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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
18 May
The upside to a down market is perhaps the push it gives organizations to make an inventory of their assets – not the least of which is their human capital. To do this they employ a wide range of sophisticated assessment tools that can highlight strengths and identify areas for professional development in their managers. However, research has told us that the typical interview – even when conducted by a well-trained professional – can only reveal a person’s leadership style (what he or she uses when trying to influence others). Simulation based assessments, on the other hand, can go a little deeper and determine a person’s thinking style, in other words how he or she makes decisions “when the door is closed and when someone isn’t trying to impress someone else.”
About the Author
Cheryl Buxton is global managing director of client services for Korn/Ferry International Inc. and is based in Princeton, N.J.
However, when confronted with “we would like you to take an assessment,” many executives face the prospect with a degree of trepidation. After all, many people dislike taking tests – especially when they are designed in part to identify and highlight personal strengths and weaknesses. An algebra test only tells you how much algebra you know (or don’t know), but an assessment must identify and expose the insecurities and flaws that you’ve tried to conceal your whole career, right? Not exactly. Following are some recommendations from experienced executive recruiters who have helped thousands of professionals “ace” assessment tests:
First, relax. Even chief executives can feel intimidated by the assessment process if they are in the final stages of being considered for a prestigious role. To alleviate this anxiety, remember that there are, in fact, no right or wrong answers. Advanced assessment methodologies use business case studies that are very hard to game so what is most important is to be yourself and respond candidly and authentically.
![[Cheryl Buxton]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-EB229_CJ_bux_D_20090713190425.jpg)
Courtesy Korn/Ferry International
Cheryl Buxton
To prepare, set aside ample time to take the assessment, which typically lasts 45 to 60 minutes and is conducted via an online survey, paper questionnaire or, for some organizations, over the phone. Remember that ultimately the purpose of the assessment is to raise or clarify questions, rather than provide 100% foolproof answers about your ability.
Once you have done your part and completed the assessment exercise, the administrator may walk you through the results, asking more questions to create a clearer picture of your true strengths and areas for development, such as: Does this sound familiar? When are you more likely to use this style? How has it helped you? Does it ever get in your way?
Be open to receiving the feedback by seeing it as a chance to not only learn more about yourself but also to put your behavioral patterns into perspective and demonstrate a high degree of self-knowledge.
Help the assessor understand as much about your own interpretation of the results as possible, using it to shed more light on what you bring to the table and how you apply your unique style to a variety of situations. This is especially important if your assessment scores look different from what the executive recruiter or hiring organization would have expected. In such cases, another interview might be arranged to address those areas of concern, or more targeted referencing might be conducted to deduce whether there is an underlying issue that may not have emerged initially. If everything checks out, they will continue to move you forward in the process, and may even recommend specific coaching once you are hired to fill any gaps.
As a stand-alone, assessments are not sufficient for making hiring or career-altering decisions. However, when combined with all the information that is available about you, the data they provide are an excellent supplement and can add an important dimension toward understanding who you are. They can also offer another level of confidence that you will thrive in a new position. This process not only helps to maximize the hiring organization’s investment in top talent, but also helps you to maximize your talent to perform at your highest, even when the markets are performing at their lowest.
Read the full article.
17 May
Published by: United States Environmental Protection Agence (EPA) ( yosemite.epa.gov)
16 May
A new Conference Board study shows that only 45% of Americans are satisfied with their work — the lowest level recorded in the 22 years this report has existed.
![[Alexandra Levit]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-DE288_CJ_Rei_D_20090222143118.jpg)
Courtesy Alexandra Levit
Even if you’re one who has kept your job amidst massive layoffs and record high unemployment, you may still dread going to work every day and long to improve your situation.
One way to renew your motivation and quell boredom is to take on new responsibilities. When twenty-six year-old Rebecca Thorman of Madison, Wis. began her position as a social media manager for Alice.com, a household shopping website, she employed this strategy. “I pressed for and scheduled a six-month review, and for that meeting I put together a list of my accomplishments and the new tasks I wanted to work on,” she says. “I also included a budget, complete with data and charts, which showed how expanding my role would save the company money.”
Ms. Thorman is now in charge of a good portion of Alice.com’s marketing initiatives, and she says the additional work keeps her interested and challenged. “Because the additional responsibility has increased my breadth of skills and knowledge, if something should happen I’m ready to jump on the next opportunity.”
