My parents are two of the smartest people I know. Both former professors, they can speak intelligently about a myriad of topics. Both active citizens, they appreciate the importance of staying abreast of news and world issues. They watch the news, read the paper, go to lectures, follow the local sports teams and symphony orchestra. And yet, when I sit at a computer with these two people I admire more than words can express for their sophistication, articulation, and intellect, they morph into wide-eyed, bewildered children. I recently introduced my Dad to Google Earth and showed him a satellite image of our house, close enough to see my neighbor's dog; he spent the next day pacing the yard, staring up at the sky suspiciously. Over winter break, I taught my mom how to use Gchat; while I have finally communicated to her that no, no one can SEE you when you chat, she still begins every conversation with "hi sarah, it's mom," despite my vain attempts to explain that such introduction is unnecessary. For Christmas, I purchased them a Netflix subscription and then spent the next four days of my vacation explaining the concept of a "queue." My mom still speaks in code on email (i.e. "I'm sending the thing we discussed in the mail; DO NOT write your address here - write it down, give it to J, and he will bring it when he visits"), as if several spies are taking notes on my whereabouts, waiting to collect just enough information to clear my bank account. My dad is convinced Amazon is a hoax to collect and steal people's credit card information. My smart, savvy parents are stuck in the internet stone age.
And yet, as much as I'd like to claim superiority and feign comprehensive knowledge of the latest internet trends, I consistently, pathetically lag one step behind the rest of my generation when it comes to online trends. Therefore, while I'm commenting here on a few interesting, interactive, dynamic sites I have come across - sites that are new and exciting to me - they very well might be old news to the rest of you. If so, apologies. I'm hoping this class will help me stay on top of the most timely online developments.
1. Don't Forget Your Toothbrush http://www.dontforgetyourtoothbrush.com/
This site guides the soon-to-be traveller in the planning process, from the pre-phase preparation of settling things at home and securing baseline logistics, to personalized packing list creation, to destination-specific tips, to travel planning reminders. Rated a Top 10 Website by Time Magazine and twice a BBC Radio site of the day, this service provides a thorough, personalized tool for free to its customers. In giving the site a test run to prepare for my upcoming trip to South Africa, I have already compiled a short list of seven crucial things I need to do (and otherwise might have neglected) before departing.
2. The Mint http://www.mint.com/
The Mint securely collects and integrates information about your personal finances (accounts, loans, savings, investments, etc.) and analyzes your spending to reveal potential saving areas. The site maintains its free services through profits from the "Ways to Save" page, in which the site suggests the optimal credit card company, bank, etc for each visitor based on their spending habits. Furthermore, the blog and suggestions page allow for user-defined content by encouraging visitors to suggest new services or improvements on existing service and share personal finance and saving strategies with each other.
3. Playing for Change http://www.playingforchange.com/
As a musician and advocate of social enterprise, I immediately fell in love with this site. This program capitalizes on traditional media music and recording technology to connect musicians in different locations around the world in a united performance. Then, it uses the web as an interface to share its inspiring musical product, solicit donations, and encourage visitors to blog, tweet, or Facebook about the movement through connecting links. For instance, in the now-famous Stand By Me video, musicians in South Africa, Venezuela, Italy, New Orleans, Russia, and other locations - musicians who have never met or played together before - listen to and play with each others artistic content through headphones and create an ensemble piece later broadcast online.
4. Group On http://groupon.thepoint.com/
This site leverages the notion of collective buying power by offering a daily NYC deal, but contingent on sufficient user participation. Thus, it not only connects the site and featured companies to users, but also connects the users as a community reliant on each other's participation for reward collection.
5. Stumble Upon http://www.stumbleupon.com/
In a way, this site represents the reverse Google search. Where a traditional search engine asks users to enter a key word (related to their interest area) and select from narrowed search results, this site recommends searched topics and sites (suggested from other users). In this way, a visitor can "stumble upon" interesting articles, videos, blogs, etc. that they might never have naturally searched.
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