Web Worker Daily |
| Posted: 02 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT The wave of adoption of telework as a routine work alternative continues to roll over mainstream businesses. That’s one of the messages of this year’s WorldatWork survey of its members - over 2500 human resources folks. The specific standout number for this particular survey is the proportion of organizations who say they offer their employees telework as an option. In the US, this number went from 30% last year to 42% this year; in Canada, the rise is from 25% to 40%. Even given the factors that make those relatively soft numbers - the self-selected nature of the survey, the vagueness of what “offering telework” might mean to different people - that’s still a significant jump. From this and other surveys, it seems clear that we’re past the point where web work is something that is only the province of a few trendsetters; soon we may even be the majority. We can only hope that things like reasonable tax treatment come along with that growth.           |
| Open Thread: What do You Want From a Browser? Posted: 02 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT We’ve written about Firefox, covered avant-garde niche browsers, and looked at the impending Google Chrome launch. But there’s a sizable community whose browser opinions we haven’t looked at: you, the web working public. When was the last time someone asked you what you wanted in a browser, as opposed to just handing you a new piece of whizbang software and telling you you’d love it? Well, here’s your chance. Forget about Firefox extensions and IE rendering modes and Safari speed and Opera standards-compliance for the moment, and imagine you’ve got a line into the development teams. What features are you missing in the current crop of browsers that would actually make your life easier and more productive? What promises do you wish they’d deliver on? What would make you switch to a new browser for your own web work?           |
| Staction Provides a New View of Project Management Posted: 02 Sep 2008 12:00 PM CDT
The reality is, even though they might each have their own strengths and weaknesses, they really do start to look and work the same. And then I took a look at Staction. It really is different. You interact with it differently. One page - two boxes. That’s it. You post content, add comments, create action items, log time, all from the same single interface. Enter your content in the box and a context sensitive area to the right lets you choose the options to automatically assign the appropriate tags. Files can be quickly added and uploaded for sharing, to-dos assigned to others, and messages can edited or replied to easily. You view your data differently as well. Staction tracks projects but it’s really about tracking communication, and it does this remarkably well. It creates a single stream of all interactions across all of your projects. Sound overwhelming? The Stream can be customized, filtered and then saved into views to show only the information that matches your current needs. An RSS feed is also available for each saved view. A demo video demonstrates this nifty feature very well. Back when I first saw Pownce, I thought that it could possibly work as a small group collaboration tool. The threaded post view and file handling along with the ability to keep messages private between groups were all appealing features. Staction is oddly reminiscent of Pownce but fully fleshed out with the appropriate functionality needed to really make it a productive communication and collaborative environment. On their home page, the Staction folks mention Basecamp as the standard project management app, and address how they differ.
If you are used to working in Basecamp or any of the other of it’s ilk, it may take some adjusting time to get used to this new way of viewing your projects. But while Staction may not look and work like other project management applications, it’s not so radical an interface to be difficult to use. My hunch is that opinions will be polarized. You’ll either appreciate the change or you will stare at your screen wondering where all of your tabs are. There is a certain comfort that comes with a familiar interface and this might just challenge you to think a bit differently about your project and communication. I for one appreciate the new take on things and am eager to implement this in my own work. Staction is from the same folks who brought us Jumpchart which we also reviewed favorably. While still currently in private beta, I encourage you to take a tour and join their mailing list to register for a chance to get involved. Does a project stream interest you? Is there life in project management beyond Basecamp? We do have a limited number of invites available through the links below. Act quickly though, when they’re gone, they’re gone. http://www.staction.com/signup/?code=c97459059e           This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Turning an iPod into a Remote Work Tool Posted: 02 Sep 2008 11:00 AM CDT I’m downloading apps like crazy onto my iPod Touch, trying to find the perfect combination of tools to make it more than just a great entertainment device. I was especially inspired by Judi Sohn’s post about her iPhone, one month later. I’m still on the fence about purchasing it only because it isn’t like an iPhone with its near-ubiquitous connection to the Internet and online work tools. When I’m not around wifi, it is not as useful to me from a work standpoint. So in addition to looking for work-related applications, I’ve been scoping out any application that can also support offline work. Here’s my growing list of iPod Touch/iPhone apps that are giving me added productivity when I’m not around my MacBook.  