Show Off Your Potential
J.T. O’Donnell, a career strategist and blogger at Careerealism.com says taking on new responsibilities “allows you to learn and grow and add valuable experience to your resume.” What’s more, she says if you want managers to see you as someone with potential, you need to prove that you have a predisposition toward advancing your career.
The best way to gain access to meatier assignments is to be prepared and proactive. Spend a few weeks considering your strengths and how you can apply them to problems your organization is currently facing. For instance, if your company was recently criticized for poor customer service and you are the person in your group who communicates seamlessly with multiple departments, you might volunteer to spearhead a multi-disciplinary task force to address the grievances. Refine your ideas and think through their implementation, then arrange a sit-down with your manager.
Tread Carefully
Beware of asking for an expanded role simply because you think you should, or because you’re after a more impressive title or higher pay. “I know plenty of people who lost their jobs or got demoted after a failed attempt at added responsibility,” says Ms. O’Donnell. “You don’t want to be assigned something you can’t handle. It’s better to explore options with your mentors and managers and ask for their feedback on your direction.”
Once the reins are in your hands, resist the temptation to gallop off unsupervised. Instead, put a process in place through which you can regularly receive feedback and course corrections. Regular interaction with your manager and other senior executives will ensure that you don’t feel overwhelmed by your new responsibilities and that you’re completing them to the best of your ability, which will result in increased on-the-job satisfaction.
Write to Alexandra Levit at reinvent@wsj.com
16 May
Long-awaited video game Diablo III has launched, causing servers to struggle under huge volumes of traffic.
The PC and Mac-only game has developed a cult following among gamers.
The third chapter of the fantasy action role-playing game sees player choose from five classes of character – barbarian, demon hunter, monk, witch doctor or wizard.
Analysts expected the game to sell more than 4 million copies. Diablo II sold that amount in the year after it was released.
Lead designer Jay Wilson said he hoped fans would be excited by the new version.
Joking about the long delay between games he told fans: "We were just goofing off mostly."
Mr Wilson added, more seriously: "It takes a long time to make a Blizzard game.
"We're very focused on quality. If we think something is not good enough, we make it better. We redo things, which is really uncommon in game development. If we build a level and don't like it, we'll throw it out," he added.
Gamers have already uncovered a bug in the game which can disconnect demon hunters from the game's servers.
Blizzard said that it was working on a fix.
16 May
The Burning Man Project began on Baker Beach in San Francisco with a modest 8-foot human-shaped effigy in honor of the summer solstice. The formerly underground event has since grown into an 8-day, $10 million-dollar celebration of self-expression that draws over 47,000 people to a dry lake bed in the Black Rock Desert, 120 miles north of Reno, Nevada. There is no electricity, water or cellphone service for miles. The event concludes on Labor Day weekend with the burning of a 40-foot tall effigy, the burning man. Afterwards, all traces of the event are removed completely so as to minimize the impact on the environment. Dennis Nishi spoke with founder Larry Harvey about how he became the founder and organizer of Burning Man. Edited excerpts follow.
![[How I Got Here]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CI848_CJLarr_D_20080916141046.jpg)
Courtesy NK Guy
Full name: Larry Harvey
Age: 60
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Current position: Executive Director and founder of The Burning Man Project
First job: Bicycle messenger
Favorite job: This one
Education: A year at Portland State University
Years in the industry: 22
How I got to here in 10 words or less: Learn along the way
Q: What’s your educational background?
A: I did a stint in the Army in 1968 after high school and went to college for a year before dropping out. Afterwards, I spent a few years out in the country putting myself through my own syllabus, reading and educating myself. I’m an autodidact.
Q: Afterwards, you moved to San Francisco?
A: This town is enormously accepting of eccentricity. So there’s always been all kinds of underground activity going on — that led me to where I am now.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for Burning Man?
A: One day in 1986, I went with a friend and a handful of others, and in a day we built a man that was 2-feet taller than us to burn on a public beach. And that grew into Burning Man. Everything got started arbitrarily. Burning Man brings all of that underground activity (that draws people to San Francisco) into the open.
Q: When did you realize Burning Man had become more than a preoccupation?
