Jobs: Alexander Amzin, journalist and media consultant
Workplaces / / December 27, 2019
Alexander Amzin
Journalist, consultant, lecturer of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University, author of "News Internet journalism" and "Unsystematic advice." He graduated from the Institute of Economics, Finance and Law. He worked in the "Lenta.ru", "Yandex" Witology.
What do you do in your work?
Different. In the mornings and evenings lead media resource "We and Jo" (that Telegram, here Facebook, and here siteHe is now being remade). During the day I am the director of development of the medical portal Medportal.ru and fraternal resources. On weekends and days off often consult a variety of media - Russian and foreign. I also teach journalism at Moscow State University and sometimes lead webinars.
And, of course, I sometimes write books. Working in "Lente.ru", he wrote the textbook "News Internet journalism"And later working on yourself - the list of life hacking" Unsystematic advice. " is he I came on Layfhakere. Recently colleagues did almanac "As new media have changed journalism
». He was very good (even the cat is on the cover) and is available free on the web. Highly recommend.Now I have the three books. Well, how to work - I sometimes look at the problem and sigh. One about space, the other way of thinking about, and the third about journalism. And when we call up with her mother, she reminds me about the fourth: thesis, I never wrote.
What is your occupation?
I mediaanalitik, but never it did not study. I have two legal education (my specialty - civil law). It happened by chance, but I do not regret those years. Not only what other discipline taught to read a lot of boring text and extract the main thing. To me it is then very handy in journalism at the reading of the bill.
Before was in law school, I wanted to become a computer programmer and joined the faculty of the "K" (cybernetics) MiFi, but fell ill and went from there. And I walked in the Literary Institute, because I wanted to be a writer. But also it did not work. Then the parents said: "Anyway, you're working, enrolled in the nearest institute and continue to plow." So I carried her in legal documents, it was very close.
Hindsight I rationalist, like when all correctly. He graduated from law school - whether a lawyer. But all around there was a crisis, a lot of interesting work, and higher education was a key element of my life. Also, I never thought of journalism, though the stories published in the magazine "Computerra" with 16 years.
Looking at its own winding road, I'm sure that the university does not have to spend five years of life. combine with an interesting, important work great the last five years. Five years without a job - it is the army or prison. I think people already after the first couple of years of training must benefit the public.
I continue to learn, when I can, and as time permits. A year ago at Coursera I have received three certificates of the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign by search engines and cluster analysis to data mining, and Johns Hopkins University - Programming R (this is a statistical language analysis). I like it very clear my head, allowed a new analysis of the situation relating to the texts, attendance, device search engines, recommender systems, and so on.
What should know and be able to present a journalist?
Prepare for all possible, journalism is now booming, educational programs become obsolete on the day of their approval. But in the new media blind spots remain. For example, it would be great if the current journalists understand the math and the principles by which it works, serving the new media.
The fundamental unit of social networks, for example, few studies, mainly considering functions: Like here, and here, "heart", and here it is impossible to put links.
Crucial for understanding the structure of any text "The morphology of the fairy tale" Propp run, not putting to practice "Tysyachelikogo hero"Campbell often do not pass.
Too heavy given to students and the media economy, they are studying it as something optional, and then find themselves on the street. I think it is in the long run does not allow to build effective development strategy, namely strategy - the most interesting, because it allows good edition to live farther and longer.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
It is easier to start with the weak. I am a dreamer. When the source, conventionally, asks a canister of gasoline, I can easily offer him to build a rocket and fly to Mars. And if the interlocutors are usually lucky me, imagine what I can just promise yourself. Therefore, for the life of the large quantity of unsold projects and roads on which I can hardly go in the coming years.
My dream is to live up to the Mars mission and began terraforming.
Yet I find it hard to concentrate on the routine. I was literally sick when it is necessary to achieve the desired spend a couple of hundreds of simple operations. Well, they're simple, it is clear, as they do, can I'll do the other? That is, if I imagined what would happen in the end, it is interesting to embody.
To overcome this lack of class analytics helped: there usually is very simple, but the conclusions are unexpected. But the desire to skip to automate routine still remains. At times, terribly interfere, especially when I came on a Sunday and you realize that the weekend killed at the "best day to lose, but then to fly for five minutes."
I also badly formed to circle the humanities, which are usually pursued asceticism in journalism. I do not just read Nabokov, conditionally, and the word "Pre-Raphaelites" climb in "Wikipedia". My childhood was a bookcase in it was fantastic, here Sheckley with Heinlein I read from cover to cover, and with a list of 100 books from the harder to the Ministry of Education. Slowly improving.
