Privacy, mobile and social currency.

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Mobile usage is continuing to grow at lightning speeds, and with that, our connectivity to the digital world is becoming merely an extension of our daily lives and routines. It is estimated that 788 million people will access the web solely through their mobile device by 2015 and many will use it for activities other than talking. Our digital footprints or data, along with geographic location-based services, will only allow more companies and applications to tap into our mobile device's capabilities and serve up deals that "reward" us for our behaviors with targeted, customized, and on the spot special offers.

Hotels will continue to reward loyal guests with free nights for more Foursquare check-ins. Living Social will drive traffic to certain businesses by offering us deals tailored to our location and time of day. And new apps like
LocoPing will track our history and give us the ability to connect with people/other users we may have encountered within the last 24 hours (at a convention, in an office building, or at the local coffee shop). And just yesterday, the introduction of Google Wallet. Wow.

And companies can work together to share this data to cross-sell and expand their customer base. Data and the technology used to process that data, can offer more relevant, personalized and rewarding service to all of us, which in theory improves our daily lives. But at what cost?
What's the trade off between exposing more personal interconnected information, and gaining more social currency (whether credits, points, badges, or connections from the past 24-hours)? Just maybe pulling out the good old pros & cons list will help:

Pros:

  • You get the information tailored to you in the right moment, making your life better.
  • You're "connected" everywhere you go, all the time.

Cons:

  • Your personal information and life is transparent and exposed.
  • You're "connected" everywhere you go, all the time.

Obviously there are pluses and minuses to having our lives increasingly interconnected with the mobile web, and much of it is based on personal preference. I for one am interested in striking a fine balance between human life, content sharing and technology. I'll adopt some of these tools, but with caution in so that I don't become interchangeable with my mobile device.

author// Rebecca Arbeene on May 27, 2011

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Inspired by Client Success.

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The 2011 International Symposium presented by The Institute for Functional Medicine.

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author// Rebecca Arbeene on May 09, 2011

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Egypt's Internet Shutdown

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The recent Internet shutdown in Egypt has raised the question about whether Internet access is a human right or a privilege.
According to a 2009 BBC World Service survey, 79 percent of Egyptian residents do think the Internet is a fundamental right, and most Americans feel that it is as well.

There are varying views on the issue, all raising strong points. Some say restriction from the Internet is a violation of the right of free speech. And even in regimes where the government uses technologies to censor Internet communications, the power of having access to these vehicles is greater than the danger. Others argue that media should not be considered a human right, and that it does not fall in line with access to shelter, water, and food.

But has our ability to access the Internet become part of our core makeup? It has evolved to become the primary vehicle for more than individual communication. It provides us with a vital link to connect, to communicate and organize on a mass scale, and to access critical information impacting our lives and our world.

Check out an interesting video on The Huffington Post illustrating the minute-by-minute departure of Egypt's Internet service providers - the country fades to black in less than 30 minutes. And keep in mind these "holes" represented the voices of 80,000,000 people:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-cowie/egypt-hole-internet_b_817240.html

author// Rebecca Arbeene on Feb 02, 2011

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Out and About

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Attending inspiring local events

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author// Rebecca Arbeene on Nov 29, 2010

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Clarity, Purpose, Passion, Create, Connect, Cooperation.

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I recently attended a Puget Sound Business Journal event on clarifying your purpose and passion, and the importance of approaching business relationships with cooperation and collaboration in mind (even with competitors). It's key to establish internal clarity, understand how it translates to successful external relationships, and constantly re-evalutate and adjust to overcome those roadblocks that always appear and be in tune with yourself and organization.

A closing thought:
A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you forget to make a turn.

author// Rebecca Arbeene on Oct 20, 2010

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Flying for a Good Cause

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A couple months ago, I was introduced to Emerald City Trapeze (www.emeraldcitytrapeze.com) through a Seattle Twitter fundraising event, called Twestival (http://seattletwestival.com/). Global Twestival 2010 and Concern Worldwide (www.concern.net) partnered to hold several fundraising events around the world on one day: March 25, 2010. A few hundred people joined the Seattle-based event for this good cause.

The worldwide event raised over $400,000 for Worldwide Concern's education programs. Over the next year, Concern will impact over 27,000 students and 82 schools in poor communities in countries like Haiti, Burundi, Malawi and Liberia. Plans are underway to renovate or build new classrooms and schools, to supply students with much needed equipment, to train over 250 teachers/headmasters, and to increase enrollment of girls in schools. Furthermore, Concern will open and support new Child Friendly Spaces in Haiti, safe transitional places where kids can learn and play.

The event not only raised money to support these initiatives, but also introduced the Seattle crowd to trapeze! Emerald City Trapeze opened earlier this year, and was a great host for the event. Attendees had the opportunity to take a swing on the trapeze and see what it was all about. I, of course, had to give it a try, which only sparked my interest in taking an actual class down the road! What would it be like to learn how to fly?

After much discussion with friends, we booked a group class in May and spent 2 hours learning not only to fly 40 feet in the air, but to do a knee-hold, flip back, and most exciting of all...do a catch with another instructor (that is, if you scored the "cow bell," AKA acceptable performance).

It's hard to describe one’s emotions during the 2-hour class. After beginning with utter fear, you are filled with adrenaline, excitement, and nervousness each time you make the tall climb up to the platform. You begin to wonder why you are doing this, but several turns and pep talks later, you realize it’s all worth it. You challenge yourself, cheer-on friends, and walk away with a new experience.

Check it out!

author// Rebecca Arbeene on May 14, 2010

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