John Carson

Though most magazines seem to get thinner at this time of year, EPDT is definitely bucking that trend. The July print/digital edition is a very healthy 40 pages. It's full of insightful, technically in-depth content. I speak with Cree LED’s Morgan Meadows Davis, PMP about solid-state horticultural lighting, as well as writing an article on the emergence of direct energy wave (DEW) technology in counter warfare. Jon Baxter from distribution specialist Solsta - the new name for Solid State Supplies Ltd discuses the need for adaptability to the changing business landscape. There’s an article from Lattice Semiconductor's Karl Wachswender on use of advanced FPGAs in an Industry 4.0 context. Hwee Yng Yeo from Keysight Technologies looks at the role of testing in maximising EV battery life, while Toshiba Electronics Europe GmbH’s Volker Schumann examines the energy storage demands of future public transportation services. There’s a feature on Enclosures, with contributions from Spelsberg els UK Ltd’s Chris Lloyd, Robert Cox from OKW Enclosures Limited, DigiKey’s Kenton Williston and Hammond Electronics, Inc.’s Russell Irvine. The Supply Chain feature has a piece on USB charging from Arrow Electronics’ Alexander Guba and Infineon Technologies’ Anand Kannan, Mouser Electronics’ Mark Patrick B.Eng MIET continues his blog series on sensor devices, Axiom Sustainability Software’s Daniel Usifoh MSc, MCIPS looking at ESG in distribution and Jürgen Geier from RUTRONIK Electronics Worldwide talks about MLCCs. There are also a bunch of #Arduino projects for you to try out. Find out more here https://lnkd.in/eS--RxWb Wendy Vinson Michelle Shrimpton Paraic Delahunt Debi PoloVeronika Seifried Melanie Nagy Birgit Schoeniger Natalia Selezneva Liz Patrick Laura Stengrim Nick Walker Andy Buchan Addisyn Hartman 

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Mini Plain-Language Conference on Clear Financial Communications Join Us for a Special Event on International Plain Language Day October 15, 2024 • 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (EDT) Session 1: Simplifying Complex Forms for Better User Experience Speaker: Clément Camion, En Clair Clément Camion will explain how his team simplified a debit card agreement for a major financial institution. This project won the 2024 ClearMark Award for Legal Documents for improving both usability and compliance. In this session, you’ll learn how plain language principles and rigorous user testing helped make a complex form easier to understand and use. Session 2: Panel Discussion – Ask the Experts Join Barbra Kingsley, PhD, as she leads a panel of experts in discussing how to simplify financial documents. You’ll get a chance to ask questions and hear from: Clément Camion En Clair Deborah S. Bosley Ph.D., #ThePlainLanguageGroup @NadineBennett & @ClaudetteGreenSinclair, British CaribbeanInsuranceCompany Deanna Lorianni #LogophileLLC This lively discussion will focus on practical tips for making financial forms clear and easy to understand. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how clear communication can make financial documents better for everyone. Register now to save your spot. Register for the webinar #financial #financialforms #financialplainlanguage #plainlanguage

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I read the full report on the State Of Canadian Publishing. Some key takeaways: - Publishers offering no training for AI but plan to (or already are) leverage AI for marketing and summary blurbs. - Large publishers do not focus on direct sales to consumers, but small and midsized publishers do (not well, but it's a larger part of their revenue stream). - Publishers are still using Facebook to market more than any other social media platform. This last point felt odd to me but then I thought of the market publishers believe they are speaking to and it made more sense. FB has an older demographic and for a long time was a prime marketing platform for books. Publishing is always slow to change course, so the fact that FB is still the primary tool for publishers isn't that surprising. This also explains why publishers aren't offering employees training on AI. It would mean publishers have a clear strategy or at least intend on creating a clear strategy for adopting and leveraging AI and that's not the case. Not yet, at least. *BookNet Canada put together the report.

