Publications
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Yelpless: What kinds of reviews get squelched by Yelp?
I'm an ardent (some might say pathological) Yelp user, and since I am incapable of putting anything in my mouth without first validating its viability on Yelp, I try to contribute back to the community by sharing my own perspectives and information, particularly on...
Is the Canadian media responsible for Western Canadian alienation?
What is the root cause of Western Canadian alienation? Contrary to common arguments, it's not because the rest of Canada fails to understand the West's "distinct history, economy and society", it's not due to the National Energy Program or even (as my friend and...
Bumper sticker conversation guide: 2×2 edition
This weekend my mind got blown a tiny bit by this unexpected combination of bumper stickers. Naturally, I facebooked the photo, and my friend Steve challenged me to fit this phenomenon into a 2x2. But as with any 2x2, the structure of the table should be determined by...
How 17 essential travel apps can improve your next vacation
Whether you’re packing your bags for a summer trip to Europe or packing the car for a summer road tip with the kids, you may be tempted to define your vacation by what you’re not packing: your computer, tablet or mobile phone. As more and more of us struggle with the...
Making room for messiness
For the past two weeks we've been in the middle of our semi-annual domestic meltdown. Meltdown features include: emergency school visits necessitating precipitous departures from work implementation of new household rules precipitating epically draining tantrums...
What you can learn by NOT throwing your child out of a window
A few years ago I found myself comparing vacation plans with a colleague — a single guy about a decade older than me. His upcoming vacation? A month-long backpacking trip to Hawaii, totally off the grid. When I marvelled at his bravery, he offered this wisdom: “Every...
Breaking my personal record for Craziest Apple Store Visit
Yesterday, 10 minutes into my flight to Toronto, my MacBook Pro's screen died. completely and dramatically. So when I hit the ground in TO, the first thing I did was called the nearest Apple store to see if I could get into the Genius Bar for a short-term fix. All...
Online Security as Herd Immunity
Privacy is available, but only if a critical mass of companies make the effort to protect it.
Established Companies, Get Ready for the Collaborative Economy
This post originally appeared on The Harvard Business Review website. As more and more startups like Airbnb, Etsy and Kickstarter crowd into the space of the collaborative economy, big brands are starting to get in on the action, too. Staples sells products developed...
Announcing Work Smarter, Rule Your Email
There's no part of online life that has a bigger impact on our productivity — and our happiness! — than email. But most email productivity guides focus on getting control over email, when what we really need is more control over our lives and our work. That's why I'm...
The Harvard Business Review
Yelpless: What kinds of reviews get squelched by Yelp?
I'm an ardent (some might say pathological) Yelp user, and since I am incapable of putting anything in my mouth without first validating its viability on Yelp, I try to contribute back to the community by sharing my own perspectives and information, particularly on...
Is the Canadian media responsible for Western Canadian alienation?
What is the root cause of Western Canadian alienation? Contrary to common arguments, it's not because the rest of Canada fails to understand the West's "distinct history, economy and society", it's not due to the National Energy Program or even (as my friend and...
Bumper sticker conversation guide: 2×2 edition
This weekend my mind got blown a tiny bit by this unexpected combination of bumper stickers. Naturally, I facebooked the photo, and my friend Steve challenged me to fit this phenomenon into a 2x2. But as with any 2x2, the structure of the table should be determined by...
How 17 essential travel apps can improve your next vacation
Whether you’re packing your bags for a summer trip to Europe or packing the car for a summer road tip with the kids, you may be tempted to define your vacation by what you’re not packing: your computer, tablet or mobile phone. As more and more of us struggle with the...
Making room for messiness
For the past two weeks we've been in the middle of our semi-annual domestic meltdown. Meltdown features include: emergency school visits necessitating precipitous departures from work implementation of new household rules precipitating epically draining tantrums...
What you can learn by NOT throwing your child out of a window
A few years ago I found myself comparing vacation plans with a colleague — a single guy about a decade older than me. His upcoming vacation? A month-long backpacking trip to Hawaii, totally off the grid. When I marvelled at his bravery, he offered this wisdom: “Every...
Breaking my personal record for Craziest Apple Store Visit
Yesterday, 10 minutes into my flight to Toronto, my MacBook Pro's screen died. completely and dramatically. So when I hit the ground in TO, the first thing I did was called the nearest Apple store to see if I could get into the Genius Bar for a short-term fix. All...
Online Security as Herd Immunity
Privacy is available, but only if a critical mass of companies make the effort to protect it.
Established Companies, Get Ready for the Collaborative Economy
This post originally appeared on The Harvard Business Review website. As more and more startups like Airbnb, Etsy and Kickstarter crowd into the space of the collaborative economy, big brands are starting to get in on the action, too. Staples sells products developed...