A: More people starting showing up, and we stubbornly stayed on the beach, doing this guerilla event for four years and until the authorities intervened. We thought we had a pretty big crowd. Then we took it to the Black Rock Desert, and I saw (people) were making a great effort to attend out in the wilderness. I knew then it would become significant.
How You Can Get There, Too
Best advice: “Start small,” says Mr. Harvey. “Think less about the scale of the event and more about the quality of experience. Because if the quality of experience is extraordinary, it will grow.”
Skills you need: Excellent organizational and management skills, good insight and belief in what you do, says Mr. Harvey.
Where you should start: “If you’re not part of a community, do things that will create one so you have a fund of social capital to begin with,” he says.
Professional organizations to contact: “What’s worked best for us is to create our own chains of relationships,” says Mr. Harvey. “We’ve gone out, found artists, asked them if they need any help and have become part of their group and vice versa.”
Salary range: “I do have five other partners in the LLC. That’s a lot of mouths to feed,” says Mr. Harvey. “We’re not exactly comparable with other more commercial enterprises.”
Q: Did you charge admission back then?
A: It was free, but we’d pass the hat. As things grew, we created a kind of box office. It started like an art installation since there was a gate without a fence. And most people would just drive past it. We never told anybody exactly where things were so the theory was they’d stop by to ask directions. Some did. It wasn’t until 1997 that we (had) a real gate. The next year, we actually fenced off an enormous area, something like we have today. (Tickets are now $295.)
Q: How much effort is required to put on an event like Burning Man?
A: More than a year’s worth of effort. We begin planning the next event immediately after the one before ends. We’re planning next year’s event already. (We have) about 35 permanent employees, a few hundred consultants and part-timers and a few thousand volunteers.
Q: I understand you allow no advertising at Burning Man?
A: We’ve decommodified the event. We don’t allow vending, which is probably the most novel thing about our enterprise. We don’t advertise and we don’t allow any advertising inside the event. We’re generally insulated from pressure that would drive us towards making mere profit our first priority. We don’t have any investors so do not have you maximize profit and we’ve managed to expand without having to resort to loans.
Q: Do you face more environmental concerns as the event grows?
A: We work with environmentalists to preserve the Black Rock Desert. That was our first experience with lobbying. The area we are in is a national conservation area and there was a big political struggle about that. Environmental groups were for it and local ranchers were not. We were caught in the middle of that and learned about how laws are written and how you can represent yourself in the process.
Q: You also deal first hand with the political concerns that arise?
A: It’s one-third of what I do. We regularly lobby Washington D.C. It’s been a crash course in politics, and we’ve become rather formidable in that regard. And since we have to end in the black every year, it’s also become a crash course in business management. It’s all been a part of my post graduate education.
Q: It sounds like everything you’ve accomplished has been on the fly. What lessons have you learned along the way?
A: I always caution people not to close their ranks and repel the outsider. In the early days I dealt with people who wanted to keep outsiders out and asked them to create a list of who they thought was not one of us. When I totaled it up it included the entire world including some of us that were already involved. That wouldn’t do. You have to have an open heart, an open mind, though not an empty head.
Q: How do you see yourself today? An artist? Event planner?
A: I’m an artist to the extent that I create our teams and art themes and superintend that process. But that’s only a small part of the creativity at the event. I’m certainly a kind of impresario of sorts, a lobbyist, a community planner, a leader. I’m not the greatest manager, but I’m working on it. We all are.
Write to Dennis Nishi at cjeditor@dowjones.com
15 May
Story By: by Scott Hensley
Pong, soda and junk food: the beginning of the end for health?
More kids than ever have Type 2 diabetes, the kind that used to be referred to as the adult-onset variety.
It’s a sign of our sedentary, calorie-rich times. Childhood obesity, a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, is commonplace. For teens, about half of new cases of diabetes are now Type 2 compared with just 3 percent a few decades back.
So what’s the best way to treat the growing number of kids? Results from a study, involving nearly 700 children over an average of almost four years, are downright discouraging.
Only about half of the children, ages 10-17 at the study start, were able to control their blood sugar adequately with the generic drug metformin (the only diabetes pill approved for kids) by itself. A combination of metformin and Avandia (a drug whose use has been severely restricted because of safety issues since the study started in 2004) did a little better â about 60 percent got their blood sugar under control.
