There's been a lot of talk on the green about handling the salary question when you are the interviewee/candidate, which I have personally found helpful on many occasions, but now I'm on the other side of the equation, and would love to hear best practices on how to handle the situation and try to gauge a potential employee's salary expectations.My business is in a very niche industry which makes it very difficult to gauge what industry standard is. We only employ around 4-5 people, all who started out very junior and have moved up salary-wise in a very organic fashion. I'm now in the position where I have to hire someone who is a bit further along in their career to fill a vacancy left by one of those now mid-weight employees. Furthermore, this is only the second time we are actively hiring someone, as previously it was a very casual process where people just sort of found us at the right time, they stated their salary expectation, and we found the money to make it work. With this new appointment, I am fielding candidates from very diverse backgrounds. With some, by the nature of their CV and/or specific past employers, I can gauge where they would fall. Currently with our budget, I could only really afford what we paid the person who recently left, which was a figure that only came after two raises in the course of a year. Ideally I would want to start them on the same salary as the last employee and eventually raise them to the same level and beyond. (tl;dr)Putting aside things like benefits, both hard and soft, are there any tactics that you have personally used as a recruiter or employer to gauge a potential employee's salary expectations before numbers are discussed in detail? On the flip side, are there any situations where you as an interviewee/job candidate felt comfortable disclosing this figure?(tl;dr) There are millions of scripts and methods for being on the other side of that conversation and how to deflect those questions, but are there any strategies that can be used to get this information in a way that is respectful to all parties involved? My gut tells me simply to state simply what I said above, in terms of like, "This is what we paid the last person after a year and I would be looking at a similar figure once you are fully trained", however I am nervous that the figure might be too low for some good candidates, hence wasting everyone's time, and on the flip side, I don't want someone to accept a figure that they aren't truly happy with for the sake of getting the job, and therefore having to manage the resulting feelings/performance issues that usually crop up with that. (Also, I should add that many candidates are coming to us via word of mouth, and not through a formal advertisement, so there isn't the opportunity as such to state what the salary range is) I'm fully aware this is going to be a slightly contentions question, but I like to think that my heart is in the right place. If I found out the range of one of my preferred candidates was lower than what I paid the last person, I would still offer them the higher amount. Anyway, thanks MeFi! Look forward to your feedback :)
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Help me make sense of the conflicting or incomplete information on the web regarding User Experience, UX, User Experience Design and its relationship to physical products not connected to the internet or having electronic parts.A client has sent me a document (TOR) that outlines my tasks for an upcoming engagement and has used this terminology (UX). My roots are in hard core product design, industrial design and engineering and I have personally never used these terms in the context of my work. As I dig up stuff online and read it, I can see how and where these labels might make sense for what I'm going to be facilitating but my client has no software, UI or electronic component to their product nor is there any connection to the internet. Thus my confusion in my attempts to make sense of this accurately (for developing my plan of action etc). These are two wikipedia links that I've found - User Experience and User experience design. You'll note in the second one, the design section only talks about outputs that are more relevant to virtual products rather than physical ones, yet the definition says: User Experience Design (UXD or UED) is a broad term used to explain all aspects of a person's experience with the system including the interface, graphics, industrial design, physical interaction, and the manual. [1] It is also referring to the application of user-centered design practices to generate cohesive, predictive and desirable designs based on holistic consideration of users' experience. So, am I misunderstanding this? Is it that its only applicable to modern products which have a physical component and a virtual one like user interfaces or screens or some such? Or is that the UX concept can also be holistically applied for regular old product design and services only existing in brick and mortar? And if so, how and where can I find some definitive explanations in order to understand these concepts so that I can use the words with some confidence?
