fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Top 3 Enterprise Application trend I want to explore in 2021 as a software engineering student.
By: Sonam Wangmo
Tags: Enterprise Application, Internet of Things, Cybersecurity, Augmented Reality, Software Engineering

Enterprise application has been in demand eversince the world has moved towards digitalization. Knowing what enterprise application is as a software engineering student is very important. There are many new trends which have excited the whole world be in Augmented reality or be it Artificial Intelligence. With software people have achieved the impossible missions and set a very high expectation on what software can do. Following are the top three trends which have caught my attention and I really want to explore more about it. Let’s get to know why I want to explore it .

Augmented reality

There are some times when the real world becomes so monotonous and you want to experience something new. Augmented reality gives you the opportunity to augment the reality into something that you like and want the reality to be.

AR view from the camera vs the real view

Since, me and my friends are doing a small project on AR for our university campus which would basically act as a personal guide for all the people who are new to the university. So i want to learn how to code an AR application and implement it in our new application. We would be using React Framework for the application which i am really excited about.

2. IOT (Internet of Things)

Coming to the very topic which dragged me to choose the Software Engineering course as my major. IOT has always been a topic of interest to me. I have been obsessing about it from the day I got to know about it. How cool would it be to have everything automated and all you have to do is press a button and we cannot deny the fact of the role of IOT in the medical and agricultural field. The progress it has made in the years has been incredible. Knowing how to work with IOT can be very fun and I want to explore how it works and which area can we apply the software.

IOT can be used for almost everything around us.

3. Cybersecurity

After the digitalization. It has become very difficult to secure our data online. The Internet has reached all over the globe and once the information goes there then it is there for the whole world to see. Many firms use security measures to secure their information but the attacks by hackers are sometimes stronger then what was expected leading to many important informations being leaked. Cyber security has always been a subject of curiosity. As the cyber security developer becomes an expert so does the hacker and the race continues.

How cyber security works to protect te data

Enterprise application has been the revolution in the software world where people use it for all the purposes. I hope i will be able to learn more of the above trends and be able to apply it for real life applications in the future.
Healthcare API Market Worth $336.02 Million By 2027
By: Gaurav Shah
Tags: France, Italy, Spain, Internet of Things, Healthcare

The global healthcare API market size is expected to reach USD 336.02 million by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is projected to register a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.3% from 2020 to 2027. Increasing demand for healthcare integration and adoption of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) by the HCOs are the major factors driving the growth of the market.

Factors such as technological advancements in health care solutions and the co-existence of healthcare and IT services are expected to continue driving the adoption of healthcare API. It allows patients to get well acquainted with the doctors or specialist’s details and appointment suggestions. Increasing focus towards the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is expected to drive the market growth in the forthcoming years.

Industry players are trying to develop a fully integrated API solution to gain market penetration. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for remote access to patients’ data which is expected to boost the growth of the market. For instance, in May 2020, Change Healthcare launched a suite of solutions such as industry-standard APIs, hardware bundle, and software solutions in order to help telemedicine providers to deploy virtual care services.

Click the link below:

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/healthcare-api-market

Further key findings from the study suggest:
What is Internet of Things (IoT)?
Tags: Smartphones, Home Automation, Smart Home, Internet of Things, Technology

What is Internet of Things (IoT)?

IoT is simply a network of physical objects things with sensors & softwares, thus they can share generated information amongst each other, using the network. Just like we do over the internet.

IoT in Manufacturing

Industrial processes are undergoing a radical transformation. IoT has not only optimised the manufacturing processes from the shop-floor to making finished products. But has also enabled us to used this data to get smart insight with AI

IoT in Transportation

Freight and Public Transport services equipped with sensors has made it easy for us to schedule maintenance, optimise fuel and improve security. Now even car manufactures have also started using IoT to enabling things like Autonomous Driving and Accident Detection and Rescue etc.

IoT in Healthcare

Healthcare is fastest growing sector in IoT today and for years to come. From medical machines that enable patient monitoring and troubleshooting to real-time location systems to track medicine dispensation, staffers and patients.

IoT in Daily Life

SYAN brings IoT to your everyday lives with easy to set up Smart Home Automation. Enabling you to Control all your appliances, devices, lights and fans directly from your smartphone. With features such as energy use tracking and analytics, scheduling. Giving you the lifestyle and ease that you deserve.
Mutual Verification between Adjacent Devices Using Merkle-Tree Algorithm
Tags: Reapchain, IoT, Internet of Things, Network, Devices

Network is divided into multiple layers, and in many cases, miniaturized IoT devices are not equipped with an interface that supports direct communication with the main net.

