Netflix’s Unlimited Employee Vacation Policy: Why It Works

Netflix’s Unlimited Employee Vacation Policy: Why It Works
by Kate Freeman on Mashable

Netflix employees have one less thing to keep track of: the amount of vacation days they take. Co-founder Reed Hastings recently told Bloomberg Businessweek that Netflix has an unlimited vacation policy.

In an effort to separate itself from bureaucratic corporations, Netflix, with its 900 employees, abandoned the typical vacation allotment to opt for a sky’s-the-limit plan. Keeping vacation unlimited, said Hastings, requires mature, responsible employees who care about high-quality work.

Netflix has a “freedom and responsibility culture,” Hastings told the publication in an article entitled, “How To Set Your Employees Free.” Hastings said Netflix gauges success by focusing on what employees get done, not on how many days they worked. The CEO does make sure to be a good role model and takes vacations, where he can do some creative thinking.

Hasting explained how the idea evolved: “My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it got acquired. The problem was we tried to systemize everything and set up perfect procedures. We thought that was a good thing, but it killed freedom and responsibility. After the company was acquired, I reflected on what went wrong.”

The pressure to hang onto one’s job in a bad economy, and smaller staffs at some organizations, have caused many workers to push themselves to burnout mode. Now, it seems, there may be a growing focus on employees regaining a work-life balance.

Netflix isn’t the only company that has jumped on the all-you-want vacation bandwagon. IBM has a famously flexible time-off policy — letting employees leave early and take a day off on short notice, just so long as they have a handle on their workloads. Numerous startups and innovative companies working in the tech space are beginning to see the benefits of ditching vacation limits and promoting personal responsibility.

What do you think about unlimited vacation policies? Does your employer offer a flexible or unlimited vacation policy? Tell us in the comments.

‪Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Crisma‬

Texts From a Dog Tumblr Relays

Tumblr Relays Texts From a Dog
by Todd Wasserman on Mashable

What if your dog could text? It might go a little like this.

TextFromDog, a new Tumblr, relays dialog as it might occur between a dog and its owner. The author,@OctoberJones, hasn’t shared much info about himself, but the language appears to be British English (not to mention NSFW.) “My dog sends me texts. I post them here,” he writes by way of explanation. “Yeah, it’s weird.”

We agree.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, andrearoad

Crowdfunding: What it Means for Investors

Crowdfunding: What it Means for Investors
by Bill Clark on Mashable

Bill Clark is the CEO of Microventures, a securities broker/dealer that uses a process similar to crowdfunding which allows backers to invest $1,000 to $30,000 in startups online. You can follow him on Twitter @microventures.

The crowdfunding feature in the recently passed JOBS Act will not only impact startups, it will affect investors, too. That’s because the law allows almost anyone to invest in a startup. There is one catch, however.

In the amended bill, the Senate gave the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 270 days to interpret and issue the rules for the public. That means potential investors may have to wait until 2013 before it’s legal to make an investment. In the meantime, there are a few things they should consider.

In about 90 days the Access to Capital for Jobs Creators Act should go into effect, allowing companies to tell the public that they are raising capital. In the past, this type of solicitation was illegal and could exempt the company from raising money privately. Now, startups should be able to solicit their deal, which could mean that more investors will be able to hear about it.

The caveat is that only accredited investors can participate in those deals where the company is soliciting. In other words, this will only apply to investors who fall into the following categories.

Your net worth is more than $1 million, excluding your home

You have $200,000 in new income for the last two years and a reasonable expectation to make $200,000 in the current year

You have $300,000 in household income for the last two years and a reasonable expectation to make $300,000 in the current year

If you do not fall into those brackets, then you have two options. First, you can look at campaigns on Kickstarter or Indiegogo. While you can’t make an actual investment in a company, you will get something for your contribution. For example, if you invest in a video game you might get a copy of the game. Looking through the projects and treating them like investments is a good way to start learning how to filter the good from the bad.

Second, you can also sign up at Angellist. Check out company descriptions and see if there are any startups that you might be interested in. If you find one, you can contact the founders and see if they are raising capital. You may have to invest the more traditional angel level amount of $25,000 to $50,000, but that will vary by deal.

If you choose to wait until 2013, then as a new investor you will need to fill out a suitability questionnaire which will ensure that you understand the risks associated with investing. There are some restrictions on how much you can invest in a given year. This measure will help protect investors from putting too much of their money into potentially risky companies.

Forr example, if you make $75,000 per year, you can invest $3,750. If you make more than $100,000 annually, then you can invest 10% of your income or net worth, with a maximum total investment of $100,000 per year. If you make $250,000, then you will be able to invest up to $25,000 in startups in a given year.

Once you know how much you can invest, make sure you do your homework on the company you select. Conduct your due diligence by talking to the founders, reviewing a business plan or pitch deck, researching the competition and the market size, and looking at what the company intends to do with the funds.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, djgunner

How Major League Baseball Stacks up on Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]

How Major League Baseball Stacks up on Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]
April 4, 2012 By Sam Laird on Mashable

Spring is in the air and Major League Baseball season is officially underway. Hot dogs, beer and lazy days at the ballpark are on tap for the next several months. But how do the game’s players, teams and leagues stack up on the social web?