from veriosoft 1. Datacase ($6.99) by Veiosoft, LLC Datacase allows you to use your iPod as a wireless hard drive. Drag and drop files onto your iPod to access later. You can view audio, video, photos and document files including Word, PowerPoint and Excel spreadsheets. And you can view files in both Landscape or Normal mode. I’ve started using this to review proposals and presentations that I’m working on while I’m at a wired cafe or at the airport and don’t want to pull out my MacBook. 2. MiGhtyDocs (free) I can view all of my text Google Docs on my iPod even when I don’t have an online connection (as long as I remember to download the latest ones). Right now spreadsheets and presentation files are not supported but that is coming soon. Again, this is view-only - and it seems to only work in Normal mode vs. Landscape. So much of my work requires that I read over documents. It’s great to be able to do this during some down time - like standing in line at the post office.  instapaper.com 3. Instapaper (free) Oh how I love Instapaper. It is so simple, so focused on one thing, but really works for me. I use the Instapaper browser button to read articles and blog posts later, then I can sift through the articles - even on my iPod - to catch up with anything I haven’t had time to read. It really helps me as I conduct research for client projects. Again, anytime I can access something that is online even when not connected to wifi is a boon. 4. To Do ($9.99) by Appigio I downloaded about seven To Do apps from iTunes but couldn’t get the hang of any of them. Then a friend recommended Appigio’s To Do which sounded familiar because Judi had listed it as one of her favorite apps. I’m not a Remember The Milk fan even though the cow is still sitting on my MacBook desktop, taunting me. Instead, my friend told me she loves Toodledo which also syncs nicely with Appigio’s app. So far, so good although I’m probably only scratching the surface of its capabilities. 5. Evernote (free) I’ve been using Evernote on the Web for a while. Never did get into using the desktop version. But I’m transitioning easily to the iPod version. In a way, there may be some redundancy with Instapaper, but I find that I save more text-heavy articles on Instapaper and the more graphical ones on Evernote. 6. Spend Lite (free) I’m trying to set business budgets and manage them better. Spend Lite supports up to 5 weekly budgets versus the full version of Spend ($0.99) which allows for an unlimited number of daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly budgets. Not bad for less than a buck. Right now, just trying to figure out how Spend Lite works, but if it does work for me, I should have a much better handle on budgeting than ever before.  from TypePad blog 7. Tumble (free), WordPress (free), TypePad (free) In an effort to be more bloggy remotely, I’m exploring Tumble for Tumblr and the WordPress and TypePad apps. Well, almost. Tumble works for me but so far, I haven’t been inspired to use it as I more often rely on it as my lifestream, not my main blogging site. TypePad app is giving me an unexpected error so even though I need desperately to do more blogging on my 3 TypePad blogs, so far I cannot access them via the app. And for WordPress, I am still not sure how to set up my account to work on my pro-blogging gigs (all of which, coincidentally, are on WordPress). So maybe I’m not exploring but more like contemplating the usefulness if I can get these apps going. 8. CheckPlease (free) This may not seem work-related at first, but how many times have you gone out for a meal with a colleague or client and the awkwardness of splitting the bill comes up? Of course, the best case scenario is that someone (hopefully the one with more money) picks up the whole bill. But if not, now I can just whip out my iPod Touch and not only estimate tip based on any percentage I choose but also split the check amongst the parties. Fast, simple and really Gee Whiz for the whole table to Oooh and Aaah over. Makes me look so thoroughly modern and high tech. What other iPhone/iPod Touch apps are you using to be productive? I’m open to trying almost anything that can help me be more productive and more informed, with or without a wifi connection.           |
| Posted: 02 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT
Beyond that, they have plans to turn this collective intelligence of bookmarking into human-powered search, though those plans are as yet a bit fuzzy. Right now, their drag-and-drop user interface needs some tuning, and there’s not much content on the site yet. But if you’re not already committed to another bookmarking site, they might be worth a look.           |
| Posted: 02 Sep 2008 09:00 AM CDT