To secure the accuracy of the data provided by the final sensor node in the IoT system, reliability verification is inevitable not only for relay nodes, but also for independent short range wireless networks connecting each node.

In cell network to which Reap SDK is applied, secondary security is possible by checking for the forgery of transmitted data, comparing the adjacent edge node with merkle tree value of the end node.

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Identifying fake news and misinformation in current times
By: Elie Sandro
Tags: Newsletter, Internet of Things, Social Media, News, Fake News

We have all have once fallen into the trap of. believing fake news as some of them are very believable and are written in a way that is so controversial that there is no way they wouldn’t grab your attention, however how can can we not fall for the trap & avoid it as best as we can, as the spread of news is now faster than ever with the help of social media!

First way of identifying fake new is to identify who wrote it, so you need to check for the name of the publisher you are reading and whether or not they have a track record of being trust worth! So if you are reading news on a site called Maggie’s gossip, it definitely won’t be as trust worthy as a well trusted source comparing it to publishers such as The Economist or BBC. In addition to that check their motives of posting these news or the purpose whether to entertain, persuade, expose, or to inform & educate as that can play a role in determining whether you should really listen to them or not.

Secondly, Does the article inform you of all sides of the topic or does it take the story from one stand point. As you’ve heard before some media publishers are controlled and monitored by certain governments or political parties so you have to tread lightly when observing their news as sometimes their news might be purely biased and tailor made to fit their political agenda, an example of that is the recent election where some news channels catered to certain groups of individuals and posted obviously biased news to persuade and aid certain parties in the elections. So make sure you look out for certain patterns & the way they display their news and make sure it displays fair information from all sides!

Lastly, do not trust getting your information of social media as Social Media platforms are not news publishers and many of them are not verified or trust worthy. Social Media is for people to connect and their share content. In addition to that Verification of news is virtually impossible on social media platforms. News on social media are often exaggerated and manipulated, always be cautious when looking at news on social media!

To sum it up, there is no way to be 100% clear of fake news, as they are written by humans that will make mistakes or subconsciously be bias to certain topics and there is no way to change that, however with caution and being vigilant one can limit the amount of fake news they consume on a daily basis
AWS threatens IIoT partner ecosystem
By: Ian Skerrett
Tags: Mqtt, Aws Iot, IoT, Internet of Things

Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash

This past week, AWS has kicked off their reInvent conference; this year a 3 week virtual marathon. In the first week alone, AWS has made a remarkable 65 announcements of which 4 appeared to be relevant to IoT and Edge computing. These announcements make it clear that AWS is following a vertical integration strategy that leaves very little room for partners.

Let’s first look at the 4 announcements relevant to IoT:

In summary, AWS announced hardware and machine learning services that target some of the main use cases for industrial IoT: predictive maintenance and quality control through computer vision.

Up until now, AWS was growing an extensive partner network of hardware vendors and edge computing specialist that are targeting these use cases. Many of these vendors were happy to use AWS and AWS IoT as their cloud service and add value through specialized hardware and specialize machine learning models. Now that AWS has entered this market directly, the partner ecosystem around AWS IoT will likely be disrupted. AWS wants to own the entire value chain so they will work to displace many of these companies.

For many companies, especially small factory operations, a complete end to end solution will make sense. Many of these small factories do not have technologist on staff. They rely upon consultants to handle the technology requirements of operating their factories. These consultants will see AWS as being the cheapest and easiest solution to implement. Larger companies will have more advanced requiremetns and technology staff that will select the best solution available. The partner network of hardware vendors and ML vendors will continue to target the higher end but over time AWS will move up the value chaing to compete with these customers too. Eventually this will lead to industry consolidation over time.

AWS is proving to be a competitor through-out the entire IIoT value chain. In the long-term, I expect to see IIoT vendors looking for other IoT cloud solutions that they can offer to their customers to replace AWS IoT. It won’t make sense for these vendors to introduce their customers to AWS, if in the future AWS will attempt to replace their offering.

I see this as an opportunity for MQTT and Sparkplug to become even more important in the IIoT domain. A standard protocol and a standard payload definition allows for an ecosystem of equals amongst vendors to offer customers the best of breed solution that match their requirements. This is the vision we have at HiveMQ and are very excited to see the momentuem we are seeing with customers that want to embrace these open standards. Getting locked into an AWS end-to-end solution is not going to be a good long-term strategy for anyone, except AWS.
Together we build a smart, secure future. In silos, we stagnate.
By: Itspmagazine Podcast
Tags: Smart Cities, Internet of Things, Cybersecurity, Technology, Government

Governments, non-profits, and industries re-discover our time’s pressing needs and re-connect to share resources, strategies, innovations, and success stories.