Strengths - the continuation of my weaknesses. For example, for some time I check out their fantasies common sense. Mars sometime later, for now let's about what whether two programmers and one coder to collect the first stage. I try and do everything to structure. Painted what and how, trying to meet deadlines (does not always work), and not promise beyond what I can fulfill.
Trying to get rid of the boring routine operations, coming up with new methods of analysis. It often happens that they are more effective. The simplest example: let us not view all the 500 pages on the site, only to see 20 of the most visited, 20 typical and 20 the worst. Let us understand the difference.
This is my greatest strength. I have many years purposefully looking for effective solutions (or try to ask the right questions). Sometimes, of course, does not work, and then run around, but it rarely happens.
But the weakest - is communication. Fortunately, for a long time not afraid to call someone or to negotiate, but the communication - a task that can not be solved in a general form. At the other end is always the person who himself on his mind, and the stated goal of communication may not be true. In general, continuous trouble with conversations, sales calls.
On the other hand, I once watched as others do, and stop sweating. Many people think that their troubles are unique. And it turns out, every or almost every wrinkled in a foreign company does not know where to start, do not comply with phone etiquette and emerging messendzhersky... You just have to let it all by himself. It helped me a lot, with both at once.
How does your workplace?
Workplace pretty dull white table, laptop, scattered food, mug, wires.
I have long found that two monitors are better than one. I usually keep the left background information or mailer, as text is typed on the main laptop screen. I was very lucky, this Samsung with me for more than three years, he has a beautiful screen Full HD. We were with him in half a dozen countries and in dozens of cities.
Home place looks like - plus or minus a cat. She often warms the ass on your Mac mini behind the monitor. It looks ridiculous, because the cat is large, and the system small block. Every couple of months split open Mac mini, cleanse the coat.
Minus the cat.
Plus cat.
Mac mini old and unusual. I moved onto his Windows 10, expand the memory up to 8 GB of hard drive and changed on the SSD. Now is a perfect working machine, which practically does not slow down and allows you to do whatever I want - even, if necessary, go back to MacOS. Now I am waiting for the first patch Sierra, to reboot and see what it looks like.
I work usually with headphones, listen to "Yandex. music"Or Apple Music (recently paid back). While Apple more like it, but terribly eats space on your phone. Headphones I gag, do not stay long, necessarily breaks entries in one of the ears. Therefore, I buy cheap in a stall and go month until new ones are not needed. Sometimes lucky.
To headphones attached phone. I have iPhone 5s with 16 gigabytes of memory, it has a couple of years, I guess. Unfortunately, I have a little hand, five-inch phones are inconvenient (slips even the iPhone 6, which is the diagonal - 4.7 inches). Probably birthday will please myself iPhone SE, which looks exactly the same, but faster. I'll take a 64-gigabyte model, 16 GB already on what is missing.
IPhone is almost always with me.
I adhere to (and sometimes break) the rules of two screens: the application should be enough to all fit on two screens.
Most often I use Safari, almost all the time there. On the street turn on iTunes. More iPhone helps on the part of health: a constant reminder that you need to take pills (I keep a diary reception using specialized applications for disease). Also, I try to record that ate and drank, using Lifesum. The app is I do not really like it, but nothing to be desired as long as mankind has not invented. Who is thinking about moving to MyFitnessPal.
More, of course, constantly I walk into a mobile bank. I have several cards, but I gradually tightens Sberbank, everything is for the people.
A separate folder is created for the messengers. My friends hang in Facebook Messenger, Skype, Viber, WhatsApp and Telegram. Well, I have to put more bullying Yo, WeChat and LINE.
Deeds are recorded mainly in Todoist, later tell about it in more detail. Once I started the habit to throw off any more information in OneNote. So I have it on your computer and on the phone and hanging out - I keep it information about cards, accounts, passport data. In general, everything that you may need to send to the counterparty or to any organization.
Still have my daddy city, there "Yandex. Metro ", a couple of taxi service (very rarely use)," Aeroexpress "(always buy tickets through the app when meals Airport), for the Moscow region map "Arrow" and the app saves Maps.me life several times with offline cards.
Especially for cats and put'm Instagram. To him - Prisma and a couple of applications, but I rarely use them.
Here is a news application trouble. They have me do not last long, I read something just for push-notifications, as they are almost everywhere I have been deactivated. While I left Quartz and "Rain".
Read books on the iPad is mainly paid through Bookmate. Sometimes, something is missing (especially foreign literature), but in general, get out. I do not remember what the last time even picked up the plate. Unless Facebook poskrollit - on the phone, I read it in the browser, so uncomfortable. On the tablet I relax. The tablet I have the most democratic - iPad mini 2, without any Retina and with a crack on the screen. On the book enough, no matter what else is long gone. I pull out rarely, but it is always in the bag.
