…you get an email from an attendee at an event you recently spoke at saying they have a great idea and would I mind looking at it. Especially when the request comes from a non-techie type. Someone who has eyes to see and ears to hear about some of the genuinely useful things coming down the technology pipe.
I received one of those emails today. And then it got me thinking. A year ago it was pretty much impossible to find like minded professionals. There was a lot of resistance to new ideas that require professionals to think differently, see the value to be had from socialising their client experiences and sharing their unique perspectives on the world. How things have changed.
There may not be that many professionals out there right now but their voices are powerful, authoritative and add to the store of knowledge that is freely available to anyone who wants to find it. I’m deliberately picking out a few I find especially useful. They’re not all CA/CPA types but they add interest to my reading, enrich my own experiences and spark ideas. Some are not in my link roll – I need to fix that. All, in their own way, are innovative.
Richard Murphy – took some persuading to get into this medium but is unquestionably on a roll. He’s making a far better job of bringing the tax governance issue into the light than I ever could.
Jeremy Newman – managing partner at BDO is trying to find a way of breaking down the Big Four hegemony, listening to ideas and setting out a transparent position that’s rare among large firms of professionals.
Big Four Blog – provides useful commentary and tidbits on the Big Four. They’ve now included job boards – a smart move because it attracts the kind of thinkers that are prepared to engage in interesting discussions around Big Four issues. Maybe it’s something I should consider?
Ask M – Emily Coltman is new on the blog block. M is building out an innovative education and training platform for accounting technology which she’s offering as a service to professionals and end users alike. M only has a couple of weeks under her belt but is working on some great ideas. I’m pleased to have helped M set up her web presence. Which will morph over time.
CleverClogs – Marjolein Hoekstra is a super smart lady who is experimenting and pushing the boundaries of RSS. In a short period of time, she has taken on the mantle of expert status in an emerging field that will become incredibly important to us all. I’ve implemented some of the tools she suggests and uses. They always produce goodness.
A Counting School – I really don’t know who writes this blog but they put the humanity back into office life. When someone describes a fax machine as a ‘waffle iron with a phone attached‘ you just know it’s a must read.
Neil McIntyre – ever since Neil passed his finals, his blog has taken on a new dimension. I find it heartening that a person can find good things to say about auditing during deep mid-winter in…Canada.
Geek Lawyer – lawyer blogs are among the most entertaining you’ll find anywhere on the planet. Yet they are often packed with useful nuggets. To our shame, the legal profession is running away with prizes for the production of great content. They’ve even planned a conference. I’m involved in a few things where we might redress the balance.
FraudFiles – I don’t always agree with author Tracey Coenen’s point of view but I do like the way she attacks topics with vigour. Needless to say, accounting fraud regularly turns up.
Vendorprisey – Thomas Otter is a SAP architect who, if you cut him, has Walldorf blue blood running through his veins. Thomas is starting to discuss some of his company’s compliance solutions, where and how they fit into the landscape. This is interesting because despite apparent moves to relax stuff like SOX, SAP is seeing strong interest in this topic. I’m not surprised and it is an area I will be exploring in greater depth.
Technorati Tags: ask m, BDO, Big Four, education, ethics, fraud, RSS, SAP, tax avoidance, tax evasion, training
