Author, speaker and technologist Juliette Powell sees the true significance of social media technology in the new kinds of collaborations we are able to forge that offer the potential to create a new kind of future. Powell believes that the ability to connect with people who previously did not have that opportunity will add tremendous value to government, business, and media undertakings.
via Ideas Project
Ben Muller has a nice project called I Got an Envelope, it is a social experiment that does not involve twitter, facebook or any other social networks. People leave empty self-addressed envelopes in random places, hoping that someone will come across the envelope, fill it with magical things, and send it back to the owner.
Cute
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Some companies are already repositioning themselves for a more frugal consumer. "The current economic conditions have created a fundamental shift in shopping behavior," Kathryn Tesija, Target Corp.'s executive vice president of merchandising, said in a recent conference call with investors. "We are allocating more shelf space to nondiscretionary categories" like food, health care and baby products, she said, and drawing attention to the store's low prices. "Guests won't come to us for everyday necessities if those necessities aren't priced right."American consumers are traditionally resilient, and may yet return to their old ways. But the borrowing boom of the early 2000s ended badly, and the searing memories may shape consumer attitudes for years.
Photo: David Pollack
Ichiran Ramen, a Japanese chain opening its first U.S. outpost, in Greenpoint, has a sign indicating that it will open its doors, at first, as a “limited membership shop” accessible only to “those living in the distance which walks from this shop,” provided they fill out an application form.
Photo: David Pollack
