AUGUST 5, 2009

A few weeks ago, Gloria and I had the opportunity to attend the first ever NASA tweetup. The mid-afternoon event at NASA headquarters in D.C. was quite an incredible experience. Along with a very diverse group of twittering NASA enthusiasts, we were joined by the STS-125 crew who recently returned from a mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

I would tell you that from my experience, nothing you could read, watch, or listen to about the space program can compare to hearing about it from the astronauts who’ve been there. The movie-like quality of watching a spacewalk was brought, for lack of a better phrase, down to earth as we sat in the same room with the crew describing their experiences.

I was amazed by NASA’s openness because I have always perceived it to be a secretive and illusive organization. But while there are still elements that demonstrated the importance of their work (i.e. pre-registration and an I.D. check), I think everyone involved with the tweetup did a great job of making us feel welcome, appreciated, and included.

The questions asked by the 200+ attendees, some of whom had traveled internationally to be in attendance, were thoughtful and educated. Check out a few of the great wrap-ups from our fellow attendees here, here, and here. 

Beyond the tweetup, NASA has found many other ways to stay connected through social media. Municipalist has a great interview with Bob Jacobs, NASA’s deputy assistant administrator of Public Affairs, about the agency’s ventures into the social media space. And, an article from Computerworld last week described NASA as looking to social networking as a tool for both internal and external use. While we may see the profiles created on Facebook and LinkedIn, NASA is also using this technology within its own walls to share ideas, build relationships, and uncover expertise.

NASA’s internal social network started out with users talking about the network itself, but the chatter soon turned to questions scientists and others were seeking to answer. (…) [T]he result was that 93% of the answers came from people who were in a different NASA center then the questioners, which was proof that the network was breaking down geographic barriers and unlocking potential.

It’s great to see an organization that has long been a symbol of American innovation finding ways to use social media both to advance its mission and to allow us to come along for the ride. I’m thrilled to have experienced NASA so personally and I look forward to watching what’s next.

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JUNE 18, 2009

The other night, I got an e-mail about a coffee pot I had listed for sale on Craigslist. The e-mailer left me her phone number, so I gave her a call.

Me: “Hi. This is Steve. You e-mailed me about the coffee pot?”

Craigslist Lady (CL): “Yes. I’m very interested in it if you still have it.”

Me: “Yes I do. I’m here if you want to swing by tonight.”

CL: “Well, I was just talking with my friend and she can’t make the drive with me, so I can’t come by tonight, but I’m very interested in it. I’d come by myself, but my husband is out of town, and…you just can’t be too careful with the things going on on Craigslist lately.”

Me: “Yeah, I understand. I guess the consolation is that most of the bad stuff that’s been happening to people is taking place among those individuals using the…less reputable parts of the site.”

CL: “Not this last one. Did you hear about it? A pregnant woman went to exchange baby clothes with another woman, and when she showed up, she was stabbed. Then the other woman cut her open and took her baby.”

At this point, I stopped in my tracks. What? I spent a few more minutes on small talk with my caller, then said goodbye, promising to work out the details later. I had heard of the so-called “Craigslist Killer”, and had just seen a story on a Craigslist rapist who had recently committed suicide, but I knew nothing about the murder of a pregnant woman and the grisly taking of her unborn baby.

So I Googled it. And there it was.  “Slain mother met suspect on Craigslist.” The details were just like my caller had related:

Relatives of a slain Tigard, Ore., woman say she met suspect Korena Roberts through the Web site Craigslist while looking for baby clothes. Heather Snively’s body was found Friday in the crawl space of Roberts’ home in nearby Beaverton, police said. Snively’s newborn son was pronounced dead Friday at a local hospital.

Snively, 21, met Roberts, 27, on Craigslist and went to Roberts’ home apparently believing she had baby clothes for sale, David Kidd, Snively’s stepfather, told the (Portland) Oregonian in a story published Monday.

The details of this case are deeply disturbing to me on a personal level. My wife and I use Craigslist all the time. We’ve furnished much of our house with items we’ve purchased from people on the popular community site.  Our children have gotten many toys and clothes from people giving them away for practically nothing. My infant son has about a 2 years’ supply of diapers, unopened, in his closet, most of which we got for free from Craigslist or Freecycle postings. I even found my current job and my car fromCraigslist ads.

