CJReport is a citizen journalism website.Unlike other pro-am sites, CJReport admits anonymous posts, and edits. Also it’s got a Digg-like component, whereby users vote for the top stories to appear on the front page. Stories are categorized by topic, switch through the tabs to browse them. On the page bottom, you’ll find the latest releases. Contributing to CJ is similar to using a wiki. There are tabs for viewing, editing, images, revisions and votes. Revisions are equivalent to a story’s log—all edits are shown here. Anyone, even non-registered users can edit and submit stories.
Citizen journalism brings a more democratic stance to the news. CJReport makes it very easy for everyone to contribute. The UI is of the familiar wiki-type and the overall layout is clean and focused. Particularly nice touches are the ability to submit stories via your mobile, and the anonymous feature.
More at:http://www.cjreport.com/
Friday, August 31, 2007
OF ETHICS AND EFFICIENCY
Case Study:
Steven Fraser was in a fix. His efficient man friday Dilip Khare was found to be corrupt. Should Khare be asked to go, or should he be given another chance?
STEVEN Fraser read the fax message as it rolled out of the machine. "We have discussed Tapas Roy's case amongst ourselves, with our legal advisors and HR director Maya Suri. We have also given due consideration to your feelings on the matter.
However, we feel Roy's involvement in the accident was marginal, unpremeditated and his subsequent actions a result of panic. We feel it would be too harsh and unnecessary to terminate his service. The matter has been recorded in his personal dossier...."
Steven, the country manager of Pemento India, shook his head. "Very well, so be it..," he muttered, not entirely happy. Personally, he had nothing against Roy, but the entire episode was fraught with callousness and insensitivity, he felt.
Four months ago, Roy, a salesman with Pemento, had hitched a ride with a friend on his bike. Roy was attending to a sales call at Masjid Bunder in Mumbai and since he was late for a post-lunch area review meeting, he jumped on to a friend's bike to make it to Flora Fountain before 3 p.m. In the rush to get Roy to his office, the friend jumped a red light at Mohammed Ali Road and that was when he hit a pedestrian.
Intending to help the lady, Roy got off the bike, but his friend sped off. Rattled and fearing mob fury, Roy got into a taxi and fled too, but not before the public got the cab number. The lady, it turned out, was a school teacher whose husband was a lawyer" he filed a hit and run case.
Unable to find the bike rider, the police traced Roy through the cabby to the office of Pemento India and what followed was a nightmare. Roy claimed he did not know the person who drove the bike, that he had simply hitched a ride. That did not wash with the police or the lawyer who threatened to file a case of negligence. Eventually Roy was forced to identify his friend.
Steven was hopping mad. "This is absurd," he yelled. "It is a matter of a serious human rights violation and at Pemento we take a serious view of these issues. Roy is guilty on two counts: one, neglecting to help an injured party when he was partly responsible for the injury, and two, lying that he didn't know the driver of the bike. Clearly, he will have to leave Pemento.;"
HR director Maya Suri tried hard to defend Roy. "There is no court proceeding against him" the law has declared that his responsibility was minimal because he was not the driver. Roy simply happened to be there," said Maya. "Nonsense!" said Steven. "What view the law takes has nothing to do with human rights. That a responsible member of the company, on duty, acts in a manner not befitting the image of the company is the issue.
How can we take a lenient view of his lying, of ignoring a pedestrian who has been hurt by the very friend he was riding with? If he could act thus to save himself, could he not similarly lie to the detriment of the company to benefit himself? Can we be seen as a company that protects such a person?"
"Steven, Roy is young and ignorant," said Maya. "He `lied' as you say, but that was because he panicked. He had intended to help the victim, but fearing public ire, he fled. This is India, Steven, where mob fury is unmitigated and lethal. Then again, just because a friend was in the wrong does not make Roy an accomplice. Roy was in a fix and he was trying to manage it somehow. The fact that he came straight to the office and didn't disappear is proof enough of his honest intentions. To now say that Roy was also guilty of negligent behaviour appears unfair to me. We must stand by him."
