Latest publications
Read my latest stories for The Wall Street Journal, Passcode, The Harvard Business Review, JSTOR Daily and more.
Blockbuster reminds us to make way for the new
Ever since it was announced that Blockbuster would close its remaining stores, I've wondered what would happen at the corner of Broadway and Blenheim. A wifi-wielding coffee shop? A wildly out-of-place H&M? An all-you-can-eat, gluten- and sugar-free cake buffet?...
Video: 10 reasons to stop apologizing for your online life
It's time to stop apologizing for your life online. That was the central message of my talk at TEDx Victoria in November, now on YouTube. From valuing your online attention to taking your online creativity seriously as real art, I argue that we can only unlock the...
Excel template: 7 steps to achieving your goals
Do you have trouble making good on your New Year's resolutions? Do you have a hard time staying focused on your most important work? Do you simply get overwhelmed by all the tasks on your plate, and worry about how to get them all done? When I'm trying to stay on...
Social media gives information workers the experience of materiality
Today's practice: If you haven't created something lately, try creating something online. At our all-university kick-off meeting for Emily Carr's spring semester, President Ron Burnett talked about the university's work in terms of materiality; in terms of the work,...
How self-reliance hurts online community
Today's practice: The next time you spend more than 15 minutes struggling with a tech challenge, stop trying to solve it yourself and ask someone for help. When our home media server froze as we were trying to watch a mother-daughter show tonight, I swung into...
How much social media is enough?
Today's practice: Focus on quality, not quantity. Today's tweets are full of references to New Year's resolutions: "Tweet more". "Tweet less". "Blog more". "Blog less." "Check Facebook no more than once a day." "Check Facebook at least once a day." You get the idea....
Top 2011 posts from other sites
For the past week, I've been rounding up the top posts from 2011 on this site -- both your favourites and my own. Today, I'm closing out the year by sharing 11 of the best posts I've read elsewhere this year. There are many others that belong on this list, too! Social...
Our online future: Top 2011 posts on the Internet and society
Top how-tos and tech tips of 2011
These top 2011 posts offer tech tips and how-tos on social media, web apps and blogging. From creating a desktop folder that stays in sync with Google Docs, to configuring Facebook to protect your kids’ privacy, you’ll find step-by-step help for getting things done online.
