DECEMBER 10, 2008

My name is Krissy and I’m a cyberchondriac.

In the 7th grade, my friend, Adrienne, went to the hospital for stomach pains and found out she had a tumor the size of a football lurking in her stomach. In college, another friend (who also happened to be in the same 7th grade class as Adrienne and me) got lymph node cancer that was detected only because she went to see her doctor for something completely unrelated. And as if this situation weren’t rare enough– having 2 friends who were diagnosed with cancer at young ages– yet another friend of mine (an active and healthy non-smoker) just found out she has stage 4 lung cancer that has spread to her brain. All of these experiences have caused me to be abnormally fearful of getting cancer (amongst other diseases), believing that it’s not so rare after all. It’s no wonder that I’ve turned into a “cyberchondriac.”

What exactly is a “cyberchondriac”? Well, it’s a new term that’s emerging as more and more people are turning to sites like WebMD to diagnose their own illnesses. The definition is an “individual who use[s] the Internet to gather information on health or healthcare, for themselves or people in their care.” I, like more than 160 million others, visit medical sites when I get the sniffles or have random aches and pains, and, admittedly, I usually end up diagnosing myself with some sort of rare disease or, worst of all, cancer.

Recently, in an attempt to conquer my fear of cancer, I decided to do some actual research on the risks associated with it. According to a November 26th article in The Washington Post, the pace at which Americans are getting cancer has actually begun to decline. Cancer deaths have also been on the decline that started in the early 90s. For the first time ever, both trend lines are dropping!  I was both shocked and relieved to learn this news; nowadays, I think most of us believe the risks for illnesses are much greater than they actually are (no thanks to media hype). However, hile I’m glad to know that cancer diagnoses are falling, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still a little fearful of the risk.

Regardless, New Year’s Resolution 2009: try to cut back on the self-diagnosing of ailments. After all, as much as I like to think I’m an expert in everything, I’m just not. I need to learn to leave the diagnosing to those who actually went to medical school!

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DECEMBER 9, 2008

Distance learning has become increasingly more popular with the introduction of new and affordable communications technologies.  In fact, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) estimates that the number of students enrolled in distance education courses will grow to over 18 million in the next 5 years. The biggest factor affecting enrollment, NCES predicts, will be the greater likelihood of traditional college-age students (18-24-year-olds) to participate in distance learning programs, rather than traditional universities.

According to a recent article from George Washington University, a growing population of its graduate students no longer needs to set foot on University property to complete its GW education.  Over the past four years, to be sure, the number of new students who entered a graduate-level, distance-education program run by GW has nearly doubled, while the number of online courses has almost tripled.  Last year, 550 new graduate students entered 18 programs, and during the fall 2008 semester alone, 365 graduate students enrolled in an online program, according to the Office of Institutional Research.

Schools that solely specialize in online education are also on the rise, and for good reason.  Take a look at Western Governors University, recently profiled by Time magazine.  Chartered in 1996 by the governors of nineteen western states, WGU now serves students in all 50 states and in several foreign countries, and employs faculty mentors in over 30 states.

According to Dr. Robert Mendenhall, president of WGU, over 75 percent of students are underserved in at least one of the following four categories: low-income, minority, rural, and/or first-generation college.  Tuition at WGU is under $6,000 for a twelve-month year - without state subsidies of any kind - and the average time to graduation is under three years.  Most importantly, students and employers have reported that WGU graduates are equipped with “all the necessary competencies” to excel in the workplace.

It’s no secret that the success of the online education industry is due to its compatibility with modern, oversaturated lifestyles and career needs – personalization at its best - but I’m willing to bet that this industry’s success is just beginning. 

A brief case in point: Ten Sleep, Wyoming (pop. 350) is home to a company called Eleutian Technology, which has been hiring people in small towns across northern Wyoming to teach English to Koreans of all ages using Skype, the free online calling and person-to-person video service.  According to a recent Associated Press article, Eleutian already has close to 300 teachers hooked up with more than 15,000 students in Korea. That’s amazing!