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Fans of the Nashville Predators Hockey team threw a live catfish onto the ice during Friday's game. Since 1996, fans of Florida Panthers have been throwing fake rats onto the ice, after player Scott Mellanby discovered a huge rat circulating in his dressing room, split it open with his stick and then scored a couple decisive goals, inspiring the 'Rat Trick' tradition. And supporters of the Stockholm-based AIK ice hockey team threw rubber dildos, and waved giant inflatable penis, to remind player Jan Huokko, ('Dildo-Jan') of a leaked sex video of him with his girlfriend. Turns out this kind of thing is fairly common in the world of hockey fandom. (Via Everlasting Blort)
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I've been experiencing some troubling symptoms with increasing frequency and severity, namely vertigo and tinnitus. They're affecting daily life to such an extent that I know something needs to be done. What kind of doctor should I visit, and can these symptoms be alleviated in the meantime?Occasionally, I'll be reading or otherwise going about my daily life only to be struck with sudden vertigo. Everything is spinning and I can't walk in a straight line when this happens. It's exacerbated by tilting my head. It's happened while I was driving once, but subsided just before I was about to pull over. The vertigo always coincides with the times when my left ear is ringing (always the left ear) and has been for a few days. The sound is deafening, remains at one frequency, and is constant for days on end. This happens a couple of times a month, but used to be more rare. I can't hear well with the left ear when this happens, and what I do hear is kind of muffled or garbled. Music sounds off-key. Basic health stuff: blood pressure, weight, etc are fine. I get plenty of water and sleep. I'm 20 and female. I wear a mouth guard at night for TMJ problems, but haven't had any troubles with that lately. I take Aleve for a few days (2 pills a day) each month for menstrual cramps, but don't take anything else on a regular basis. The constant ringing is very distracting and I'm tired of asking people to repeat everything they say. Even worse, I'm concerned about getting vertigo while driving again. I regularly drive 1-2 hours and want to do so as safely as possible. So, GP or a specialist? What can I do to fix this?
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I'm starting work soon, any ideas on how I could best spend my time before it starts in one month? This is my second fulltime job since I finished my degree last year, and I'd be far away from home this time. Just wondered if there are worthwhile things to do in this not so short, but not so long period of time.One thing to note, I practically have *zero* money at this point in my life. I'm actually considering a parttime job to support whatever activities I plan to do, but I guess a one month job is hard to come by. Thanks so much for your inputs!
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"I'm just looking for a second chance. Other people get second chances. Alcoholics. Drug addicts. Spousal beaters. Not gamblers, though. But, if you want to put something on my tombstone that was very important to me, it's 1,972. That's how many winning games I've played in. So that makes me the biggest winner in the history of sports. No one else can say that." Here, Now is a short documentary that looks at baseball legend Pete Rose, as he lives his life today. Part of ESPN's upcoming season of 30 for 30. First season's website. (Last two links have autoplaying video.) Some documentaries from the first season are available on YouTube, and available for purchase and download at iTunes. * The Fab Five (Michigan Men's Basketball, Pay-for-Play Scandal) Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 * Run, Ricky, Run (Ricky Williams) * Into the Wind (The Story of Terry Fox) * The 16th Man: (Rugby in South Africa) Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 * The Two Escobars * Catching Hell (Steve Bartman): Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 * Roll Tide / War Eagle: (Auburn / Alabama RIvalry) Parts 1, 2, 3, 4
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How should a single, mid-twenties guy new to the Bay Area spend his long weekend?I'm game for anything that will cost me less than $500.
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Spider Women. The animal illustration of Eileen Mayo. Book Week. Animals on Bikes. Alphabet Soup 1, Alphabet Soup 2. Steinlen's Cats. Let's Dance. Cats in Advertisements. Art Deco Animals. Jacques Hnizdovsky's prints. Emmanuelle Houdart's creatures. Turn of the century bird illustrations. Peter Clark's collages. Sleepyheads. Supper's Ready. Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne. Elephants in Advertisements. Barn Owls. The art of Andy Kehoe. Haunted House. Dark Imaginings. Arachnophobia. The art of Dorothy Lathrop. 19th Century Childrens' Books. Good Little Dogs. Looming Presences. Interior Invasions. Black Cats. Peacocks. Evolution, remixed. Crate labels. Sighthounds in Advertising. Vintage Printables. Previously, but there are so many gems buried deep, they're too delicious not to share.
