It has become quite common for many to work with multiple computers, at home, at work, on the road; and to collaborate with others requiring frequent document sharing. The general approach to deal with this problem requires USB drives, emailing documents to multiple e-mail accounts, or having remote access to one or more computers. I have used all of the above and in some circumstances these solutions may have their place in anyone’s technology tool chest. If you work with multiple computers, or work collaboratively, read on.

In the last 5-6 years many file access solutions have emerged, all requiring some sort of uploads and downloads. I have tried several and given up on them due to their cumbersome nature. Recently, I tried one of the new services recommended by several magazine articles and Web sites: Dropbox.com. I am writing this post to recommend this service to my colleagues and students. It is totally automated and works like magic.

You may have received an invitation from me to join Dropbox. But even without an invitation, point your browser to Dropbox to see how simple this can be.

1. Click on the big blue button that says “Download Dropbox”. It will initiate the download.
2. When it is complete, double click on the downloaded file to start the installation
3. Accept all the default settings it suggest, they can be changed later if you like
4. When the window comes asking whether you have a Dropbox account or not, choose the one that says you do not have an account
5. Enter your information
6. You may skip the brief explanation that requires going through several windows by clicking the appropriate button
7. You now have 2GB of storage totally free of charge on Dropbox

The installation creates a Dropbox folder on your desktop, which is the magic portal through which full synchronization happens.  You can create new folders there, load them up with files, they will magically appear on your Dropbox account which you can access wherever there is a Web browser. Now, you can go to the Dropbox Web site, login and you will see the contents of your local Dropbox folder. But, wait! There’s more!

On your second (or third, or fourth,… ) computer, say your office computer, and your laptop, go through the steps 1-3 above. When you come to step 4, choose the option that you have a Dropbox account and enter your e-mail and password. Dropbox will install on that computer, create the same Dropbox folder on the desktop (or wherever you decided to put it) and to your total amazement will make the files you put in your Dropbox at home appear in your Dropbox on your office computer. You can repeat this on other computers you use with the same automatic synchronization feature, in all directions. DO NOT INSTALL DROPBOX ON PUBLIC COMPUTERS WITH YOUR LOGIN CREDENTIALS. That will give access to  your files to anyone sitting at that computer. Instead, access your files using a Web browser on those public computers, in the lab, at a friends house, at a cafeteria, …

Now, are you satisfied? But, wait there’s more!

Say you are collaborating on a project, be it a group project in a class or collaboration on a paper with a colleague, or you simply want to show some photographs you have taken during the spring break with your family. (What? You do not want them to see those photos? Why? Oh, well, never mind.) Create a folder in your Dropbox for sharing with one or many people. Put some files there. Then share this folder on the Dropbox Web site. You will see the menu tab for this purpose which simply requires that you choose the folder to share and enter the e-mail addresses of the people who should see the contents of this folder. That simple. Your friends will receive your invitation to access the shared folder (you can have multiple shared folder for different group of individuals) and arrive at the Dropbox Web site. If they do not have a Dropbox account, they can create on on the spot, or use their login credentials to login to their Dropbox account and accept your invitation to view the folder contents you shared.

I suggest that you go in small steps and get comfortable with the software and the service. It works with remarkable ease and the storage space they give you free of charge is rather generous. You can almost use it for off site backup purposes.

Now, you can stop worrying that you left your USB drive at home. Your files are at your fingertips, wherever you are.

Note: I have found out after posting this message that anyone who registers at Dropbox from the links on this page will add more capacity to my account. Feel free to start your account and share your link with your group members so that you get more capacity if you need it.

