Working Up

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

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Internet Discussion Chaos and Semi-Public Groups

April 1st, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Where will we go for discourse on the Internet? Semi-public groups for forums work. I like Seth Godin’s recent short essay on trust and how folks use the Internet. Godin described the early (1970s) online interaction as, “Because each of these groups were high-trust communities, it was easy to conclude that the […]

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Tags: Adults · Conversation · Ideas · Internet · Respect · Talk · Trust · Vocabulary

Figuratively and Literally

February 4th, 2021 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We often use a “figure of speech” to describe something. Well, that’s nice, but I know that such-and-such cannot literally do something-or-other. Can we please have some literal descriptions? I have recently been reading constantly about a very popular software app. I won’t mention which one because that would take us off […]

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Tags: Communication · Fairy Tales · Technology · Work · Writing

Fiction and Disinformation

December 14th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Fiction, when repeated enough, becomes fact in the minds of many. So why aren’t we trying to stomp out fiction that is far from reality? I have seen many movies on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. 99% of murders in real life are not like that, nothing like that. 99% of murders in […]

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Tags: Expectations · Fable · Fairy Tales · Information · Stories · Writing

Some Essentials for Writers II

December 10th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips At last, I continue a series of essentials for writers. The first Some Essentials for Writers was posted December 10th, 2012. I actually promised that I would write some more parts to that post. Well, 7 1/2 years later, here we go. I have been working recently with things called Jekyll, Markdown, […]

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Tags: Tools · Writing

What is Complicated, the Thing or the Description of the Thing?

November 30th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips It sure is hard to understand fill-in-the-blank. Or is it hard to understand what someone wrote about it? I recently experimented with Jekyll. Good grief! That’s complicated! I also experimented with Git and GitHub. Good grief! Those things are complicated! And then I read several textbooks on machine learning and convolutional neural […]

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Tags: Clarity · Learning · Simple · Teaching · Writing

Don’t Try So Hard

November 9th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes we are trying so hard that we fail to notice the simple and wonderful things right in front of us. Person A: I don’t see. It can’t find it. That idea, that concept, that thing that I’m trying to write. Where is it? Person B: Don’t try so hard. Person A: […]

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Tags: General Systems Thinking · Notice · Observation · Thinking · Work · Writing

WDYWT?

October 15th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I find a little trick that helps me write something “for the record” each day. I write. I tell myself that every day. Most days that is true. Most days I will write something of some substance or “for the record.” I have worked from home for the past six months (almost […]

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Tags: Adapting · Remote Work · Systems · Tools · Visibility · Writing

A Good Story

August 16th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Most of us profess to like a good story, but do we? Stories are important. They inform others of our path to where we are today. We love stories. Or do we love the word “story?” If we love stories, we would tell them often. We would type the words to the […]

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Tags: Communication · Ideas · Stories · Writing

Still Learning…Grammar

August 3rd, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Leaving room for learning is a good practice, as long as I continue to fill those empty rooms. I write a lot. I write much more than the average person—whom I have yet to meet. I know English grammar better than the average person. Most average persons could care less about that. […]

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Tags: Learning · Writing

Just Type It, Right Here, Right Now

July 16th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Not sure where to put these words? What is the right place? The right time? I have this idea. I know the right concept. I have a document in the works. Let’s see. Where does this go? When does it go in the time? How about, I don’t know. Let me think… […]

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Tags: Time · Writing