Once again, and despite these unique times, our friend Lan Jenson was able to pull together her yearly signature event. The usual goal is to discuss the present and future of smart cities, and all that this means for our society. If anything, this year is even more special.

2020 has ushered Smart Cities and Communities worldwide into unchartered waters. Revolutionary or evolutionary, 2020 undisputedly deserves a proper postmortem and re-envisioning of the future.

As the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) works on a Smart Cities and Communities Framework, register to find out how you can contribute and foremost thought leaders and doers in governments, industry, small businesses, academia, and nonprofits.

Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli have been invited to host the live (at the time) keynote panel titled “What Have We Learned?”

With guests Ann Dunkin, Jessica Santos, and Raimundo Rodulfo, we kicked off this year’s Smart Cities Symposium by looking back at what we have done so far and what we should adjust with that experience. When that includes the latest year of digital transformation and the unexpected brutal acceleration of the last few months, there is a lot to talk about.

Collaboration, wellbeing, equality, equity, and the importance of strategizing the process with humanity in mind seem to be the main points.

You will decide what you find as the most important takeaway.

Note: The session was virtual and live; therefore, excuse us for the non-perfect audio in specific parts of the conversation.
Pilot Story: IoT for a Water Quality Data Revolution
By: Olivia Jenkins
Tags: Humanitarian, Frontier Tech, Internet of Things, Water And Sanitation, Data Revolution

See the story of the pilot and our insights on Internet of Things tech here.

“I think we’re really onto something. Accurate data collected using IoT enabled data logging devices has great potential to create a range of products that could change how the humanitarian sector does water trucking, ultimately benefiting more refugees.” Ben Britton, Field Ready

At the Frontier Technologies Hub, we work with UKAid to explore how emerging technologies can help to solve the variety of challenges found in developing country contexts.

In this case study, we present the story and reflect on a completed pilot project from Jordan, which looked to see if IoT devices could be used on water trucks in refugee/IDP camps to improve efficiency and reduce leakage.

You can find the publication here.
Preventing Data Forgery with the Encrypted Private Key
Tags: Reapchain, IoT, Internet of Things, Data, Private Key

Generation and transmission of Signed Message through encrypted private keys

The data generated from MCU is processed to create signed message through unique encryption technology utilizing unique private key of each device and public key of reception device is transferred to ReapChain via ReapMiddleChain.

Since the delivered signed Message requires private key of reception device and public key of transmitting device for decryption, data forgery can be detected even if hackings are occurred on communication devices such as routers and AP.

Also, even if data snapping (interception of data) occurs through a communication device, without a private key, decryption of data is impossible.

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Project Inquiries: reapchain.official@reapchain.com
Internet of Things for Smart Water Management
By: Appleton Innovations
Tags: IoT, Smart Cities, Water Crisis, Internet of Things, Smart Water

Water Crisis

2.1 billion people do not have access to clean and safe drinking water at home, and there are huge inequalities between countries. Water demand is expected to increase by 1/3 by 2050, since climate change and population growth are the main challenges for water.

Internet of Things (IoT) can help to improve water management issues such as consumption, water usage improvement and cost reduction.

Project Objective:

To monitor water flow, level and leaks using Internet of Things

Project Aim:

The aim of this project is to find out the potential of IoT to be a part of the effort to curb the problem of water crisis and manage water resources efficiently. Further, efforts are necessary for releasing the full potential of IoT systems and technologies. In this smart device, we have interfaced Level Sensor and Flow sensor with the NodeMCU (IoT Development Board) and collected data locally. This data is sent to Firebase through WiFi Connectivity. By using this device monitoring water level, flow and leaks and sent notifications to the users.

Block Diagram

Components Required for building this project

NodeMCU

Water Flow Sensor

Water Level Sensor

Software used

Firebase

Notifications

App

Real time Implementation

Follow me on Linkedin to know more..
Cloud Security Market Size Worth $12.63 Billion By 2024
By: Gaurav Shah
Tags: Telecom, Financial Services, Internet of Things, Healthcare, Government

The global cloud security market size is expected to reach USD 12.63 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., progressing at a CAGR of 13.9% during the forecast period. Growing number of targeted cyberattacks and increasing investments in cloud infrastructure are anticipated to trigger the growth of the market.

