For those of you putting in 110 per cent, taking one for the team, going above and beyond the call, or any other cliche related to hard work: Just stop it. Research suggests nobody really cares. University of California, San Diego behavioural sciences professor Ayelet Gneezy finds that exceeding your promise "does not appear to be worth the effort". Or, as Business Week puts it, "Nobody cares how awesome you are at your job". Think of it this way: If you promise to get something done in three days, people will be ticked if it takes four, but they won't care much if you get it done in two. Now exceeding expectations is a wildly different beast. That is, if you make no such promise about when something will get done but surpass the other person's hopes, they'll be absolutely thrilled. But as for promises, "just keeping your word is good enough, [so] focus on that".
Anti-homeless spikes hit a sore spot
Blunt metal spikes have been installed outside a block of luxury flats in London to deter homeless people from sleeping there. But the installation of the studs has provoked criticism from some after a picture was uploaded to Twitter. Users said the use of the studs meant homeless people were being treated the same way as pigeons, as similar metal spikes are used to deter them. But some disagreed: "There will be a context behind those anti-homeless spikes. Possibly a last resort against someone who was aggressive and refused housing." Another said: "It's sad. It demonstrates a meanness and a lack of humanity for people." (Source: The Telegraph.co.uk)
Fart too far has happy ending
Getting fired is usually a distressing experience; sometimes it's amusing.
A b3ta.com reader writes: "16 years old, first job ... farted NEAR the boss' coffee. Sacked on the spot. A tad unfair I thought. Ended up getting more money (with the help of a solicitor) than I'd earned in wages the whole time I was there. I feel like I won that one. The solicitor did have a good chuckle at it though."
The perils of sharing a famous name. (Via Naomi Arnold)
Local: Photographer Alison Turner took a trip of a lifetime to New Zealand in April to cruise around our country in a van for three weeks. Things got off to a bad start when the entire contents of her van were stolen when she stopped for a sandwich (read more here). The result of her trip is Vanscapes, a series of photos of New Zealand countryside using the window of her van to frame her images...
Picture this: Not Cadbury Favourites...
Video: Is the information you share online placing you at risk of identity fraud? With only with information gleaned from the internet, these actors convince five complete strangers that they are good friends...
Video: Tim and Sarah McEown never saw their 22-year age difference as an obstacle in their relationship, until Tim had a heart attack.
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