"People must learn to accept responsibility even for their ignorance and for their inability to act responsibly," said Steven. "Social responsibility is an integral part of being a corporate citizen." Maya had then taken up the matter with the board, whose verdict was now lying in print on Steven's table.
Steven shrugged his shoulders and put the fax into a tray. Looking up he saw Dilip Khare, his personal assistant, standing before him with a pile of papers. "Dilip, Roy stays, that's the board's decision," he said. "What do you think?" "It's best to forgive and forget," said Dilip.
Steven considered the remark as he watched Dilip potter around the room putting away papers and files, pulling out folders and setting the alarm for a meeting at 4.30 p.m. As he put a post-it sticker which read `Stockist Mathur' on the clock, Steven smiled. "What would I do without you, Dilip?;" he asked.
Dilip was more than a personal assistant. He did much more than his job called for, which meant managing the life of his boss too. When the Frasers came to India, it was Dilip who arranged their stay, accompanied them on shopping sprees for linen and upholstery, cutlery and gadgets, even helped with their house lease, bought the car chosen by Mrs Fraser, organised its servicing, the petrol account, a driver... In short, he was the one person who had made their India posting manageable.
Steven was enormously overworked. If he left the workplace at 7 p.m., it was only to return to his study at 10 p.m. and slave away at market reports, plans, etc. Often he would call Dilip at 7 in the morning to dictate the tasks for the day, before he left for the plant. To make matters easy he had given Dilip a cellular phone. Later in the day they would talk and check on work done and new jobs to be done.
Dilip in turn managed Steven's deadlines, meetings, follow-ups on action plans etc. He was very efficient and Steven, who had come to India wondering about the quality of assistance he might have, was relieved. He encouraged Dilip to study further -- a course in sales management -- and promised him that his dream of getting into core operations would be fulfilled before Steven left India.
After 18 months in the country, Steven had come to rely on Dilip Completely. He was his coping mechanism in the hectic life that the indian operation entailed. Now Dilip managed a lot more independently
At 26, Dilip was very ambitious with dreams of making it big, even to step into Steven's shoes if he could. So enamoured was he of Steven's style and demeanour that, within a few months, he took to growing a small French beard like his boss. Steven had no class biases, shared his cigars with Dilip and often took him out to lunch at the various five-star restaurants he dined at. It was Steven's desire to treat him as an equal, socially.
By the end of 18 months, Steven had come to rely on Dilip completely. He was Steven's means of coping with the hectic life that the Indian operation entailed. Now Dilip managed a lot more independently, like collecting sales reports, collating them and e-mailing them to Steven wherever he was. Or issuing print orders for new stationery, buying supplies and even deciding on the supplier. Steven did not have the time, or the inclination, to look into such detail. He had trained Dilip adequately so that Dilip knew what was needed, anticipate them and execute them as necessary. The odd query that came directly to Steven from the market was efficiently passed on to the functionaries concerned for action. Pemento was now on the threshold of bigger things and the routine had to fall into place
But Dilip's airs and his demeanour irked the managers. It was common to see him, feet on the table, a cigar stuck between his lips, talking on the phone when Steven was not around. At such moments if any of the managers walked in, Dilip would not correct his posture, but gesture to the visitor to sit, which was rather unbecoming of an personal assistant, it was felt.
Dilip's growing irreverence towards his seniors did not escape Maya Suri's eye. "When you are working with a senior person like the country manager, your conduct comes under scrutiny. It is very important for you to be respectful and courteous, no matter what pressures you may be under," she had said to Dilip. "For instance," she said, "I wouldn't walk into Steven's room with a cigar stuck between my lips, as you are now doing." Dilip grinned and readily pulled the cigar off his mouth and stubbed it out on the floor.
Tough though she was, Maya knew that Dilip carried an efficient head on very young shoulders. At 26, he was like any youngster, full of cola and MTV and an attitude to match. But when it came to work, Dilip was the personification of efficiency and agility.
