Top Stories of 2008: SaaS (December 23, 2008)
Closing out the year, bMighty—covering technology and business stories for the small and midsize company set—runs its top 20 list of stories for the year. Coming in (drumroll) #4 is "SaaS: Enterprise Power Comes to Smaller Businesses", my feature on software-as-a-service applications from earlier this year.
How to Write Great Online Content (December 10, 2008)
Out of the blue, a corporate writing coach emailed me recently to ask:
"What do you think are characteristics of good intranet writing? What techniques do you use when you write for an intranet as opposed to when you write for a magazine or newspaper?"
These are great questions, and not out of left field; one of my gigs has been writing reports about intranets and usability.
In this age of blogs, wikis and intranets in the work realm, then, what style of writing does work best? I fired off an email with some thoughts. Then thought about it some more, pitched an editor and in short order turned it into a new story for Dice.com. (Now if I could just adapt that turning-email-responses-into-stories technique to create a best-selling novel beloved by millions. Keep those questions coming.)
While the story is aimed at techies, the context and rules apply to anyone who writes at work. The context being that communicating well is not a static discipline and that increasingly, businesses are using tools such as content management software to push content creation to the employee "front lines."
Accordingly, learn how to craft content that gets you hired and promoted.
Cloud Computing & Home Security Stories (October 6, 2008)
Updates have been scarce lately thanks to a crazy schedule, not to mention moving house. The lack of a British summer (autumnal would be a nice way to put it) also made it difficult to believe time was passing.
On the work front, I have a few recent stories to highlight. First, InformationWeek recently ran my round-up of Internet-enabled home security systems. Soon: Secure your home from your iPhone.
Next up: cloud computing. Regardless of whether you think the term is the Next Big Thing, or already so over-hyped as to be meaningless, businesses are applying on-demand applications and storage in innovative and cost-effective new ways. And whenever technology costs less and gets easier to use, that's good news.
In fact, cloud computing does appear to deliver, as I discovered when speaking with companies which are running their entire business in the cloud. Another emerging trend, albeit one that is much less advanced than software-as-a-service applications: procuring IT infrastructure via cloud computing.
Look for more cloud computing-related stories soon. (Now if I could just get my photographs section updated.)
My First Forbes.com Story (May 21, 2008)
Forbes.com reprints my recent story for bMighty.com, "Powerful Enterprise Software Small Biz Can Afford." Nice to add a new publication to the roster.
Watch Your ID? (May 19, 2008)
Just back from a vacation in Istanbul (photos to follow).
Two new feature stories to plug:
- ID Theft: The first, on identity theft monitoring, asks whether these services are worth the cost. One clue: Anecdotally, privacy experts say ID theft monitoring, which is often offered as compensation if a company loses your personal data or it's stolen, only costs pennies per month when purchased in bulk, versus roughly $10–$20 per month for individual consumers. In addition, there are a number of steps consumers can take to safeguard their identities either for free, or for less. My InformationWeek story gives pointers.
- SaaS: For bMighty.com, I investigate new software-as-a-service application options for small businesses. Increasingly, SaaS applications are offering top-notch ERP, CRM, HR, and financial capabilities to smaller businesses that otherwise couldn't afford to install, maintain or license such software. Learn what's behind the trend, how it's leveling the software playing field and what's in store for the future.
When Hackers Go Free (March 14, 2008)
My first-ever story for InformationWeek runs this week, and asks: Should you hire a convicted hacker?
I field answers to that question from such people as renowned ex-hacker Kevin Mitnick; the principal deputy chief of the Department of Justice's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Christopher Painter; Jon Erickson, author of Hacking: The Art of Exploitation; and Cisco information security expert Jimmy Ray Purser.
The verdict: securing gainful information security employment with a conviction on your record presents challenges. (And that's putting it mildly.)
Return to Paris (February 1, 2008)
Back recently from two weeks in Paris, balancing work and play. Beyond simply walking the city, climbing the Notre Dame towers for the aerial city view (right), or passing time in cafes, highlights included four museum exhibitions.
The Grand Palais mounted a massive Courbet exhibition, which soon moves to the New York Met (February 27–May 18, 2008). Worth a visit. Meanwhile, the Pinacothèque de Paris paid homage to expressionist Chaïm Soutine, in his first retrospective since 1973. Also at the Pinacothèque: “One Jump,” Magnum photographer Alex Majoli's series for the 2007 Cannes Festival, of jumping celebrities.
Finally, and perhaps most notoriously, the Bibliothèque Nationale staged l’Enfer (Hell), which included selections from the library's collection, begun in the 1830s, of persecuted, condemned, and suppressed works — contraires aux bonnes mœurs. The National Library labels the exhibition as a celebration of eroticism, fantasy, desire, politics and pornography.
For more on all the exhibits, see "Paris Celebrates Courbet, Soutine, and Hell at the Library."
Oxford: St Aldates Guidebook Photo (January 16, 2008)
My photograph of a green Oxford Park & Ride double-decker bus driving south on St. Aldates has been included in the fourth edition of the Schmap Oxford Guide, in the St. Aldates section. This is the first I'd heard of the online Schmap guidebook series, which is free, and which seems to offer good, quick overviews of local items of interest.
Rebooting Records Retention (January 15, 2008)
My latest story for IT Compliance Institute talks about records retention. Specifically, under the revised Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), organizations must demonstrate that their electronic information is complete, accessible, and reliable. This is a challenge. The story discusses how to create a new records retention strategy to help.