that’s great…

lessons learned

Today is my last day at my current company. It was an interesting experience. I met some good people, and learned a lot about myself. I learned what kind of Engineer I was, and what I couldbe. I learned that I am a (mild) workaholic. I learned that enthusiasm does not equal success. I learned that assumptions really do make an ass of me. I learned I dont like cocaine… Just kidding, I love it. Ok, that was a joke; or was it?

In all seriousness, the greatest lesson of all was that I had to experience some negatives now so I could better handle or avoid them in the future. All in all, I appreciate this past oppurtunity, and look forward to my next.

Bribing Bloggers?

In Joel Spolsky’s most recent post, Bribing Bloggers, he states that even if a blogger discloses that they have received the item they are blogging about as a gift, that:

“the only conclusion I can come to is that this is ethically indistinguishable from bribery. Even if no quid-pro-quo is formally required, the gift creates a social obligation of reciprocity.”

He then goes on to reference Dr. Cialdini’s Influence. while I agree with most of the post, disclosure along with objectivity is exactly what makes the difference. Within the same summary Joel references, Dr Cialdini states that “The best defense against manipulation by the use of the Rule of Reciprocity to gain compliance is not the total rejection of initial offers by others. But rather, accepting initial favors or concessions in good faith, while also remaining prepared to see through them as tricks–should they later be proven so. Once they are seen in this way, there is no longer a need to feel the necessity to respond with a favor or concession.”

In the end, when writing, if need be, insert a disclosure. Either way, the reader should be cognizant of the context, and responsible enough to look for more than one opinion. Joel doesnt give the Vista a favorable review. Free laptop or not, would he have responded differently? I doubt it.

Sacrifice

If you have the time, I strongly recommend watching this editorial on the current state of President Bush’s Iraq policy. It’s 10 minutes of some honesty, that I doubt the president will actually hear… However, I do hope that some people around him do.

One of the biggest surprises is Senator McCain. What the heck happened there? This same guy was pushed out of running by the suggestion that he fathered a black child out of wed-lock (it was his adopted son). Great work Karl Rove, et al. Did McCain’s soul disapate over the past year?! Oh Well.

Super Villain Personality Test

I took this test, and I disagree with the results, but whatever. I think I am closer to the Kingpin.

Your results:
You are Green Goblin

Green Goblin 62% Kingpin 61% Juggernaut 58% Apocalypse 58% Venom 50% Dr. Doom 50% Magneto 49% The Joker 48% Mr. Freeze 48% Lex Luthor 48% Catwoman 47% Dark Phoenix 46% Two-Face 46% Mystique 38% Poison Ivy 34% Riddler 31%

Going to almost any length to achieve greatness in body and mind has led to a hard working and power hungry businessman.

Click here to take the Super Villain Personality Test