Read full text On:Click
Steven Fraser was in a fix. His efficient man friday Dilip Khare was found to be corrupt. Should Khare be asked to go, or should he be given another chance?
STEVEN Fraser read the fax message as it rolled out of the machine. "We have discussed Tapas Roy's case amongst ourselves, with our legal advisors and HR director Maya Suri. We have also given due consideration to your feelings on the matter.
However, we feel Roy's involvement in the accident was marginal, unpremeditated and his subsequent actions a result of panic. We feel it would be too harsh and unnecessary to terminate his service. The matter has been recorded in his personal dossier...."
Steven, the country manager of Pemento India, shook his head. "Very well, so be it..," he muttered, not entirely happy. Personally, he had nothing against Roy, but the entire episode was fraught with callousness and insensitivity, he felt.
Four months ago, Roy, a salesman with Pemento, had hitched a ride with a friend on his bike. Roy was attending to a sales call at Masjid Bunder in Mumbai and since he was late for a post-lunch area review meeting, he jumped on to a friend's bike to make it to Flora Fountain before 3 p.m. In the rush to get Roy to his office, the friend jumped a red light at Mohammed Ali Road and that was when he hit a pedestrian.
Intending to help the lady, Roy got off the bike, but his friend sped off. Rattled and fearing mob fury, Roy got into a taxi and fled too, but not before the public got the cab number. The lady, it turned out, was a school teacher whose husband was a lawyer" he filed a hit and run case.
Unable to find the bike rider, the police traced Roy through the cabby to the office of Pemento India and what followed was a nightmare. Roy claimed he did not know the person who drove the bike, that he had simply hitched a ride. That did not wash with the police or the lawyer who threatened to file a case of negligence. Eventually Roy was forced to identify his friend.
Steven was hopping mad. "This is absurd," he yelled. "It is a matter of a serious human rights violation and at Pemento we take a serious view of these issues. Roy is guilty on two counts: one, neglecting to help an injured party when he was partly responsible for the injury, and two, lying that he didn't know the driver of the bike. Clearly, he will have to leave Pemento.;"
HR director Maya Suri tried hard to defend Roy. "There is no court proceeding against him" the law has declared that his responsibility was minimal because he was not the driver. Roy simply happened to be there," said Maya. "Nonsense!" said Steven. "What view the law takes has nothing to do with human rights. That a responsible member of the company, on duty, acts in a manner not befitting the image of the company is the issue.
How can we take a lenient view of his lying, of ignoring a pedestrian who has been hurt by the very friend he was riding with? If he could act thus to save himself, could he not similarly lie to the detriment of the company to benefit himself? Can we be seen as a company that protects such a person?"
"Steven, Roy is young and ignorant," said Maya. "He `lied' as you say, but that was because he panicked. He had intended to help the victim, but fearing public ire, he fled. This is India, Steven, where mob fury is unmitigated and lethal. Then again, just because a friend was in the wrong does not make Roy an accomplice. Roy was in a fix and he was trying to manage it somehow. The fact that he came straight to the office and didn't disappear is proof enough of his honest intentions. To now say that Roy was also guilty of negligent behaviour appears unfair to me. We must stand by him."
"People must learn to accept responsibility even for their ignorance and for their inability to act responsibly," said Steven. "Social responsibility is an integral part of being a corporate citizen." Maya had then taken up the matter with the board, whose verdict was now lying in print on Steven's table.
Steven shrugged his shoulders and put the fax into a tray. Looking up he saw Dilip Khare, his personal assistant, standing before him with a pile of papers. "Dilip, Roy stays, that's the board's decision," he said. "What do you think?" "It's best to forgive and forget," said Dilip.
Steven considered the remark as he watched Dilip potter around the room putting away papers and files, pulling out folders and setting the alarm for a meeting at 4.30 p.m. As he put a post-it sticker which read `Stockist Mathur' on the clock, Steven smiled. "What would I do without you, Dilip?;" he asked.