Burgeoning popularity of cloud infrastructure owing to its benefits such as on-demand services, scalability, flexibility, and cost effectiveness. In addition to tussle between public and private cloud, emergence of hybrid cloud has given cloud users numerous platforms and frameworks to choose from. As adoption of cloud is reaching new levels, security issues concerning cloud users and vendors are also gradually mushrooming.

Emphasized by data breaches in recent years and increasing threat of cybercrime and targeted attacks, the demand for cloud security solutions is estimated to increase over the forecast period. The market is also projected to witness significant efforts by industry participants for creation of regulations and compliance laws owing to growing need for industry-wide standards. Demand for security services and policy implementation is also expected to increase, in turn driving the overall cloud security market.

Dynamic nature of the industry may result in an increasing adoption of open source platforms. In addition, versatility of data and diverse threat vectors will lead to security-as-a-service offerings and managed security service providers gaining traction in the market. Sharing of responsibility between cloud service providers (CSPs) and cloud end users for security and data protection will have a positive impact on the industry. Furthermore, technologies such as virtualization and convergence and initiatives such as computer emergency readiness teams (CERTs) are likely to help in implementing security at different levels of cloud infrastructure.

Increasing sophistication of hacking techniques and technological advancements in cyberespionage are poised to unleash new generation of attacks such as advanced persistent threats (APTs), ransomware, malicious insider, distributed denial of service (DDoS), and zero day threats. As a result, industry wide collaborations and partnerships to tackle emerging threats are estimated to shape the future of the market.

Click the link below:

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cloud-security-market

Further Key Findings from the Report Suggest:
possible?
Tags: Risk Taking, Risk, Product Development, Decision Making

questions to think and act upon when developing reliable and safe medical devices and products
Musings from a Cosmology of Light #39: The Human-Based Complex Adaptive System
By: Pravir Malik
Tags: Decision Making, Complex Systems, Global Goals

source: canva.com

In the Basis of Complex Adaptive Systems, the case was made that it is the layering of light-based quadralities that in fact creates the phenomenon of complexity. This is due to the fact that agents in any particular layer can now not only interact and influence agents in their own layer but in adjacent layers as well. The resultant and unexpected feedback loops are the cornerstone of complexity.

When considering human-based complex adaptive systems (CAS), there are several layers that create the complexity and the dynamics that CAS is known for.

source: canva.com

There is of course the layer due to the human light-based quadrality. But then there are also a couple of foundational layers due to the fourfold living-cell that is the basis of all life, and the containing natural environment with its plants, animals, and the plethora of built-up ecosystem services as referred to in A Garden of Eden in the Fourfold Scaffolding, Additionally, there are also the layers that come into being due to efforts to create culture, — whether in corporate, social, economic, or political realms — and to further organize civilization at the national and international levels as referred to in Toward a Comity of Nations.

Human-based CAS is therefore practically a result of the interaction of at least five light-based quadrality layers.

While light-based quadralities, as an emergence from the infinite potential resident in Light’s native state, seek naturally to materialize a greater fourfold richness, this trend is easily compromised in human-based CAS due to the vicissitudes of human choice.

source: canva.com

Such choice, often based on a narrow and short-term conception of self, causes unforeseen feedback loops between layers, creating a reversal of the growth of fourfoldness in and across layers. Formidable global problems such as systemic pollution, Climate Change, COVID-19, financial recessions, lack of inclusive growth, unresolved human illness, resource depletion, biodiversity loss, urban sprawl, to mention a few, arise in its wake.

Instead then, of seeing the real problem of the depletion of fourfoldness, we often put in place short-sighted fixes local to a layer, which in turn spawns a whole new set of unforeseen feedback loops. What is needed is a clear movement away from the limitations of the fourth quantization, a clear understanding of the power of Light and the effect of the appropriate quantization, and an invoking of higher quantization or more holistic choice at the human-level.

source: canva.com

Index to Cosmology of Light Links

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2 product development questions to ask yourself
Tags: Risk Taking, Risk, Product Development, Decision Making

would you do this if you had a little more time?

did you design it to perform this way?
The Ugly Truth of Human Behavior
By: Bandoro Gunarso
Tags: Psychology, Human Behavior, Self-awareness, Decision Making, Evolutionary Psychology

I’m a lover when it comes to humanity. But a blind love is a foolish love, so it’s important to know that humans came with an ugly side:

We are selfish by nature.

Of course you never hear a political candidate saying, “Vote for me so I’ll have power over you,” or a friend telling, “Let me help you so you’ll help me back in the future,” — selfish motives are tucked away on the back of the mind, waiting to make a move whenever needed.