Just two years old, Eleutian is already one of Wyoming’s fastest-growing businesses, and CEO Kent Holiday says he’s just getting started.  However, in my humble opinion, it’s the entire online education industry that’s really just getting started!

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DECEMBER 3, 2008

In the past few years, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has become a hot commodity, saturating the fashion, jewelry and art worlds.  Indeed, from microscopic blueprint to trendy household commodity, the image of the double helix has permeated the consumer consciousness - not without implicit social consequences.

“Spit parties” like the one recently organized by 23andMe have become the latest social-networking craze.  Hereditary blueprints are now being turned into personalized perfumes and colognes.  For a perfectly accurate, 21st-century self-portrait, you can even map your – or your pets’ – genetic coding in a one-of-a-kind work of art that resembles columns of blocks.  All you have to worry about is which material – canvas, sheet aluminum or photographic paper – will look best on your living room wall.

It’s easy to say that personalization and narcissism are the forces driving this trend, but I do not believe those are the only forces at play.  In a sense, DNA-related products have become, purposely or not, propaganda-like tools for the health and pharmaceutical industries.

For example, orchestrators of the Personal Genome Project cannot steal your DNA while you’re sleeping at night, nor can they make you submit a sample against your will.  But what they can do is position their products and services so tactfully in the marketplace, and into the consumer consciousness, that we may actually find ourselves wanting to upload a DNA sample to a public database.  “The Perfect Unique Gift Idea for the Person who has Everything!”  DNA11’s tagline almost sounds like a subliminal advertisement from Huxley’s Brave New World or Orwell’s 1984, doesn’t it? 

Let me be clear: I’m not saying that our current DNA craze is the result of a premeditated, nationwide conspiracy (I don’t want to get arrested, you know).  But the fact that de-ox-y-ri-bo-nu-cle-ic acid has successfully made its way into the pop-culture marketplace can only better serve those individuals who seek it – and satisfy those companies that crave it.

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OCTOBER 24, 2008

I am not a particularly nosy person. I like to think of myself as well-informed and proactive. Okay… who am I kidding? It’s so easy to be nosy nowadays! (And as David referenced in his post a few months ago, I’m not the only one.)

Google serves as a wonderful little sidekick that can give me juicy tidbits about people, places, and things whenever I want them. Thanks to Yelp, I can research the service at the restaurant I’m thinking of going to and read reviews from real patrons. Sites like Rate My Professor prepare me for what to expect from instructors, as well evaluate my books before I buy them for a class. Rate My Cop evaluates police officers based on personal accounts of interactions by people online. (As you might imagine, some people have not-so-nice things to say about the officer that just wrote them a ticket hours earlier.) A friend of mine even showed me how to look up county information to find out if people have traffic tickets or arrests. All you need is a name and a county to search in.

When I recently moved to a new house, Rotten Neighbors took the mystery out of the situation - it gave me the chance to screen my neighbors before even meeting them. And, I admit that after I finished checking out my own neighborhood, I had fun plugging in the addresses of my family and friends.

But, does this knowing all information, especially information about the people around us, make us safer? Happier? Probably not. In many cases, it just give us another thing to worry about. And let’s face it, for most of us, our list of worries is already pretty long as it is. Do we really need to think about that crazy write-up that someone posted online about our neighbor that may or may not be true?

When all is said and done, we should use these tools when necessary, but not go overboard. I am learning to take the information and reviews I read online with a grain of salt and focus more on the number and quantity of bad reviews more than the specific details of one person’s account. This keeps me from stewing over something that may or may not be biased, and unnecessarily ruining my perception of a restaurant, neighbor, cop, or person unfairly. Then both technology and my conscience will be on my side.

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OCTOBER 17, 2008

Google, a brand among brands, I dare say can do no wrong.  Its delightfully simple homepage (in use and design), its logo’s cheerful colors, its name’s soothing double “Os”, not to mention its leadership in its industry - these are all reasons why I mark Google an “it” brand.  A brand that, when it innovates or introduces new products like Chrome, its new Web browser, has the potential to see instant and prolonged success based solely on a reputation for quality and reliability.  We all know these “it” brands, like Apple, Toyota, Starbucks, Target, and IKEA.

