Research. It’s what I do. And long before I started work at Securosis I had a natural inclination toward it. Researching platforms, software toolkits, hardware, whatever. I want to know all the facts, and most of the rumors and anecdotes as well. I research things furiously. I’m obsessive about it. I will spend hour upon hour trying to answer every question I come up with, looking at all aspects of a product. This job lets me really indulge that facet of my personality – it makes the job enjoyable, and is the reason some research projects go a tad longer that I originally expected. And in an odd way it’s one of the reasons I really like the name Securosis – the name Rich chose for the company before I joined in. My research habits border a bit on neurosis, so it fits.

This inclination bleeds over to my personal life as well. Detailed analysis, fact finding, understanding how things work, how the pieces fit, what options are available, using products when you can, or imaging how you might use them when you can’t. It’s a wonderful approach when you are making big purchases like a car or a home. The sheer volume of mental analysis spotlights bad decisions and removes emotion from the equation, and has saved me from several bad decisions in life. But it’s a bit absurd when you’re buying a pair of running shoes. Or a $20 crock pot. In fact it’s a problem.

I have found that analysis takes a lot of the passion out of things. I can analyze a pair of headphones or an amplifier to death. Several items I have purchased over the years are really nice – possibly some of the finest of their types. Yet I am so aware of their faults that I have a tough time just enjoying these products. I can’t just plunk my money down and experience a new CD, a new bicycle, or a new office chair. Great when analyzing stocks – not so much at the Apple Store. Does a new pair of hiking boots really need 20 hours of fact finding? I don’t think so. The ability to just relax and enjoy rather than analyze and critique is a learned response – for me. Now that I have finally admitted my neurosis and accepted it, time to hit the ‘Buy’ button and enjoy my purchase, research be damned!

One last item: Anyone else notice the jump in phishing attempts? Blatant, and multiple attempts with the same payloads. I usually get one a week, but got about 20 over the last couple. Perhaps it’s just that spam filters are not catching the bulk of them, but it looks like volume has jumped dramatically.

On to the Summary:

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Remember, for every comment selected, Securosis makes a $25 donation to Hackers for Charity. This week’s best comment goes to nobody, as we have not had any comments this week. Our fault – we’ll blog more.

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