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Invites to panelists for the remaining December podcast sessions are on the way, but how about we get an early start on 2025? DOS Won't Hunt -- Recording Schedule through January 2025 Interested panelists, please contact me directly via email, not just with comments on this post: [email protected] Note to public relations teams: please only pitch panelists you have CONFIRMED will be available on those dates. This is a video podcast recording. Only the panelists will be in the session. All recordings will be panel discussions, at 12 pm ET on the recording dates below. Jan 3 – Who Should Lead the AI Conversation in the C-Suite? Many executives might have opinions on the technology and its use, but does that translate into understanding of the opportunities and capabilities of AI? Should managers who are not part of the C-suite be part of the conversation to keep orgs from heading down the wrong path? Jan 10 – How Do Companies Know if They Overspend on AI and Then Recover? At what point should the ROI for AI be measured? How long should companies wait to see “efficiencies” turn into real monetary returns? When should companies take a step back and reassess if they should continue to pour money into chasing AI Shangri-la? How can they salvage their efforts if their original AI plan goes bust? Jan 17 – What Happens if AI No Longer Has Access to Good Data to Train On? As changes in data privacy and regulations take hold, it might change the availability of data AI can be trained on. Synthetic data certainly is an option, but is that sufficient to properly train AI and deliver results that actually matter to operations? What if old data or synthetic data does not keep AI up to speed with how the real world works? Will AI become an expensive, obsolete tool if the real world stonewalls data access? Jan 24 – How Must Staffing Change in Relation to AI? What skillsets do organizations need to leverage and/or develop AI? Are organizations focusing on hires who know how to use AI in their jobs for greater efficiency? Is there any truth behind the fear that AI will eliminate jobs? At what point can organizations comfortably rely on AI to enhance their workforce and operational delivery?  What does this mean for C-suite qualifications? Does the boss need to be AI-savvy to be a leader in the future? Jan 31 – If Everyone Uses AI, How Can Organizations Differentiate Themselves? There can be a certain amount of obviousness to some of what AI, especially generative AI, produces. There might even be similarities in what AI platforms crank out. If AI trains on comparable resources, uses comparable models, how can organizations actually differentiate what they get from AI? For example, college professors are seeing students turn in AI-written or enhanced essays – that may sound very similar. What happens when companies start to look like they are just copying each other’s homework because they use AI?

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The Power of a Pitch "Publishing credentials, well-researched comp titles, and a bit of personalization will certainly help your case, but your pitch is currency." https://buff.ly/3Yv3wqF #writerscommunity #writingcommunity #writerslife #amwriting

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#Writing may be a solitary endeavor, but that doesn't mean #writers should toil alone from start to finish. Communities like these provide support, education, and sometimes credibility. Browse this roundup and see if one or two groups might be a good fit for your needs. https://lnkd.in/gMfC7vAX #writetip #writingtip

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The editor-in-chief is a big deal for a publishing company, big or small, so when one leaves, it's significant - for the reason(s) for their departure, for whomever is to take over the role following them, and also for where that editor-in-chief goes next. Earlier this month, news came out that IDW Publishing's editor-in-chief Jamie S. Rich - who took the role just 13 months prior - has left the company. First reported by Bleeding Cool writer Rich Johnston, this departure came following the departure of two other senior editors at the company. Since the news of Rich's departure went public, speculation has been rampant - for journalists, for comics pros, for pundits, and for fans - about what's happening at the company. This has led to significant speculation about what this means for IDW has its 13 months removed from a self-described "reset" which resulted in 39% layoff of its employees. So to cut through the speculation and hyperbole, we went to the source. We asked now-former IDW Pubishing editor-in-chief Jamie S. Rich what was going on. As it turns out, he too has been reading the idle speculation which some has misattributed as news, and wants to correct the record. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eKursTgH

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People ask me all the time: How can we keep up with the AI disinformation as technology gets better and better? My answer is always #medialiteracy. And, after a year of blood, sweat, tears and research, the Poynter Institute and MediaWise is out with a robust curriculum that will help teens separate fact from fiction online. Media literacy is timeless, and the techniques we've been teaching for years are fundamental to tackling generative AI misinformation. But, with this curriculum, we've created something new that speaks to teens: It's fun, it's actually relevant, it has a module for AI — and it is incredibly easy for teachers to use. That's because it was created by them: Sean Marcus and Kathleen Ovack Tobin. It includes skill-based media literacy, but also sections inspired the proven technique of prebunking. It's actionable, customizable and in the end, it'll turn your students into fact-checkers. Kudos to Brittani Kollar on all the work put into this over the last year. And thanks to YouTube for partnering with us on something that we believe will equip students to navigate the most challenging information environment in history. What a heck of a start of #MediaLiteracyWeek!

