Working Friday--Slacking Rest of the Week!

I'm teaching three classes today, including one three-hour class, so it's a busy day.

I've missed a few reviews lately, so now I will catch up.

Nick's Business Ethics Blog (http://wwwethicbusi.blogspot.com/) has some good analytical opinions, but lacks links to other sources. Six posts isn't much now that we've finished the tenth week of the semester.

Calea's blog (http://caleaz.blogspot.com/) is great--great links, great graphics, great analysis. Not so great: no posts in the last 17 days.

Itsgoindown, (http://itsgoindown75.blogspot.com/) the blog on hip-hop cultre is also great--cool pictures, cool links, lots of great information. But again--last post was October 4--23 days ago!!!!

The Grammar Police are Back!

MSNBC has an interesting article on how grammar is resurfacing as a concern in American education. While this isn't specifically addressed to businesses, as we talked about when we discussed business style and correctness, grammar, punctuation and mechanics, these issues have remained a concern among many business offices.

"Me Blog" (http://ihavetodothisforschool.blogspot.com/) has a nice design, good graphics, and an interesting topic--the mountain biking industry. Unfortunately, it needs more posts. Last post, almost a month ago--September 24.

More good entires on "A Getaway" (http://a-getaway.blogspot.com/) about travel, this time focussing on the Fort Wayne hotel business. I would like to see more regular posts.

Courtney's Business Blog (http://sunflwersd.blogspot.com/) continues to be a very strong, and very regular blog. Good work!

My Own Slacker Friday

Eric Alterman calls the Friday entries in his blog( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-alterman/slacker-friday_b_31655.html) "Slacker Friday," because he spends most of his time linking and responding to readers, rather than writing original posts. This is my "Slacker Friday," though, based on my performance this week, its more like slacker Tuesday and Thursday.

Franz's blog(http://franz.seraphsix.net/) finally gets a really good post on October 12. Still, just one meaty post after nine weeks of class is disappointing.

RJ's blog on the gambling business (http://two4themoney.blogspot.com/) has been an example of consistency: a post in August, 6 posts in September, 4 posts so far in October. Really fine work!

Me blog:(http://ihavetodothisforschool.blogspot.com/ ) Such nice design! Such interesting posts! So few entries!

Outsourcing

I've been reading a lot about outsourcing lately, and I'm becoming more and more convinced that the ability to manage projects like our current group research projects, and the ability to use electronic genre, and keys to surviving in a world where jobs are outsourced.

More blog reviews.

The marketing effects blog(http://marketing-effects.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_marketing-effects_archive.html) had a good beginning, but has way too few articles, and none such September 28!

Roddick's blog The Right Way, (http://trump3034.blogspot.com/ ) a blog on sports and sports marketing is really interesting. The latest post on 7-11 is insightful. It has good use of graphics, too.

Doug's blog (http://dcdallas12.blogspot.com/) is suffering the blogger's disease: no entries since 9/21.

We are in week nine!!!!!

The semester is now more than 50% over--and I'm concerned because I suspect a lot of students will be dumping a lot of entries into their blogs at the very end of class. That's no way to blog. It shows a lack of interest in creating a conversation with an audience. And audience is always the central consideration you should be thinking about in business writing!!!

Joseph's blog (http://accountingandfinance.blogspot.com/) on accounting and finance careers doesn't have that problem. He has been blogging regularly since September, has lots of detailed entries which could help a reader navigate the thickets of trying to figure the best ways to make your way in these professions!

The investing blog (http://investing-jbower01.blogspot.com/) has some great ideas, but could connect better to other research, and needs to be more regular. No entries in the last ten days!

And the business marketing forum (http://marketingfreespeechforum.blog.com/), despite a great design is a disaster. The last entry was in August.

Keep blogging!

Sunday Blogging

I rarely blog on Sundays, but this week has been so challenging to the schedule, I figure I need to get the routine started early this week.

While Jamen's corporate communication research blog(http://jamenscorporatecommunicationresearch.blogspot.com/) could use a few more entries, I like the way he is using EBSCO host and other databases to find academic sources to help him brainstorm the topic. One weakness of much business research I study is its neglect of work done in academia (just as a weakness in much academic research is that it doesn't spend enough time examining what is actually happening in he business world. ) Both fields could gain from some cross-pollination.

Amanda's blog (http://manderz23.blogspot.com/) has only one real entry, dated September 30. For bloggers to build an audience, bloggers need to post regularly!

The Bar, Restaurant, and Club Scene blog(http://manderz23.blogspot.com/) is interesting in the variety and regularity of its posts! Everything from violence in clubs and bars, to the spinach scare, to HR problems. Nice work.

Back from Michigan

After a weekend of white-water kayaking on the Pine River, I'm back with more reviews.

Brian's blog (http://www.xanga.com/brenbc02) has some really cool entries about the sports business, some nice graphics, and links. No entries in over two weeks though.

