PicoBlog

Bad news: measuring engineering productivity is doomed Good news: there are effective ways to address the needs of all involved—engineers, managers, executives, & customers The desire to measure engineering productivity expresses a genuine human need. The problem is that trying to meet that need through metrics or even surveys inevitably poisons the data on which productivity measurement relies. Let’s dive into the structure of this dilemma before talking about the actual needs & how they can actually be addressed.

It's been more than three years since former University of North Carolina Wilmington professor Mike Adams killed himself after being pushed into early retirement for offensive tweets. My friend David French and my colleague Robert Shibley wrote powerful articles about it at the time, but I also wanted to say my piece. I first met Mike Adams back in 2001, when he was under investigation for responding dismissively to a student who was, as Mike summarized later, “blaming the 9/11 attacks on the United States Government,” all while the rubble was literally still smoking.

Hey Story Crafters, To follow up on 3 Tips for Creating a Memorable Main Character, I’ll do a character breakdown for a main character using the tips discussed in that post. I’ll use Shrek (I’ll be referring to the movie Shrek, since I haven’t read the book) for this character profile. Let’s take a quick look at Shrek’s name. At first glance, it seems like a made-up, interesting name to give a main character who happens to be an ogre: one syllable, harsh and odd-sounding, and unique.

Many of our readers have asked us to explore the details and dangers of “Project 2025”—a right-wing plan for how to move America toward authoritarian rule under a second Trump term. Few writers and scholars have been as clear-eyed and outspoken about this threat as Prof. Thomas Zimmer, who teaches 20th-century U.S. and international history at Georgetown University. We turned to Professor Zimmer to have him lay it out in plain terms and to help raise the alarm.

Much ado has been made of Troll 2* over the last decade or two. And for good reason: It’s one of the worst movies ever made, in the absolute best way. (If you know, you know.) Part of the charm of Troll 2, which is not directly evident from the film itself but has become a staple of its lore, is that it has absolutely nothing to do with Troll. (And Troll is actually pretty good!

Hi friend, Whenever I hear someone I love being hard on themselves—whether referring to something they did, how they look, or a habit they can’t kick—I have a little rejoinder. I always say, “Don’t talk about my friend like that.” It’s so easy for me to summon that kind of compassion for others—honestly, it’s the most natural thing in the world. But when it comes time to apply that same instruction to myself, I find it difficult.

Hi friend, Just this week, my family flew in from Tunisia for the holidays. They’re staying in Brooklyn with my husband Jon and me, which means we’re hosting all the festivities for the first time. I don’t think anything has ever made me feel so grown up. I went out and got an obnoxiously big tree—because we’ve never had a tree and I wanted to go all out—but I didn’t have enough ornaments.

Welcome to the latest entry in The Captain’s Log… I’m your host, Bob, and my mission here is to share personal, behind-the-scenes stories of ups and downs from my career leading tech startups and corporate innovation. I write to make you think, smile, and discover a shortcut to success or a trap to avoid. Here we go… By now, most of us understand how powerful a positive culture can be in the workplace.

A community of love, humor & Possibility. I was waiting for someone to give me proof of my life’s worthiness. F*ck that! YOU ARE YOUR OWN PROOF OF LIFE. Here you'll find poetry, art, guest essays, weird ramblings, offerings & OPEN ARMS. Not ready to be awkward ncG1vNJzZmiooqS8p7vFpaCfnaeewam2xKdlrK2SqMGir8pnmqilXw%3D%3D