A recent article by the 37signals folks discuss the results of a recent survey they did concerning their Backpack program. One of the things that they noticed was that a good many people were requesting or suggesting features that already existed.
I actually run across this all the time in my private practice as people express their “I wish I could…” goals. In a lot of instances it is because features are hidden or poorly documented, other times it is users not taking the time to read the documentation or help that is provided.
Either way, these “hidden” features are a drain of productivity on both sides of the coin. Development time on them is wasted if the end users who want them are not utilizing them.
So how do you resolve this?
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Thanks to our friends over at jkOnTheRun for letting us know about the huge HP Magic Giveaway contest. They are one of 50 participating sites that are each giving away a $6,000 prize package containing some great stuff for the Web Worker. The package includes notebooks, desktops, printers, netbooks, software and more.
The jkOnTheRun portion starts on December 16th but you can start entering on the other sites today. More details are available from HP and on each of the sponsoring blogs.
Good Luck!!
It’s hard work to set up and supervise a teleworking team for some projects. In the web content service I run, I need to gather work-from-home writers together and help them work as a team. This is especially important for projects that require group cooperation and interaction, such as an ebook or a multi-authored blog.
One of the advantages of teleworking is that there’s less opportunities for workplace gossip and personality clashes. Most teams approach their communications very matter-of-factly. But I find that this isn’t always the case, especially when members each have very different working styles.
When managing a team of very different people all over the globe, what can you do to keep the team, and the work, from imploding?
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A big chunk of web working has to do with managing your online presence. That means staying on top of social media trends, managing Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other profiles, and making sure all these communities are working to your advantage. A well-managed online presence could mean a Digg front-page one day, and a well-placed link another, generating a lot of traffic and interest in whatever service/product you may be selling.
It’s surprising, then that people so often overlook the value of a personal blog in the social media web.
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Last week Mike shared some thoughts on some of the reasons he is thankful he is a Web Worker. With the announcement that popular apps I Want Sandy and Stikkit are to close, I thought I would take a moment to list the acknowledge the tools or services that I am most thankful for.
These aren’t the only ones I use, but they are the ones that make my Web Working experience the best it can be.
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With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us and an economic mania going on, it’s a good time for all of us who have gainful employment to be thankful. For those who don’t, there are some good resources to tap in order to rectify the situation. In this post, I’ll round up some ideas for web workers who need work.
Whether you’re looking for something full time or part time, oDesk is a good place to start. It’s a staffing marketplace and management platform that provides a simple way to get hired for tech jobs available all around the world. We recently did an interview with the CEO, where he explains how the service works.
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There’s not much in a web worker’s life that beats a cheap or free phone service. Perhaps a supporting role in one of David Pogue’s next iPhone video musicals might, but odds are slim. Especially for me and my voice. Or maybe it’s because I have a face for podcasting, I don’t know. I do know however, that the iPhone Mr. Pogue sang about many moons ago can be a powerful VoIP tool if you have the right applications installed. Here’s a quick look, complete with links to the iTunes App Store, at four inexpensive or downright free solutions that are worthy productivity contenders.
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Even though WebWorkerDaily is staffed by a team of international writers, expect posting to be light over the Thanksgiving holiday. That gives us a chance to give thanks to the fine companies that sponsor this site.
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Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
