Danielle LaPorte is hosting a tele-Q&A on communications. It will cover topics from blogging to publishing. She is doing this as a fund raiser for someone who is trying to donate $50k to Write Girl--an organization that tries to help at risk girls find a voice through writing and communicating. Checkout the info page to see if this is something you might be interested in doing. … [Read more...] about Write Hot Truth
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Productivity501 Community Links
A week or so ago I asked what Productivity501 readers had been writing. This post highlights some articles written by our readers. I encourage you to check them out. If you see something that you like, be sure to let the author know in their comments or in the comments here. As someone who does a lot of writing, I know first hand how encouraging it is to hear from a reader. Managing Expectations Begins with your Members and Clients - William Biggs works as a communications consultant and has been a long time reader of Productivity501. This is an article he wrote about working with donors for non-profits. Much of it is relevant to the for profit sector as well. Don't Focus on … [Read more...] about Productivity501 Community Links
Donkey, Mule and Garden Hoses
A MULETEER set forth on a journey, driving before him an Donkey and a Mule, both well laden. The Donkey, as long as he traveled along the plain, carried his load with ease, but when he began to ascend the steep path of the mountain, felt his load to be more than he could bear. He entreated his companion to relieve him of a small portion, that he might carry home the rest; but the Mule paid no attention to the request. The Donkey shortly afterwards fell down dead under his burden. Not knowing what else to do in so wild a region, the Muleteer placed upon the Mule the load carried by the Donkey in addition to his own, and at the top of all placed the hide of the Donkey, after he had … [Read more...] about Donkey, Mule and Garden Hoses
App Inventor
If you want to make applications for your android phone, but don't know how to code, checkout App Inventor. It is kind of like Apple Automator, but for Android devices. It is getting a lot of use in education, but looks like it could be useful for anyone who wants to be able to do something automatically on their phone. … [Read more...] about App Inventor
Google Plus
I've started playing around with Google Plus. It has some interesting potential. If you are on G+, please consider following (or should I call it circling) my profile. Be watching for some up-coming contests on G+ as I figure out how it works. … [Read more...] about Google Plus
Do Airlines Need a CLO – Chief Lying Officer?
My wife, two kids and I had a trip planned to Florida to spend a week with her family on the beach. Originally we were going to drive, but at the last minute decided that was a bad idea and bought plane tickets on Delta. My parents graciously drove us to the airport in Kansas City. We checked our luggage and paid the $50 to take the pack and play and our suitcase. The fee was expected, but it still amazes me how much airlines can get by with. Oh well, at least Delta doesn't charge for using the restrooms like some airlines are trying. We went through security, found we had drastically over-estimated how long that would take, and settled in to wait for a few hours watching the planes with our … [Read more...] about Do Airlines Need a CLO – Chief Lying Officer?
News, Quotes, Thought & Misc
Google Plus & Google Apps Google Plus is starting to offer games on their new entry to social networking. However, they still haven't figured out how to let Google App users (you know, the people who pay google to use Gmail on their own domain) join the service. It seems odd to roll things out to you paying customers last. Are Ebooks a Good Deal? I've seen from several sources that students are buying ebooks in record numbers. I can understand the advantage of ebooks, but the economics are usually pretty poor. If you buy a real book, take care of it and sell it to someone taking the class next semester, I think you'll have a hard time justifying the cost of ebooks. Of course if … [Read more...] about News, Quotes, Thought & Misc
What Have You Written?
Have you written anything that you think readers of Productivity501 would enjoy? If so, send a link to your best article or blog post to [email protected]. We'll select some of our favorites and publish them in a community links post. … [Read more...] about What Have You Written?
Aversion to Change
Across the country, state and federal funding is being cut for education and this has left many communities scrambling to figure out what to do. I was originally hopeful that less money would prompt a reassessment of the fundamentals of education and encourage schools to really focus on the things that will give kids the tools they need for a successful career and benefit society as a whole. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be what is happening. The small town where I live voted to raise local taxes to make up some of the difference in funding to try to maintain the status quo as much as possible. I'm not opposed to paying more in taxes if the result is better educated kids but doing … [Read more...] about Aversion to Change
Some Great Links from Guiding Tech
Guiding Tech is a blog that focuses on technology with an emphasis on online productivity tools. It is worth checking out. Here is a sampling of some of the useful posts: Online Alternatives to Powerpoint Chrome Extensions To Block Distracting Sites Creating Screencasts with Screencast-o-matic Retro Photo Effect Webapp Email Signature Creator WiseStamp … [Read more...] about Some Great Links from Guiding Tech