activefreemedia
money, media, and technology for a free culture and sustainable economy
December 22, 2008
activefree 2008 & 2009: Review & Predictions
Inspired by Jamais over at Open the Future's comment that as a blogger he is obligated to post a year in review, I realized that I probably should do one as well. So here goes....
Personally:
Looking back through my iPhoto collection over the last year, I was struck by two things.
1. First, the sheer quantity of places I had traveled in the last year: from the snow in upstate NY, a ski trip to the Alps near Geneva, a Brit/Turkish wedding in Istanbul, a week in Berlin (my new favorite European city), a summer in London, an adventure to Tanzania including a seemingly near death moment on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a musical wedding and look forward in San Francisco, not to mention numerous trips to Helsinki and NY.
2. I was struck by how disconnected I felt to the places and people in my life, especially some of the people I care most deeply about. Not only have I not shared many of the photos via Flickr or Facebook (why isn't there a better Flickr app for Facebook?), but also, in a year of typing on laptops and sharing via mobile phone,my shoulders felt the aches of a hunched back, my eyes and brain experienced the pains of screen fatigue, and my relationships felt as scattered as the 300+ 'friends' on facebook.
I seriously am starting to question the value of our evolution towards quickness of information, and wonder if I have actually appropriately digested this year. (Now after a week in a lake house with ongoing conversation, as well as slideshow of images, about the year with my close family, and without access to mobile or internet access, I have definitely digested a bit more).
Professionally:
The year of 2008 was my first full year behind the for-profit firewall, and I think it has taken it's toll. As those of you who know me beyond my time at R/GA, I am a full time sharer who believes in and practices the value of open thought and collaborative process. While my current employer also theoretically believes in the same, the reality of signing Non-Disclosure Agreements with global brands nervous about trade secrets and yet to be announced products creates an awkward situation that I don't think I've managed very well personally.
I want to be able to share the collaborative story both inside and outside the firewalls of my office and the offices of my clients, to connect people, resources, and inspiration to leverage our collective attention and culture to change the world for the better. I want to be more specific about what I intend to do, without leaving my job and my clients. I go into the holidays unsure of how that will play out in 2009.
Worldly:
Being based out of London in 2008, I generally felt a little disconnected to the events in the United States. However, while I mostly 'watched' the events of the presidential and congressional election, I was proud to have close friends with shared political history who worked on the ground to bring about the election of Barack Obama as the President of the United States.
Beyond that campaign, 2008 witnessed additional breakthroughs in awareness and interest in sustainable living, with nearly every major publication online and off dedicating at least one 'green' issue to the cause. Despite the growth in awareness and interest, and a general shy away from gas guzzlers due to the increase in oil prices, life continued pretty much as it has for the last century, with the quantity of plastic waste flowing nicely every time I bought pretty much anything. In the UK, some noted improvements were moves away from plastic bags and Pret-A-Manger's innovative inspiration for waste disposal in store.
Looking forward to 2009 and 2010
I predict that 2009 and 2010 will be the years that the leading cultures in the United States, Europe, and possibly in India, China, and Brasil, will struggle to realize the tangible shift in behavior required to make the necessary transformation of manufacturing and waste cycles. Despite the large scale events like Katrina, the fact is that most of us haven't yet felt the impact of our personal choices. Therefore, I personally will be contributing to the evolution by using digital media and data visualization to put powerful mirrors up to our choices (including my own) in order to cause the breakthroughs in behavior.
I also predict that from the ashes of the Economic breakdown, we will see the rise of one or two major new brands by the end of 2009 or mid 2010, in the like of the early days of Microsoft or Google, that will leverage the economic and ecological cost effectiveness of the Cradle to Cradle manufacturing model. Hopefully, that company's innovations will be able to be applied to revitalized transport industry and energy sector that will seriously challenge and inspire the likes of General Motors, Toyota, British Petroleum and Shell.
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