I can’t stop thinking about Jonathon Harris.

His latest project World Building in a Crazy World is based on a series of 15 vignettes about the reality of life in a digital world. Its beautiful, simple and intriguing thoughts and ways of understanding, although not new, are welcome reminders.

I have been reading about homogenization: to make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching. It’s an idea that permeates all discussions surrounding culture, always has and always will. The process of homogenization is sometimes referred to as the McWorld or the McDonaldization of culture that promises to bind us together through consumption of so-called “cultural” commodities.

Should we think digital culture would be any different? If content is created simply with the intent of responding to and re-hashing similar and popular ideas with the goal of attracting page views, why would we think we have access to a broad range of new ideas, theories and thought?

The digital world provides the opportunity to have access to “everything” at anytime. All the information we could ever hope for is at out fingertips. But is it?

Maria Popova tells us that “the smart and systematic culling of off-mainstream interestingness” is the method to counter this imbalance.

Harris talks about this in Our Digital Crisis.

“Most online experiences are made, like fast food, to be cheap, easy, and addictive: appealing to our hunger for connection but rarely serving up nourishment. Shrink-wrapped junk food experiences are handed to us for free by social media companies, and we swallow them up eagerly, like kids given buckets of candy with ads on all the wrappers.”

And as humans we will still tend to act in very human ways.

Have you read Jonathan Harris lately?

In Part 2 I give an example of what I found while doing a little curating for off-mainstream interestingness of my own.

I’ve spent a lot of time in the north living and working in exploration camps. I’ve worked as a cook, OHS Officer, Logistics Coordinator and Medic. 

These camps are set up in the middle of the bush as places to house those working in the exploration industry. Location is specific to findings for whatever mineral the company is searching and/or drilling for. Camps are made up of Geologists, Administration Staff, Camp workers, a Medic, and Drillers. It’s a collection of local and far-flung people dropped off by helicopter to work in an isolated area for extended periods of time. 

It is challenging and exciting and definitely not for everyone! I’ve had the pleasure of working in Northern Labrador, Northern Saskatchewan, Nunavut and Baffin Island. 

My favorite camps are constructed with Quonset Huts, military style buildings, which are insolated tents set up on a wooden platform. Inside the tent there is a small diesel stove and usually 2 - 4 cots. Close quarters indeed.  

Camp in the winter is awesome! The bush in the winter turns into one glorious snow-covered expanse. Areas that could not be travelled in the other seasons freeze and everywhere is open to explore. Snowshoeing and snowmobiling are my favorite ways to explore.

 This morning I was immediately taken back to the feeling of waking up to see your breath inside the tent. It was necessary to place the next day’s clothes in the bottom of your sleeping bag at night so you could get them on in the morning. Wriggling around, getting dressed and then stepping out to find your boots frozen to the floor was common. 

Another really good thing about camp is the kitchen tent. On a cold morning like this, heading to the kitchen tent was the BEST. Inside there would be a stove just a pumping heat and a huge breakfast to share with everyone in camp. 

Being in camp was some of the best times I’ve ever experienced. Also some of the toughest. I learned about myself and the challenges I could face. I learned a lot about living and working with others. I learned to be patient. I learned how to think and I learned the things we think we can control are often not in our hands.

Friends will say I look the happiest they have ever seen me in my pictures from there.

 
I also learned about the power of food. Not just for sustenance, but the power it has to bring people together to learn and share and build a community from a group of strangers. Eating all your meals with 30 others from varying walks of life forces you to be mindful and engage with people you may never have had the chance to meet in any other circumstance. Food provides the conduit that can increase your knowledge of others. The simple act of sharing a meal can provide an opportunity to learn so much about others.  

It was in one of these camps in Northern Labrador that I first discovered Toutons.  Toutons are raw bread dough that has risen once and is then fried in oil to golden perfection. Covered in butter, molasses or maple syrup they are one of the best simple treats I’ve ever tasted.

 I’m nowhere near the north right now but I am missing it quite completely. As I sit now I can hear the bread maker whirring. Toutons will be ready to cook in 2 hours. I can’t be there physically right now, but I can experience a little something about it right here. 

Food and memories go hand-in-hand. 

What food takes you back to a place you haven’t been in a long time? 
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I was given the title Community Advocate that came with responsibilities very similar to what is discussed here in this post about Community Management.

It’s very interesting when working with a company who has not used a Social Media strategy before. It’s a big leap of faith for them to say, “Here is my business, now please go represent me on the internet.”

It takes a huge amount of trust for this to work. All the potential client really has to base decisions on is case studies on what has worked for other businesses and your word that you know what you’re doing.

In this case the company had a website where they were successfully selling a product to a very loyal following. This company also had a very active presence on a few online forums where they were managing their brand, answering questions about their products and relaying new product information.

It was not difficult to attract followers. This company thrived on excellent customer service and had ardent, loyal customers. We started a Facebook fan page for them and engagement there was a success. We ran a contest and not only was it fun, we had a lot of participants. All was going well.