Dilip was more than a personal assistant. He did much more than his job called for, which meant managing the life of his boss too. When the Frasers came to India, it was Dilip who arranged their stay, accompanied them on shopping sprees for linen and upholstery, cutlery and gadgets, even helped with their house lease, bought the car chosen by Mrs Fraser, organised its servicing, the petrol account, a driver... In short, he was the one person who had made their India posting manageable.
Steven was enormously overworked. If he left the workplace at 7 p.m., it was only to return to his study at 10 p.m. and slave away at market reports, plans, etc. Often he would call Dilip at 7 in the morning to dictate the tasks for the day, before he left for the plant. To make matters easy he had given Dilip a cellular phone. Later in the day they would talk and check on work done and new jobs to be done.
Dilip in turn managed Steven's deadlines, meetings, follow-ups on action plans etc. He was very efficient and Steven, who had come to India wondering about the quality of assistance he might have, was relieved. He encouraged Dilip to study further -- a course in sales management -- and promised him that his dream of getting into core operations would be fulfilled before Steven left India.
After 18 months in the country, Steven had come to rely on Dilip Completely. He was his coping mechanism in the hectic life that the indian operation entailed. Now Dilip managed a lot more independently
At 26, Dilip was very ambitious with dreams of making it big, even to step into Steven's shoes if he could. So enamoured was he of Steven's style and demeanour that, within a few months, he took to growing a small French beard like his boss. Steven had no class biases, shared his cigars with Dilip and often took him out to lunch at the various five-star restaurants he dined at. It was Steven's desire to treat him as an equal, socially.
By the end of 18 months, Steven had come to rely on Dilip completely. He was Steven's means of coping with the hectic life that the Indian operation entailed. Now Dilip managed a lot more independently, like collecting sales reports, collating them and e-mailing them to Steven wherever he was. Or issuing print orders for new stationery, buying supplies and even deciding on the supplier. Steven did not have the time, or the inclination, to look into such detail. He had trained Dilip adequately so that Dilip knew what was needed, anticipate them and execute them as necessary. The odd query that came directly to Steven from the market was efficiently passed on to the functionaries concerned for action. Pemento was now on the threshold of bigger things and the routine had to fall into place
But Dilip's airs and his demeanour irked the managers. It was common to see him, feet on the table, a cigar stuck between his lips, talking on the phone when Steven was not around. At such moments if any of the managers walked in, Dilip would not correct his posture, but gesture to the visitor to sit, which was rather unbecoming of an personal assistant, it was felt.
Dilip's growing irreverence towards his seniors did not escape Maya Suri's eye. "When you are working with a senior person like the country manager, your conduct comes under scrutiny. It is very important for you to be respectful and courteous, no matter what pressures you may be under," she had said to Dilip. "For instance," she said, "I wouldn't walk into Steven's room with a cigar stuck between my lips, as you are now doing." Dilip grinned and readily pulled the cigar off his mouth and stubbed it out on the floor.
Tough though she was, Maya knew that Dilip carried an efficient head on very young shoulders. At 26, he was like any youngster, full of cola and MTV and an attitude to match. But when it came to work, Dilip was the personification of efficiency and agility.
Read full text On:Click
On Money Making
Penns Grove, N.J. (FSB Magazine) -- I am the CEO of Parkway Corp., a Philadelphia company that operates 100 parking facilities in the U.S. My second business, breeding koi, started as a hobby. I bought about 40, to study what makes these beautiful fish so valuable. What is the best body shape? Is that brilliant red pattern going to disappear in six months, leaving the customer with an inferior fish? Many dealers base a koi's price on what it looks like today. We grade them according to what they'll look like over the years.
I launched this operation in southern New Jersey in 2002. Most U.S. koi breeders sell to the mass market; I saw an opportunity to breed better-quality fish for serious hobbyists. Most U.S. dealers fly to Japan and buy everything but tategoi, the highest-quality koi. They are too expensive. A five-inch fish, which will live about 50 years, costs more than $1,400 wholesale.
