advice

Workplace advice for any issue, problem, or concern; from changing careers to co-working advice and decorating needs.

The End of the Dead-End Article
A travel nurse spends six minutes reading an article called “How much do travel nurses make in Texas?” She reaches the last paragraph better informed than when she arrived, only to see the same generic “Search Jobs” button the site shows everywhere else.
By Brian Sutterabout a month ago in Journal
AES-256 vs. ChaCha20. AI-Generated.
If you’re looking for a VPN and have been comparing providers, you’ve probably encountered the terms “AES-256” or “ChaCha20” encryption. These are called ciphers, and VPNs have used them to market that they have strong, industry-standard encryption.
By James Rockerabout a month ago in Journal
The Three Days Before a Holiday Are the Weirdest Days in Any Office
September 28, Wednesday. Seven boxes of mooncakes sat in the break room. The cleaning lady stomped the cardboard flat and stacked it next to the fire hydrant. At 10:03, Lao Zhou submitted a leave request on the OA system. Reason: going back home. He attached a screenshot of his train ticket. At 10:07, the approver column turned gray. Lao Zhou put his phone face down and went to get water. He came back, didn’t drink it, and left the cup next to his mouse until six.
By Jin2 months ago in Journal
Big Tech Wants to Feel Human. It Doesn’t Want to Be Human.
At 9:01 p.m., the time clock blinked. The system logged one minute late. Clock-out moved back one minute. You stand at the turnstile. The screen flips to 21:01. People behind you look at their phones. No one speaks. The elevator doors close. A poster inside says: Tech for Good. Here for Every Lonely You.
By Jin2 months ago in Journal
The Loan Brokers Are Deleting Their WeChat Moments
I Wang Jie disbanded her last client group. The group was called “XX Bank Direct Credit Department.” Its announcement still read: “Water release this week. Blacklisted borrowers accepted. Instant approval, instant disbursement.” She opened the member list, scrolled from top to bottom, and pressed “Dismiss group.” A message appeared: “After dismissal, the chat history will no longer be retained.”
By Jin2 months ago in Journal
He Lent Luo Yonghao 15 Million Yuan. Then He Accused Him of Tax Evasion.
On the evening of September 27, 2026, Zheng Gang, founding partner of Zihui Ventures, posted a real-name accusation on Weibo against Luo Yonghao and “Jiao Ge Peng You.” The post’s location tag showed Seoul, South Korea. Zheng alleged that Luo and the company used dozens of shell limited partnerships to evade taxes and launder money. He also publicly solicited auditing firms to comb through Smartisan Technology’s accounts and promised to pay up to 30 percent of roughly 300 million yuan in recovered funds from Zihui Ventures as a reward. That would be about 90 million yuan.
By Jin2 months ago in Journal
Unpacking More Than Boxes
The blank page has been staring back at me for days , heavy with everything I haven't known how to say. Every time I sit down in front of a fresh document or open a notebook, the cursor just blinks—a steady, rhythmic pulse that feels less like an invitation and more like an accusation. The words are there, somewhere beneath the surface, but they feel jammed behind a fortress of moving boxes, logistical chaos, and the lingering residue of a life transition that took far more out of me than I ever anticipated. It is a frustrating, heavy kind of silence. It’s the kind of silence where your mind is screaming with a thousand different thoughts, memories, and unspoken grievances, yet your hands freeze the moment your fingers hover over the keys.
By Brooke Kallam2 months ago in Journal
AI Has Entered the Building. Your Company Is Still Running on Steam Power.
In 1882, Edison built a power station on Pearl Street in New York and lit 400 electric lamps. To promote it, he gave away six months of electricity. Today, electricity is basic infrastructure. At the time, even Edison could not imagine how it would change the world.
By Jin2 months ago in Journal
The Whiteboard Said 1,240. Then Someone Wrote 8,600.
The whiteboard in the conference room still said Headcount: 1,240. Someone had drawn a line through it and written another number underneath: AgentCount: 8,600.
By Jin2 months ago in Journal
Only 18.8% of Working-Age People Use AI. The Other 81.2% Are Watching From a Different World.
Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute puts generative AI adoption among people aged 15 to 64 at 18.8% in Q2 2026. Q1 was about 17.8%. That is a 1-point rise. With about 5 billion working-age people, roughly 940 million used generative AI in the past month. The study measures usage, not opinion. It uses Microsoft’s aggregated anonymous telemetry and adjusts for operating system, device share, internet penetration, and population size.
By Jin2 months ago in Journal
The Sliding Door That Fought Me Every Morning in Mbombela. AI-Generated.
Every morning for almost three years, I had a small fight with my own sliding door. It was the one that opens from the lounge onto the little patio at the back of our house in Mbombela, where I drink my first coffee and watch the light come over the hills. You would think that is a peaceful routine. It was not. The door dragged. It stuck halfway. I had to lift it slightly by the handle and shove with my hip to get it moving, and on bad days it jumped off something inside the track and I had to wrestle it back into place before I could even sit down.
By Josh Maraney2 months ago in Journal
Dear Diary, My Brain Has Been Replaced With Cotton Balls
Well, it's that time of year again. Apparently, my immune system has decided that whatever germs are floating around out there deserve a little vacation inside my body.
By Ivy Rose2 months ago in Journal