I can’t say that I’m convinced that the world is becoming more dangerous, but I do think that dangerous people are becoming increasingly empowered to victimize by sites like Craigslist, which encourage contact and commerce with total strangers. A friend of mine who used to prosecute sexual assault cases was extremely wary about letting his wife join Facebook, because of the frequency with which the social networking tool came up in investigations as a tool used by stalkers or would-be attackers. As our lives become more of an open book online and our personal information is easier to access, the opportunities for that to pose a danger can also increase, a fact that many of us either downplay or ignore as we enjoy the convenience of 24/7 connectivity with our chosen networks.

The recent spate of violent encounters between Craigslist users will hopefully never be a problem for most of us who make use of the site, but it serves as a valuable reminder: ease of use does not mean that everyone we’re dealing with is on the up-and-up. That means that using common sense and taking proper precautions are more important than ever.

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MAY 19, 2009

So much is changing as a result of this downturn in the economy.  For one, living space seems to be getting smaller.   People are renting out rooms in their homes and grown children are moving back in with their parents to cut costs, the square footage of new houses is being reduced, and more businesses are offering telecommuting to their employees so they can cut back on commercial leases.  Even my office is  consolidating to take advantage of unused space and become more efficient.

In a sense, we are migrating towards each other.  As a recent 5 Forces summary points out, migration is not only about moving away, but can also mean coming together.  Since most of us anticipate that the changes being brought about by the current economic crisis will last a very long time, we could be seeing a permanent transformation in the way we utilize our space and a resulting change in how we interact with each other as well. 

In an era where texting, cell phones, YouTube, blogs, and Facebook have allowed us to communicate more closely, while still keeping our distance, actually shrinking our home and work spaces and forcing greater togetherness could bring back the days when social interaction was defined by water cooler chats and multi-generational dinner table discussions. 

We may come to realize that for all of the advantages of modern communication, nothing compares to a face-to-face conversation.  In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see a build-up of a group mentality, a “we’re all in this together” collective thinking, that displaces the “me” focus of past generations. 

It may be a leap to believe that more crowded spacing will develop into deeper bonds between people, but we all want good things to come from downsizing and sacrificing, and if we are lucky, this may be one of them.

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APRIL 27, 2009

It came as a surprise to me the other day when I was talking to my neighbor, a stay-at-home mom seeking to reenter the job market, to find out that some online resumes never make it through the first phase of review because of filtering.  With the advent of online job applications comes a new complexity to getting your resume noticed.  It used to be nice graphics or even pink paper (remember Elle Woods from Legally Blonde?), but now the secret is “keywords.” 

Large companies, in particular, now use filtering software to cull down the number of resumes they will review.   They may look for specific job titles (Editor, Human Resources Manager), technical jargon (web design, Java, Microsoft Word, Photoshop), or industry-specific skills (marketing, pharmaceutical sales, quality management).   This could prove difficult for career-switchers who may be counting on experience rather than a specific background to get them in the door. 

In addition to keywords, you have to consider formatting when you send your resume over the internet.  The fancy bolding, italics - even the type of font you use - can impact how your resume is screened by the employer’s computer.   Even bullets can be viewed incorrectly and make your document unreadable. 

Fortunately, there are free websites that can offer guidance on how to proceed in the online application world.  It may be more difficult and time-consuming to tailor your resume to individual job listings to help ensure it is reviewed, but in the saturated world we live in, it has become an absolute necessity. 

And it doesn’t stop there.  After mastering the online resume, it’s time to learn how to leverage social media in your job search.  Using Twitter and Facebook as a way to enhance your profile can give you an effective edge over others if managed properly.   Baby Boomers especially need to reflect their tech savviness in their applications to reassure employers that they are keeping up with the times. 

Getting noticed in the job market with scented pink paper may have worked for Elle, but a filter-proof resume and a Facebook link might work better for today’s job applicants.

