links for 2009-04-29

"One way to read these studies is simply that recessions make the strong stronger and the weak weaker, since the strong can afford to keep investing while the weak have to devote all their energies to staying afloat. But although deep pockets help in a downturn, recessions nonetheless create more opportunity for challengers, not less. When everyone is advertising, for instance, it’s hard to separate yourself from the pack; when ads are scarcer, the returns on investment seem to rise. That may be why during the 1990-91 recession, according to a Bain & Company study, twice as many companies leaped from the bottom of their industries to the top as did so in the years before and after."

"The message from both men was that they had expected Susan's performance to be as nondescript as her appearance was lacking in glamour."

"Just as a watched pot never boils, does a watched social network creates anxiety, attention deficit and emotional longing. This raises some interesting questions. Firstly, How does this affect our outer social activity? does it enhance it or reduce it? Secondly, do we become more confident or less confident as individuals in actual social interaction from prolonged exposure to Social networks?"