But the real bummer was that adding lifestyle interventions to metformin to improve diet and exercise didn’t seem to help.
The findings, made public at a meeting of pediatricians in Boston over the weekend, were published online by the New England Journal of Medicine.
An editorial about the results by David B. Allen, a pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin med school, is pretty troubling. Metformin didn’t work in kids as well as it worked in adults, he points out. And the lifestyle intervention were a bust. So the findings suggest that most kids will need multiple drugs or insulin to deal with their Type 2 diabetes within a few years of being diagnosed, he writes.
On lifestyle, it’s too easy to blame kids for a lack of willpower and an inability to stick with better eating habits and a more active lifestyle. Today’s children are growing up in a “obesogenic world,” Allen writes, and that undermines them.
“Fifty years ago, children did not avoid obesity by making healthy choices; they simply lived in an environment that provided fewer calories and included more physical activity for all,” he writes.
The ultimate answer, he suggests, will depend on public policy: incentives to make healthful foods more available and attractive and encouragement for the construction of environments that “require physical movement.”
15 May
WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) – Once upon a time there was a young woman who loved her Lord. There was nothing she withheld from Him. Her life was always “yes” to Him, the proverbial “fiat” – “let it be to me as you have said.” She fell in love and, hearing the “Divine Yes,” married the man whom she loved. They grew in Him as one in the sacramental mystery.
A child was born and she loved the child. The child brought something out of her that had always been a part of her yet never expressed. Like a hidden stream now discovered, rivers of love flowed out of the woman to her child. She knew she would do anything – yes anything – even give up her life for the precious one who lay in her arms. A special bond, which had begun nine months before, now burst forth with such fire and fervency that she knew nothing would ever be the same again.
The chance soon came to test this depth of love, not through her physical death, but through her dying to opportunities. Travel to exciting places, special events, intriguing people, all marched past the edges of her life while she maintained her watchfulness over the child. Her vigil would not succumb to the call of personal wants and affluence.
Soon more children were born into this woman’s life. The hidden stream was not divided, however. More love flowed as though her reservoir could not be quenched. Enough love for each where none could want for more.
Yet again, more tests came. Unyielding in her vigil, the woman knew that, whatever the lure, her place as mother must remain unyielding. She gave up herself, as she died to potential memories of what could have been. She chose to live in anticipation of the memories of what would be, for her and her family. She never looked back. She is my wife.
In St. John’s Gospel, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Shepherds come in many shapes and sizes. They are men and women, and even children.
Some shepherds are mothers. They tend the little flock called the domestic church along with their husbands, who are also shepherds of this field. Mother-shepherds nurture their children out of the goodness, the loveliness, the gentleness, and the winsomeness of womanhood in God’s image.
A mother lays down her life by taking it up on behalf of these precious ones entrusted to her care. She knows martyrdom in a way that no man may know it – giving up her life in childbirth and in childcare. No hireling can imitate or come close to matching a mother’s love.
Motherhood is a call to stay firm in the face of uncertainty, despair, sickness, poverty, and even danger, where her children are concerned. One could almost say that as the father is the sword, she is the shield.
This I have learned as I have watched my wife all these years. This I have learned from my wife, not hearing her words only, but beholding her actions; not in seeing her live only, but in seeing her die to self.
Jesus also said, “I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and am known by my own.”
A mother can describe her children to the minutest detail. Borne out of years of a loving gaze, each line and shape of her child remain fixed and firm as a portrait carried in the heart. She knows them inside and out; where each blemish is located, where each “owie” was bandaged, and how each mood is triggered.
Often the child is surprised by this knowledge, in awe that nothing really escapes a mother’s watchfulness. Everything is logged and categorized in a special place in the soul called “a mother’s care.”
St. Angela Merici was an orphan in the fifteenth century who devoted her life to children. “Mothers of children,” she wrote, “even if they have a thousand, carry each and every one fixed in their hearts, and because of the strength of their love they do not forget any of them. In fact, it seems that the more children they have the more their love and care for each one is increased.”
The mother is also known by her children. The sound of her voice can both soothe and sound the alarm. How often my children and I have heard people say to my wife, “You have such a wonderful and sweet voice on the phone. I couldn’t imagine you ever shouting.” My offspring would smile sweetly, for their mother’s voice was sweet and soothing, yet knowing that there were times when the alarm would sound!