Now I’m reading about the first mobile phone from T-Mobile to use the Android software from Google.  In a time when technology is constantly being updated and companies are competing aggressively to launch the next big thing, critics might question whether this phone, even with Google’s brand reputation behind it, will break through.  But, come on, it’s Google.  If nothing else, I’m at least intrigued enough to see what it looks like, how the interface works, and what kind of neat features it might offer.  Of course, in true Google fashion, I’m expecting that I will like it, that it will be easy to use, and that it will work well.  Stellar customer expectations and a powerful first impression, indeed.  Lucky dog, that Google brand.

What’s equally interesting is the path this brand has traveled.  It found success as a search engine, created a personal email program I love, launched a Web browser whose name alone invokes coolness, and is now embarking into the phone-tech world, a world dominated by the likes of iPhones and Blackberries (nicknamed “Crackberries,” to illustrate their addictive qualities). In my mind, Google can seemingly do-no-evil - and I can’t wait to see what’s up next.

What other brands do you think have the Midas touch?

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OCTOBER 6, 2008

Technology is awesome – and at the same time, technology wears on me.

Most days I am grateful for all the ways I’m connected — however, there increasingly more moments lately when, like Gayle with her email, I’m ready for a break. Tools meant to make my life easier leave me feeling overwhelmed; social bookmarking is amazing, but I tag more articles and posts than I could ever read, and my Google Reader is overflowing with unbelievable art, can’t-miss events, insightful stories and statistics - if only I could get to all of it.

Which is exactly why this advertising campaign by Dentyne is brilliant.

It’s not very often that I see an ad and want to put it on my wall, but when I saw the entire collection for the first time on AdFreak, I immediately wanted a copy of them. Something about their straightforward simplicity perfectly captured exactly how I felt.

Several years ago I wrote a post about wondering if my generation, Gen Y, would eventually shift away from technology and into lifestyles that do not revolve around constant connectivity. I’m certainly not the first or only person to ever suggest that too much technology might lead a generation to say we’ve had enough, but several reactions to this campaign brought me back to that post from three years ago. And others, like Columbia grad student Kate Rosenbloom, are wondering if the ads might be an indicator of that larger phenomenon:

[T]he ads and the reading do make me wonder if we are reaching a saturation point in terms of people’s willingness to embrace the idea that technology equals progress. What does it say about the state of American minds today when the advertising industry, which has been so eager to embrace new technology, is encouraging people to ‘log off’ and ‘power down’ (and chew gum)?

I feel like I know more and more people who are refusing to join social networking websites, use instant messaging services, or text message friends. Could these Dentyne ads be just another sign of an impending backlash?

And while we’ll have to wait and see if this larger shift materializes, this thought-provoking campaign has one major shortfall.  MediaBistro hits the nail on the head when it wonders how Dentyne could create a campaign encouraging people to connect offline, and then support it by creating a website:

[W]hy didn’t you just go all real world? Do nothing online. Perhaps you create flash mobs of hugging via snail mail. Perhaps you hold spontaneous concerts on college campuses or bike rides though small university towns at midnight. How about a real world choose your own adventure game?

Dentyne may not be perfect in its execution, but it did successfully create a series of ads that captures my sentiment of the moment. I’m tired of technology controlling my life… and this company beautifully acknowledges — and encourages — my life beyond Facebook. I only hope balancing it all turns out to be as easy as buying a pack of gum.

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SEPTEMBER 23, 2008

Did you know that macaue monkeys have learned how to fish?  Researchers have discovered a group of these primates in Indonesia that have adapted to their changing environment and shifting food sources by foraging along rivers and scooping up small fish with their hands.  While this behavior seems isolated, the question is, will future generations of monkeys imitate their elders? And is this an indication of how current species who might be endangered will have to adapt to survive?

It might be the question we should be asking ourselves as human beings in light of our dwindling resources.  When NPR asked Ray Kurzweil, author of “Singularity is Near:  When Humans Transcend Biology,” if there is a chance we could use up the Earth and have to move off of it, he was optimistic that desertion would not be necessary.  What will be needed, he says, is for us to be adaptable enough to utilize untapped resources.  He cites as an example the emerging development of  nano-technology solar collectors that can harness the almost limitless power of the sun.