And it’s not limited only to “bad” people after all, this is the game which all people play.

Pieces of evidence from evolutionary psychologists have made it even clearer that we all strive after social status, sexual competition, and try to win others’ minds for power. These are selfish, but in the past, selfishness means survival.

Without further ado, here are the unpleasant — yet crucial — attributes behind our behavior.
I’ve never heard this before, and I love it.
By: K.B. Hubbard
Tags: Life, Self Help, Self, Decision Making, Advice

I’ve never heard this before, and I love it.

You get what you want out of life. Most people forget that and get caught up in what they think they want, then they get mad because they aren’t getting what they want.

Fighting for what you want involves knowing what you want in the first place and making conscious decisions is part of that.

Making conscious decisions in your life will help you avoid heartache because conscious decisions aim for what you want.

If you were the lawyer in the example…

You might want to stay on the job because that’s what a professional does.

Will your heart agree at the end of the day, or would your heart be more at ease knowing you dropped everything for your boy?

Do you really want to be a professional, or are you working to support your family?

Chances are the job doesn’t mean anything, it’s a means to an end to support your family.

In this case you wanted to support your family, not be a professional. Chasing that professionalism when you’re really chasing a stable family life won’t help you.

Make conscious decisions to get what you really want out of life.

Thanks so much for writing this story! I loved it!
pu
Tags: Decision Making, Product Development

if you aren’t having some fun, why are you doing it?
Recognizing Decision Types — GROW Counseling
By: Grow Counseling
Tags: Decision Making, Choices, Atlanta Counseling, Decisions

You cannot make progress without making decisions. -Jim Rohn

Decision making is ranked as one of the top anxiety producing actions. Much to the dismay of many, we are inevitably faced with decisions at almost every hour of the day. We decide whether or not to hit snooze, what clothes to wear, what to eat, which route to take to work…the list goes on!

The task of decision making can feel daunting and overwhelming.

While you likely won’t ever avoid the need to make decisions, there are ways to help alleviate some of the anxiety that can often come along with it. I’ll cover techniques and methods in a later blog, but for now, I want to highlight the three main categories of decisions:

No Stakes. No stakes decisions are minor choices that have no resulting consequence. In simpler terms, there are no right or wrong answers. Deciding whether to wear the black shoes or the brown shoes may seem like a tough choice, but in reality the result often has little value. Far too often we spend a lot of time stressing over no stakes decisions. Can’t decide? Flip a coin! An hour from now, you probably will forget all about it. Low Stakes. Low stakes decisions can be a bit trickier, as it can result in a slight consequence if the “wrong” decision is made. The silver lining, however, is that the consequences aren’t earth shattering. Let’s take choosing a new phone for example. You may be thinking about having an iPhone or an Android. Both options have great qualities, and both offer things the other does not. In choosing one, you’re also choosing to give up the features of the other. Is there loss involved? Yes! Will your life be forever altered? Not likely! This type of decision requires more thought than a no stakes decision, but not so much that it needs to take up a substantial amount of your life. High Stakes. This type of decision is the only one worth taking up a substantial amount of time, as it can lead to pretty long-lasting consequences. Choosing a career path, for example, is a huge decision that requires a lot of analysis and research to ensure that you’re making the best choice for yourself. With high stakes decisions, it is helpful to consult with others that you trust to get feedback. Although many high stakes decisions aren’t permanent, they often require a lot more effort to change. For this reason, it’s typically best to take your time so that you choose correctly.

Once you identify which category your decision falls under, you can begin the process of making the decision.

If you recognize that you have a no stakes or low stakes decision, don’t stress! Follow the simple guidelines and make the decision. After all, the risk is fairly low and likely won’t dramatically alter your life.

If you recognize that your decision is a bit more high stakes, remember to take your time so that you can choose the option that feels best for you!

Written by: Salima Hart
Successful Strategies for Overcoming Indecision
By: Patricia Haddock
Tags: Psychology, Personal Development, Professional Development, Decision Making, Self Improvement

What does our gut have to say?

While we need to assess risks and outcomes, too much analysis leads to paralysis, and we’re back at indecision. We need to set a deadline to stop thinking and mulling over options and to start listening to what our gut is telling us.

Often, the amygdala, that part of the brain that looks for and protects us from risk, takes center stage, but it’s not the only actor engaged in protecting us. The insula is responsible for social emotions and sends us messages about whether something or someone feels right or not. That itchy sensation that someone isn’t trustworthy is a message to pay attention and go slowly. We ought to listen to it.