At Quality Koi (qualitykoi.com) we sell that same fish for less than $1,000. We breed 40 types of koi and sell 20,000 to 30,000 fish a year, 90% of which we sell wholesale to dealers. Their customers are hobbyists, who pay $15 to $5,000 a fish. Some have won prizes in fish shows against Japanese competitors. I've invested more in the farm than I ever thought I would. We expect to turn an operating profit at the end of this year, with revenues exceeding $500,000.
We've had many surprises. Four years ago thousands of fish disappeared in one day. We tested the water and found nothing wrong. A Japanese consultant visited and told us, "You have to walk the ponds." With each step, you release methane trapped beneath the clay bottom. Unless you release the gas regularly, it can erupt with such force that it disintegrates the fish. After five years we're still learning how to run the farm.
More at:http://www.qualitykoi.com/
via-FSB Magizne(http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/23/smbusiness/breeding_koi.fsb/index.htm?postversion=2007082708)
I launched this operation in southern New Jersey in 2002. Most U.S. koi breeders sell to the mass market; I saw an opportunity to breed better-quality fish for serious hobbyists. Most U.S. dealers fly to Japan and buy everything but tategoi, the highest-quality koi. They are too expensive. A five-inch fish, which will live about 50 years, costs more than $1,400 wholesale.
At Quality Koi (qualitykoi.com) we sell that same fish for less than $1,000. We breed 40 types of koi and sell 20,000 to 30,000 fish a year, 90% of which we sell wholesale to dealers. Their customers are hobbyists, who pay $15 to $5,000 a fish. Some have won prizes in fish shows against Japanese competitors. I've invested more in the farm than I ever thought I would. We expect to turn an operating profit at the end of this year, with revenues exceeding $500,000.
We've had many surprises. Four years ago thousands of fish disappeared in one day. We tested the water and found nothing wrong. A Japanese consultant visited and told us, "You have to walk the ponds." With each step, you release methane trapped beneath the clay bottom. Unless you release the gas regularly, it can erupt with such force that it disintegrates the fish. After five years we're still learning how to run the farm.
More at:http://www.qualitykoi.com/
via-FSB Magizne(http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/23/smbusiness/breeding_koi.fsb/index.htm?postversion=2007082708)
PaceTat offers on-skin advertising in the form of pacing guides
Washington, D.C.-based PaceTat offers on-skin advertising in the form of pacing guides. Pacing guides are used by runners in marathons and races to help them maintain the speed needed to finish a race within their goal time. Existing solutions include paper or plastic bracelets, which have a tendency to chafe and get in the way. PaceTat offers a comfortable and easy to read alternative: pacing guides transferred directly onto the skin of the forearm, like a temporary tattoo.
What's interesting for marketers is the branding opportunity: PaceTat offers custom branded versions for advertisers. Priced from USD 0.39 each, depending on order quantity, PaceTat's pacing guides present marketers with a unique canvas for conveying a message that literally sticks with the consumer until it’s washed off. The company, which was founded earlier this year, has already sold over 30,000 branded pacing guides. (They picked a desirable audience, too. In the US, the running market is notable for its median household income of roughly USD 113,000, according to Runner's World.)
PaceTat isn’t currently offering franchising or partnering arrangements, but the concept should inspire advertising mavens to find other methods of ‘skinvertising’. As a marketer, you know you're doing something right if consumers merge your brand with their own self-image. If they actually tattoo your logo directly onto their skin? Well, it doesn't get much better than that. ;-) Related: Advertising after dark—branded nightclub hand stamps.
Website: www.pacetat.com
Via-Springwise
What's interesting for marketers is the branding opportunity: PaceTat offers custom branded versions for advertisers. Priced from USD 0.39 each, depending on order quantity, PaceTat's pacing guides present marketers with a unique canvas for conveying a message that literally sticks with the consumer until it’s washed off. The company, which was founded earlier this year, has already sold over 30,000 branded pacing guides. (They picked a desirable audience, too. In the US, the running market is notable for its median household income of roughly USD 113,000, according to Runner's World.)
