Boomerang

Archive for April, 2008

For Good, not For Profit

April 23rd, 2008 by Annie Longsworth

I have struggled to explain, particularly to my boss, the general shift in thinking around prioritizing the environment over profits. It’s not a new concept – many sustainable companies have demonstrated that being environmentally friendly can also be profitable – but it’s a concept now being articulated in a new way. The idea of “For Good” instead of “For Profit,” with the knowledge (or trust?) that the money will follow, is beyond counterintuitive for most business leaders; it is heretical to say such a thing aloud. But Gary Hirschberg of Stonyfield Farm said it in a way that resonates in its simplicity: Rather than the planet being a subsidiary of the economy, the economy should be a subsidiary of the planet. And, even more simply stated: no healthy planet, no healthy economy.

Category Business, Green/Sustainability | No Comments »

Not for the Meek

April 22nd, 2008 by Annie Longsworth

One of most critical statements made by a presenter at Fortune’s Brainstorm Green was very simple and obvious: The environment has moved to the top of the agenda for CEOs and CIOs. One of the running themes of the event was the need – make that necessity – for NGOs, corporate America and politicians to work together on solutions before our time runs out. The urgency of these discussions and the need for decisions were brought home by 16-year-old Avery Hairston, founder of RelightNY, who wryly concluded, “It’s great to see so many of you out there and caring for the environment even though you’re not necessarily going to inherit it.”

Category Events/Conferences, Green/Sustainability | No Comments »

Preservation, Promotion, Privacy Invasion

April 9th, 2008 by Carla Mancebo

On a recent trip to a cruel and shallow money trench, known to some as Las Vegas, I was photographing the classic Flamingo Hotel when my friend asked, “Why are you taking pictures — you’re not even on Facebook?” I was shocked that she didn’t think my noteworthy life was worth documenting if strangers couldn’t see it. I recently took myself off the web to avoid being available to strangers and now I’ve become a “social-media pariah” among my friends.

It seems as if candid photos have gone from a form of preservation to personal promotion. An individual’s online profile has become a free peep show for anyone to gawk at from the other side of the glass. Keep in mind that your pictures are available to everyone and that privacy features aren’t always dependable and should never be seen as a surefire way to protect your anonymity. Look at Facebook’s recent security system incident that involved a computer technician hacking into Paris Hilton’s private photo album.

The more one reveals about their personal actions on the web, the more they strip away the mystery of their private lives. However, that can be to our advantage as well. We have the ability to shape how people perceive us through the photos we upload and share with everyone. The only problem is how do we control the use of our personal information and photos when in the hands of other people?

Ashley Alexandra Dupré, the prostitute associated with Gov. Eliot Spitzer, is a perfect example of how openness on the web can backfire. In a just a few hours after the scandal broke, journalists were able to discover an array of information about her — from a photo of her in a bathing suit to private details of her difficult childhood. She may have never expected immediate infamy, but she made the journalists’ jobs a lot easier. Millions of people have made all kinds of personal details available online via social networking sites, perhaps without thinking it could be used against them. My advice: Imagine that everything you type online is being read by a potential employer. Or, better yet, by your parents.

Category Culture/Leisure, Social Networking | 2 Comments »

Ultimate Blog Lists

April 3rd, 2008 by Tony Obregon

It never ceases to amaze me how much information we have at our fingertips via the web. No matter what the topic, people are constantly adding their insights, experiences and knowledge to online forums, blogs, and wikis. For me, blogs are a favorite online resource and I love to stumble upon those quintessential lists of top blogs on a specific topic, region or industry. Just in the past few months I’ve started to collect some very valuable blog lists so I thought I’d share them.

Most of the ultimate blog lists I’ve recently come across were developed by organizations and companies. However, some of them were compiled by single individuals who spent several backbreaking hours of research to put them together. These individuals deserve recognition for their hard work and I’d like to personally thank them. Bravo!

If you have an ultimate blog list that’s not included below, send it my way and I’ll add it to this list.

Ultimate Blog Lists

Top 100 Academic Blogs - Jessica Hupp, CurrencyTrading.net

Top 150 Ad and Marketing Blogs – Ad Age

Top 100 Analyst Blogs – Technobabble

Top 100 Australian Blogs – Meg, Dipping into the Blog Pond

Top 100 Christian Blogs – Joe Carter, Evangelical Outpost

Top 100 Economics Blogs – Laura Milligan, CurrencyTrading.net

Top 100 Education Blogs – Online Education Database

Top 100 Gadget Blogs – GadgetVenue

Top 50 Graphic Design Blogs – David Airey

Top 100 Healthcare Blogs – eDrugSearch