Announcing Work Smarter, Rule Your Email
There's no part of online life that has a bigger impact on our productivity — and our happiness! — than email. But most email productivity guides focus on getting control over email, when what we really need is more control over our lives and our work. That's why I'm...
OneZero
14 things to try if school doesn’t work for your child
If you run into challenges as your kid starts school — or if you’ve been struggling with school challenges for a while, as we have — you’re not alone. Here’s what we’ve learned from the struggle.
When school doesn’t fit: our 2E story
When I sat down to share my insights into navigating the school system with a kid who just doesn’t fit the conventional student mould, I realized that my insights were meaningless without the context of our own experience parenting a 2E (twice exceptional) child.
Why and How to Yes (and Yes Yes)
Yes and Yes Yes is an extraordinary gathering. Here is why I want to go back next year — and how I plan to make the most of it.
How digital tools can manage your kids’ schoolwork and activities
Staying on top of school emails and field trip permissions is a huge headache. Here’s the setup that could make it easier.
14 reasons not to allow your kid to fall asleep in your bed
Trying to convince your kid to stay in her own bed? Here’s a handy list of reasons.
Hey Vancouver: It’s okay to be boring
“Work-life balance”, “relaxed lifestyle”, “not Toronto” — these are the phrases Vancouverites use to describe what makes our city different from other cities. And not coincidentally, they are all ways of saying we’re a city with a slower pace than the vast majority of major North American cities.
How to Find Online Support During Life’s Biggest Milestones
Tech expert Alexandra Samuel helps you find online support when you are going through life’s biggest milestones.
Source: How to Find Online Support During Life’s Biggest Milestones
Using Online Resources to Stay Focused on Your Goals
Tech expert Alexandra Samuel shares six new strategies for using online resources to stay focused on your goals and inspired in your life.
Source: Using Online Resources to Stay Focused on Your Goals
JSTOR DAILY
14 things to try if school doesn’t work for your child
If you run into challenges as your kid starts school — or if you’ve been struggling with school challenges for a while, as we have — you’re not alone. Here’s what we’ve learned from the struggle.
When school doesn’t fit: our 2E story
When I sat down to share my insights into navigating the school system with a kid who just doesn’t fit the conventional student mould, I realized that my insights were meaningless without the context of our own experience parenting a 2E (twice exceptional) child.
Why and How to Yes (and Yes Yes)
Yes and Yes Yes is an extraordinary gathering. Here is why I want to go back next year — and how I plan to make the most of it.
How digital tools can manage your kids’ schoolwork and activities
Staying on top of school emails and field trip permissions is a huge headache. Here’s the setup that could make it easier.
14 reasons not to allow your kid to fall asleep in your bed
Trying to convince your kid to stay in her own bed? Here’s a handy list of reasons.
Hey Vancouver: It’s okay to be boring
“Work-life balance”, “relaxed lifestyle”, “not Toronto” — these are the phrases Vancouverites use to describe what makes our city different from other cities. And not coincidentally, they are all ways of saying we’re a city with a slower pace than the vast majority of major North American cities.
How to Find Online Support During Life’s Biggest Milestones
Tech expert Alexandra Samuel helps you find online support when you are going through life’s biggest milestones.
Source: How to Find Online Support During Life’s Biggest Milestones
Using Online Resources to Stay Focused on Your Goals
Tech expert Alexandra Samuel shares six new strategies for using online resources to stay focused on your goals and inspired in your life.
Source: Using Online Resources to Stay Focused on Your Goals
THE VERGE
The hybrid worker’s guide to screen time
How do you keep screen time intentional, healthy and rewarding? It’s a question many of us ask about our screen-glazed kids, but it’s also a question we need to ask of ourselves. Phones, computers and other gadgets are easy to overuse, not simply because we are frail...
No, Coda didn’t pay for that post.
No, Coda didn’t pay me to write that last post. But a few people wrote to ask, so I want to share the incriminating truth: I wrote that ode to Coda because I’m geeky, enthusiastic and incredibly bossy. I’m geeky enough to love a really good piece of software the way...
Your virtual Swiss Army Knife: Coda
What’s the best task list tool? How should I manage my social media content calendar? What system should I use to manage my startup’s sales pipeline? How can I keep track of my kid’s homework? I give the same answer to all of these questions: Coda. Coda is a flexible,...
Weird at Work
There is nothing like daily office attendance for teaching an employee how to fit in. That’s exactly why so many employers are fretful over the impact of hybrid and remote work on workplace culture, that nebulous term for the alchemy of knowledge exchange, human...