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Conversations in Public

Data is the new Journal. (2 of 2)

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cyber_c

Social sharing sites like Facebook and Google+ are great for countless reasons. The discovery factor is amplified and quick. We have the ability to catch up and communicate with people easily and on-the-go.

Our social networks, paired alongside various algorithms, place everything in somewhat omnidirectional proportion to our personal interests. Some folks watch the stream of information passively while others can’t help but participate. Frequently. Like a habit that’s hard to break. But habits are usually created because there’s some sort of personal payoff involved. What’s in it here?

Do we participate out of boredom? For entertainment? Documentation? Self-declaration? All of the above?

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Data is the new Journal. (part 1)

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I don’t have much room for storage in the small bungalow apartment where I live. I like to tell people that I adhere strictly to a “one in, one out” policy. When something new comes in, something old must go out. This helps to reduces clutter and the accumulation of “things.”

One mainstay that continues to grow is a small collection of boxes. They’re called “memory boxes” as loosely defined by my cryptic writing penned with a black Sharpie.

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Virtual Relationships and Reality

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Habbo Hotel courtesy of blog.media-freaks.com

In today’s connected world it’s easy to initiate relationships with anyone from anywhere.

In our interpersonal exchanges we observe and learn, become challenged and entertained, provoke and be provoked, inspire and conversely dismiss. Then like any other online activity we (however conscious or purposely choose to) make, it’s on to something else.

Online, this exchange becomes easy through convenience. Comments can be short with responses seldom visited again. Time is be suspended or accelerated with little or no expectations on return.

Technology indicates how awesome our universal connectivity is on a very macro level. We read about it in case studies and are familiar with social media contributing to action on the ground.

Many of us are even likely to know someone who found their mate online, broadly taking into consideration the many meanings within the phonetics of the word “soul.”

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Groups At Work

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Photo: Gogo colour wheel by ant.photos on Flickr

One of the great features the internet gives us is the ability to create and participate in custom-tailored groups. Groups are programmed yet unique, standard yet empowering, and  virtual yet oh-so real. The functionality of groups allow us to share info, plan trips, provide feedback, and collaborate to make things happen in the real world.

We can offer up news, media, and commentary while designing action items for rallying around the issues that matter to us. Groups are long-tail and egalitarian – everyone has a voice and similar to the early days of chat rooms, there’s usually something for everyone.

The groups you connect to may be public like niche interest groups on Facebook, or they may be private like an intranet you use for work. Maybe you’re working from a collaborative project management site like At Task or one of the dozens of others out there.

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When Relations Become Contextual

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Niche-based friendships – we already know they exist.

I have a girlfriend who’s a total foodie. Now, she’s not particularly health conscious or loves to cook – she simply loves to know everything about restaurants, worldly cuisine, and things like deals on produce. My theory is this: the reason she’s obsessed with food is because she’s obsessed with knowledge.

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Twitter And The Power Of Public Conversation

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Ah, the things we’re doing at this very moment. Some of us are in the office, others are at home with the kids. Some of us are traveling on a bus or a plane, and others are reading in a cafe. Our actions become symmetric as we balance each another out, flowing seamlessly through our day-to-day actions in a steady stream of life.

As for me? I’m perched at my kitchen table on a late Sunday morning. NPR news is streaming to the stereo. The window is open and tentative sounds of spring drift in. I’m eating half a grapefruit and debating on pouring myself another cup of french press as I occasionally gaze out the window, debating going to yoga at some point later in the day.

OR

“News. Coffee. Sunshine. Writing. Yoga soon. #SPRINGhasSPRUNG”

In certainly well over 140 characters you’ve gotten the gist that, well, I’m not doing much. And whether you take my general communicato with an extra shot of espresso or a whole lotta foam (likely the latter), we can acknowledge that Twitter grants us the ability to comment on our thoughts and actions freely and instinctively, as they occur.

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On Becoming A Self-Construct, Or, When I Turned Into a Fictional Character

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Do you only review certain albums, books, and restaurants?

Are your tweets pre-meditated, eluding the entire point of Twitter?

Is it a realistic possibility that you’ll neglect to check in on Gowalla at CVS–but are relentlessly fighting for most visits at the Troubadour?

These days, it’s easy to post what we’re up to. It’s also easy to do it in real time and incorporate text, links, photos, and video. This makes it inevitable to tell the story of where we are, who we’re with and what we’ve been doing.

Read More »On Becoming A Self-Construct, Or, When I Turned Into a Fictional Character

An Intro

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Facebook and Twitter allow me to tell you what I’m doing, where I’m going, and how I’m feeling from almost any place at any time.… Read More »An Intro