ItsDevelopmental - content + technology + people

A manifesto worth reading - especially if you are a publisher

Demand Media runs very large, successful websites such as ehow. It is a web native business and is not constrained by old world legacy issues.

The company manifesto is worth a read. From a publishing perspective, this line is important:

We create content that solves problems, answers questions, saves money, saves time and makes people laugh.

Links: paywalls and linked data

Good day for future of journalism discussions. Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger delivers this:

The Hugh Cudlipp lecture: Does journalism exist?

Jeff Jarvis responds with this: Rusbridger v. walls

But the business context for The Guardian is this: Current losses unsustainable, GNM managing director warns staff

So, paywalls it is for Murdoch: Rupert Murdoch plans charge for all news websites by next summer

But are paywalls for you? Find out by playing: Paywall!, the new web game sweeping the newspaper industry

And then there is the big potential for linked data: 'What is the value of Linked Data to the news industry?'

Enable users to share emails

UPDATE: I forgot to credit HR4change for the link. Many thanks!

Good post on Mashable about something rather simple - adding share buttons for social networks into your emails. Forward to a friend is a common feature but share on Twitter, facebook etc far less so.

Train operating companies: let me reschedule tickets online

Back to one of my pet hates - buying and changing train tickets online. This year I am using the First Great Western website to buy tickets as they do not charge an admin fee for purchase - like the tranline does.

Last night I had to reschedule a ticket bought on the FGW site. I was pointed to a separate customer service number for web purchases (time to join up CRM then?) and made the changes over the phone. I got charged £10 for the the admin for changing the tickets.

But why can't I do this on the site? All the details are held there - my details, the train tickets purchased and the booking engine for purchases.

I can only assume the revenue from making ticket amends is too great for the train operators to want to let users change their tickets for free. In my humble opinion train operating companies are having one big laugh at consumers' expense and it is a disgrace.

Keep an eye on copyright

Thanks to @computerweekly for pointing to this example of copyright infringement from the Independent newspaper.

Video: The 8 principles of fun

What is UX design?

This post might help demystify UX design.

My 2009

I was prompted to write this list after a friend I hadn't heard from asked me about our move out of London. So here is a very brief review of what happened . . .

Dec 08 Move to Bath following long discussions on where would be best to bring up a family. New Cross not great, suburbs dull, decent parts of London too expensive. Roisin is from Bath so we thought what the hell and did it. Plan was to move late 09 but Autumn 08 saw housing market slide and we thought it would take an age to sell the house. It didn't. I was going to change career (slightly) so I could be based in Bath but recession but a stop to that.

Jan Start commute to Sutton - Mon to Thurs in office working at Travel Weekly. Roisin pregnant - that wasn't the plan, not just yet. Due July. Very tough being away from family most of the week.

June Start a new job at XpertHR - user development editor - new role and a bit more flexibility. No direct reports so less emphasis on being in the office. Start building works on house - a family friend does the job. Due to be finished by 15 July (baby arrival date) but works take four months and we are still stuck in legal wranglings over payments.

July - Rosa Couzins born (hurrah)

September - Lewis starts school. He looked so cute in his uniform.

October - start working three days in office, two from home. Makes a huge difference. Means I leave on Monday morning and return on Wednesday in time for children's bed time. Dad dies. Unexpected, shocking, upsetting. Mum had a mild stroke a few weeks earlier so we were concerned about her. Dad dying was not in our thinking. He died quickly in his own bed. The best way to go. Mum is coping very well and my brother gave a lovely eulogy at the funeral.

We have also had an ongoing planning application problem which is now at appeal stage.

Roisin and the boys have coped remarkably with so much change. We are all healthy and are looking forward to getting a loft conversion (hopefully) so Rosa can have a room!!

Task setting for your annual appraisal

Yesterday I had my task setting session for 2010 as a part of my annual appraisal and for the first time in my career (all 16 years of it) my manager shared with me his tasks/targets.

This was quite a watershed because for the first time in my career I could see how my actions would impact on his targets and the aims and objectives of the business. It really was very refreshing.

And by seeing what he had to achieve we were able to have a good discussion about how my tasks would impact on his.

The result was a very useful discussion and a set of very interesting and engaging tasks. I also left the meeting feeling very motivated.

We also have also scheduled monthly meetings to look at my progress. This will be particularly useful for me as some of my tasks could change as a result of the shifting nature of our business - ie development requirements and priorities.

If, as a business, we could all see how our tasks relate to one another's then surely we would become more focused on outputs against business objectives? 

My reading list for 2010

This will be the place where I add new books that I want to read in 2010. Caveat: these will be the worky/professional books and not the leisure reading list, although I'm not sure there is any value in making such a distinction as the books I enjoy reading at the moment tend to be work/job related.

That said, I will have to read fiction so I can switch off.

Big area of interest for me is some of the wider thinking around technological developments, especially the psychology of web behaviour. I think we have come (me especially) from a fairly one dimensional view of how the web works but this has been blown apart by networked communication (platforms, hardware etc). So here are some books I have been recommended . . . I'll keep adding to the list as the year progresses.

The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz

The Nature of Technology: What it is and How it Evolves by W. Brian Arthur

The Emotion Machine: Commonsense Thinking, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of the Human Mind by Marvin Minsky

Smart World: Breakthrough Creativity and the New Science of Ideas by Richard Ogle