Bi-weekly reporting showed a slow steady increase in our numbers. By all measures our engagement on social platforms was a success, BUT, it didn’t turn into more visits to their site and, in turn, did not turn into more sales. My attempts at strategy — and I came up with excellent ideas, I might add — weren’t accepted because they were new and scary and involved more trust in engagement with the online world.

What I learned from this experience is:

- It is necessary for the company/brand you are representing to have clearly defined goals

- It is important and paramount to the success of your project that the people you are working for understand the time necessary to grow a community, instill trust and engage

- A monthly examination of those goals to see if they are still applicable is a must

- Clear definitions of what measurement tools you are using and what those numbers actually mean, and what those numbers can result in must be explained

- Policies stating what constitute an emergency and how that will be handled (for example, customer complaints, bad “press”) must be put in place. The Community Manager’s role must not be over-ridden if something like this occurs - everyone must share information and work together

- There needs to be clearly defined roles and chain of “command” in terms of who speaks through what channels and when. It’s no fun to sign on and discover *someone* who you work for has been tweeting away in your absence, without your knowledge. It confuses people

After a few months, they gave up their online presence and stuck with the way things were before. This company was comfortable in their tradition and that comfort, coupled with economic influences, determined the Community Advocate role was not necessary. They wanted to see more direct visits to their site, which in turn they hoped would result in more sales.

Was this a failure? No.

I learned a lot from this challenge, the company became educated in using Social Media to attract, engage, respond and reward customers. And customers, in turn, gained insight into a company that cared enough to try.

I feel better, sleep better, think clearly and don’t have that overwhelming sense of false urgency that everything is a crisis and must be dealt with NOW. I definitely do not miss that.

I am very close to someone who has a huge addiction problem. I decided that if she can give up what she is addicted to I can give up coffee. We’ll both win. No, giving up coffee isn’t the same but it is something I relied on, wove my day around and used to facilitate social interaction.

You can find lots of articles suggesting coffee is not harmful and even has health benefits. There are just as many suggesting the opposite. Personally, I didn’t like relying on something to get me through my day. I didn’t like the tired feeling I had most of the time. It’s really noticable how your energy level stays consistent throughout the day withOUT coffee and how you don’t experience those intense crashes in the afternoons. That in itself it worth the withdrawal headaches.

Incredible how long it takes to get it out of your system. Yes, the headaches are bad but they go away. The consistent energy levels don’t.

It’s surprising the reactions you get from people. When I mentioned this on Twitter people expressed shock, amazement and the general consensus seemed to be that I was losing my mind.

The woman who works at my favorite coffee shop whispered she is trying too. Many friends on Facebook have also given it up. There are so many who have tried, are thinking about trying, plan on trying, think they should, know it’s a good idea - it’s quite the topic of conversation.

The thing I missed the most: the ritual. After wandering around not knowing how to begin my day for a few mornings the suggestion to try Rooibos tea was a welcome one. I can still plug in the kettle, still use the french press, get my favorite mug, stir, smell, relax.

Sometimes I find myself wondering about the millions of people running around fueled by anxiety- producing coffee. I think about how different business, social and all human interaction might be without it…….

What have you given up lately and how is that working for you?

Today, as I was thinking about Blog Action Day and about the power we have as people to affect change, I started researching a little bit more about issues around Climate Change.
The one that really caught my attention was the direct increase in poverty in developing nations in relation to climate change.

“Extreme weather affects agricultural productivity and can raise the price of staple foods, such as grains, that are important to poor households in developing countries,” said Noah Diffenbaugh, the associate professor of earth and atmospheric sciences and interim director of Purdue’s Climate Change Research Center

Yes, after reading, it all makes perfect sense. Just consider how the food prices we have seen jump in the supermarket are affecting those in developing urban areas struggling to live on $1 per day.
BlogAction Day
Degrees of separation explains the link between poverty and the impacts of climate change much better than I can. Please have a look.

Climate change negotiations are taking place in Copenhagen in December. Please, be aware, get educated and get involved. There are lots of activities happening in communities all over the world. You do have a say - you can make a difference.

As I progressed through school and university, I was awakened to this huge world of opportunity to bring awareness, help others and create a like-minded group. A community around this awareness and common goal. I believe if we have any purpose or obligation in life it is to help others. We ALL need help in our lives. Everyone. Some of us are fortunate enough to be able to have that support or help come through family and friends, or can afford to pay for it. 

When we move from the individual level to the societal level and beyond, help is required in all instances to educate, empower and facilitate change. Necessary change. 

Do I believe we can do that? Yes, I do. I believe that each one of us has a responsibility to try. Opening one person’s eyes to a cause, or an organization that could benefit, is helping. We all have the power to do that. 

Social change doesn’t happen with a donation, although that is extremely important. Change happens with a switch in perception, principles and with political ACTION.  
I hear people asking frequently, but how can talking about something really help? How will it change anything? Why do you bother?  