They will also forever remember the “snap” – the perfected art of snapping her fingers for attention. In any public place and particularly at church, the “snap” could be heard – as loud as a thunderclap – calling wandering wills to return to behavior best suited for God’s house.
A mother’s treasure is her memories and her wealth is found in those ones whom she has nurtured through the years. No wonder Scripture states that Mary the Mother of God – the Blessed Theotokos – “kept all the things about her Son and pondered …
13 May
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) – Many years ago in Dublin, Ireland, two women were spending the afternoon together shopping at their favorite clothing store. They had grown up together in the same neighborhood and were life long friends. As they left the store with their bundles, they began to cross a busy street in order to get to the parking lot where they had left their car.
One of the ladies was distracted with her bundles and could not see a rapidly approaching car. The other woman noticing the dilemma, pushed her friend forward and took the entire impact of the oncoming car. The woman was killed instantly.
This woman was the mother of a Catholic priest. I am sure that the woman was able to make this heroic sacrifice of her life because the pattern of her life had always been characterized by the qualities of a true mother and a true friend. I am sure that the priest was just as able to answer the call of God to love unconditionally because his mother taught him how to do so.
“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15: 13).
These words from this Sunday’s gospel passage synthesize the whole meaning of the Paschal Mystery: Jesus died for us because of his unconditional love for all of us, and we are called to live this new life of unconditional love.
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you” (John 15: 12).
Anyone who wants to live true Christianity is called to live selflessly. Does a true mother complain when she must waken in the middle of the night to care for her sick child?
What father who really loves his family will complain about the daily sacrifices that he must make to support his family?
Will a Catholic priest, enamored of his priestly calling, not be filled with a profound joy as he gives himself untiringly to his parish family?
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete” (John 15: 11).
Selfishness will prevent us from the giving of ourselves unconditionally. If we live selfish lives, we will not experience the profound joy of Christianity. True Christians are always laughing because they are men and women who are completely selfless.
Despite the many challenges and sufferings of daily existence, a life of selfless love energizes the true Christian in such way that they are able to soar above every challenge.
This donation of our lives manifests itself in many concrete ways throughout the day. Simple little acts like saying hello to someone and being of good cheer, helping out in the kitchen during meal times, assisting a needy school friend with their homework, helping an elderly neighbor with the chores, and volunteering time in the parish are just a few of the numerous ways that the true disciple of Jesus can love in a very practical manner.
True mothers and fathers will understand that parenting goes far beyond simply feeding their children and filling their day with hours of mindless television.
True priests will always devote large amounts of time each week to preparing good Sunday homilies; to being available to meet the needs of their people; and to taking the time to visit the homebound and the sick in the hospitals.
But if homes are abandoned because parents are more concerned about their careers than their children, and if parishes are abandoned because the spiritual fathers are more concerned about their free time and entertainment than the souls entrusted to them, then it is no wonder that so many Americans wander aimlessly about seeking affection, love, direction, purpose and companionship.
Married love and celibate love can only be understood within the dimension of total donation of self.
Mother Teresa gave the modern world a visible example of total donation. Everyone has been moved by her selflessness. She would always say, “Love, until it hurts”. Here we find in her simple words the antidote for the crisis facing modern society
Daily, total giving of the self is not an easy enterprise. The tendencies of fallen human nature pull us into ourselves. This is why we need a daily encounter with the God of unconditional love hidden in the tabernacle of every Catholic Church.
Whether through daily Mass or a good visit to the perpetual adoration chapel, it is Jesus who will give us all of the graces that we need to love just like He loves you and me. “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love” (John 15: 9).
During the height of the Vietnam War, an Afro-American second lieutenant led his small company on a patrol through the jungle. As they were making their way through the dense tangle of trees and vines, he suddenly noticed that a sniper had dropped a grenade in the middle of his men.
Without hesitation the second lieutenant pounced on the grenade and saved his company by sacrificing his own life. Shortly after this incident, President Nixon awarded him the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously, which was presented to his mother.
Perhaps we will never be in a situation to sacrifice our lives as heroically as the sergeant did. However, it is quite possible that he was able to make the supreme sacrifice of himself, because his entire life was made up of many heroic moments of self-giving. This pattern thus established made it easy for him to give of himself without hesitation. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”.
