Vernor Vinge on Technological Unemployment | THE DECLINE OF SCARCITY Vernor Vinge is consistently one of the most interesting and conceptually dense futurists I’ve had an opportunity to listen to. While watching this excellent talk of his at Singularity University, my ears perked up at the mention of technological unemployment, the primary focus of this blog. About halfway into the talk he broached the general issue of technological disruption: “In the present era we all seem to be involved in the Red Queen’s race. Myself as a writer, I’m up against eBooks, and I’m up against all the piracy. Soon afterward he addressed the topic of technological unemployment more directly: “What comes after technological unemployment? Essentially Vinge is describing a theoretical crowdsourcing platform (or platforms) that could systematically harness human minds and direct them towards the tasks humans still do best. Of course today we do not have anything like such a platform, though we might have potential precursors. Vinge then continues:
7 Company Blogs That Build Community (And More) Company blogs aren’t usually considered supreme ROI-generators. Some simply see them as a necessity for SEO, while others hire writers because everyone else is doing it. A good blog is a community builder, a resource that users, friends, and partners turn to when they’re looking for information, advice, or even just a smile. A great blog is one that people talk about with their friends, read on a regular basis, and wait with bated breath for the next post. A blog is not only an opportunity to show off your authority, but it also helps keep your business top of mind. With that in mind, let’s look at 7 company blogs that do it right, along with some practical tips for getting the same success in your blog. Mint doesn’t offer a glamorous service — the platform helps users manage their budgets by categorizing their transactions. A blog about personal finance is a natural fit, and Mint does an exceptional job of providing practical advice that is relatable. 1. 2. Lessons to learn from Mint:
Basic income versus the robots Two weeks ago, I wrote about the idea of a citizen's income: the state replacing the vast majority of the benefit system with one cash payment made to everyone, regardless of employment or income. The advantages of such a change are legion. At a stroke, the thorny issues of incentives are done away with, since work always pays; the deadweight loss associated with means testing disappears (albeit replaced with the deadweight loss of giving money to people who don't need it); those most likely to fall through the cracks of a regimented welfare state find the barrier to re-entry done away with; and it allows for a recognition of the value of certain types of non-market labour, like caring or raising children. The New York Times' Paul Krugman and the Financial Times' Izabella Kaminska now wade into the fray, proposing another advantage of the policy: its redistributive effect. Now, redistribution is already, prima facie, one of the absolute best things a government can do. Krugman writes:
A parent's love -- no matter what - alice.default - HEC Paris Mail Will a Robot Take Your Job? Slowly, but surely, robots (and virtual ’bots that exist only as software) are taking over our jobs; according to one back-of-the-envelope projection, in ninety years “70 percent of today’s occupations will likewise be replaced by automation.” Should we be worried? Kevin Kelly, “senior maverick” at Wired magazine, and source for the above guestimate, says we shouldn’t. Instead, argues Kelly, in a Utopian piece titled “Better than Human,” we should welcome our new robot overlords. If history repeats itself, robots will replace our current jobs, but, says Kelly, we’ll have new jobs, that we can scarcely imagine: In the coming years robot-driven cars and trucks will become ubiquitous; this automation will spawn the new human occupation of trip optimizer, a person who tweaks the traffic system for optimal energy and time usage. Well, maybe. One possibility is that it won’t matter. Everyone has personal workbots…at their beck and call. Nobody knows for sure what will come next.
