INFORMATION UPDATE  
   March 2008                            Number 92

Welcome to INFORMATION UPDATE, the monthly resource for
information seekers and users.

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IN THIS ISSUE
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   => DO IT YOURSELF - Lifehacker.com
   => DID YOU KNOW - You Deserve More Than a Data Dump
   => Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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DO IT YOURSELF - Lifehacker.com
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First, this Information Update feature comes to you as a 
result of a personal recommendation from a trusted source.
Despite the fact that Lifehacker.com ranks among the top-
linked blogs on the Internet and has been featured in The
New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Oprah Magazine,
and PC Magazine, it didn't really register on my radar
screen until I heard about it from a colleague.  So, never 
underestimate the power of the referral.

Lifehacker features tips, shortcuts, and downloads that help
you get things done smarter and more efficiently.  Editors
publish over 20 tips per day that can make your relationship
with technology more fun and more effective.  They also
offer some pretty nifty do-it-yourself projects.

So, what does the word "lifehacker" mean?  According to the
site FAQ, "hack" is a clever shortcut or lesser-known, faster
way to get something done.  The hacks you'll find there focus
on technology, but they also include things to know like how 
to build an air conditioner for under $30.

As I write this the home page of Lifehacker.com features tips
on setting up quick search in Firefox, useful keyboard short-
cuts in Google Calendar, and how to make a do-it-yourself 
stud finder using a magnet and a piece of string.  (Note: By 
'stud' we mean the wooden uprights behind the plaster in 
your walls.)

Lifehacker.com could be a time sink, but if you can resist
the urge to look at photos of the finalists in the Coolest
Cubicle Contest, you can pick up some really helpful tips 
for hacking the technology in your life.

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DID YOU KNOW - You Deserve More Than a Data Dump
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Have you ever called upon a colleague for research assistance
only to receive in response an e-mail with 5 or more attach-
ments?  The brief note on the e-mail asserts that somewhere 
inside these attachments you will find what you need.

You are busy.  You're on a deadline.  You need answers, not 
a data dump in the form of multiple documents attached to 
vaguely worded e-mail.

There is a better way.  Professional research results can
easily be delivered as a concise report with a readable
summary of findings.  The sources can still be included as
background material inside the report, but an executive
summary containing the key points you seek is a reasonable
expectation.  If you're not getting this now, then why not
ask for it?  You deserve more than a data dump.

For examples of value added research results that can inform
your business decisions, contact Shamel Information Services.

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Notes, News, and Announcements
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Other newsletters that may be of interest to Information
Update readers:

Bates InfoTip from Mary Ellen Bates 
http://www.batesinfo.com/tip.html

ResearchNOTES from Marcy Phelps
http://www.phelpsresearch.com/research.html

ResearchBuzz from Tara Calishain
http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/

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Shamel Information Services Web Site 
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The Shamel Information Services Web site at 
http://shamelinfo.com contains Information Update archives. 
Just click on "Newsletters" and check for any issues you 
might have missed.

Cynthia L. Shamel, editor

Shamel Information Services
  Decisions-Informed
Telephone: +1 858-673-4673

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SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
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Subscriptions to INFORMATION UPDATE are free.  To subscribe use
the form at http://shamelinfo.com.  To unsubscribe, please send 
your request to cshamel@shamelinfo.com.  All requests are 
handled promptly.

Copyright 2008 Shamel Information Services

Please feel free to forward this issue to colleagues, in its 
entirety. Other uses without permission may violate copyright.

Online archives at http://shamelinfo.com/newsletter.htm

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