When is okay to publicly reveal people’s personal information?

When is okay to publicly reveal people’s personal information?

A recent query from a reader raised some interesting points about when it’s okay to post things online — and when it’s a violation of privacy. This is a challenging question, and one that might generate a lot of disagreement, so I think it’s worth exploring. I’ll start with what I’ve developed as general principles,…

Where do you find stories for your book? (Ask Dr. Wobs)
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Where do you find stories for your book? (Ask Dr. Wobs)

Business books are made of stories. Where do they come from? Here’s today’s question: Dear Dr. Wobs  I am writing a business book and want to supplement my own experiences with relevant business anecdotes. (Google is virtually useless, although maybe I’m just doing it wrong.) Any suggestions? — Jack Finding stories We’re hard-wired to remember…

Ideas on how to confront Professor Writewrong. (Ask Dr. Wobs)
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Ideas on how to confront Professor Writewrong. (Ask Dr. Wobs)

Today’s question is from an academic who’s being forced to use a colleague’s terrible materials in his course. I’ve got six ideas on how to fix the handiwork of Professor Writewrong. Can you do better? Here’s the note I got: Dear Dr. Wobs I’m a college professor and I like to think a decent writer….

Ask Dr. Wobs: How to bust out of rigid academic writing boxes
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Ask Dr. Wobs: How to bust out of rigid academic writing boxes

Today’s question comes from a university student who thinks the professor is putting him in a box with instructions on how to write a paper. But how big is that box, really? Dear Dr. Wobs, Re: Avoiding the structure of academic writing I’m taking a political science writing class at Ohio State, and we have a…

How to write a short bio that’s not awful (Ask Dr. Wobs)
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How to write a short bio that’s not awful (Ask Dr. Wobs)

Everybody needs a short bio, whether its at the top of your LinkedIn page or on the bookflap of your first book. But it’s hard to write about yourself succinctly and objectively. That’s why people writing their own bios so often end up sounding like an idiot. Dear Dr. Wobs Why are bios so bad?…

How to write a case study (Ask Dr. Wobs)
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How to write a case study (Ask Dr. Wobs)

Dear Dr. Wobs, How do you write a captivating one-page case study that provides enough information to be understandable (and credible), but doesn’t overwhelm with detail? I read your blog post on preparing for an interview, and found it helpful, but I’d like more information on producing the case study. I’ve also found that “case…

Preparation is the key to a great research interview (Ask Dr. Wobs)
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Preparation is the key to a great research interview (Ask Dr. Wobs)

Preparation is the key to a successful research interview. Deliberate planning makes sure your time isn’t wasted — which is the concern expressed in today’s reader question. Dear Dr. Wobs: Good analysis requires research: analyzing data and interviewing people. I know how to make my research data sing. But how do I prepare for and conduct…