Stories by Tam Harbert

Tech pros make the most of the 'gig economy'

Younger IT workers are increasingly choosing independence over full-time employment. Is the 'open talent economy' right for you too? Three 20- and 30-somethings share their experiences working for everyone from giants like Microsoft and Google to nonprofits and startups.

Tech support's NSFW problem

As the recent <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2600774/cloud-computing-hacked-naked-selfies-stick-around-celebrity-icloud-sex-download-fears.html">scandal</a> over leaked celebrity photographs reminded us all, people use their electronic devices for very personal pursuits in the era of smartphone ubiquity. Depending on the age and inclination of its owner, a modern-day digital device might contain not just nude selfies like those that were <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2602387/the-fappening-icloud-users-beware.html">shared online</a>, but images from dating sites like Tinder and Grindr, <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/03/the-fappening-and-revenge-porn-culture-jennifer-lawrence-and-the-creepshot-epidemic.html">creepshots</a>, or other salacious or even illegal material downloaded from the backwaters of "the dark Web" via anonymizers like <a href="https://www.torproject.org/">Tor</a>.

3 heavyweights give gamification a go

Got gamification yet? If you don't, you're not alone -- according to Gartner, fewer than 5% of organizations worldwide are using gamification. But get ready: Analysts expect enterprises to start embracing the technique in many areas over the next two years, and the impact, they say, could be far-reaching.

Big data, big jobs?

As companies embrace big data, they're in the market for high-level strategists and communicators. Do you have the chops to snag a big data job?

What your interns can teach you

IT interns brought innovation to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, the White House and We Energies. Here's how to get similar results from your summer crew.

E-discovery in the cloud? Not so easy

Your company is embroiled in a lawsuit, and your general counsel has come to IT for help in conducting e-discovery on a batch of data. You easily gather some of the information from storage in your data center, but some of it is sitting in the cloud. Easy enough, you think, to get that data as well.

IT's age problem

Age bias: Some consider it IT's dirty little secret, or even IT's big open secret.

New job for mainframes: Cloud platform

Mention cloud computing to a mainframe professional, and he's likely to roll his eyes. Cloud is just a new name -- and a lot of hype -- for what mainframes have done for years, he'll say.

Desktop virtualization: Confusion over software licensing

When Dataprise Inc., an IT services company, helped a customer with a desktop virtualization project last year, it found itself dealing with desktop virtualization's dirty little secret: No one -- including vendors -- seems to know how to license the software.

How to foster teamwork among techies

Collaboration is all the rage among corporate executives these days, which means IT is busy providing systems that turn that vague concept into a real business benefit. But what happens when it comes time for techies themselves to collaborate?

Collaboration, IT-style: How to do it right

Collaboration is all the rage among corporate executives these days, which means IT is kept busy providing systems, tools and procedures that turn the vague concept into a real business benefit.

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