According to the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (SMH), “…If outcomes are ambiguous or uncertain, then emotions, feelings, and the brain’s ability to maintain an internal equilibrium are essential to making a decision….Emotional processes are critical for decision making that is advantageous in the long run.”

One way to tap into this reservoir of emotional information is to journal our feelings about the decision we need to make. Meditation also offers a way into our deeper self to discover how we are responding subconsciously to the options in front of us. Another method is visualizing how our life or work will be under each option and discover more deeply how we feel about them. For example, we visualize doing our new job duties after being promoted, and our gut coils into tight knot. We now know that we have reservations we are not e consciously aware of, but need to address.

Using our gut plus logical analysis can help us differentiate between fear and anxiety versus anticipation and excitement. This makes it easier to decide and gives us confidence that our decision is the right one. The greater our confidence, the less indecision we feel.
why we test
Tags: Risk Taking, Risk, Product Development, Decision Making

do you know the amount and significance of your model and assumption errors?
How to Make the Best Decisions for Ourselves
By: The Franc Blanc
Tags: Life, Self Help, Self, Decision Making, Advice

Image by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash

A decade is coming to an end and a new one is about to begin. In one way, the only thing that’s going to change are the numbers on the calendar. Nothing significant about it as it changes every day. But another way to look at it is that it has the potential to change everything because this is the day when people are willing to change.

But changes didn’t happen overnight, at least in the outside world. You just cannot decide that you are going to make a six figure salary from now onwards . It’s something which is outside of your direct control. But there are some things which are under your direct control; your body and your mind. You do not have the power to decide how the result will look like but you have the power to decide the initiation and the process.

And how can we decide that?

By making decisions. Our decisions are effectively the only thing which we can control. Sometimes people surrender that control to circumstances and their emotions, and when things didn’t go their way, they got depressed.

A natural question arises here is how can we make the best decisions for ourselves? And a simple and succinct answer is; conscious decisions are the best decisions.
One Decision- for Me, by Me
By: Sanam Gangane
Tags: Decision Making, Lifechangingexperience, Journey, Content Writing

One Decision- for Me, by Me

It was a late night. I was working on content for one of my clients. It was for some website and the client was happy with my work too. But she wanted something different, some spark in the article (even she didn’t know what). I got stuck and didn’t know what to add in that article to impress the client. I couldn’t think beyond. So, I just stopped working, grabbed a cup of coffee and as usual started scrolling through facebook, instagram and so on. While doing so, I came across one sponsored advertisement of “Content Vidhya”, Content Writing Workshop.

Being a freelancer, content writer already, I wasn’t at all interested in the workshop. But I was very much impressed with the ad. So, I paused there and just went through the contents and all. After going into so much detail, I thought of joining the course. I was very confused whether to join or not. It took me two days to take the decision. Finally I decided to enroll for the workshop, as learning is my hobby. And that was the best decision I made for myself.

✍️ Keep Learning, Keep Growing…!!!

Instead of going into details of course contents (which you can also find on the website of Content Vidhya), Let me tell you how these six days changed my life and what I learned in these six days. So, just after the first session, when I again started working on my client’s article I found those elements which I and my client were looking for. I submitted my updated work to the client and she replied instantly. She was totally satisfied with the work I did. And it was done. It was like magic for me.

Happy Client’s Feedback

Another thing I learned from this workshop is the value of timely submission and achieving deadlines. Assignments were given after every session and it had to be submitted before deadline. There was no need to keep the deadline but It was just to make students realize the value of time and deadlines. After this workshop, I started doing my work and submitting it to the clients on time without postponing like I used to do it earlier. It creates a good impression. And I started getting more and more work.

Earlier I used to write for clients and to earn money. Now I write for myself. Uma Madhavi, the trainer of this workshop, has woken up the writer in me. She has got tremendous knowledge and experience in this field. I really thank her from the bottom of my heart.
Expect. (Except…)
By: Mike Vardy
Tags: Time Management, Calendar, Productivity, Decision Making, To Do List

Photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash

Flip three letters and “expect” turns into “except.” That’s all it takes… three letters to turn something you can look forward to into something you need to look out for instead.

You can expect that meeting every Monday morning, except when Monday is a holiday. You can expect quiet around your home office during the week while the kids are at school, except when school isn’t in session. You can expect your favourite football team to play every Sunday during the regular season, except when they play Thursday, Sunday, or Monday nights.