The first edition was a treasure-trove of pragmatic advice, how-tos and round-table discussion on the life of a freelance employee. Sadly, organizer Stephanie Booth has had to cancel the event for a number of reasons. However, the conference will live on as a free, half-day unconference - Solo Camp - taking place on the same date, at the same venue and with several of the original speakers volunteering to drop by. Find out more at the Solo Camp wiki… (Disclosure: I’ve been advising Stephanie in an unpaid, unofficial capacity!)           |
| When Work Ethics Collide for Cultural Reasons Posted: 01 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT I’ve had an interesting summer, and not all of it was good interesting. But I learned some things. As this summer comes to a close, I am enlightened about one thing in particular: if you’re working with the French, don’t expect to accomplish much in the month of August. In fact, when you’re working with people from any culture other than your own, you should be prepared to deal with assumptions and expectations regarding work that may be radically different from yours. Now, before moving here two years ago, I had heard my whole francophile life that the French all went on vacation in August. But of course, that had to be hyperbole, right? I’ve concluded at this point that it’s not much of an exaggeration. Here’s the scenario. I have a startup project and have brought the two co-directors of a French multimedia design firm on board. In early July, we signed a contract to outsource a software development project and had a strategic planning meeting where we agreed to get some tasks done by the end of August. Then Poof! my partners disappeared. By disappeared, I mean that I haven’t heard from them in weeks. My advisor and lawyer were also nowhere to be found this month. No appointments were available in August at the French government agency we’re going to for funding. The developer on the project is British and lives in London. I’m American. He and I kept plugging along, as you might expect. We’re web workers, after all, and nobody’s giving us paid vacation time! One of the things I’ve always admired about the French is that they have a serious handle on the work/life balance thing. I really do like that about this culture. When they aren’t working, they aren’t working. That means when they’re at lunch, they’re savoring the food and, not infrequently, a glass of wine or beer, while their iPhones and Blackberries remain tucked away in their pockets. And obviously, when they’re on vacation, they’re on vacation. Before you jump to any conclusions about the French based on this summer exodus habit of theirs, I want to point out that there are plenty of French people who have been working this summer, my husband included. And although the French work fewer hours than Americans do, they have the highest hourly productivity of any country (that’s GDP per hours worked). Many argue that they’re more productive when they are working because they take more time off. They’re doing something right anyway; American companies are France’s primary investors. But I’m trying to launch a startup here and, in my American view, “startup” and “vacation” are mutually exclusive concepts. This means I’m having a hard time reconciling my simultaneous respect and frustration when it comes to this culture’s work habits. So for several weeks, while I’ve managed this development project alone, I’ve been schizophrenically alternating between furious and flabbergasted, experiencing moments of admiration here and there. Admiration, for my partners’ having the discipline to take time all the way off, that is. The thing is, they probably don’t even realize how negatively an American partner could interpret the fact that they go completely off the grid the way they do. I’m quite sure these guys know less about how Americans operate than I know about how the French operate. I probably come across like some kind of business dominatrix to them. My husband, also a web worker, has been on the receiving end of work ethic-related misconceptions himself. For example, project managers at a major Chinese translation agency for which he does a great deal of software localization seem incapable of grasping that he doesn’t work on weekends, and certainly not for his regular rates. So where does that leave us? As web workers, we are increasingly placed in the position of having to work with cultures that don’t see work the way we do. It can be frustrating, or even infuriating for all parties. But then again, working with people who have different perspectives, priorities, and ways of thinking can enrich your work, your product, and your life. If you find yourself working with people from other cultures, my advice is to be very explicit about your expectations and make sure you know theirs from the very start of your negotiations to avoid any misunderstandings down the line. Try to educate yourself about doing business with that culture. As for my French partners, I’m going to ignore my culturally programmed performance criteria—for now—and give these guys a chance to show me what they can do when they’re not vacationing. I’d be very interested to hear about cultural disconnects you’ve experienced, how they impacted your work, and how you’ve handled them!           |
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