What the 10,000 Hour Rule IsThe 10,000 hour rule is a concept that claims the best way to develop what?s called ?world-class skill? is to have at least 10,000 hours of experience using the skill. The original report discussing the 10,000 hour rule was published in 1993 and used an example of musical students at an academy in Germany to reinforce the point. The students put in an average of 10,000 hours of practice by the time they had turned 20 years old, resulting in ?world-class skill.? Why It Might Be WrongAnders Ericsson, who worked on the original study, claims in his new book that the 10,000 hour rule is much more complex than simply ?practice makes perfect.? Alongside his co-author, Robert Pool, he attempts to take a more scientific approach to the rule. Here is a short summary of their conclusions: There?s nothing special about 10,000 hours: Rather than chosen through a scientific method, the number 10,000 was chosen because it?s a round number, and that it?s a large number. Regardless, the musicians could be prodigies but still be nowhere near their peaks. It?s been proven that pianists usually reach the pinnacle of their abilities by the time they?ve reached 30 years of age. 10,000 was only the average: 10,000 might be a lot of time, but it will only be enough to reach the average of those who are also working toward the same skill level. If others have a similar skill level, how can you be deemed ?world class?? Other studies have shown that it can take as many as ten years to reach this skill level. Practice isn?t enough: While it certainly helps to put plenty of time into practice, that isn?t enough. You need to go out of your way to challenge yourself and put in ?deliberate practice.? Go beyond your comfort zone and work toward improving yourself. The Lesson: Practice Makes Perfect, Not Necessarily TimeRegardless of whether or not you believe in the 10,000 hour rule, there are still some lessons that can be gleaned from this study. Here are three ways that you can apply the 10,000 hour rule to your professional development. Train the right way: If you take the time to focus on your skills, you?ll surely see results. Make sure that you devote yourself entirely to learning the new skill. For example, a writer who?s trying to hit his daily word count probably shouldn?t do it with the television on in the background, as it will take away from his focus and reduce the quality of his work. Practice, practice, practice: Regardless of how much time you spend on a certain skill, you?ll be gaining valuable experience and improving it. Even if you only spend a couple hours a week here and there on learning about your chosen craft, your knowledge will undoubtedly grow and you?ll see at least some results. There are no limitations: It?s important to remember that there will always be ways to improve yourself and your skills. Even if you?re at the forefront of your chosen industry, there?s surely something else you can learn if you work hard at it. While it might be impossible to become an expert on a craft in a short period of time, if you focus on the right aspects of […]

The first of these, referred to by eBay as ?One Time Password,? takes the second factor of two-factor authentication and turns it into a single factor. Rather than requiring account holders to remember a password, eBay will send a confirmation code to a user via SMS, which will keep the user logged in indefinitely after using that code to log in, regardless of whether the code was entered on a mobile device or desktop solution. Additionally, eBay is hard at work to allow account authentication through the Touch ID sensor found in newer Apple devices–also replacing the need to remember a password for those who use Apple products. In response to questions regarding eBay?s motivations to implement such features for their users? account security, Senior Director for Identity and Member Communication Product Management Dave Comer stated: ?One Time Password and Touch ID Authentication eliminate the need to remember your password when you want access to the eBay Marketplace… We all use so many applications that require passwords and login information that it is impossible for users to remember them all. We want to eliminate the friction entirely.” While eBay?s reasoning does make sense, one has to wonder about the security of the transactions made by users with such features in place. After all, all it would take to become a victim of a financially motivated crime, or even a prank with ramifications far beyond the prankster?s expectations, would be for an employee to leave eBay open on an unlocked workstation. While remembering passwords may be difficult, that difficulty is ultimately to the user?s benefit, as a difficult-to-remember password is harder to guess, thereby being inherently more secure. The advancements eBay has proposed come with increased functionality for those who use Android Wear devices in conjunction with eBay. Android Wear users will soon be capable of receiving notifications to their wearable that direct them to items that may pique their interests, as well as read and respond to messages via their smart device. This, too, brings up questions in regard to account security. It has been consistently demonstrated that wearable devices are notoriously less secure than mobile ones, and even less so than desktop solutions. Therefore, unless eBay has implemented some serious security measures, these innovations may be wise to pass on until more evidence is available regarding their security–as is the case with any new developments from a large company. So what does this mean for small and medium-sized businesses? A whole lot, actually. Many SMBs are taking advantage of two-factor authentication by implementing security systems where the user?s smartphone receives a code when logging into the network. That way, it doesn?t just require a password to get access to your data, but access to that user?s mobile device as well. Plus, new physical security solutions like pin pads and smart door locks can now be unlocked directly with a registered employee?s smartphone. For more information and advice on how to handle network security in your own operations, be sure reach out to White Mountain IT Services at (603) 889-0800.

Let’s Find Out. Bring your IT support provider in the room and ask them to draw a map of your network on the whiteboard, showing all of your critical systems. Start crossing things out and ask what effect it would have on your ability to conduct business if that device or system were down and irreparable. What would you do, how long it would take, and what it would cost. If this exercise leaves you feeling uncomfortable with your level of risk, give White Mountain a call for a confidential consultation, we’ve got IT covered!   Why wait? If you think it may be time for a change, give us a call today to schedule a free consultation.  We are experts at providing discreet and confidential advice on how to protect your business and avoid problems and disruptions when replacing your IT support provider.  There is no reason to put up with a never-ending cycle of problems and frustrations, give White Mountain a call and let us help you make things right! Call today and give your business the White Mountain advantage! There IS a Better Way! Whether you are in need of occasional IT Support, project work to supplement your internal IT resources, or would like an all-inclusive Managed IT Service agreement, White Mountain can provide your business the expert services that our clients have come to expect for over thirty years. Contact Us Today For a Free Confidential Consultation. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *Company *Email *Phone *Comment or Message * Submit