Working Up

Working Up in Project Management, Systems Engineering, Technology, and Writing

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Leaking or Sharing?

October 6th, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Is it a data leak or an information share? Perhaps it is both; perhaps it is for the greater good. An old question has been asked again several times recently. Several decades ago I read of the non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that the chip makers in Silicon Valley had. Employees signed legal documents […]

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Tags: Employment · Jobs · Knowledge · Learning · Work

And Why Would They Know That?

September 8th, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips When assuming that another person already knows something, ask, “And why would they know that?” It happened again the other day at work, someone interrupted a presentation, pointed to something mentioned but not shown, and asked, “But what is that thing? What does it do?” The presenter, unable to hide the aghast […]

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Tags: Communication · Expectations · Knowledge · Learning · Work

Data is the New…Nausea

July 25th, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Data, data, data. Enough already. Just tell me something I don’t know. Data is the new oil. Data is the new bacon. Data will fuel the economies of the future. Data will determine the winner of the next world war. Data, data, data. I work with data. On some days, some folks […]

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Tags: Artificial Intelligence · Data Science · Information · Knowledge · Learning · Machine Learning · Teaching

Inconvenient Facts

July 18th, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips These inconvenient facts seem to be everywhere. They are inconvenient, however, only when we have a story to tell that denies reality. There are some old sayings like, “opinions being mugged by facts,” and “don’t confuse my opinion with facts,” and “there is nothing like facts getting in the way of my […]

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Tags: Analysis · Appearances · Communication · Data Science · Knowledge · Observation

Augmented Reality in 1980

February 21st, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Forty years ago I saw what Augmented Reality could do. I’m still waiting for it. Back in 1980, I spent much of my workdays repairing electronic equipment (yes, I am that old). Pull a piece of equipment out of the rack, put it on the workbench, remove the cover, and trace through […]

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Tags: Concepts · Engineering · Help · Information · Knowledge · Technology

Organized Disorganization

January 31st, 2022 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes we “know where everything is” despite outward appearances. Sometimes we have “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Sometimes both ideas work. Sometimes neither work. Data is everywhere. Data is the new oil or bacon or pizza or something good or bad. The trouble with data is if I […]

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Tags: Analysis · Data Science · Information · Knowledge · Research · Technology

We Knew What We Were Doing, Right?

November 4th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We are almost always uncertain. That is why we should plan key decision points. “We knew what were were doing, right?” asked one of the decision makers after everything collapsed. “Well, it sounded good when we started,” replied another one of the decision makers after everything collapsed. No, sorry, we didn’t know […]

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Tags: Decide · Knowledge · Management · Planning · Resources · Time

No-Cost Learning

October 4th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I find it unfortunate, but no-cost learning doesn’t exist. I guess this goes back to the concept of if it is worth something, it is worth something. No-cost learning? Boy, I sure do want that! Free online courses have a price tag of $0. They do, however, require time, energy, and other […]

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Tags: Choose · Learning · Resources · Teaching

Throw Away or Put Away (for now)

July 22nd, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We don’t have to “throw away” or discard ideas. We can always put them in a place to visit later. I have lots of ideas for writing, speaking, and generally contemplating. I don’t always have the time to use the ideas right now. That is fine. I save them for later, i.e., […]

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Tags: Communication · Ideas · Journal · Knowledge · Library · Notebook · Writing

Explain Yourself!

September 7th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips One of the bigger compliments in the knowledge world in which we live is when someone wants to know what I know. “I don’t have to explain myself to you! I am a grand exalted expert in expertise and all grand exalted things!” said a frustrated expert when told, “Explain yourself.” I […]

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Tags: Expertise · Knowledge · Respect · Teaching