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APRIL 17, 2009

Twitter has had quite the week! In case you missed any of these social media newsworthy events, here’s a quick roundup of what happened on the micro-blogging service over the past few days.

Have a great weekend!

Twitter Grows 131 Percent in March via eWEEK.com

Twitter grew 131 percent in March 2009, according to research firm ComScore, which pegged the site’s visitors at 9.3 million, up from 4.3 million in February. Twitter drew increased attention recently over rumors of a possible Google acquisition. A ComScore analyst attributes a substantial portion of Twitter’s growth to increased media attention.

Two employees threaten pizza chain’s reputation via a shel of my former self

After viewing a truly disgusting video two employees at Domino’s Pizza made, blogger Shel Holtz tweeted, “I’ll never eat at Domino’s Pizza again.” In this blog post, he chronicles the actions Domino’s took to put out the fire as the video went viral.

Kutcher Surges Past CNN On Twitter — But You Can’t Unfollow Either via TechCrunch

In a race to be the first to have one million followers on Twitter, Ashton Kutcher beat CNN, but not without controversy. Both Twitter accounts had the ”unfollow” function disabled so users can’t game the results of the millionth follower.

The Oprah Has Twatted via Valleywag

Today - Friday, April 17, 2009 - marks the day that O sent out her first tweet. She tweeted from her show with Twitter CEO Evan Willams at her side.

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APRIL 15, 2009

If you’ve been anywhere near the blogosphere in the past few months, you’ve noticed that one of the dominant themes of conversation has been the apparent demise of “traditional media” - i.e. newspapers and, to a lesser extent, the publishing industry as a whole. The list of major dailies that have either shut their doors or moved to online-only distribution is quite startling and probably familiar territory for anyone reading this blog.  Indeed, on our social media team, it’s become kind of a predictable cliche when someone e-mails us a story about yet another newspaper folding.

The blogosphere is all about commentators, and there are a few that have buttered their intellectual bread by loudly and apocalyptically predicting the demise of the newspaper industry’s business model. Clay Shirky is my personal favorite, with Jeff Jarvis coming a close second. These folks are feted all over the web for saying out loud what everyone intrinsically knows - that there’s little future in a business model that requires consumers to pay for creative intellectual property. I can make a copy of a band’s best song in five seconds and send it to everyone I know in about a minute, without that group ever seeing a dime. I can re-post a newspaper article on this blog or my own, even challenging it or refuting it in the process, destroying not only the article’s credibility but also the protection the newspaper has over its own created content. We know this. Bottom line: people are no longer willing to pay for media or information except in very specific circumstances.

What’s disappointing, though, is that none of these thinkers seem to be considering the social ramifications at play here. Shirky, for instance, punts in his latest blog post. But if anything is clear, it’s that the development of a commercial model for news and information distribution pre-figured modern democracy, and continues to uphold it. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, the pamphlet that laid much of the intellectual groundwork for the American Revolution, was not only a work of philosophy and political activism - it was a cash cow for its author and publishers, going through 25 printings in the first year alone. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the book often credited with galvanizing the abolitionist movement and providing the spark for the Civil War, was the best-selling novel of the 19th century. I’m most familiar with American history, but every social movement of the modern era - from civil rights to feminism to gay rights (as well as other movements we might consider less savory) - has had, at its heart, one or more works of for-profit journalism or advocacy.

And that continues today. Without the profits to sustain long-term investigative reporting, do you think we would’ve seen the Abu Ghraib expose in 2004? The story on Walter Reed that surfaced in 2007? More important, would anything have been done about those gross miscarriages of justice had journalists not shined a light on them? On a local level, who covers City Council meetings? Who pesters the city comptroller about missing funds? Who writes a story on the potholes in that dilapidated neighborhood on the other side of town and ultimately gets them fixed?

This isn’t to lionize journalists or authors. There’s been a lot of shoddy work in those fields, to be quite honest. But the for-profit press serves as a vital check on the excesses and inadequacies of government, and there’s one reason that those writers, thinkers, and activists have been able to do the work they’ve done - money. I just think that the sooner we figure out a way to re-monetize creative intellectual property, the better.