Here’s a good rule: Keep tabs on what you can expect but also leave space for when an “except” shows up so you can spend less time guessing and more time going.
basics forgot
Tags: Risk Taking, Risk, Product Development, Decision Making

what do you want your product development team spending most of their time on?

do you want them spending most of their time on technical matters?

do you want them spending most of their time trying to figuring out how to squeeze a 30 month project into 16 months?

do you want them spending most of their time figuring out how to work with an pushy project manager?
What is Quorum and Why Does it Matter?
By: Debi Peverill
Tags: Governance, Productivity, Meetings, Decision Making, Quorum

Quorum is another Latin word, it means “of whom” and is generally defined as the minimum number of people required in order to conduct business.

When you have quorum at a meeting then you are able to make decisions. Without quorum decisions made have no effect as the meeting is not valid.

The reason for quorum is to ensure there are enough board members present at the meeting, that we have good decisions, because we have input from enough board members. Remember a board is put together with a number of people with different skills and life experiences so that all aspects of a decision can be considered. If too many of these people are missing then the concept of different skills does not work.

Quorum considerations keep the group honest, in a way, because a few board members cannot control the organization by making motions when the majority of the board members were not in attendance. You need the right number of board members to make the decision.

Quorum is typically half of the board members plus one. If your board has 10 members then quorum is 6.

An organization should avoid having meetings cancelled at the last minute due to quorum problems. Board members should be trained to let the organization know when they are not able to attend. In that way you do not have the situation where people actually show up for a meeting but there is no quorum. Now that a lot of meetings are taking place on Zoom at least people are not traveling for a meeting only to find out that there is no quorum. And there are fewer excuses for missing a meeting, bad weather only counts if your internet goes out.

Meeting attendance and quorum are similar concepts. If you want to be sure that you have a quorum each meeting, then you should make your list of upcoming board meetings available to all members, so that they can schedule ahead of time. You also need a way for board members to let you know if they have a conflict.

You should set the expectation that all board members are going to attend all board meetings. You have policies about board members missing meetings and people who do not adhere to these policies are asked to leave the board.

A staff person should be appointed to check with board members a few days before the meeting to confirm attendance. Then, if it looks like quorum could be a problem, the staff member can work on convincing people to attend or on rescheduling. Consistent meeting times work to reduce rescheduling. If the board member knows that the meetings are always held on the second Tuesday of the month, then they should know to keep their schedule clear of other activities on those days.

If an organization finds that it is having trouble meeting quorum then it is possible there are more serious issues in play such as a lack of board engagement.

In conclusion, quorum is the minimum number of meeting participants in attendance for the meeting to be a valid meeting for the purposes of making decisions.
Can Procrastinating Lead to Better Decision Making?
By: Wang Yip
Tags: Procrastination, Anecdotes, Problem Solving, Decision Making, Decisions

Can Procrastinating Lead to Better Decision Making?

Photo by Victoriano Izquierdo on Unsplash

“A new college campus was built, but one thing was still debated: where in the grass should we put the paved walkways? Some people thought the walkways should go around the grass, to leave it green. Some thought the walkways should cut across diagonally.

One professor had the winning idea: Don’t make any walkways this year. At the end of the year, look where the grass has worn away. That shows where the students are walking. Then just pave those paths.”

-Story from Derek Sivers book Hell Yeah or No.

The lesson that you should take away from the story?

If you have to make a decision, make the decision as late as possible.

When you make the decision as late as possible:

You have more information than if you had rushed to a decision at the start

You can see how things have changed, if at all, since you first knew about the decision

Sometimes things change and you don’t need to make a decision, or a decision is made for you

How do you apply this to your life?

When you have a decision you need to make, wait. If you are being asked to make a decision, tell them the college campus story. And then wait.

Why make a decision early on when you have the least amount of information available to you?
many times not
Tags: Risk Taking, Risk, Product Development, Decision Making

questions to think and act upon when developing reliable and safe medical devices and products
Look Twice
By: Larry Freudinger
Tags: Decision Making, Thinking, Motorcycling

Always look both ways, twice.

For more than a decade this statement has been one of my mantras for avoiding small mistakes with large consequences. I thought of it again this morning as I passed yet another car accident at an intersection. This particular accident was adjacent to the grocery store parking where my mantra was born after realizing that my quick glance to the right simply did not register the oncoming motorcycle who had the right-of-way.

Always look both ways twice has both physical and metaphorical underpinnings. On a good day the data rate through any single neural pathway is only a few hundred bits per second. Long story short, the human vision system needs to dwell on a scene in order for it to register objects moving through the scene. Looking both ways twice offers the brain two image frames from which rate data can be calculated and moving objects identified.