Heather's marketing blog(http://marketingmajor-heather.blogspot.com/) is really coming along nicely. Lots of entries, great use of graphics and links, and a variety of marketing topics.

Agonser(http://marketingmajor-heather.blogspot.com/) shows that even a blog focusing on a single company (Starbucks) can have lots of interesting entries. Great work!

If you are looking for images which you can safely post without violating copyright, try Google images (http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi&q)

Three Reviews

AJ's law review (http://ajplf.blogspot.com/) has some five good entries, and the last one previews what he hopes to research next in the blog--a very good strategy. However, the blog needs more posts--none since Sept. 27.

J.T.'s business writing blog (http://christianjames78.blogspot.com/) has turned towards examining business from the context of his own experiences at work. I like the personal touch! I would still like to see more links, and longer, more analytical entries. But it really is a nice beginning.

Kyle's business ramblings (http://knerkm02.blogspot.com/) takes a nice stab at McDonalds' new service--they put the cream and sugar in your coffee. This blog is starting to find focus by looking at business trends through some recent happenings. Again--could use more entries.

And then there's more!

As we start our group projects, its possible you might consider using a blog to manage those group research projects. Jointly written blogs are very common now!

Dan's blog on global economics has lots of great entries(http://daniels-global-economics-blog.blogspot.com/). For example, did you know that a federal organization is redefining what it means to be a "supervisor?" If you read Dan's blog, you would know! While this doesn't sound like much, it is important, because if your job is classified as supervisory, you lose the ability to belong to a union, and you may lose the right to overtime pay. I remember when I got my first "supervisory" job as an Assistant Manager at Pizza Hut at the age of 21. I was thrilled with my new title and salary, until I discovered the company wanted me to help keep labor costs down by asking me to work 60-70 hours a week for my "salary," i.e. no overtime.

A great blog--lots of entries, but I'd like to see some visual content.

Zach's blog is a nice beginning--but it needs more entries (http://zacharyjsblog.blogspot.com/). I like the personal references to his own business experiences.

Melinda's Accounting Blog (http://accountingcareers.blogspot.com/) continues to have tons of great entries on the profession: jobs, companies, resources, etc. It could use some visual content, but it is a great blog!

More on Entering the Knowledge Economy

A business group, primarily made up of HR types, released a new survey of employers discussing the preparation of graduates of high schools, two-year colleges, and four year colleges. This group, the Conference Board, found high school grads particularly poorly prepared. Graduates of four-year colleges were considered the best prepared in the survey. However, all the news wasn't good. While those surveyed admired the Information Technology skills of graduates of four-year schools, they found students deficient in three areas: (1) Written communications; (2) Writing in English; (3) Leadership. While I'm not sure how those surveyed differentiated between #1 and #2, its interesting to me that in at least two of the areas described in my last blog entry as essential to success in the knowledge economy(leading projects, writing), graduates were identified as deficient. A discussion fo the report can be found here:

As we go forward in our group project, we need to be conscious of the importance of improving our skills in these areas. This project is an opportunity for you to grow these skills!

Some more blog reviews: Wendy's blog (http://wendysresearch.blogspot.com/) just keeps getting better and better. She has developed her profile section, she is using lots of links and pictures effectively, and she seems to be using the blog to comment on business news she find's interesting. Maintaining this type of blog means you will never be short of research ideas.

JT (http://jt-businesswriting.blogspot.com/) is doing a pretty good job advocating for using the market to prepare yourself for retirement. Some good entries, and the blog is progressing. I would like to see more use of links, and perhaps some graphics could be used to make the argument about stock appreciation stronger.

Gilder( http://jobsinrestaurants.blogspot.com/). Only one entry--the blog needs attention!

Working in the Knowledge Economy

Familiarity with electronic tools, the ability to communicate in writing and in speech, the ability to think critically, the ability to work in teams, the ability to manage projects: these are all skill essential to survival in the new economy, what some have called the "knowledge economy." Blogging can be a useful skill for all of these things. Blogging requires you to practice your writing skills, and just like playing a musical instrument, with practice comes proficiency. Blogging should be a place where you think critically about what you read and research--that's what a research blog is all about. Blogging can be used by teams as a place to collaborate on projects, and to manage those projects. So I would argue that the blog, in one way or another, asks you to work on all of these essential skills.

Some more reviews: October 1, and still no entries: http://personalfinance-clh.blogspot.com/.

The film research blog is starting to gain traction, but needs more entries, with more reflection: http://www.problogs.com/buckeye.

Finally an entry in this blog, and its a good one--nice links, nice statistics. Pretty interesting information: http://rachelw331.blogspot.com/.

The GM blog is very interesting: http://simplygm.blogspot.com/. However, considering the amount of news GM has recently generated, no entries in the last two weeks is disappointing to this reader, who is interested in the writer's take on all the news coming out of GM.