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APRIL 14, 2009

I am back to my favorite topic - Web 2.0 and how it has transformed the way we connect with each other. Specifically, I find online social communities fascinating in the way they form links and bonds between people who, in all likelihood, would never otherwise cross paths in life.  Two of these communities - CouchSurfing and ClutterCast - have recently stood out to me for the way they deliver mutual benefit, fill very specific needs, and even create lasting bonds.

CouchSurfing is a social network that links travelers with people all over the world who are willing to offer up a bed, a couch, or even a floor - for free.  A recent post about CouchSurfing on the Frugal Traveler blog at The New York Times says that it “fosters an atmosphere of cultural exchange and friend-making” and is “the first step toward cross-cultural connection and the idea that… ‘there’s more to love out there than fear’”. Lofty goals for a website run by volunteers, yes, but that’s the point - the simple site is able to accomplish so much just based on the spirit of the community.  Last month, CouchSurfing’s membership reached 1 million people, and the stats on CouchSurfing’s home page are impressive: 1,041,032 “Successful Surf or Host Experiences”, 1,215,264 “Friendships Created”, 1,959,877 “Positive Experiences”, and 231 countries and 56,910 cities represented (all as of today, April 14, 2009).

This quote from a CouchSurfing member sums up why this site is making such a difference:

I have met and stayed with some incredible people through CouchSurfing. These are warm, friendly local people who a regular tourist would never meet, and their travel experience would be far richer if they had. Besides the obvious benefit of not having to pay for accommodation, CouchSurfing allows travellers to experience a country and its culture from within, instead of just as an observer. Inevitably, a CouchSurfing host will introduce you to his or her friends, and take you to the places that they enjoy. Basically, you can become part of their life for the time you’re visiting. I promise your life will be richer through your membership to CouchSurfing.

ClutterCast is another site that connects members with the mutually beneficial goal of allowing one person to clear out clutter and the other to get something he or she wants or needs. Darryle Pollack started ClutterCast in January because she was drowning in clutter and had resolved to start getting rid of it. Rather than just donate it all, she decided to give it away, item by item, to people who demonstrated a need or desire for it.  She has tinkered with the format a few times since January, but now she posts a new item every day, and, based on the comments she receives on the post, chooses a deserving winner and sends the item out. All she asks in return is that the recipient send her a photo of her item in its new home.  She has also launched a forum to connect other cluttercasters.

Today’s Cluttercast post features links to an online radio interview with Darryle about the site, as well as to other bloggers who are starting to cluttercast from their own sites. I love that this concept is catching on - that there are increasing amounts of connections and links being created all over the world with the simple goal of getting things from people who don’t want them to people who do.

The possibilities for the use of these social networks are endless: Petfinder, BookMooch, AnySoldier - these are some of my favorites. I truly believe the world is a better place for all of them.

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MARCH 23, 2009

By now, most everyone is aware of the negative consequences associated with posting too much about ourselves on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. We’ve talked about it several times before here on Undercurrents. We also know, either from experience or through various news outlets, that it is becoming more and more common for potential employees to be screened via Facebook.  However,  I was still surprised when I read that a girl was fired because she expressed her boredom at work in her status message on Facebook. Fired!

In another recent situation, a police officer posted descriptions on Facebook of his aggressive and negative feelings about his duties as an officer, and, consequently, his posts were subpoenaed and used in court. The case resulted in the acquittal of an offending ex-con.  In his defense, the police officer claimed, “You have your internet persona, and you have what you actually do on the street.”

As these scenarios demonstrate, technology is continually breeding transparency. It is becoming more and more difficult to maintain two selves - the “online” you and the “real life” you. And, our online actions can have serious real-world consequences. While I question whether information found on personal online sites should be used as a means for terminating employment or be admissible in court, it reminds me that the transparency that social media breeds is powerful and, in a sense, is leveling the playing field among all groups of people. Sites that were once populated almost entirely by tech-savvy, early adapters are now commonplace, easy to use, and home to a diverse, ever-expanding audience.

