I’ve finally found a system that works for keeping my inbox at a manageable size (one screen or less), a variation of the GTD system. Step 1: Do I need to respond to this email? Many emails are sent to me for my reference — or are spam. If they’re spam, I lick Gmail’s spam […]
Finally — email inbox success Read More »
Today (well, it’s after midnight, so it was yesterday) I attended a Meetup of the Northampton Web Developers/ Web Designers Meetup Group. Excellent, excellent meeting. Many web developers there — most looking like young, Silicon Valley Web 2.0 types. Mostly a male crowd, four Macs to one PC in terms of the laptop ratio. The
Content management systems — the good, the bad, and the ugly Read More »
I don’t know if anyone remembers this, but there used to be days… the days of BitNet… when using the Internet meant a command-line interface on a mainframe terminals. Then there were the bulletin boards and their menu-driven interfaces. Anybody out there remember menus? Between the bulletin boards and the World Wide Web, there was
The future of the Internet is coming on Read More »
I believe that, on average, the sharper your focus, the further you will get in life — whether in your career, your business, your hobbies, or anything else you’re after. Unfortunately, picking a career is no easier than picking a mate — no matter how attractive your spouse, there will always be other people who
Tempted to cheat on my chosen career Read More »
Sorry about not posting last month — it was a busy, busy May. The company continues to grow — and new people have to be trained, new clients dealt with. I was on local TV — the International Channel Shanghai — and taped the first episode of a new ITV-Asia program, Emerging China, for which
When people find out that I’m a business journalist, they invariably ask me for stock tips. After all, I’m probably sitting on tons of juicy corporate insider dope that my editors won’t print so as not to offend advertisers, right? According to precious metals IRA reviews, if you’re looking to secure your future, investing your
How to invest your money and beat the stock market Read More »
I’m going to be heading off to the U.S. on July 15 — and coming back in the fall — but I’m already nostalgic for the Shanghai of today. I was down in the French Concession area this afternoon, one of the nicest parts of Shanghai. After having a quick bite at Abbey Road with
Nostalgic for My Shanghai Read More »
I’ve been using Twitter for about a week now. I keep all the tweets in a column on the side of my browser windows (using Twitbin). It feels like being in a chatroom populated exclusively by your friends — the friends who Twitter, that is. My Twitter handle is Maria_Trombly if anyone wants to follow
One week of Twitter Read More »
Today I left the house and stepped into what, in Massachusetts, would be considered a pretty hot summer day – 77 degrees Farenheit (25 Celsius). So much for the one week of nice, spring weather. From now, it’s only going to get worse and worse. I plan to stay inside for the next two months
Summer has come to Shanghai Read More »
I don’t see a lot of hits for “editorial process outsourcing” in Google — but this is exactly what we do. Publications have been doing outsourcing for a long, long time. Mostly, they just outsource the development of content. They use freelance writers and freelance photographers, and they buy photos and articles from agencies. Editorial
Editorial Process Outsourcing Read More »
The Culture Matters show aired last week. People could watch me every night at 6:30 p.m., then again the next day around noon. Finally, this past Sunday, someone recognized me on the street. It was someone I already knew, though — Megan Shank, an editor at the Chinese edition of Newsweek. People at my kids’
Recognized on the street Read More »
I took some time away from work to see some elephants, as long as I was in Thailand. I was with Tim Phillips, editor of Petfood Industry magazine, and Julie Lezner Kirk, an expert on petfood safety and traceability, who also spoke at the conference. This is a picture of me riding an elephant. In
Riding the elephant Read More »
Today I gave a talk about global and Asian petfood industry trends at a conference in Bangkok. One of our clients is Petfood Industry magazine, and we’ve been covering the melanine-laced petfood scandal since it broke last summer. If you forgot, hundreds of dogs and cats were killed or sickened by petfood made with wheat
Speaking in Bangkok Read More »
A beginning freelancer asked me today whether he should be a writer or an editor — and whether he could do both. At the end of the conversation, he decided what he wanted to do, but I’ve heard the question several times, so I’ll post my answer here. Editing and writing are two completely different
Should you be a writer or an editor? Read More »
Last Friday night, a bunch of us journalists slash bloggers slash entrepreneurs — and, in Shanghai, who isn’t these days? — were sitting around talking about cultural differences. We had a guy from a Chinese province who had moved to Shanghai, who was worried about taking care of his parents. A young guy who moved
Cultural wars: the parent trap Read More »