Talking about a video of a speech Kurzweil made in 2006 at a TED Conference, Donald Latumahina noted in his blog, Life Optimizers:

“There is a statement in the video that interests me. Kurzweil said that while a single technological event seems chaotic, as a whole those events reveal a clear pattern. In this case, the pattern is exponential growth.”

So according to Kurzweil’s theory, while it may seem that we are taking only small or random steps to save ourselves, in the future progress will be more rapid and straightforward than it appears now. We can’t gauge the true scope of this progress because we’re experiencing it; the confines of our own lifetimes keep us from having a clear view of the bigger picture.

But, take heart.  While the monkeys harvest the fish, we will capture the sun.  Maybe there is hope for us yet.

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2008

About a year or so ago, I had my first opportunity to try Verizon’s FIOS service. A bundle package that included phone, internet, and TV, was priced comparably to Comcast, which was my provider at the time.

It took me about five seconds to realize what a good decision I had made. My internet connection speed just about tripled. My (standard definition) TV looked remarkably crisp and clear, and the DVR was more responsive and functional than the one I had traded in from the cable company. Phone service is phone service, but we had the added convenience of a single bill for all of our telecommunications, including our cell phones, which we also obtained service for from Verizon. To top it off, customer service seemed responsive, and when we had trouble, it never took long to fix it.

Then we moved. FIOS wasn’t available at the new place.  We had to go back to Comcast, and after a fiasco with their billing system that left us fighting with them over obstinately charging us for services we had long since canceled, we were none too happy about it.

Our install didn’t go well. It was done clumsily, with cable strewn across the living room. The DVR didn’t work. On top of it, we were charged an outrageous install fee, amounting to several hundred dollars.

I made a complaint about the quality of service we were getting from Comcast on a blog, and I was surprised to get a response from a Comcast executive named Frank Eliason.  He wrote:

On behalf of Comcast, I would like to apologize for the service that you received. When someone is moving, the last thing they need is to “fight” with the cable company. I will be reaching out to you to see if I can assist further and learn more about your experience.

Thank you for being a Comcast Customer!
Frank Eliason

I thought it was a scam at first, so I Googled him. I found him doing the same thing on a number of other blogs. Then, I got an e-mail from him. I responded, told him what was wrong, and within 24 hours he had people from our local Comcast office hopping to get things fixed. He issued a credit that took care of our billing, and gave me a personal number to reach him in case we had more problems (which we did). Every time, he was willing to help - quickly and cheerfully. He even called me from his home phone one night  and talked to me for the better part of an hour about reputation management, his reasons for helping customers complaining on blogs, and the willingness his company was beginning to demonstrate to right their customer service wrongs. He was a lone crusader, it seemed, out there fighting to improve his company’s image. And with me, at least, it was working.

You couldn’t find a better brand ambassador. Frank Eliason single handedly restored my willingness to work with a company that I had all but sworn I would never do business with again.  Over time, he’s begun to earn a reputation for working to restore trust with consumers who were simply fed up with the service (or lack thereof) they were receiving. Customers aren’t stupid - they know when a company like Comcast is the only provider in their area, and it’s insulting when representatives act like that means good service is optional. Having someone with the power to fix it reach out to you instantly changes your relationship with the company - you go from powerless to powerful, and that leaves a strong, positive impression.

Now my family and I face a new dilemma. Having found an opportunity to live closer to work, school, and all that we do, we’ve moved yet again (hopefully the last one for a while). This time, Comcast isn’t an option, but FIOS (and another cable provider) are both available. The decision to choose FIOS was easy. They offer better product, better service, and better price than the competition.

But there’s a catch: The customer service end seems to have gone downhill.  Our original order somehow never got processed, and our new order will take 10 days to fulfill. That’s 10 days without essential communications in a family that does a lot of business over the internet and telephone. My wife, who works from home, has had to drag the kids to the local McDonald’s parking lot every morning since we moved in just to pick up a free WiFi signal so she can check her e-mail. When I’m at home, I can’t access my work e-mail, the blogs I contribute to, or my grad school course materials. (And for heaven’s sake, we missed the season premiere of House.)