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What am I doing wrong in potty training my three dogs?I've had two of them for several months, and the other I got a few weeks ago. Two are around a year old, and the other is around four months. I have a mini Dachshund, Papillion, and Chihuahua. They don't know that they're supposed to use the bathroom outside. I keep them crated when I'm not home and at night, and take them out as soon as I wake up/I get home. I also take them out shortly after eating and periodically throughout the day. Often they'll use the bathroom outside, then two minutes after they're back inside they'll poop/pee in the house. Or they'll do nothing outside after like twenty minutes, then as soon as they're back inside they'll use the bathroom. It seems like more of a coincidence that they go to the bathroom outside - they just seem to go wherever they are when they have to go. There's bells on the door that I ring whenever I take them out, and I use a keyword: "Let's go outside!" I also give them treats when they do their business outside. But they still haven't learned to let me know when they need to go outside and don't seem to understand me saying "No!" when they go to the bathroom in the house. They'll just look at me, wag their tails, and come over for a kiss. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong! I've googled this which is where I got the suggestions above, but they're not catching on. I don't have the money to get professional classes or a personal trainer. I've had them for so long that I feel like they should've learned by now - help, please!
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Who the heck is it who scratches words into the centers of vinyl LP's?I've been buying a lot of new vinyl LP's this past year. Almost all (or all?) of them have letters and words scratched, seemingly by hand, into the narrow band of smooth vinyl between the record label and the inner groove. In particular, quite a few have the side designation (A, B, C etc.) scratched into them. Who the heck does this? Is it a person, or is it done by machine? All of these characters look like they've been scratched in freehand with an awl or a dremel or something.
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I got my cat back! Yay! But he's fat again... boo! I'm concerned that putting him on a diet again will do him damage.A few months ago, I moved to Albuquerque, NM and because of finances and housing, I had to leave my cat, Mr. Mister with a friend of mine. Well, life had gotten better for me and I went and got Mister yesterday. We're on our way to Albuquerque now. But, holy cow! He's huge again! I plan on taking him to the vet as soon as possible to see if there's anything wrong with him. I think it's more that my friend didn't exercise him and fed him a lot. I asked this thread a long time ago and got some great advice which got Mr. down to, if not a svelte kitty, at least a smaller kitty. My question is... I know he needs to lose weight again. It looks as though the weight is bending his legs! That could be an optical illusion but he is just too big. However, I don't want to put him on a crash diet again. He's gained a lot of weight in a little time (he's only been at my friend's for four months) and I don't want to do him harm. Should I go at this at a slower pace this time? He's going to have a much bigger place to live this time than the last time I asked the question, more room to play and better food than I could afford last time. I still have the feeding ball and he'll have wet food. I'm seriously worried about him. I'm grateful to my friend for keeping him for me, but wow.
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One George Tierney of Greenville, South Carolina took it upon himself to pick a Twitter fight with Sandra Fluke. Apparently he did not understand the public nature of the intertubes and threatened the blogger who reposted his tweets. Hilarity ensued. Calling the president the n-word in his supposed last tweet, it does seem he has left the twitterverse for good.
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I'd like to create a sign-up form on my Wordpress site where when someone signs up for a task then that task disappears from the list of options. Possible?I use WP Form Manager for forms, and am generally happy with it, but I don't think it has the functionality I'm looking for. I want people to be able to sign up to bring one of a list of items to an event [cookies][coffee][gluten-free pastry], and I want [cookies] to disappear when someone signs up for it. I could use Google Docs as well (but I'm not seeing this option in Google Docs, either), but I'd prefer a WP plugin. I've seen it done with Filemaker, but I don't want to go that route. Thanks in advance!
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A detailed history, explanation, and defense of the chorded keyboard.
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How much notice does an NYC landlord have to give before raising rent?Our landlord contacted our downstairs neighbors this afternoon about raising their rent starting June 1. He then texted me and asked if he could "meet with us tomorrow." I assume he's going to tell us the same thing -- that he wants to raise our rent and have us sign a new lease. Here are the salient facts: * We are not in a rent controlled or rent stabilized apartment. * The term of our original lease ended and we are currently living here on a month to month basis. So my question is basically is there a legal expectation that he give me 30 or 60 days notice before raising our rent?