Today, I received a message from one of my former students who took Marketing on the Internet with me. I would like to share his comments, then a segment of his later reply to my response to him. They are revealing, if you take what this person says to heart. I only changed his name and the name of the company that his father owned. Everything else is in his own words. Read more

Industry analysis is one of the important ingredients of strategic marketing. By understanding the behavior of the industry, marketers try to anticipate change or identify opportunities and threats. It requires a thorough look at the customers and their needs, market segments, major players and competitors, market behavior like growth rates and the like, and the environment with its uncertainties. Read more

At a conference some years ago, I heard many science educators at all levels talk about “doing science.” At first, it sounded somewhat strange. As I listened and understood the phrase in context, it made eminent sense. They were simply saying, “the only way to learn science is by practicing it.” In the same spirit, I say, “let’s do marketing” to the tune of cases. Read more

Studying requires more than time and learning stems from a mental process by which you, the learner, develop an understanding that makes sense to you and is consistent with the body of knowledge you are studying. Here are a few do’s and
don’ts.

Study by objectives

Understand what you are trying to learn before the study session begins. Quickly browse the chapter in five minutes or less to get familiar with the general nature of the material. Then, write on a piece of paper several learning objectives.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

There is no doubt that we will all make a mistake sooner or later. There is a great learning opportunity in what you might otherwise call failure, like receiving a low grade on an exam. Instead, take that as a great opportunity to find out why you received that grade and devise ways to prevent it from happening again. The greatest failure is the failure to learn from mistakes and the worst mistake is the one we repeat.

Assess learning

After you finish studying, refer back to your objectives to assess their achievement. If necessary, go back and review the part that you may have missed. You may save a great deal of time this way since you only have to study what has not clicked yet.

Teach to learn

Teaching is an excellent learning method. Try explaining what you have learned to a willing friend. You will be surprised to see how much more sense the material makes all of a sudden.

Don’t daydream, have fun

Daydreaming is a black-hole that swallows your time. In a contest, leisure wins over study. Don’t let them compete. Spare time for fun. Don’t steal from your study time and feel guilty about it. Have fun after serious studying.

Don’t procrastinate

“Later” is too close to the deadline and the end of the semester is sooner that you think. After procrastinating for a while, the backlog will be so great you will fall into another trap: “there is too much to study, I don’t know where to start.” It is easier to go over little hills than great mountains.

Manage time

One of the most important factors in good class performance is time management. The most likely reason of missed-deadlines is lack of organization. You need to have a system that will let you handle several classes with assignments, upcoming job interviews, personal commitments, and a good dose of “senioritis”. Organize your day, week and the semester to do all that and still have a little time for fun.

Be realistic

Don’t underestimate the time required to complete a project. You feel comfortable when you have the most time at the beginning of the semester and panic when you can least afford it, at the end of the semester. Remember, most projects will take more time than you think.

Set a schedule and stick to it

If you don’t stick to your schedule, time will slip through your fingers. Do things on schedule, not later or tomorrow.

Visit these pages periodically

If you have tips to share, send them to me. I will incorporate them to these pages with due credit to you unless you wish to remain anonymous. Wisdom cannot be told but experiences can be shared to build it.

Although at times it may be more difficult than working alone, working in groups is an effective learning tool. Be prepared to face the challenges of working with people (something you will do throughout your career) and avoid finger-pointing at the end of the semester. Allow me to provide assistance and guidance in the early stages of your project and organizing your group. Ask, and you will receive support

Organize early and you will be rewarded. Select a team leader who can organize meetings, keep assignments on time, and make the administrative burden much lighter on everyone. Exchange telephone numbers and e-mail addresses with each other and make sure that I have a copy of this information for the entire team.

Schedule standing meetings when everyone will show-up. Allow extra meeting time during the heavy load periods if necessary. Remember, the only people responsible for an efficient team are the team members! If there are minor difficulties in scheduling, assignments, etc., at the beginning, I will be glad to lend a hand to organize the team. I am a member of every team!

Learning involves behavior change, visible or not, as a result of acquired knowledge. In order for the behavior change to occur, the input has to be mentally processed and made one’s own.

Learning is hard and it requires deliberate effort and it is intensely personal. Other people may do many things for each other but nobody can learn for someone else for it happens in the mind of the individual.

There is brute force “learning,” memorizing. This may be useful in the short run for some kinds of learning. Learning that will endure over time is important. That requires more care and determination on the part of the learner.