This broad accessibility and acceptance of social media means that all of our actions online - how CEOs run their businesses, how politicians conduct their private and public lives, and how people in general express themselves - are fair game, like it or not.

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MARCH 19, 2009

A couple of years ago, I went to The Green House exhibit when it was in town at the National Building Museum, and I walked away with so many new ideas about what I could do to help take care of our planet (besides tearing down our house). My husband and I recycle everything that we can – including our cardboard toilet paper holders - but the reality is that living in an old(er) house means things aren’t as green as I would like them to be. I’m always looking for new ways to educate myself and become more aware of ways to be “greener,” which is why I appreciated No. 10 on Time’s “Ten Ideas Changing the World Right Now” list: Ecological Intelligence (”EI”). Using the premise that “intention” is easier than “action” when becoming environmentally conscious, Time gives the following example about deciding to buy a 100% organic cotton tee:

[T]hat green label doesn’t tell the whole story — like the fact that even organic cotton requires more than 2,640 gal. (10,000 L) of water to grow enough fiber for one T shirt. Or the possibility that the T shirt may have been dyed using harsh industrial chemicals, which can pollute local groundwater. If you knew all that, would you still consider the T shirt green? Would you still buy it?

Time’s answer to the questions is that we are “ill equipped” to actually resolve this issue, because the debate over what is or isn’t green is difficult to answer because “our ability to make complex products with complex supply chains [outpaces] our ability to comprehend the consequences…[and] nothing in evolution has prepared us to understand the cumulative impact” of our choices on the planet.

The idea behind “EI” is that we need to think ecologically – considering not only our carbon footprints, but also our “social and biological footprints” so that we can understand “the global environmental consequences of our choices.” To help us along in this effort, Good Guide is an excellent website that provides us with a source for “health, environmental, and social impacts of products in your home.” Information on over 60,000 products is at your fingertips – through the website or via an iPhone app, you can discover exactly what Good Guide believes is the best “First Food” for your baby (a tie between Gerber’s carrots, green beans, and sweet potatoes, if you must know!) or what is really in that so-called green household cleaner that you’re using. In a world where information is in abundance, but analysis of that information is not, it’s hard not to get excited about sites like Good Guide that do the difficult work for you, allowing a better answer to (quite literally) come to mind.

If I had an iPhone, there’s no doubt I’d download the Good Guide application to enhance my ecological intelligence. What about you? Have you figured out what your EI is, and is Good Guide something that you would use in your daily life?

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MARCH 6, 2009

Everyone is joining Twitter these days. I’m not just talking about all the famous people that have joined. I’m talking about how major media, politicians, TV personalities and corporations have embraced it and are using it as a direct line of communication. Talking about Twitter is also a growing trend on the cable news networks, as Jon Stewart recently highlighted on The Daily Show.

While Stewart takes his usual cynical approach to Twitter, I think it is a valuable tool when used in the right way. Jeremy Rue over at the Knight Digital Media Center boils it down to this: use Twitter to communicate what you are doing, don’t use it as another syndication device. I have to admit that I am a little guilty of the later. While I do have my own Twitter account, it is linked to feed headlines of the many blogs I write for. However it is also broadcasts my Facebook status- so it’s not entirely made up of headlines.

So who is using Twitter right? I think CNN is doing a great job with using Twitter as a way to reach out to its viewers. Rick Sanchez has an entire newsblock on CNN where he talks to viewers online about their views on the day’s headlines. Other CNN anchors have used their Twitter accounts to reach out to viewers as well. Fellow DC Blogger Meggie Poo recently wrote how she ended up on CNN with a simple 140 character tweet to CNN’s Don Lemon.

Just this week Sky News (UK) dedicated a full-time staff member to act as the 24-hour news network’s Twitter correspondent. Beginning Monday, March 16, Ruth Barnett’s new role will be to scour Twitter for breaking news stories and respond to viewer feedback.

In today’s fast-paced world we are too busy to read long emails and blogs, that’s why Twitter has caught on with so many people. Its 140 character limit forces concise, direct communication that’s easy to send and digest. But on the flip side, is Twitter a sign that our short attention spans have forever changed the way we communicate?

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