Kiss for Peace on New Years Eve

While using Facebook for Mercy Corps social media & interactive over the holiday, I came across an event invitation for the first annual iPeace celebration.

iPeace is a virtual action event which translates into real life for attendees, created by the organization Peace Bloggers Unite, a group of bloggers who promote peace by using their keyboard. Today, while Gaza continues to be attacked, I thought I should do at least one thing to help promote peace - even if today, I only use my blog to do so.

Anders Abrahamsson wrote on the groups Facebook page, "in the twenty-first century, the keyboard is mightier than the sword. At arms length, you can live the peace-making reaching globally with words as deeds..."

iPeace day is set for the 31st of December. The group suggests that there are a 'million things' one can do to promote peace without leaving their home, but offers these suggestions:

* Kiss for Peace
* Write a poem for peace
* Make a video. Post a video.
* Organize a concert for peace
* Play music in the streets for peace
* Plant a tree
* Blog or write an article
* Organize a gathering
* Pray
* Light a candle
* Teach peace
* Organize iPeace Day events in your campus
* Meditate
* Run for Peace. Walk for peace
* Organize a game or a match for peace (any sport)
* Have peace dinner with friends (or with strangers)
Or, anything that will express peace – for you.

Please join and contribute to the first annual iPeace day and stand in unity for those who help others find peace every day.

Thank you for all you do :)

Merry Christmas from Alaska!

For my favorite family, friends, coworkers and readers: I love you!
Warmest wishes and all my love from Alaska.

Copyright Remix: Updating Prohibition-Style Laws for Web 2.0

On National Public Radio's Fresh Air program yesterday, author and law professor Lawrence Lessing discussed his perspective of today's antique copyright laws and how they apply to Web 2.0.

Typically a casual NPR listener, I was quick to tune into this story. Copyright laws and their implications were discussed at length in my Communication in the Information Age course this term. The ways that existing copyright law relates to technology in a 2.0 world is a tricky course but also an example of ways government and the corporate world scrambles to keep up.

Lessing offers an interesting and progressive ideas to update copyright laws he describes as "antique" and likens to Prohibition.

In my opinion, there are several things to be accomplished by copyright laws. First, artists and creators of content need to receive just compensation for their work. Second, consumers and active users of creative content need some degree of rights to use, share and enjoy content. If both components are fulfilled, content will benefit both groups and society as a whole.

Another soundbite that caught my attention:
Lessing is also the creator of Creative Commons, a nonprofit organization that promotes the legal sharing, repurposing and remixing of creative work. (NPR 2008) While developing Mercy Corps Flickr site, Tiffany Wheeler (my boss and coworker) explained the opportunity provided by Creative Commons. As we discussed and dug through the internet, it became clear that there was plenty to learn about the Creative Commons concept.

As Lessing points out, there are clearly alternatives to our current laws on copyrights that would better address the world of Web 2.0, for artists and consumers. Although I hadn't realized how many alternatives were available for online copyright strategies, I am excited that the social networking world and thinkers like Lessing are helping explain and promote these possibilities.

You can listen to Lawrence Lessing's interview on NPR here

The sooner we create laws to fit the needs of constituents, the further our society can move forward - using social media and the Web as a tool.

Still Believin'

But...I also asked for a Newsweek subscription for Christmas. Just to keep up on Obama :)

bicycles, new belguim brews and bests - fort collins, colorado

To continue my official birthday month, I flew to Denver, Colorado last weekend to see my best friend. Chelsie & her boyfriend Galen go to Colorado State University in Fort Collins...which (in my book) is now officially the coolest damn city east of the Rockies.

We went to Road 34 for $1 microbrews and played drinking games...

The people in this bar reminded me of Portland, so I loved it. Duh.

We went to Estes Park to see the Historic Stanley Hotel, which was appropriately creepy. Chelsie gave me the free ghost story introduction on our drive, so we could avoid the $10 ghost tour of the hotel (ha ha :).

<---

the Rockie Mtns

The Stanley Hotel -------->

Chelsie took me on a campus tour, which is pretty much when I decided Fort Co. was that bad ass...

There were parking lots full of bikes, a bus system that students can ride for free all over Fort Collins, recycling bins on every corner, etc, etc.

The green guy in this poster is on posters at least every 100 meters...the funny part is that he is completely anonymous. The administration refuse to say who he is, but his picture (complete with green paint) is posted in the CSU Administration portrait gallery. Ha ha

At about this point, I lost my drivers lisence. Cool, right? Not. That pretty much did a 180 on our plans...we improvised and had fun anyway, but it cramped the weekend. Especially right after my 21st...ugh!