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Good piece by Patrick Boehler: The most dangerous words in journalism might be "but we're doing important work". Few of us would argue that journalism isn't important, but if no-one is reading our work is it having the impact we imagine? Patrick touches on a few of the issues I think are key, including journalism is not only practiced within the bounds of journalism organisation but is everywhere today, and just because journalism is important doesn't necessarily mean our own work is important. Lots to digest here, including the baker analogy which I like. https://lnkd.in/gZzySvPE

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The Productive Indie Fiction Writer Why Indie Authors Need Downtime (And How to Actually Get It) https://lnkd.in/gPXRM8tK You’re Not a Machine: Why Downtime is Essential As an indie author, you're not just a writer. You're a marketing department, an editor, a publisher, a social media manager, and possibly the person who has to remember to water the plants. All this juggling means burnout is more than a risk—it’s almost a guarantee if you’re not actively carving out downtime. And yet, downtime isn't laziness or time wasted. It’s the fuel that keeps the creative engine running and prevents that ugly beast called burnout from knocking on your door. You're reading this because you probably feel it—those days when writing feels like wringing a dry sponge. And it's no surprise. Creativity and productivity both thrive on periods of rest and recovery. Without downtime, you’ll hit a wall faster than a plot twist in a thriller novel. Downtime is on my mind at the moment. I'm working well ahead of schedule so that I can spend a few days in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, relaxing and not worrying (too much) about books, publishing, and marketing. By the time you read this post, I will be just about home again and, I hope, de-stressed and ready to write. Daily Downtime: Give Your Brain a Breather If you’re constantly on the grind, your creative well is going to run dry. But taking small, deliberate breaks every day can help. Think of it as your brain’s time to reboot. Like any other muscle, it can’t work well if you keep it under tension all the time. Here's how you can make downtime part of your daily routine: Micro-breaks: Try scheduling five-minute breathers throughout your day. Don’t just stare at your phone, though. Stand up, stretch, walk to the window and stare at the birds—anything that’s not work or screens. Low-energy physical activity: Taking a short walk or doing some gentle yoga isn't just good for your body, it’s proven to help clear your head. Running can also be meditative once you reach a rhythm (just don’t worry if you’re not there yet; walking still counts!). Creative distraction: Creative burnout often calls for something that uses a different part of your brain. Try sketching (badly), noodling on a guitar, or even doodling. These low-pressure activities let your brain relax while still working through ideas in the background. Restorative breaks: This might sound a bit too woo-woo, but don't underestimate the power of sitting with a hot beverage, feeling the breeze, or even hanging out with your pets. That cat isn’t just a pet—it’s therapy on four legs. Remember: The aim of daily downtime isn’t to kill time, but to give your mind space to recover and reset. You’re creating a fertile ground for new ideas to sprout. Longer Downtime: Weekends, Holidays, and Vacations Y

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How to Fix Big Story Problems via Writers Helping Writers #amwriting #writetip #nanowrimo #pubtip https://lnkd.in/egygij7u

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If you believe journalism can be a force for good, listen in briefly. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has a dedicated team of "Impact Producers" - it's their job to make sure that the findings we make get to the right people in the right way - policy makers, affected communities, regulators, business groups, prosecutors, whoever it might be. Our reporting is engaged with, not ignored. 👨‍🌾 Last year, we presented to several parliamentary committees. For the first time ever, migrant farm workers gave evidence to the House of Lords, after we reported their stories and facilitated them becoming witnesses. 👩‍🏫 After reading our exposé of Carter-Ruck, the world’s fiercest libel firm, Dan Neidle referred the firm the Solicitors Regulation Authority. 👊 We played an important role (along with tons of others) in the UK's Anti-Slapps coalition - which has already helped bring about a law to make abusive defamation lawsuits easier to dismiss. (A long way to go on that one still) 💸 After four years of uncovering a businessman allegedly scheming millions out of an indebted Essex council, that council is now suing the businessman to get its money back. The governing party was also just voted out. 🍍 We exposed that security guards on Del Monte's pineapple farm in Kenya allegedly killed people over a decade-long people. Kenya's human rights commission is investigating, the company brought in a human rights manager and tasked a new company with improving its security guard corps. 🐄 Nestlé dropped a major Brazilian beef supplier after we exposed how it sourced cattle from illegally deforested land. I'm going to leave it there, because I could go on for a long time. We've got so much to talk about that we just launched a newsletter called The Spark, which shares all the impact investigative journalism is making - yes our own, but other organisations' too. Sign up below 👇 https://lnkd.in/e4PqieVf

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"I’ve spent the past few years reading tweets about articles, not full articles; reading screenshots of the bad part (highlighted); reading only the most outraging detail from a story." The world is a lot right now, which makes it a good time to reconsider your news habits. This blog from Nieman Lab has some good suggestions on where to start [like reconnecting with print!].

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