A resignation letter – [Groupon’s Andrew Mason steps down as CEO]

Andrew Mason stepped down as CEO of Groupon – and posted this letter announcing his firing by the Board.  He writes with candor “After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding – I was fired today. If you’re wondering why… you haven’t been paying attention. From controversial metrics in our S1 to our material weakness to two quarters of missing our own expectations and a stock price that’s hovering around one quarter of our listing price, the events of the last year and a half speak for themselves. As CEO, I am accountable.”

If only the Pope was as honest.

Amanda Palmer at TED [Video]

She’s drawn flak for her Kickstarter project (she raised $1.2m) and for not paying the musicians who volunteered to play at her gigs (in exchange for love, free beer and the like). She gives her music away for free, & still raises enough money to pay for her livelihool. Amanda Palmer shares her astonishing story of trusting her audience in his very recent TED talk. Worth your time.

Working from Home – David Weinberger weighs in [Blogpost]

Marisa Mayer, the CEO of Yahoo, has, in an apparent attempt to turn around the ailing giant, recently banned telecommuting (or working from home, as it’s commonly known as) for all employees. David Weinberger, a senior researcher at the Harvard Berkman Centre for Internet & Society, weighs in with his thoughts on why he disagrees with the decision.

The Nexus of News [Article]

You enjoy the diversity and variety of news you consume everyday, no? It’s called an illusion of choice. Here’s a look at who owns what on television. Do your research if you want to verify those claims – here’s some resources on this nexus: an interactive chart from the FreePress,  a listing by the Columbia Journalism Review, and from the Business Insider.  

When the likes of History Channel runs “educative” programmes on “history”, remember the money behind that programme, & what it wants you to see, hear, read & think every day.  Just for history’s sake, Walt Disney, that much loved animation & entertainment guy, made propaganda films for every branch of the US military & government during World War II like this one called “Education for Death“