Look at my friend and someone I admire greatly, Mark Horwath (@hardlynormal). Mark just finished a tour around America talking and making videos about homeless people.  You can read more of the details here and on his personal blog. 

Mark opened so many people’s eyes to what is actually happening with America’s homeless crisis. His travels, videos, presentations, and talks gave a voice to a population silenced by society and gave rise to a community determined to help. I am so proud, grateful and deeply honored to have played a small part in this with him. 

Defending my interests and actions as someone passionately caring about global issues, human rights and people in general should not be necessary.  

But I will. I am passionate about bringing change and passionate about encouraging others to realize their potential to do so too.

There’s been a lot of chatter for the last few years now about how every business needs a blog. And in most cases I would agree.

I think there’s far too little chatter, however, about having a real, actual strategy and plan for your blog. It’s easy to realize why you should have a blog, why your business should be blogging, but it’s a lot more difficult to figure out what you should be talking about on a regular basis. It can certainly be pretty difficult to make sure you always have something interesting to say each week (or whatever your schedule might be).

Because, let’s face it, if you’re an artist or run a small business, you don’t have time to blog. At least, you probably don’t think you do. If you’ve got enough time on your hands each week to sit down for a few hours and come up with a brand new topic, write the post, edit it, and then throw it online, then your business might have more serious problems than its blog.

So what do you do? You’re swamped, you don’t have the time to dedicate to that every single week. Well, that’s where I suggest a solid, consistent blogging strategy would come in. If you have, for the next 10 weeks, post topics lined up with bullet points for each post of what you want to cover, and how it relates to your overall story, then you’re in a much better position.

And if you had a set of guidelines written up that outline how each post should be written, what elements of consistency should be there, how to offer value in each one, and reasons for your readers to care, then you’re pretty much set.

And these outlines and guidelines allow for multiple authors to jump in and offer their unique perspectives while still maintaining that consistency and value. Now, it’s possible that the purists might suggest that you should write spontaneously, or that you shouldn’t have multiple authors if it’s a more personal blog. But, on this and so many other issues, I defer to Hugh.

Having a solid blogging strategy will allow you to always have blog ideas at the ready, and will allow you to make sure you’re always offering value and contributing to your overall story. Even if a different author jumps in.

So make sure you take the time to figure out your blogging strategy (or get some help with it). Assess where you see it going, and how it’s going to provide value and be interesting to your customers. I, of course, recommend the Story/Content/Offer formula for constructing your blog guidelines, but really it’s about what works best for you, and what will make sure you always have something interesting to say.

Hope this helps!

Joel Kelly helps artists and small business with their marketing over at his blog Ingenioustries.

I write this post full of sadness because this is a disaster, a tragedy, that happened in North America and we (I’m not referring to the many advocates who work tirelessly to keep New Orleans in the public eye) as a people can’t seem to acknowledge or appreciate the devastation that Katrina brought as the levees failed and continues to bring upon the lives of those still displaced.

I remember paying attention to the news as Katrina swept through New Orleans. I remember the Governor declaring a State of Emergency on Friday, August 26, 2005. I remember hearing of approximately 30,000 evacuees gathering the at the Superdome. And I remember hearing of the National Guard Troops arriving two days after they were requested.

I remember watching television to see news reporters arriving before official aid had been dispatched.

That’s what I remember. And I’ve learned so much more since then.

I learned of the nation’s failed response and of Bush admitting it. I have learned that the Iraq War “hindered Katrina relief,” that the effort suffered “near catastrophic failures due to endemic corruption, divisions within the military, and troop shortages caused by the Iraq war.” I learned that nearly three months after Katrina hit over 6,500 people were unaccounted for in the hurricane’s wake and more than 400 bodies remained unidentified.

I learned that at least 1,836 people lost their lives in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. “Preliminary damage estimates were well in excess of $100 billion, eclipsing many times the damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.”

I could go on and on but those are facts you can read yourself - I will add links at the bottom of this post.

But I write not to discuss politics, engineering, minorities, or botched plans.

I’m here to talk about loss.

If you haven’t experienced a significant loss in your life - you will. It’s a unifying human connector. We all experience loss. From loss we learn of finality and how you can never really go back.

This devastation that occurred right here in North America to people just like you and I is no different than the devastation and tragedy that happens in Africa, China, Darfur, Rwanda, Vietnam, and far too many places to list here.

Don’t turn away because it’s “too close and too real”.

Remember a single loss you have suffered and then remember the people from New Orleans.

All my information in quotes and otherwise comes from here:

Think Press
Rising Tide Conference Blog
Humid City
Wikipedia

It’s summer and I have summer things on my mind.

Bonfires, camping, the beach, music festivals. picnics, road trips with friends… You get the idea.

Today I was working away, attempting to “get things done,” as we’re all focused on productivity these days, and I just kept getting distracted. Distracted by invitations, phone calls, cars driving by with windows down, music blaring, people streaming by on their way to the pool.

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