SubscribeThe Ethics of Software Patents
rev. 15 April 2009; get the PDF
The laws that protect the creation of content are manifold and complicated—even byzantine. America has copyright protection, which applies to concrete expressions of information, trademark protection, which protects distinctive symbols or verbiage associated with a legal entity, and patent protection, which protects “(1) processes, (2) machines, (3) manufactures [...]
Starbucks: commercialized coffee and the magic of price differentiation
Last revised 6 December 2008; get the PDF
Though its origins wend all the way back to 1971, it was not until the 1990s, after a successfully IPO, that Starbucks became the household name. One can trace both its precipitous proliferation as well as its near-singlehanded revival of the gourmet coffee market over nearly [...]
Satisfaction, Enrichment, & Motivation
rev. 20 November 2008; get the PDF.
In the inchoate years of the 21st century, the nominal ideas behind Frederick Herzberg’s “Two-Factor Theory” have been largely cast aside in their want of experimental validation, but the late psychologist’s ultimate conclusion—that “job enrichment” is a good and necessary function of management—is certainly alive and well, albeit [...]
Information Systems and Perceived Locii of Control
See this in PDF format; revised 28 October 2008.
As a professional working in Information Technology, I often encounter hesitation and trepidation on the part of functional users to engage my employer’s information system, an ERP system known as Banner. The engagement of technology—especially for older generations of users, in which was not inculcated the [...]
Two-Factor Theory
See this in PDF format; revised 21 October 2008.
The relatively inglorious origins of organizational behavior as a field of study began as little more than queries into potential ways to improve productivity and reduce human variability—this at the advent of mass production as practiced today, with Henry Ford’s mechanized production line leading the charge. [...]
Hanging Babylon: Functionalist policy and the war in Iraq
Alternatively, read the PDF format
Several weeks ago, the War in Iraq entered its fourth year—despite the official “end of major combat” that the codpiece-sporting President announced mere months after it began—and the steady sectarian violence pursuant to the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party shows no encouraging signs of abatement. It has been a [...]
Recent Comments
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Nice review, Ben. I actually hadn’t heard of this book, but I might have to look for it. True SF...
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If you mean the current, theme, I can’t take the credit for that. It’s Renegade, by...
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I’ve just stumbled upon your site and wanted to tell you how great I think your...
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just found out about the other book myself, waiting for it to be delivered. i dont blame you for...
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It’s interesting that the filmmakers (or the screenwriter) made the decision to approach the...
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