Article in NY Times about job seekers and seniors improving their computer skills.

If you are a senior or just know someone who is new to computers I have two books to recommend. For the first-time computer user, our Windows XP Plain & Simple or Windows Vista Plain & Simple. We are also about to release a new kit that contains the Vista Plain & Simple and a 100 page guide aimed at the person helping the new computer user.

Interesting article in NYTimes about the use of Twitter during the recent attacks in Mumbai.

My friend Hilary and I just caught the Quantum of Solice matinee at the new Village Roadshow Gold Class Cinemas in Redmond. Forget a coke and a big tub of popcorn in a raggedy seat where you are happy if there is a cup holder. We watched Bond in LazyBoy recliners chomping on lobster rolls and blue cheese potato chips while drinking sparkling wine.

It is a shame that they opened just as the economy tanked. But if you figure for date night you would normally go for a dinner and movie...this actually makes sense.

Here's a story I've been following on Komo4 that will just break your heart. Please donate to your local food bank.

Interesting article in the NYTimes about Microblogging at work.

Joe Wikert commented on Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book, Vol. 1 which has a high ranking on the Kindle bestseller list. This despite the fact that the book is full-color and the kindle is black-and-white (and frankly photos look terrible). Why would someone purchase an ebook of a graphic intensive book?

I think the folks buying it, already own the print edition and are buying it as an "on-the-go" reference. I've noticed that I'm starting to do that. Just the other day I purchased David Allen's Getting Things Done. I know I own at least two copies, but thought I'd like to have it for my Kindle and with me. This wasn't a highly graphic book--but I will reference it.

I notice that the print edition does not come with the ebook. Whenever we publish a cd with a book, we usually include a searchable ebook on the cd. I've often wondered if folks were using those ebooks but didn't have "a loop" back out to the customers to find out. Then we accidentally shipped one of our Inside Out books without the ebook. It was a mistake on our part--the wrong files went to the printer. Well, I can't tell you how many readers came back to us or the author looking for the ebook. I asked a few how they used the ebook and the majority wanted the searchable ebook on their laptop for reference for when they traveled.

Interesting article in NYTimes about the declining numbers of women in computer science.

The past few weeks I've had a lot on my mind--the election, the economy and an impending reorganization within my division. It has made it hard at times to concentrate. But now, today, at least two of those issues choices have been made and set. The election is over and we have a new President. The organizational chart has also been set for my role within my organization. That doesn't mean I know exactly where this country is going (see economy), and it certainly doesn't mean I know exactly what my new role entails (see economy), but at least it is a place to start from.

And I have, like millions of Americans, been inspired by this presidential campaign, and am now ready to roll up my sleeves and get back to work. My first question being, "How can I help?" Especially when according to ABC exit polls, 63% of respondents cited the Economy as the most important issue facing this country.

Well, it just so happens that my new role in my organization makes it easy for me to focus my work week on helping out with that big issue.

So, what I have been doing for the past ten years at Microsoft is acquiring authors and planning for our book list. I've spent at least the last five of that concentrating on my favorite audience--information workers and consumers. I'll still be doing that. But now I'll also be thinking about and planning products across the Microsoft Leaning spectrum--as well as books, that includes elearning, courses, clinics, ereference and probably a few more I don't know about yet. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to accomplish this all yet. Besides waiting for a reorg to happen the next hardest part is figuring out how what you do is changing. But I am lucky in that many of the products I've been working on such as our Step by Step series already figure into some of these other products. You can use the Step by Steps to study for a MOS exam, Step by Steps have been used in the past to create elearning, and currently Step by Steps are a part of our courseware library, and of course Step by Steps are available in our ereference libraries. So, I think one of my main jobs will be looking for more synergies and ways to use our content. I have a few books that are already used extensively by trainers, and I would love to see courseware created from those. This is also good for my authors because there could be some additional opportunities for them as well across the portfolio.

I'll be spending some time getting up to speed on our products and some new audiences I haven't spent much time with.

But I'm also excited because what do people need in a downturn economy? They need new skills and new training. They need to prove to their employer that they can wear many hats. A lot of people go back to school or at least take classes and indeed (if their training budget is cut) buy a book to learn on their own, or will be looking for low-cost and free training. I'm excited because I have the opportunity to help get our country and the world back on the right economic track.

So join me in my journey as I figure out exactly what my new role will be. And I'm warning those people that don't know me very well at work but may be working with in the future. I'm good at working with others and I'm used to working with the best. But I won't have patience for any person or process that will make it hard for me to get quality products out.

Okay, this is who I want to be when I grow up: Lauren Zalaznick.