We went to New Belguim Breweries in Fort Collins (there are 4 different breweries in the city), drank free beer (yum!) and went on a brewery tour.

My very good friend and college roommate Jamie surprised me on Friday night, driving alll the way over from Utah to see us :)

<------------ my fabulous friends/hosts/tour guides Chelsie & Galen :)

I discovered Growlers...the best invention probably ever. And bought one at New Belguim...who knew you could get 64 oz of microbrew for $6.00?!

We went to a massive CSU football game and tailgated before the game. It was a cold day at first, but warmed up enough in the afternoon for my poor face to get a sunburn, ha ha.

Before heading back to the airport, Chelsie & I stopped at the Denver Art Museum and cultural center. I wish I had more time there, but it was such a fun stop! I was impressed that Denver had such a developed art scene.

It was suchhh a fantastic weekend, and such a good birthday present! There is so much more I could write about - CSU game & tailgating, this wonderful Asian restaurant, board games, going to a Unitarian Church for the first time...etc, etc. We packed so much into four days..wow.

our deeping courtship with social media

If 2004 was truly the 'year of blogs', 2008 is certainly my year to become truly close friends with the web.

I began my internship at R/West in January with a lose grasp for social networking. I had a Facebook, shopped for books, clothes and even contact lenses online, and checked my MySpace regularly. To be honest, I posted blogs then, too I posted updates on MySpace and little 'blog-notes' to friends. Before my 12 week stay in Spain in 2007 I begun a blog, but rarely updated it while I was there. My understanding of the websites I used was strong, but my perception and overall understanding of the internet was very limited.

R/West really began to embrace social media and networking online while I was there, although I was an observer of most of this change at that point. The outreach and education process that I was able to watch, however, really was an 101 course for public relations in the social media realm.

I was lucky enough to apply much of what I learned (from my own reading and digging around as much as from others) at ASWOU and then on a broader scale at Bernholz & Graham later in the year, setting up social networking sites for ASWOU and increasing our presence throughout campus that way. At Bernholz & Graham I was fortunate to have opportunities to work on projects that were most likely above my head and pay scale regarding social media. I've found that as a rule, the sink-or-swim approach to learning really works well for me ... :)

At this point, I had begun using Twitter, LinkedIn, PROpenMic, Tectnorati and Digg. I'm still learning about these websites now, but I have been using Facebook with more and more prowess, reaching out to new people and trying applications that do really, really amazing things for their users.

With only 42 days left of my undergraduate degree, I'm plugging away at two courses that focus primarily on the presence of technology (namely social networking capabilities of the internet) in communications. Communication and Technology, and Communication in Politics. In the later, we're reading Blog Wars, by Perlmutter.

And because I'm 'taking it easy' this term and supremely bored as a result, at home I'm reading The New Rules of Marketing and PR, by David Meerman Scott . It's an incredible book so far, focusing on the ways that public relations practitioners can begin to connect directly with consumers and bypass the typical courting of traditional media outlets to score media attention.

I also think that the elections have increased the overall use of social media this year. With the elections consuming at least several hours of many Americans average day, we're becoming more accustomed to finding news and information online, combing websites and engaging in discussions with others online. Although the public relations and marketing fields have been casting their gaze on social media, I believe this final familization by average audiences has a broader affect on the traditional marketing and public information process.

In one last note, I loved this Green RSS feed by PRWeek. You can find it at http://feedproxy.google.com/PRWeekGreen

pun-kin carving & voting for obama!

My brother Ned, my boyfriend Noel and I carved pumpkins last night.. such a great break from midterms this week. Check em' out!

Ours is supposed to look like Casper the Ghost - mostly because I had a mini crush on him when I was little :)









More importantly, the presidential election will conclude on Tuesday, November 4th. I sent in my Alaska absentee ballot last week, and was proud to vote for two outstanding Alaskan Democratic candidates for Senate and House. Although I am dreaming and praying for an Obama win, the elections conclusion will be bitter sweet. We've all been following this election for so long!

In honor of our man Barack, my roommate Kate carved him a pumpkin...which I'm showing a little love to below :) ------>

Happy Halloween & please don't forget to VOTE by Tuesday!

p.s. if you're undecided, check out barackobama.com - 'issues' for more information on the nominees plan for America