This Place is Taken

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Reasons not to buy from Amazon - Richard Stallman

Reasons not to buy from Amazon - Richard Stallman:

Check out the daily Political Notes.

If you want to order a book (or something else), don't buy it from Amazon. If it's a book, order it directly from the publisher or through a local book store. Here are the reasons — plenty of them.
Amazon publishes ebooks designed to attack your freedom (PDF or html).
Amazon's on-line music "sales" have some of the same problems as the ebooks: users are required to identify themselves and sign a contract that denies them the freedoms they would have with a CD.
Amazon's shipping in the US is done in a sweatshop More info, including paramedics standing by for workers who pass out from the heat.
Amazon cut off service to Wikileaks, claiming that whistleblowing violates its terms of service. It had no need to go to court to prove this, because if you rent a server from Amazon, you have no rights.
Amazon squeezes small publishers. For instance, Amazon cut off Swindle sales for an independent book distributor in order to press for bigger discounts. (The article ends by promoting ebooks for another platform, the Shnook from Barnes and Noble. While that company is not as nasty to small publishers, its ebooks do violate your freedom in most of the same ways.)
Amazon doesn't just compete with independent book stores, it arrogantly seeks to destroy them. Independent book stores urge people not to buy from Amazon.
Amazon appears to treat self-published authors well, but it can unilaterally cut the price of their books. And when it does, the authors are the ones who lose.
Amazon censored an ebook that exposed how ebook bestseller lists can be manipulated (and therefore are meaningless).
Amazon was a member of ALEC. ALEC is the right-wing lobbying group that promotes voter-suppression laws and "shoot first" laws, as well as attacks against wages and working conditions in the US. Amazon quit ALEC after public pressure in May 2012, but I am sure it still seeks the same nasty policies that ALEC advocated and is waiting for a new tool to achieve them.
Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Richard Stallman
Verbatim copying and redistribution of this entire page are permitted provided this notice is preserved.

Amazon
Check out the daily Political Notes.

If you want to order a book (or something else), don't buy it from Amazon. If it's a book, order it directly from the publisher or through a local book store. Here are the reasons — plenty of them.
Amazon publishes ebooks designed to attack your freedom (PDF or html).
Amazon's on-line music "sales" have some of the same problems as the ebooks: users are required to identify themselves and sign a contract that denies them the freedoms they would have with a CD.
Amazon's shipping in the US is done in a sweatshop More info, including paramedics standing by for workers who pass out from the heat.
Amazon cut off service to Wikileaks, claiming that whistleblowing violates its terms of service. It had no need to go to court to prove this, because if you rent a server from Amazon, you have no rights.
Amazon squeezes small publishers. For instance, Amazon cut off Swindle sales for an independent book distributor in order to press for bigger discounts. (The article ends by promoting ebooks for another platform, the Shnook from Barnes and Noble. While that company is not as nasty to small publishers, its ebooks do violate your freedom in most of the same ways.)
Amazon doesn't just compete with independent book stores, it arrogantly seeks to destroy them. Independent book stores urge people not to buy from Amazon.
Amazon appears to treat self-published authors well, but it can unilaterally cut the price of their books. And when it does, the authors are the ones who lose.
Amazon censored an ebook that exposed how ebook bestseller lists can be manipulated (and therefore are meaningless).
Amazon was a member of ALEC. ALEC is the right-wing lobbying group that promotes voter-suppression laws and "shoot first" laws, as well as attacks against wages and working conditions in the US. Amazon quit ALEC after public pressure in May 2012, but I am sure it still seeks the same nasty policies that ALEC advocated and is waiting for a new tool to achieve them.
Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Richard Stallman
Verbatim copying and redistribution of this entire page are permitted provided this notice is preserved.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Pic of the day

Saturday, October 27, 2012

How Being Unreachable Makes Me More Productive

How Being Unreachable Makes Me More Productive:

Want to know a secret? I am not always reachable. I don't always answer my phone. Sometimes, I don't check email all day. And I get a lot more done because of it.

Knock, Knock…and Knock

One day I was in my office having a meeting on an important topic. Meanwhile, a colleague emailed me. Then he texted. Then he rang my desk phone, followed immediately by my cellphone. (I am not making this up.) And finally, he came downstairs and knocked on my door. At this point, I figured that something critical was going on, so I stepped out of the meeting to see what was so important.
It turns out he was simply looking for a reference document that he had misplaced. It was not urgent. Yet, this individual did not see the issue in repeatedly pinging and interrupting me. In fact, he was frustrated that he could not immediately reach me.

Limiting the Interruptions

I am a big believer that our communication tools are there for our benefit. Not for the benefit of others to constantly interrupt our lives. The answer to the question, "Why didn't you answer your phone?" is, "Because I was busy."
When I am working on something important, I tend to shut out all outside interruptions. I go to my unreachable island of isolation so that I can get work done.
Here are some of my favorite tactics to limit interruptions:

Don't Answer That Phone: If I don't know who is calling, I don't answer it. Plain and simple. That is what voicemail is for.
Use Privacy Mode to Limit Callers: I take control of who can ring my cellphone by using Privacy Mode. That way only the people who I allow can actually ring my phone.
Only Read the Important Email: I don't read email very often. When I do, I make sure that I read the important ones first. I use the new VIP Inbox and a great service called Sanebox to make sure that my most important email is what I see first.
Don't Read Unsolicited Email: Lots of people complain about spam. I don't get much. But, the ones I do, I just don't read. Delete, delete, delete.
Use Quick Forms of Communication: A quick IM, text, or tweet can be much more efficient in some circumstances. Sometimes it is not necessary to get on the phone or have a face-to-face chat.
I Shut My Door: When I am working on something that needs concentration and uninterrupted creative time, I shut my door. Don't let some misguided open-door policy prevent you from getting your work done.
Set Expectations: One of the best ways to limit interruptions is to set expectations with your team. Ensure they know the preferred methods of communications and when it is appropriate to interrupt.
Practice the Right to Decline: Many people feel guilty if they do not answer their phone or immediately respond to an email. Give yourself permission to decline the interruptions.
Isolate Yourself When Necessary
I can go to my own island to avoid interruptions. And I may be unreachable, for a time, while I am getting work done. You are welcome to join me.
Just make sure you turn your phone ringer off.
How Being Unreachable Makes Me More Productive | Time Management Ninja

Craig Jarrow is the author of Time Management Ninja. The mission of this site it to help individuals and companies reclaim their time. He writes about time management, productivity, and goal setting.
Image remixed by Jonathan Kurten from Aaron Amat (Shutterstock).
Want to see your work on Lifehacker? Email Tessa.