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Father James Farfaglia is the Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, TX. Visit him on the web to learn more about his book, homilies and audio podcasts.
13 May
Q:
l am 30 years old and have six years of engineering experience. I am trying to move to a new field of engineering within the same company, and I’m currently looking at outside opportunities. The problem is that I only have theoretical knowledge in the field I want to be in and no actual work experience. Hiring managers want actual work experience. How should I proceed?
Getty Images
There are steps you can take to improve your chances of successfully switching to a new career.
A. If you’ve been a strong performer and are highly valued, making a career change within a company is much easier than pursuing similar opportunities with organizations that don’t know you. “Hiring managers will always go with a known quantity (with known strengths and weaknesses) over a potential newcomer,” says Rabia de Lande Long, an executive coach with Chartwell Advisors Inc.
But being a known quantity only goes so far. There are steps you can take to improve your chances of making a career switch within your own company.
First, you’ll need to learn about the job responsibilities and the skills required. Invest in learning what you need to know through reading, doing course-work and joining professional organizations that focus on the specific career you would like to enter.
Once you have a good handle on what will be required of you in the new career, request an exploratory conversation with the hiring manager. “Emphasize what you do know and what you’ve done and how these areas relate to what is required in your new field of engineering,” says Ms. de Lande Long. “Identify on the similarities in your current and envisioned roles,” she says.
Then, you’ll want to “get to know people in the target group, serve on committees, ask for informational meetings and introductions,” says Laura S. Hill, a career coach with Careers in Motion. Be visible. Tell people of your interest in their department and have them contact you when an opportunity arises.
If your current manager knows that you would like to make a change, you can ask if he or she would be willing to endorse you for the new job, says Ms. Hill. To gain experience in the field, see if your manager would be willing to loan you out on a project. This will help you “begin to network with those who may call on you when the time is right,” says Ms. de Lande Long.
Write to Toddi Gutner at cjeditor@dowjones.com
13 May
On Thursday, the site unveiled Facebook App Center, a clearinghouse for social apps that sounds a lot like Apple’s online store. And while most will likely remain free (with some making money through in-game purchases), Facebook will also now allow paid apps on the site.
“For the over 900 million people that use Facebook, the App Center will become the new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something, Pinterest, Spotify, Battle Pirates, Viddy, and Bubble Witch Saga,” Facebook’s Aaron Brady wrote on the site’s page for developers.
The center will be available on the Web and on both Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems. It will roll out to users over the next few weeks, according to Brady’s post.
Facebook will use “a variety of signals, such as user ratings and engagement” to determine which apps are added to the App Center and which get most prominently displayed.
“Well-designed apps that people enjoy will be prominently displayed,” Brady wrote. “Apps that receive poor user ratings or don’t meet the quality guidelines won’t be listed.”
Developers are being asked to create an app detail page, that will give potential users details about the app and be accessible to Web searches.
Those pages are due by May 18, signaling that a full rollout might not happen until after then.
And in a move that mirrors Apple and Android app stores, developers will now be given the option of charging a one-time fee for their apps.
“Many developers have been successful with in-app purchases, but to support more types of apps on Facebook.com, we will give developers the option to offer paid apps,” Brady wrote.
Facebook currently makes about 15% of its money through payments in games and other apps. Zynga, owners of FarmVille, Draw Something and other successful games, are responsible for the majority of those payments. Facebook takes a 30% cut of the payments.
The center rolls out at an opportune time for Facebook, as it prepares for an initial public stock offering. Facebook has not yet found a way to make money on the increasing number of users who access the site through mobile devices. Becoming more visible to iPhone and Android users may be a move in that direction, easing investor concerns in the process.
Most initial tech-world reactions Thursday were positive.
“So far, I see nothing not to thumbs-up here,” wrote Matt Peckham for Time. “A user-related ranking and inclusion system? A chance to investigate an app before installing it? A way for developers to compete on more level terms with Apple and Google with regard to app pricing? Everything in one central location? App agnosticism when it comes to platform and installation?
“Sure, it means a little extra work for developers and new challenge metrics for getting an app included as well as made visible, but the end benefits for users, at least on e-paper, seem broadly win-win at this point.”
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