The social media agency Banyan Branch spent the offseason from October through March collecting Twitter and Facebook data to see who dominates baseball’s digital conversation.

Not surprisingly, the agency found that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox — high profile teams in major East Coast markets — rank highest in online popularity. The Yankees have nearly 6 million followers and fans on Facebook and Twitter, while the BoSox come in second with almost 4 million. The Philadelphia Phillies, however, have the most Twitter followers with aronnd 680,000.

Which teams are most active on Twitter? The San Francisco Giants lead the league with 18,000 all-time tweets. The Seattle Mariners come in second with 16,000 posts and the Toronto Blue Jays third at 13,000.

Among free agents this offseason, megastar Albert Pujols commanded the most online buzz with 35,000 Twitter mentions. Prince Fielder, Jose Reyes and the Japanese MLB newcomer Yu Darvish also inspired a ton of tweets.

Yankee Nick Swisher is Banyan Branch’s “Most Valuable Tweeter” with nearly 1.5 million followers. Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson has him beat by a longshot for actual tweeting, though. He comes in at 13,000 posts, compared to Swisher’s 1,200.

Check out the infographic below for the full picture of baseball’s social media landscape.

Who are your favorite baseball Twitter follows? Let us know in the comments.

Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, http://www.istockphoto.com/user_view.php?id=652260‬


Sorce of article: Mashable

Got Visa or Mastercard? Your Data May Have Leaked

Got Visa or Mastercard? Your Data May Have Leaked
By Alex Fitzpatrick On Mashable

The personal data of thousands of customers — from all major credit card brands — has been leaked from a third-party processing company.

The massive leak was first reported by the security news blog Krebs on Security, following reports that MasterCard and Visa were warning banks of a possible breach.

According to a follow-up story from The Wall Street Journal, the breach came from the Atlanta-based payment processing firm Global Payments, not from a credit card company. Global Payments works with debit cards, credit cards and gift cards.

The Wall Street Journal’s report suggests the possible window for the breach was between Jan. 21 and Feb. 25.

So far, there are no indications that any customers have experienced fraudulent transactions on their accounts.

MasterCard said it was investigating the breach, and that its core network was not hacked.

“MasterCard is currently investigating a potential account data compromise event of a U.S.-based entity,” MasterCard said in a statement. “As a result, we have alerted payment card issuers regarding certain MasterCard accounts that are potentially at risk. It is important to note that MasterCard’s own systems have not been compromised in any manner.”

MasterCard added that it has notified law enforcement of the breach and an “ongoing forensic review” has been launched.

Visa also acknowledged a “data compromise” of an outside company, but said there was no breach of Visa’s own network.

“Visa Inc. is aware of a potential data compromise incident at a third party entity affecting card account information from all major card brands,” Visa said in a statement. “There has been no breach of Visa systems, including its core processing network VisaNet. Visa has provided payment card issuers with the affected account numbers so they can take steps to protect consumers through independent fraud monitoring and, if needed, reissuing cards.”

Neither Visa nor MasterCard issue their own credit cards. Instead, they process transactions made on cards issued by banks and other financial institutions.

Global Payments did not immediately return Mashable’s request for a comment. We will update this post with any reply.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59

How to Watch Online Oscars 2012

Oscars 2012: How to Watch Online
By Jeremy Cabalona For Mashable

Billy Crystal will host the 84th Academy Awards tonight on ABC. The Oscars begin at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT, with red carpet festivities beginning at 7 p.m. ET. With the Oscars 2012 online experience, your night can involve more than simply watching a TV screen.

Mashable is hosting a ho-holds-barred Oscars live blog. JOIN NOW!
The big question is: “Can I watch the Oscars online?” Unfortunately, unlike this year’s Super Bowl — which was available to stream free online — the Oscars will not offer a complete online stream.

However, ABC is offering an official Oscars Back Stage iOS app for iPhone and iPad. This app will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the ceremony, including access to the control room, views from multiple cameras and interviews with the winners. Last year, the Oscars offered an all-access online experience for $4.99. This year, the experience-enhancing app will be available free. Even though the Oscars Back Stage experience won’t offer the actual broadcast, it is a nice companion to enrich your television-viewing experience.

SEE ALSO: Oscar 2012 Predictions According to Twitter [INFOGRAPHIC]
Android users don’t have to miss out on the action. E!’s Live From the Red Carpet app is available for free from the Android Marketplace.

SEE ALSO: How Social TV is Taking Over the Oscars
You can also follow the Red Carpet festivities live online from AP and Livestream. Starting at 5 p.m. EST, the stream will offer interviews with nominees and a view of the red carpet.  And, make sure to follow the official Oscars website for interviews, live streams, and up-to-date information about the winners.

SEE ALSO: Most Buzzed About At The Oscars
Don’t forget to enter our Oscars contest for your chance to win the exclusive Special Edition “Red Carpet” Droid Razr Maxx.

A complete schedule of Oscars events can be found here.

How will you be watching the Oscars? Does social TV add to your viewing experience?

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, EdStock