Now it is necessary to go back to computers and Todoist. After much doubt I chose the Microsoft ecosystem, but as normal people chose Google and Apple's, I try to work with those products that easily adapt to any ecosystem.
Discovery for me was Todoist, which I appreciated only the third time or so. It exists everywhere in the form of a widget and application to the iPhone, as an extension to the browser, even in the form of a plug-in Outlook. Thus, it is everywhere, wherever I wanted to record a new task. I bought PRO-version and has not yet repented. Home feature - the ability to create a task from an open browser tabs or letters. Pocket immediately proceeded to the exit. All that I want to read, I now in a separate project "Personal development" and is considered a priority.
Browser... it's hard. I tried everything and I would like to use native Windows EdgeAs Apple fans are using Safari, but objectively it lacks many things: the expansion appeared only recently, there are 80 tabs do not open properly, and constantly feeling ambush. "Yandex. Browser "I braked at the time, so I'm at some time wandering finished installing Chrome. Added to all extensions. I can not live without the LastPass password manager, Todoist, as well as open any websites friGate. Separately, I note the expansion Merge Windows, which does just that - all the tabs from all windows merge into one. Very calms, it is not necessary to run on several windows.
E-mail client on the desktop - Outlook. We have long looked at each other, but now I have set up there a couple of quick action, tested button "non-urgent", which indicates that these letters can sometimes by "incoming" are forwarding, and stayed satisfied. Outlook is now in the mobile phone turns into a monster with the tasks, calendar, new interface, but I'm almost on a mobile phone almost do not read, only warning look. And for working emergency I have another client - Google Inbox, we have a corporate system to Google Apps.
The main messenger at work - Slack, home, perhaps, Facebook, Telegram and iMessage. Historically, no hidden meaning. Facebook tab is often open, and close Telegram and iMessage.
My primary text editor - Microsoft Word. I also often work with spreadsheets and presentations in Excel and PowerPoint respectively. When it is necessary to work with plain text, launch Notepad ++, a small and lightweight, and yet he supports the search for regular expressions. I thought to go to Sublime Text, but it was not honored. When it is necessary to take a picture or crop, use the "Scissors» Windows for image capture and editing Paint.net. Surprisingly, I have enough.
From calendar I have almost delivered Todoist. Information before it folded in Evernote, then in OneNote. OneNote is now left only for personal information, professional knowledge base as I build, for example, "We and Jo" by WordPress.
Of favorite web services somehow remember nothing - all too commonplace. At work, can not live without Trello for setting goals and «Google Drive» and «Google Documents" for document preparation. Homework students, I too am going through «Google Documents", a very convenient to everything. I also long crazy about Workflowy, it really blade head. Surprisingly, the Microsoft Web services (if we exclude the OneDrive) I almost do not use. Some are not like that. But notice that often walked on iCloud.com, downloading pictures from there, it is much easier than to send itself to the email.
Is there a place in your paper work?
I love to draw obscure scheme during an explanation, but I do it often on the board, although sometimes the arm catches and sheet A4. Once led the notebook (useful during meetings), but gave up. Now I write down everything you need, or in the post operational Slack, either in the mail or in the comments to the problem in Todoist.
Paper left in my work is now mainly as documentation, regulations and treaties that we have with customers each other forwarded. Probably half of it, too, can be converted into a number (often send scans with his signature), but this is unlikely to happen earlier than in five years.
What is in your bag?
Better to start with the bag. I have been very different, I usually choose something like a portfolio, but a couple of years ago bought fabric Outmaster shoulder and happy as an elephant. As she placed a surprising number of things, because the fabric allows it to swell indefinitely. All times fell off the tongue in dogs lightning, and everything else intact.
There's plenty of pockets and compartments for all occasions. Almost always on documents, laptop, tablet, notebook Leuchtturm1917 (roach on the handle stuck in there), enormous number of tablets and medical supplies. In a separate large pocket placed wire coils: necessary for charging Note, for the phone to be charged (usually I charge it from the same laptop), a full-size mouse.
I do not like long journeys and always try to arrive in the morning and depart in the evening. But if you want to climb Outmaster toiletries and even a change of clothes.
If you have to go more than two days, I take with an ordinary black bag (half the size of conventional sports). But this is rarely required.
How do you organize your time?
I'm talking about time management a whole book written in an attempt to understand its operation and the inner world.
I am inspired by the opportunity for 30 seconds to solve the problem, to which no one could have risen before.