PaceTat isn’t currently offering franchising or partnering arrangements, but the concept should inspire advertising mavens to find other methods of ‘skinvertising’. As a marketer, you know you're doing something right if consumers merge your brand with their own self-image. If they actually tattoo your logo directly onto their skin? Well, it doesn't get much better than that. ;-) Related: Advertising after dark—branded nightclub hand stamps.
Website: www.pacetat.com
Via-Springwise
Get paid For Watching TV
BrightSpot TV, will deposit US $.50 into your BrightSpot TV account every time you watch a commercial. How does it work? First, you’ll need to sign up for a free account on the website. The site will then ask you for some personal information so they can cater advertisements to your interests. Then, all you have to do is watch the commercials that BrightSpot provides for you, answer a few questions from the advertisements for feedback purposes, and then you can begin to reap the benefits. If you don’t like the commercials you’re watching, you let the advertisers know; the more you give them feedback the more they’ll adapt the commercials to suit you.
BrightSpot delivers the power of choice to the people. It’s our right to define our own media experience. BrightSpot.TV allows their members to benefit from advertising without being intrusive or annoying. My time is precious and BrightSpot respects that. I only login to watch commercials when I have time. When I login, I have six commercials that match my interests in my SpotQueue. I can choose to watch all of them or none of them…it’s up to me.
More at:http://brightspot.tv/
BrightSpot delivers the power of choice to the people. It’s our right to define our own media experience. BrightSpot.TV allows their members to benefit from advertising without being intrusive or annoying. My time is precious and BrightSpot respects that. I only login to watch commercials when I have time. When I login, I have six commercials that match my interests in my SpotQueue. I can choose to watch all of them or none of them…it’s up to me.
More at:http://brightspot.tv/
For Your Project Solutions
LetsProve was found in 2006 with the vision of offering all business unit a new software-as-service model. Our first product is called "VO". VO steamlines Project planing, Task management ,Resource management, Document management, Issue management, Team collaboration, Time tracking and Analytics to help you maximize your productivity and returns. Based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Our vision is to offer a world-class software services for every business units. We accomplish this by remaining focused on inventing new technology with high-quality services.Their first product is "VO", which is an online time and project management solution. VO helps every member of the team be more productive from executives to customers. VO enables executives to track their projects status and expenses and it also allow customers to connect to the project and get the solutions they need. VO allows you to communicate with international team members so your project can be finished quickly. LetsProve.com gives businesses options so they can be more productive.
More at:http://www.letsprove.com/
Our vision is to offer a world-class software services for every business units. We accomplish this by remaining focused on inventing new technology with high-quality services.Their first product is "VO", which is an online time and project management solution. VO helps every member of the team be more productive from executives to customers. VO enables executives to track their projects status and expenses and it also allow customers to connect to the project and get the solutions they need. VO allows you to communicate with international team members so your project can be finished quickly. LetsProve.com gives businesses options so they can be more productive.
More at:http://www.letsprove.com/
Freelance Folder is a multi-authored blog dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and freelancers
Freelance Folder is a multi-authored blog dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and freelancers. Whether you're a blogger, writer, publisher, designer, artist, small business owner or entrepreneur, Freelance Folder is for you. At Freelance Folder you will find articles that provide you with the tools and information you need to succeed.FreelanceFolder.com posts daily on advice to become more successful in your entrepreneurial endeavors, with 32 different categories ranging from Advertising to Work-At-Home.The site appears to have very sound advice from the articles that I read with some very helpful tips about time management and expanding your customer base. The site links in to many other different sites that FreelanceFolder.com links to that can be very helpful for aspiring entrepreneurs as well. The site only shows posts for the last two months but already they have a vast array of articles on different subjects.
More at:http://freelancefolder.com/
More at:http://freelancefolder.com/
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