Month: February 2003

When the Blizzard hits you can't go to work, or can you? – seven years ago N.Y Times writer Joe Sharkey boldly proclaimed that the Internet was vastly overhyped.  The blizzard that struck the Northeast also struck a chord of awareness in Joe Sharkey that caused him to rethink his dismissive statement about the Internet.  Here's how he describes waking up the morning after the blizzard hit:

The morning paper wasn't out front by 6 a.m. as it usually is, but the cable modem was humming; the broadband links to e-mail and news worked fine…

He then goes on to describe

When the Blizzard hits you can't go to work, or can you? – seven years ago N.Y Times writer Joe Sharkey boldly proclaimed that the Internet was vastly overhyped.  The blizzard that struck the Northeast also struck a chord of awareness in Joe Sharkey that caused him to rethink his dismissive statement about the Internet. … Continue reading

When the Blizzard hits you can't go to work, or can you? – seven years ago N.Y Times writer Joe Sharkey boldly proclaimed that the Internet was vastly overhyped.  The blizzard that struck the Northeast also struck a chord of awareness in Joe Sharkey that caused him to rethink his dismissive statement about the Internet.  Here's how he describes waking up the morning after the blizzard hit:

The morning paper wasn't out front by 6 a.m. as it usually is, but the cable modem was humming; the broadband links to e-mail and news worked fine…

He then goes on to describe

U.S. Is Behind European Nations on Crowd Safety, Experts Say

U.S. Is Behind European Nations on Crowd Safety, Experts Say. Experts say that the U.S. has done less than many other countries to prevent incidents like the two recent nightclub fires. By Eric Pfanner, International Herald Tribune. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]

A Meteor of a Magazine

A Meteor of a Magazine. James Ledbetter's new book on The Industry Standard doesn't deliver the insider's story on how the magazine fell so quickly. By Andrew Ross Sorkin. [New York Times: Technology]

Don't Fear the [Grim] Reaper

Don't Fear the [Grim] Reaper.  Grimmys or Grammys “It’s going to take a lot to keep this year’s Grammys from looking like the Grimmys. The good news for viewers is the blockbuster lineup for Sunday night’s Madison Square Garden show. The bad news for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which presents the… Continue reading Don't Fear the [Grim] Reaper

available here

Great Review of CaseMap 4 – by Dennis Kennedy is available here.  A Windows only program, but it is outstanding and worth at least trying out for 30 days.  I downloaded the free trial version a couple of years ago and used it to chronologize the facts in a TRO matter that was going to… Continue reading available here

Law firms that tout their techno-wizardry – I have had the opportunity recently to check out a few law firm websites and marketing brochures.  What fascinates me most is are the firms that engage in mindless bloviating about their technological prowess.  One law firm cites (as proof of its commitment to use of technology) the fact that “PCs are on the desk of every lawyer, paralegal, secretary, and staff person.” One wonders if, “on some attorneys' desks” the PC functions as an art object rather than a productivity tool.

Another firm, whose website hasn't been updated since it was first created, makes much ado over the fact that the firm has HP printers and uses Word 97.

What's interesting about these public displays of techno-affection is not that they are so pathetically out-of-step with a true vision of what technology can do in a law firm.  It's that the firms are obviously touting their prowess as a marketing ploy, which is fine if the commitment to use technology is real.   The not-so-subtle message they seek to convey is that they are on the cutting edge of efficiency and state-of-the-art lawyering.  In short, they are saying “we are diligent and know how to use technology to help you with your case.”  Yeah, except when it comes to that very difficult and convoluted task called 'updating your website.'  [Ernie the Attorney

Law firms that tout their techno-wizardry – I have had the opportunity recently to check out a few law firm websites and marketing brochures.  What fascinates me most is are the firms that engage in mindless bloviating about their technological prowess.  One law firm cites (as proof of its commitment to use of technology) the fact… Continue reading

Law firms that tout their techno-wizardry – I have had the opportunity recently to check out a few law firm websites and marketing brochures.  What fascinates me most is are the firms that engage in mindless bloviating about their technological prowess.  One law firm cites (as proof of its commitment to use of technology) the fact that “PCs are on the desk of every lawyer, paralegal, secretary, and staff person.” One wonders if, “on some attorneys' desks” the PC functions as an art object rather than a productivity tool.

Another firm, whose website hasn't been updated since it was first created, makes much ado over the fact that the firm has HP printers and uses Word 97.

What's interesting about these public displays of techno-affection is not that they are so pathetically out-of-step with a true vision of what technology can do in a law firm.  It's that the firms are obviously touting their prowess as a marketing ploy, which is fine if the commitment to use technology is real.   The not-so-subtle message they seek to convey is that they are on the cutting edge of efficiency and state-of-the-art lawyering.  In short, they are saying “we are diligent and know how to use technology to help you with your case.”  Yeah, except when it comes to that very difficult and convoluted task called 'updating your website.'  [Ernie the Attorney

great article at Law.com

Deep thoughts on Court Websites – Howard Bashman has a great article at Law.com on what makes for a good court website.  He prefers that the opinions be available in PDF format, but applauds the US 1st Circuit and the US 10th Circuit for making opinions available in both PDF and HTML format. He chastises the… Continue reading great article at Law.com

Selling Information Architecture The Right Way

Selling Information Architecture The Right Way. In A User-Centered Approach to Selling Information Architecture, over at Digital-Web, Jeff Lash gives a great article on not only the selling of IA, but in effect putting the goals and needs of the client first. [ia/ – information architecture news]