Monthly Archives: October 2007

Webby Connect Thoughts

I’m at the Webby Connect confernce (or summit) for TakingITGlobal and here’s some thoughts that I’m putting up on The Digital Divide Network:

The Webby Connect conference has a lot of smart people attending it, and that’s putting it mildly.

Today’s lineup of events started with looking at commercially generated content to increase brand exposure and ended with Ariannia Hufifington expressing her views on the sad state of American journalism. Don’t worry she has hope for the future – and rightly so!

As far as the digital divide and today went, there was some interesting things said. When discussing online brand strategies there was a lot of talk of using online video. The popularity of YouTube and other video sites has clearly shown that people want to watch streaming videos (particularly user-generated videos). After the talk, I went up to ask a few of the panelists if they ever thought about broadband constraints.
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Walking Towards Health

While I’m at a conference looking at how we can use the internet for the better, in Toronto there’s a conference on how to use public space for the better called Walk 21. The Toronto magazine Spacing has been blogging about it on their site and I particularly like their recent post on how walking improves health and mental well-being.

“I was also particularly struck by their awareness that walking is important for sustaining good mental as well as physical health. It was a message conveyed in a plenary session in the morning by Nova Scotia researcher Catherine O’Brien, but in Canada this concept is still in its initial stages, and public health departments are only just beginning to realize that maintaining good mental health can be as important as maintaining good physical health. Apparently they are way ahead of us in Australia. For example, VicHealth funds public art projects in low-income areas that will draw people into public space, to enhance mental well-being.”

Green Machines

The CBC has a feature on how technology and the environment interrelate. The feature emphasizes on how you can purchase technology that has a limited impact on the environment.

While it can be difficult to track down truly “green gear,” Radu’s interest in consumer electronics doesn’t necessarily have to run contrary to the way she chooses to live her everyday life. Products designed to have less impact on the environment – both from a manufacturing perspective and during day-to-day use – are reaching the market in greater numbers as producers pay attention to the growing ranks of eco-conscious consumers. Companies are also paying more attention to “greening” their public image.

Webby Connect

Today I’m be heading to the Webby Connect conference. TakingITGlobal is sending me to represent The Digital Divide Network, two very good things I must say (but of course I’m bias). I’m going there to learn and meet some pretty smart people so I’m very very excited!

I’ll try to cross-post my blogging of Webby Connect here, but you can follow all of it at my blog at the Digital Divide Network.

I’ll try to keep all the good news coming, so if you have some good news you want to share feel free to email me or (if you know wordpress) signup and write an entry yourself.

My email is my first name @ThingsAreGood.com

50 Tips on Living Green

This is exactly what you think it is: 50 Green Tips for Earth Day and Beyond

A nice reminder of all the things you can do on a daily basis to make the world a little better.

Some samples from the list:
14. Go to your local library instead of buying new books.
18. If you use plastic grocery bags, recycle them for doggie poop bags or for small trashcan liners.
21. Consider organic cleaning products like vinegar, borax, and baking soda.
33. Limit the length of your showers. Even better, take a “navy shower,” shutting off the water while soaping up and shampooing.
46. Good to the last drop. Switch to fair trade coffee.