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I'm throwing yet another party (baby shower). The theme is outer space. GO!I feel like I ask you guys for party theme help a lot, but you are very good at it! I'm throwing a baby shower and the theme is outer space. (Is Neil deGrasse Tyson a theme? He would totally be the theme, the parents are superfans.) I need some ideas for crafts/games and food. Food: I have a baker friend who can execute pretty sweet-looking cakes. It is going to be a brunch-y shower, mid-morning. Normal noshes are fine (and most of it will probably be normal), but I'd like at least a couple space-themed sweets, munchies, drinks, whatever. I'm also happy to hear ideas of what to serve at a brunch party (that isn't a sit-down), other than coffee cake. Crafts/games: I generally prefer some kind of craft that becomes a keepsake for the kid (at my last shower where the theme was children's books, we each illustrated a page from a story written for the baby and turned it into a book). For games, things that don't require everyone to sit mute for 30 minutes while a complicated game is run. Also no smelling baby foods or identifying melted candy bars. I have a tentative idea about having people make stars and planets and rockships out of fabric/felt/paper/something, to velcro to a large felt sheet/wall/covered bulletin board? To hang in the baby's room (space-themed, blue walls, not sure what shade yet), and so baby could reposition all the planets and stuff. But I'm clearly not sure how to execute that. I don't know, it would be a busy book, I'm not married to the wall. My other tentative idea is to do some sort of "wish upon a star" craft where everyone will write a wish for the baby on a star (made of die-cut paper? fabric to be turned into a mobile?) to be turned into a garland/stuck to the wall/made into a mobile in some fashion. Refine these ideas for me and make them awesome. Or tell me they are stupid and must die. Or give me cooler ones! As yet I have no game ideas.
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Vintage meezers. NSFW.
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How can I text without typing on an iPhone? Is there a way to get voice translations right into a text without cutting and pasting on a 3Gs?I'm developing tendonitis in my thumbs from my line of work and texting is seriously aggravating it. My physical therapist says I need to stop texting altogether, but texting has become pretty essential to my work (and personal) life. On an iPhone 3Gs, is there a way to send texts via voice? I use my iPhone (the keyboard in general) for everything! -- from maps to facebook to email. Any ideas short of losing the iPhone and trading it in for something with an ergonomic mouse?
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Architecture of Open Source Programs The Architecture of Open Source Programs is a guide into the functional implemenation of major opensource code bases. Notable Open Source Projects that are included: BASH, CMAKE, LLVM,GDB,Puppet and PyPy among others
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America's Test Kitchen Super Quick Video Tips: "Test Kitchen wisdom distilled into eminently watchable video clips" of no more than a minute or two long, including tips for meat (how to make the most perfect bacon ever - how to quickly defrost meat - how to dry-age steak at home) to coffee (how to make pour-over coffee - how to fake a latte at home) and wine (the fastest way to chill wine) to pizza (flattening dough and baking a perfect thin-crust pizza ) and general kitchen tips (is your knife sharp enough? - do you really need to buy regular olive oil? - how to quickly soften butter and soft cheese). And there's Ask the Test Kitchen quick video tips as well (what's the best way to peel eggs? - how do I store brown sugar?).
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Can you recommend a good men's blog or community?The other night, I clicked on a link that took me to a story on a site called xojane. As I was reading the story, it hit me that there didn't seem to be a men's equivalent of a smart, funny, intelligent blog or community. Where women have thriving and supportive communities like BlogHer, Jezebel, and xokane, men have .... what? I Google'd around, and all I found was a ton of Maxim or Details clones and /or religious groups like Promisekeepers. That's not what I'm looking for. Can anyone recommend a good men's blog or community that isn't all booze, boobs, or grooming? Something for a Guy in his 30s who thinks. Something like Metafilter?
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Ektoplazm is now the world's largest distributor of free (and legal) psytrance music specializing in high-quality Creative Commons-licensed content from netlabels and independent artists, all released in MP3 and lossless CD-quality FLAC and WAV formats.
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(SLYT)An unusual substitution is made in Russian footballer Vadim Evseev's last game before retirement. His 5-year-old son starts playing about a minute into the video.
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I'd like to sign up for cable and internet at my new house that I just bought. One problem: the previous owner is out of the country and he has yet to disconnect his service. How can I get (in this case Comcast) to allow me to start a new account at my house?
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The Last Word on Snake Oil.
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