Now my system looks like. I write all the plans in the paid version Todoist. Every day, I write down what needs to be done. The day is usually impossible to make no more than 10 cases. If you accumulate more than 20, I stand them in the next few days, trying to remember how all culled.
Very carefully add recurring tasks, there should not be much. Now, for example, I have a regular replenishment of standing in one table, parsing email and evening memory training (teaching the method of spaced repetition country capitals - geography was never my strong point).
Most problems I try to assign the priority, note the red ones that have to make sure today. In Todoist irritated me at first one thing. All cases that are assigned to clear the time, pop it up. Now, on the contrary, I appreciate it. Bear all the meetings in the list and set the time - they definitely can not be missed, even if the benefits from any below (I'll never know, as we now have the calendars, they also duplicate this function).
I divided the case into several very large projects. For example, when I come to work, then I spiked with the appropriate list and do basically work the case, if only in the other list is not something that requires saving the universe.
I also started the project "Personal development", down to the interesting workshops, articles, and other things, try to do every day at least two or three points. Once there was a "self-development", blew Pocket - service for deferred reading.
Unfortunately, this system works well for short-term and medium-term plans (within two to three months). What I'll do in the next year, I'm still not very well imagine.
life planning for the next few years - is that now I am seriously concerned, because even my simple system shows how fast growing obligations to others.
I think that next year begin to delegate more precisely. I even created a special project "In Control", to pile up other people's tasks, for which it is necessary poslezhivat.
What's your daily routine?
I'm a night owl, which has been forced to be a lark. The best way I feel when I go in the 23:00 and get up at 7:00. But productive of all, I worked from 22 pm to 2 am. So I often breaks down in the night raids, which, however, come to nothing - because until then I had worked a normal day.
I am happy when I get enough sleep, but is unhappy when it's time to turn off the brain.
Due to the frequent lack of sleep sometimes like to lie down during the day or in the evening for a few hours. I do not know what would be better - to give up the habit, or, on the contrary, often succumb to the temptation.
How to pass the time in traffic jams?
I do not drive, but, of course, spend a hour in the subway, and sometimes get in the queue and so on. At this point, I either read something from Bookmate (there is always a book that is not read before, or want to refresh your memory), or check Facebook.
On the walk I like to listen to music - compare, for example, Apple Music and "Yandex. Radio". I have my own love story to podcasts, but usually can not stand for a long time, because in my routine almost no guaranteed free slots. Well, we should get, I try to listen to podcasts in English and laziness is not always supported me in this wish.
What place sport occupies in your life?
No, even insulting. I sometimes start life all over again, making it up morning exercises and all that, but quickly throw. Some of my friends went to the soil of a healthy lifestyle, I envy them, but do not share the enthusiasm and even avoided.
What's your hobby?
You know, this question knocks out of the saddle. When I was little, I loved to collect coins, stamps and so on. Now I have a hobby, but there are some weaknesses and wonderful habits.
The first - on arrival in the country where I have not been there, try to visit the "McDonald's". I found that there is a different cook. And by the way, the American "McDonald's" is much worse than all the others.
The second weakness - rereading books and revision of the series. I monoman, rest, repeat.
Third - I love to learn, and when feeling good, be sure to watch the lecture any. Usually not in their specialty, and to expand the horizons. Comes in handy more often than you might expect, even surprising.
Layfhakerstvo from Alexander Amzin
That's heels booksI recommend reading to anyone because they are forced to look at life from the other side.
- «Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"Robert Porsiga - successfully replace any extenders consciousness.
- "Travel writer. Mythological structures in literature and film "Christopher Vogler - allows you to see the skeleton of any text.
- «Cryptonomicon"Neal Stephenson - explains the multi-layered world.
- «Think slowly resolved quickly ..."Daniel Kahneman - makes you think before you open your mouth or put a signature.
- "Persepolis," Marjane Satrapi - learn from others' mistakes.
As many movies and TV series.
- TV series "Black mirror"- very accurately indicates that the contact is.
- Movie "The man who changed everything»Brad Pitt - motivated to do incredible things.
- «Donnie Darko"- Crazy and casts doubt on the existence of everything around.
- «Good Will Hunting"- inspires like nothing.
- «Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"- recalls the lethal absurdity of what is happening.
And three of reference.
- Mediagazer.com - For all the news about the media.
- Techmeme.com - for all the news about technology.
- Nuzzel.com - the best distribution of your subject.
What is your life motto?
Z is best expressed what I feel.
Do not let lazy soul.
Water in a mortar to not crush,
Soul must work
And day and night, day and night!