ReneeD's blog

NoFixed is a grassroots movement to raise the value of web development and marketing while improving the quality of life for web practitioners by ending fixed bid contracts. Fixed bid contracts establish the scope, price, and timeline of a project before it starts. These types of engagements are a bad idea for several reasons.

At the start of each New Year it’s a good time to reflect on your progress and adjust in those areas that need some tweaking. It’s our first week back after the New Year and LevelTen is focusing on company-wide New Year’s resolutions - this year we are committed to giving back.

Recently, I came across an article on Tech Crunch reporting an interesting variance between Bing searchers and Google searchers. Surprisingly, the results show when it comes to ads Bingers are more click happy than those who use Google to search.

In a world of busyness, a lot of us are hopelessly devoted to having it all. You know, it’s that work-hard-play-hard mentality. The harder you work the more rewards you will reap. As a result, we feel the need to fill every minute of every day meeting those demanding deadlines rather than doing the very things that we most want to.

Sometimes, we work so hard that it feels like there is not a minute to spare. We have been taught to think that if you work hard and don’t see any results then you simply “aren’t trying hard enough”! Over time busyness makes us dull and our perceptions become skewed, we often lose focus on what we are working so hard for.

It has almost been a year since LevelTen decided to go agile and implement the Scrum process to tackle development and marketing related projects. Throughout the learning process we have made some slight alterations tailored to fit LevelTen’s needs. Most recently, we have introduced an “Internal Scrum” to keep track of the never ending tasks that need to be taken care of around the office – fixing IT equipment, documenting processes, documenting software, office organization, decorating, etc.

Over the past year, I have bookmarked an endless amount of websites that I turn to time and time again in search of inspiration. Here are some of my ultimate favorites:

Design Sponge launched in August of 2004, with a wide range of categories from paper and lighting to graphic design and ceramics. The site is updated several times daily so keep checking back.

Out of a job? It is a pretty common trend in today’s economy but what are you going to do about it? We all know about monster, careerbuilder, and craigslist but what other resources are out there? Check out a few not so common job search sites to help you get hired for your dream job.

Hound
Hound pulls jobs that are posted on employers’ websites rather than commercial job boards.

More and more people are relying on Internet search engines for answers. If you are like me, I find myself refining my initial queries with new or modified words. Bing was designed to overcome all of this chaos by presenting fast, relevant search results.

“Inspired by a typical office dilemma during lunchtime: where to find healthy restaurant food near you.”

Despite the rainy weather, Saturday, May 16, 2009, LevelTen participated in the Great Strides fund raising event in efforts to spread awareness in the lives of those living with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).

What is it?
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 70,000 children and adults worldwide. Imagine thick, sticky mucus trapping the lungs, leading to life-threatening lung infections. CF is also known to obstruct the pancreas and stop natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

How does it feel?
Hold your nose, take a straw and breathe through your mouth. Go ahead, try it for just two minutes and then imagine the lives of those who battle this disease around the clock.

How can you help?
Consider making a tax deductible donation of $10 or whatever your budget will allow to help further vital CF research. You may send a check, made payable to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, to LevelTen Interactive at 2929 Carlisle Suite 375, Dallas, TX, 75204. You can also donate online through the month of December.

Remember your contribution will enable the CF Foundation to take full advantage of the tremendous opportunities in CF research that are now on the horizon.