And yet, this time, I’m willing to put up with it, instead of going to the competitor. FIOS may not be the only provider I have available, but they’re the only provider who can give me what I really want in terms of product. I’m getting the feeling that they know it, and that means good service is optional. It’s not a position that I, as a customer, like to be in.

Although I never thought I’d say it, perhaps Verizon should borrow a page from Comcast’s playbook. That, or make an offer to Frank Eliason.

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2008

As part of the social media team here at TMG, I like to try to stay on top of all the new developments coming out. I’m going to start posting bi-weekly summaries of interesting social media news; many of these topics reflect growing technologies online and innovative ways to use these technologies, so hopefully it will be interesting to you!

LinkedIn, a popular social network for professionals, partnered with CNBC in hopes of bringing users of both sites added functionalities to help them share news content. In this blog post written by Dan Nye, the CEO of LinkedIn, I found his third bullet point about the implications of the partnership to be interesting: “Community-generated content from LinkedIn will also be broadcast on CMBS programs.” Looks like user demographics on social networks are becoming more valuable to news sources like CNBC.

We see some more adoption of social media in the nonprofit realm, as the AARP recently announced that their revamped site will feature a social network. The Arthritis Foundation also added social media tools to their website in August, allowing members to create blogs, profile pages, and RSS feeds. It seems like nonprofit organizations can really benefit from the use of social media tools, since their goal is often to inform and represent a specific group of people. These new site features will help people get to know others who face similar challenges; the nonprofit organizations are establishing themselves as community centers for their target audiences.

Google released Chrome, its new web browser, this past week. The technology realm has been completely overrun with commentary on Chrome, since the browser brings some new offerings to the table. Google has developed Chrome to handle multiple rich web applications better than any other popular browser. Since social media involves many of these rich web applications, Chrome widens the possibilities for programmers as well as users. I think it might be interesting to see developers work with the Chrome technology to make it even more social media friendly, like the Flock browser that was based on Firefox 3 technology.

InvespBlog interviews a top anonymous Digg contributor, shedding some light on how he earns money from his Digg activities. The contributor charges up to $1,200 dollars for a story that gets on the front page of the site. Digg tries to combat any sort of abuse of the system by advertisers, and has attempted to do so by changing its algorithm in the past. However, they fight an uphill battle to figure out how best to represent the most popular and relevant stories without allowing users and advertisers to take unfair advantage of the system. It seems that the social media spirit of group sharing and voting causes difficulties to developers who want to create sharing platforms that accurately reflect popularity.

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AUGUST 28, 2008

This project, titled “the house is small but the welcome is big“, is an ongoing effort to inform people about the lives of Africans who live in HIV-stricken communities. Conceived by the venicearts center, the project brings professional photographers to Mozambique and South Africa. The photographers have a simple mission: teach some of the resident women and children to take pictures so they can capture elements of their lives for the whole world to see. Their goal is to show the world how, even with the threat of HIV or the stress of poverty, they carry on and live to the fullest. Journal entries, photographs, and video are archived online while venicearts exhibits the collection in different locations worldwide.

I’ve always thought that photography provides one of the best ways to gain a little insight into someone’s mindset. That’s exactly what I felt while looking through the site; the images coupled with simple captions drew out some intense empathy in me. I felt sad, joyful, and even awed by the photos, coming away with a better understanding of what life is like for the women and children there. The effect was stronger than it would have been if I’d just seen some photos taken by professionals in a National Geographic magazine. This is due to the project’s emphasis on teaching participants how to effectively use photography as a means of communication with the rest of the world.

As our technological progress hurtles forwards in the United States and other leading countries, humanitarian efforts such as this one are also trying to help developing nations keep up. If we learn these stories from nations where people deal with significantly different living conditions, maybe we can be better prepared to think about and take action on global health, environment, and social issues.

Take a look at the site and let me know what you think– is it provocative or meaningful to you as well?

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