Born Rich First-time filmmaker Jamie Johnson, a 23-year-old heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune, captures the rituals, worries and social customs of the young Trumps, Vanderbilts, Newhouses and Bloombergs in the documentary special, Born Rich. Offering candid insights into the privileges and burdens of inheriting more money than most people will earn in a lifetime. Narrated by Johnson, a history student at New York University, and filmed over a three-year period, Born Rich spotlights ten young adults who came into the world knowing they would never have to work a day in their lives. These society-column names speak frankly about the one subject they all know is taboo: money. Most wealthy people are told from a very young age not to talk about money, notes Johnson. Among the peers Johnson interviews are: Josiah Hornblower, heir to the Vanderbilt and Whitney fortunes; S.I. Watch the full documentary now
Think Your Job Is Robot-Proof | Robots Are Taking Over the Office Fast food workers of New York City united yesterday (April 4) to protest the current minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. "It's impossible to support a family on $7.25 an hour," Gregory Reynoso, a Domino's employee, told the New York Times. "We're just surviving." Technology, however, may ultimately decide how much workers make, including college-educated, white-collar employees. The fast food workers are demanding that wages increase to $15 an hour. Because of inflation, according to the National Employment Law Project, the purchasing power of today's minimum wage is 30 percent less than it was in 1968, NPR.org reports. A 'fight with technology' But by demanding wages of $15 an hour, fast food workers may be sealing their own fates, Michael Saltsman, research director at the Employment Policies Institute, told NBC News. "The workers aren't in a fight with management, they’re in a fight with technology," Saltsman said. Robots never miss a deadline Take journalism (please).
Minimum Viable Personality Today we have a special guest post. There have been a few guest posts here at AVC. Maybe a half dozen in total. It's from our favorite Giant Robot Dinosaur and it's about Minimal Viable Personality, something I have referred to as "voice" in pior posts. One final note. s Top 15 Trends For Customer Service In 2013 2012 is still a vivid memory for most of us. But it’s time to look ahead to 2013 and focus on the key trends that customer service professionals need to pay attention to as they plan for success this year. Here are the top trends that I am tracking. My full report is here. Trend 1: Channel Preference Is Changing Rapidly Across all demographics, voice is still the primary communication channel used, but is quickly followed by self-service channels, and digital channels like chat and email. Trend 2: Mobile Solutions Are Becoming A Must-Have Customer service mobile applications remain nascent as more companies focus on their mobile marketing, sales, and eCommerce mobility strategies. Trend 3: Agile Service Is Becoming More Important Than Multichannel Service Customers expect service to be agile — that is, being able to start an interaction in one communication channel or touchpoint and complete it in another. Trend 4: Customers Expect Proactive Outbound Communication
Secret to Success - Neil Patel | Secret Entourage Some entrepreneurs would go back to their day jobs after a business failure but what happens if your business fails and you accrue over $1 million in debt at the age of 21? Neil Patel went through that very situation and stayed true to his entrepreneurial roots and continued to move forward. With a background in SEO and marketing, Neil has launched two very fast growing startups: KissMetrics and Crazy Egg. He’s here today to tell his story on how he went from making six figures doing SEO consulting for Fortune 500 companies during highschool to building multi-million dollar startups. Who was your first major client and how did you get them? My first client ever was Elpac Electronics, the power supply manufacturing company. I was taking nighttime college classes while I was in high school and gave a speech on how search engines work. What kind of results did you produce for the company and yourself? With SEO always evolving, how do you build a sustainable business?
The 80 best Tumblr blogs for designers | Tumblr Whether you're a creative director on the hunt for new talent, or a dev looking for some web design inspiration, Tumblr is full of inspirational work. The micro blogging service and social network makes it mega-easy for anyone wanting to know how to start a blog. Tumblr blogs can be set up in a matter of minutes and having a Tumblr account also enables you to 'follow' other people via their Tumblr blogs. It's this ease of use, and social appeal, that's seen Tumblr serve more than 45 million sites. With that in mind, we've done all the hard work for you, and brought you the best Tumblr blogs for designers, covering graphic design, photography, illustration, typography and more. Inspiration 01. It's difficult to categorise Richard Turley's blog – so we're not even going try: we'll put it first in this list, in its own category. Design curation 02. 03. 04. A creative practice working in the grey area of design, art direction and illustration, Adult Art Club is run by Jonny Costello. 05. 06.