You Work Here, Therefore We Own You

“You work here, therefore we own you.”

That’s the modus operandi for many white-collar employee agreements, which often assert that full-time employees should not take on any freelance work. And companies that do permit full-time employees to freelance often require prior written consent.… Read the rest

How To Be Happy, According To Professor Srikumar Rao

Our culture and acquired mental models predispose many of us to unhappiness, but things don’t have to be that way. That’s according to Professor Srikumar Rao, the feature guest at the January 28, 2010 Interesting Café, Clickable‘s innovators and culture event series.… Read the rest

Why Are Consumer Electronics Constructed So Cheaply?

I’m a gadget guy. I love consumer electronics. But there’s a critical flaw in the latest generation of devices: poor construction. Many devices I purchased in the late 1990s and early 2000s (and still own, believe it or not) still work like new, including video cameras, CD players, VCRs, stereos, tube televisions and answering machines — even an old Dell laptop.… Read the rest