I love the office environment. I love working in it, I enjoyed being educated in it, and it was always my career aspiration. I even really like the film Office Space.

If I had to boil down my advice for a new member of the cubicle farm, it would be in three words: Flexibility, Priority, Diligence.

This is a really short entry. Hm. Perhaps my next subject will demand a bit longer blogging session, but this feels somehow appropriate today.

Happy productivity, everyone!

I haven’t participated in a good flame war in ages, but I remember the internet before Facebook. I remember the days when I was a blogger but nobody knew it was called “blogging” yet. I say this not to brag, but only to chuckle at the knowledge that some things never change; one of these things, I believe, is ignorant people using the internet as a forum for their inane commentaries.

Yet, this time, after someone left an expletive-laden comment on something I had written elsewhere, I obliged and posted a scathing response elsewhere.

I work in an industry that, among many avenues, includes programming for teambuilding activities — from teamwork-oriented initiative activities to group sessions on a ropes course. Often, teambuilding is performed with school groups; whether middle school or high school, even collegiate students or cheerleading squads, these particular groups tend to be more popular, more frequent, then corporate teambuilding groups from area businesses.

This led me to wonder: Is “teamwork” a childish concept best known in our early-age concepts of sharing and being nice? Would “collaboration” be the relevant corporate equivalent? Is there still an appropriate space within professional context for discussion around being a “team player”? Are there really some, more than others, factors that contribute to effective teamwork in a business setting?

He was one of my favorites.  Read the story here.

On a lighter note: Don’t you just love a good joke?

Oh boy. Now here’s a topic that could lead to tons of discussion on varying branches. The question is this: Is technology helping humanity reach its apex or downfall?

Science fiction is arguably mostly an attempt to answer this question, with both sides being represents, popular examples of the latter would include the Matrix, Terminator, and I Robot series of stories. On the one hand, technological has offered solutions to efficiency problems in the workforce, food production in the fields, and even healing for diseases. On the other hand, human beings are arguably now more isolated than ever despite believing themselves to be more connected, efficiency is included in the calculations of how easily we can obliterate each other, and gadget tech geekiness has lent itself to easier addiction, obsession, and the resultant socially crippling defects.

On the spectrum between benefit to humanity and consequence to humanity, where do you believe technology lies?

People make a lot of stupid decisions, and their use of Facebook would be no exception. I believe my all-time favorite example on failbook.com was when a girl posted a lengthy status update concerning her hatred of her new job and her boss; not only did she post during business hours, but she had forgotten that her supervisor was a Facebook friend of hers. He was quick to point this out when he eventually responded, along with a brilliantly scathing response that culminated in his telling her to not bother showing up the next day.

Like many other items, Facebook is a tool, and can be used to great benefit or to great consequence. Knowing how to use Facebook in a professional manner can enhance one’s profile, but must be done carefully lest reputations or entire careers be ruined.

How do you use Facebook for business purposes?