Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2013 June 12

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June 12

Antiprocrastination Motivation Technique

There's an anti-procrastination psychological motivation technique that has a proper name (named after the person who came up with it), but I can't recall it.

It essentially involves just getting started (or completing a microtask). For example, if you have trouble motivating yourself to exercise, you tell yourself you'll exercise for one minute. Then, psychologically, you've gotten over the difficult hurdle in getting started and you're more apt to exercise longer. But you have the "freedom" to only do it for one minute.

This is a specific technique/method/system named after someone. (It's not Pomodoro, by the way.)Doctorcherokee (talk) 02:42, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

I think "structured procrastination" is not what you're looking for. But it might be, or others may appreciate it, so here it is: [1]. SemanticMantis (talk) 16:41, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

That's fascinating and very helpful but not what I'm looking for. Let's say you're a teacher and you need to grade a whole stack of papers that you don't want to, and you told yourself "I'll just grade one and then quit." It motivates you to get over that berm of procrastination and mental stubbornness. You might even grade them all in one sitting because you keep your expectations low (as you only have to grade one) and it gets you started. Priming the pump, so to speak. Doctorcherokee (talk) 07:03, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

Do you recall if it was named after a modern person (last couple centuries), or someone more ancient? Seems to me that the idea of forcing a start is probably even older than writing, but that's just a guess. But I don't doubt someone else later expanded on the details and slapped their name on it. Sort of like these people. InedibleHulk (talk) 22:33, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

It was named after someone modern. It's might be a "rebranded" version or one that has been expanded upon. I think it's been the subject of books, probably by the author. It's been referred to on productivity websites, and there are Youtube videos about it. It's not entirely uncommon but it's uncommon enough that I can't find it. It irritates me, because I could identify the technique (or associate it) with the name. Doctorcherokee (talk) 07:03, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

I found it. It's the Kaizen method, although it was adopted for personal use (i.e. the small steps) by Robert Maurer in 2004: One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Doctorcherokee (talk • contribs) 07:19, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

PDCA tells me it's also known as the Deming Cycle and the Shewhart Cycle. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 08:30, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

Glad you found it. I was amused to learn through it that they've actually named the 5 Whys. I'd always known it as the first five steps of every child I've known's "Unlimited Whys" technique, which always ends in the absolute root truth of "Because that's just the way it is. Now shut up already!". InedibleHulk (talk) 02:57, 14 June 2013 (UTC)

Airlines that permanently ceased operations after a crash or a series of incidents

What are notable examples of airlines that permanently ceased operations either directly (their operating certificate was revoked and was never renewed) or indirectly (bad press or a poor reputation leading to lower profits and eventually bankruptcy) because of a single aviation incident or a series of aviation incidents? Two examples I can think of are Adam Air, whose operating certificate was revoked due to their poor safety record, and Red Wings, which ceased flying after a crash early this year. Flash Airlines, Air Florida and Aeroperú are also possible good examples, since they had financial troubles and eventually declared bankruptcy in the wake of a crash. But are there several more examples? And is there a list somewhere where such airlines are listed? Narutolovehinata5 ^tccsdnew 09:00, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

Pan Am went bankrupt after the Lockerbie bombing. μηδείς (talk) 09:38, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

But that was a couple of years after the bombing, and no connection is made in our Pan Am article, which states, "In his book, Pan Am: An Aviation Legend, Barnaby Conrad III contends that the collapse of the original Pan Am was a combination of corporate mismanagement, government indifference to protecting its prime international carrier, and flawed regulatory policy".--Shantavira|^{feed me} 14:14, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

Connections were made in the press at the time that the lack of riders put the nail in the coffin--the brand name would have survived otherwise. I am sure there is documentation, but I won't be getting to it soon. μηδείς (talk) 15:34, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

The Pan Am brand has survived, no less than six different airlines, five passenger services and one cargo service, have born the name and the Pan Am livery, as well as a railroad company. Pan American World Airways explains all the various later companies to use the brand. --Jayron32 01:49, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

I suppose I should have been more clear. The sale of the logo has nothing to do with the actual company that used to advertise and owned the fourth most recognized building in Manhattan, shrunken sold or restructured. It's kind of like saying AT&T is still in business, although AT&T was acquired, not scrapped entirely leaving only a brand.. μηδείς (talk) 02:05, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

True. Brands like this have value, which is why the names and logos live on even if the original corporation itself goes under or ceases to exist. Besides Pan Am and AT&T, the video game brand Atari has a similarly checkered history. --Jayron32 02:15, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

ValuJet Flight 592 caused the airline significant financial difficulty, precipitating a merger with AirTran. --Jayron32 13:02, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

Of possible interest: British South American Airways was merged back into BOAC (its original parent) in 1949 after a series of fatal accidents, including 2 total losses. {The poster formerly known as 87.91.230.195} 212.95.237.92 (talk) 13:05, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

The Zeppelin company got out of the commercial airship business after the Hindenburg crash, and World War II was the death knell. They have only just recently started making experimental, non-commercial airships again. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:45, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

Pacific Air Lines sold out shortly after a crash-related ad campaign (third on the list). The merger was only related to the crash through the ads, but close enough, perhaps. InedibleHulk (talk) 22:41, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

Two more airlines that permanently ceased operations after crashing (one in 1967 heading for Cyprus, the other in 2005, coming from Cyprus), were Globe Air (no article on English WP) after the 1967 Nicosia Britannia disaster and Helios Airways after Helios Airways Flight 522. ---Sluzzelin talk 02:02, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

The Air Florida Flight 90 crash contributed to Air Florida's demise two years later. Matters weren't helped when Howard Stern, then a DC jock, pretended to call the airline and asked for a ticket to the 14th Street Bridge. Acroterion (talk) 18:43, 13 June 2013 (UTC)