From a metaphorical perspective I often think of the Roman deity Janus. Janus has two faces and is the god of passages. Endings and beginnings. Past and future. Janus straddles that transition period as a decision is made for action or inaction. The quality of our lives is a function of the quality of the decisions we make, and while uncertainty most certainly interferes with a pre-planned and deterministic path through life… always look both ways twice.

I caught up with the cyclist at the gas station that day years ago and apologized for nearly ruining his day. He graciously accepted and sorta brushed off our close call, noting that it happens all the time. That didn’t matter to me because I was still in shock over the fact that he was completely invisible at first glance.

Always look both ways twice. When you take the time to study what’s in front of you, sometimes reality suddenly appears.
The Essence of Data Analysis for Decision Making
By: Praveen Subramanian
Tags: Decision Making, Data Analysis

Although data analysis is a broad term comprising of many aspects, its two primary purposes are to help make decisions and find interesting patterns. What follows is a brief guide to data analysis for decision making.

Step 1: Finding a problem

Always start with a problem. The goal of data analysis for decision making is to answer the following question:

should we do something differently?

Next, ask if solving the problem worth the time and effort. Most times, teams are blinded by the process and forget the purpose.

Step 2: Evaluating the problem

If you’ve been doing this for a while, you’ll start making connections, both between people and between ideas. Bring people together to discuss the problem. Delegate tasks that you know someone else can do better and quicker.

Don’t jump to solving the problem just yet. Ask questions; to understand the problem. Be intentionally dumb about the problem.

Step 3: Formulating and disproving a hypothesis

Ask what the desired result is. Ask what the status quo is. Ask what are we trying to change. Get specific. Create two mutually exclusive assumptions. These are your hypotheses.

State your assumptions. Gather evidence.

Does the evidence support the hypothesis?

Step 5: Presenting the findings

Highlight assumptions that were made.

Present the findings. Simplicity is key here. Get the gist across with the least number of slides/bullets/visualizations possible.

simplicity is the ultimate sophistication — Leonardo da Vinci

Always give context for comparison. Any finding is meaningless without context.

Step 6: Following up on the impact

Follow up on the decision made.

Evaluate the impact.

Trust me, you’ll be surprised to know how big or small the impact is. Always.

That’s about it.
I’m Having More Fun Getting Ready Than Going To The Party
By: Sharon Bond
Tags: Decision Making, Stuck, Procrastination, Feeling Stuck, Am I Ready

Sometimes I hesitate to complete a project because I want it to be perfect.

I don’t want to be in the middle of running a workshop or a training program and then think of something I should have added. I’ve stalled out on completing some of my projects because I wanted to add or change just one more thing before I felt like it was good enough to launch. Sound familiar?

I’ve learned that when I keep changing my mind like this, I may be stalling because I’m nervous. Being nervous is normal, because you care about what you’re delivering to your customers. That’s a good thing, unless you let it stop you or stall out your progress. Whatever is holding you back, it can become frustrating and cause you to scrap something that could be really great.

I’ve found something that has helped me get beyond this habit of stalling, and if you found that you can procrastinate once in a while, maybe this will help you too. I put a reminder on my calendar one day a week while I’m working on a new project. The task is to ask myself, “Are you still getting ready to get ready?” In the notes is a list of projects I never launched.

Ouch.

Those projects (for various reasons) wouldn’t have the same impact if I were to go back and work on them again, so those opportunities…gone. I’m motivated to do what needs to be done so I don’t add anything else to that list.

Maybe this is your cup of tea, maybe not. But figure out where you may have built a habit of getting ready to get ready, and address it somehow. Do your best with your project, but don’t wait until it’s perfect. It’s not going to be. That’s an excuse.

Your customers are out there waiting for you. They need what you have created, and you could save someone time, energy, money, and in so many ways you could be making their lives better. So get to it.

Look at it this way. The sooner you finish your project and get to the party, the sooner you can start getting ready for the next one.
— Barack Obama, How I Approach the Toughest Decisions https://barackobama.medium.com/how-i-approach-the-toughest-decisions-dc1b165cdf2d
By: Marker Editors
Tags: Decision Making, Leadership, Productivity, Obama

‘Many of us tend to work relentlessly — whether it’s at our jobs or taking care of our families. It can feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to take time out. But it’s actually vital. One thing I learned as president was that the decisions I had to make were so weighty and consequential, the pace so unyielding, that it was easy to feel almost removed from myself.’