focusing on the big one knowing that I have only one left all day long.

Take care! Plan and manage and execute!

Coursera

One of my best friend from Hungary recommended this website, especially this course:
https://www.coursera.org/course/publicspeak

I immediately enrolled to this course and I am looking forward to it very much.

Introduction to Public Speaking

Matt McGarrity

A report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that employers want job candidates with strong communication skills. Similarly, educational success also requires the ability to articulate your thoughts clearly. In this class, we will study the principles of public speaking; critically examine our own and others’ speeches through interactive practice.

Workload: 3-5 hours/week 

Watch intro video

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Sessions:

Jun 24th 2013 (10 weeks long) About the Course Unlike many oral communication courses and textbooks, this class spends a fair bit of time working through the unique traits of oral versus written communication in order to help students prepare speeches that are easier to deliver orally and understand aurally. The class’s focus on understanding the key parts of an argument and drafting clear and concise arguments translates directly to other academic assignments. In service of this goal, we will study the principles of argumentation and arrangement; critically examine our own speeches and the speeches of others. By becoming a student of public speaking, you join a long history of rhetorical study dating back to ancient Greece.  Course Syllabus Course Objectives: The overriding goal of this course is to demystify the process of writing, practicing, and performing a clear and engaging speech. In so doing, I hope this course can help each student improve the quality of their speeches and confidence with which they present them.  More specifically, upon successfully completing this course, you should be able to: Design and deliver basic arguments clearly. Design and deliver informative presentations clearly. Design and deliver complex arguments persuasively. Speak confidently with appropriate rate, projection, movement, and vocal variety. Evaluate and critique speeches insightfully. Assignment Overview: In designing this course, I wanted to provide a wide range of activities and assignments for the wide range of student interest and needs.  Some students may want only to watch the video lectures and take the quizzes; others may invest more fully and post sample videos and participate actively in discussion forums. Whatever your path, my goal is that this class can give you the information and space you need to improve your public speaking skills. Here are some of the course assignments and activities:  Video lectures: Most of the course content is delivered through a number of video lectures. Each video runs 10-12 minutes and teaches a specific public speaking ability or concept.  Discussion forums: This class thrives on discussion. There are a number of discussion forums that emerge from the lectures and sample speeches. You will have the ability to articulate your views on public speaking as well as learn from your peers.  Quizzes: Many video lectures have short quizzes embedded that reinforce basic knowledge of certain concepts and argument structures.  Google hangouts: Throughout the course, a few Google hangouts will be hosted for chatting with selected students about their experiences and challenges with speech composition and performance.  Speech Analysis and Modeling: One of the best ways to refine your own speech ability is through a close study of others' speeches.  We will have a number of opportunities to examine and discuss sample speeches and speakers. Growing out of our analysis of speakers, we will discuss who you hold up as a model speaker and analyze what makes that speaker so good.  Peer Assessment Assignments - Speeches and speech outlines: There are three optional speech assignments: an impromptu, informative, and persuasive speech. Students can elect to record and post videos of their speeches. Students can also post and receive peer feedback on their outlines for each speech. Recommended Background Course prerequisite: If you wish to complete the three speech assignments, you must have access to video recording equipment (e.g., digital camera, cell phone, flip camera, web cam, or video camera) and ability to share this digital content via the site youtube. Course Format Week 1: Course overview and key terms  Week 2: Preparing impromptu speeches  Week 3: Delivering impromptu speeches  Week 4: Informative speech basics  Week 5: Preparing informative speeches  Week 6: Delivering informative speeches  Week 7: Persuasive speech basics  Week 8: Preparing persuasive speeches  Week 9: Delivering persuasive speeches  Week 10: Course Conclusion I was looking at the website in details and I was fascinated! You can take as many free courses from top notch universities as you can and want!! It is a non-for-profit organization, they have a vision to provide access to high quality education to everyone. Knowledge without limits. It is just great! I'll let you know how it goes!

Google Trends

I just found this site released by google recently. It contains incredible amount of searching data series since 2003 globally. You can filter the data in different categories, countries, time, etc.

Check this out:
http://www.google.com/trends/

How to use google trends:

I got to check this out more!

Google hangouts

Living in a new country challenges you. First you want to keep in touch with your friends and of course still want to keep up with your emails and stuff. I love any google products in general but my favorite one by far is gmail.com. Basically I live on gmail. I am singned in 24/7. It provides me my two priority activities: chat and email at the same time.

However when you have other things to do (like working, studying, etc.) switching among windows and tabs to see your chat can be annoying and time wasting. So I googled if there any kind of experimented app or add-in or something like that. One year ago I installed an add-in I do not remember the name but it made me enable to have my chat always in the right bottom corner regardless what I am watching/doing or being currently at. 

A week ago google launched its updated google hangouts app and extension on normal computers. This is my real solution! 

It combines chat and skype together. All of my contacts show up in a list and i can start a conversation by clicking on them. It is nothing crazy right? But then you can just call them and share screens/chat/webcam/connect google drive/etc. This is a real ultimate office tool for free! You can create hangouts forming a group of many-many people. 

http://www.google.com/hangouts/

Just click on the green bubble next to your URL bar. And start your hangout anywhere you are.

I love this!

Thank you, google!

About my blogs

I have started the following blogs so far:
- http://kolikonyha.blogspot.com - aiming to show that you can cook good food from cheap in a dormitory

- http://mccsblogok.blogspot.com - aiming to collect and organize all the blogs that my college mates are writing

- http://aquacultureinhungary.blogspot.com - aiming to create the Hungarian aquaculture sector journal (future project I just registered it for the name)

- http://mathiashostel.blogspot.com - aiming to generate traffic to my hostel's site and still provide useful information to my guests - 4073 views - 10 posts

- http://businessmodelreview.blogspot.com - aiming to write about business models I am fascinated by in the USA - currently used to pass the class

- http://benceinus.blogspot.com - this is my personal diary on the internet that I have been writing for 2 years. I started on my first day I arrived to the US. Now I have 104 posts with almost 12,000 views from 54 countries all around the world. I regularly update my blog on a weekly basis.

I like this blog because I can read and refresh all my wonderful memories I got in the US. I also travel a lot and this site has a sub-page that shows our trips. So far I have visited 35 states out of 50 mostly in 2012. My goal became to check and visit all 50 states. The four corner of the country have been submitted. We cruised even up to Alaska. Couple crazy trips:
- Hamden-Florida (Key West) 4000 miles in 7 days driving
- Hamden-Alaska cruising
- Hamden-Mississippi in 3 days driving
- Hamden-Nova Scotia in 4 days driving
- Hamden-Milwaukee in 4 days driving
- Hamden-Labrador 3500 miles in 7 days driving
- Hamden-West Coast - flying and driving

Couple big trips Mid West trip 4500 miles in 12 days and Route 66 trip 2000 in 14 days.

Transfering my blog to tumblr

Yahoo just bought recently tumblr.com for $1.1 billion (http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/19/technology/yahoo-tumblr/index.html). It is a crazy amount of money. I had no interest in tumblr so until now I haven't used it.
This is one of the most visited miniblog on tumblr. http://theworstroom.tumblr.com/ I do like this blog too. Simple funny and easy to digest. The idea about tumblr is to combine twitter and blogger together and enable people to easily share anything they like, don't like on internet in a short entertaining way.

I went on tumblr.com and in 5 minutes i had my personnel tumblr. To me it is still new and probably will not spend too much time playing around with it. We all have our time constraint, and since i have couple blogs and my whole life to manage you don't want to split your effort on different media channels.
So I had an idea what if i could transfer my current blogs to my tumblr site.

Search blogger to tumblr and you will find this site first ranked: http://www.bloggertotumblr.com/

Here you type your current blogger URL and add your freshly created blank tumblr.com site and boom, it transfers all the content you created already in seconds. But don't delete your blogger, because tumblr.com actually links everything to your blog. Meaning that as you refresh your blog it automatically updates your tumblr.com too. 

What is the benefit? One rule on the internet is that you want your future readers/visitors to find you on the internet. You can submit you tumblr to googlebots so you increase the likelihood of the traffic to your site. 

More hits mean more chance to generate money in some ways. 

:)

my blog:

http://benceinus.blogspot.com

and my fresh tumblr:

http://benceinus.tumblr.com

Introduction

Hi! My name is Bence Erdelyi, a recent MBA graduate student at Quinnipiac University. I have couple blogs to write and been doing this for years. This specific one is required by my very last class (after my graduation  ceremony) CIS (Computer Information Science).

As far as I concern any technology related stuff learning based on your individual interest. Whatever problem you have on your laptop/tablet/smart phone you just google your problem and find your solution pretty much for sure. I will not invent anything on this blog, just will blog about stuff I am concerned and experienced.

Because this is the introduction post I am going to share two useful things I learnt. One of this is an online bio site (http://about.me) and the other one is a video resume.

Let's start with the first one:

This site is so simple. You go on about.me, register, create an account and add your bio, then adjust the outlook however you want and then boom. You are good to go. Sometimes dont't forget to refresh your bio. 

I added this link to my business card and my email footer. So anybody can check me out. It is elegant, simple, unique and professional.

Second introduction tool is using youtube to broadcast yourself. My best friend, Jeffrey Bernhard introduced videoing to me. He set up his studio and since we talked about broadcasting he launched his channel (i will write about him later on) and shot many videos. I only made several of them and only one can be published. It is just not that easy as it seems like. Here I am talking about my fishfarming dream. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hsVu10FWaQ

In the next 27 posts you will find some useful tips and thoughts regarding computer information science:)

Or may be not:)