Stephanie Kaplan, Windsor Hanger, and Annie Wang, Founders of Her Campus

A trio of Harvard students take a campus publication online and discover a promising business opportunity

http://bit.ly/harvard_women_social

Popularity: 7% [?]

We, as members of Generations X, Y and the Millenials, wish to communicate the following message to the Babyboomers running this planet.

We begin with respectful gratitude to you, our parents and grandparents, for conceiving and birthing the bodies and world we thrive and live within. We respectfully honor all of the incredible advances in every discipline that have led to better lives for every one of us on this planet. We attribute our own creativity, knowledge and burgeoning wisdom to the truly incredible education system built and paid for by you, our predecessors. We honor the way you have defended us against violence and opened new possibilities for peace heretofore unrealized.

At the same time, we announce to you our wholesale rejection of your conflicts, prejudices and entrenched interests. Our current experience of the negative results to our eco-system, communities and economics from these shadow aspects of your generation’s psyche require us for the sake of our children and your grandchildren to now step forward and alter certain paths elected by you and The Traditionalists since the major world wars in the early 20th century.

Now that a majority of you are reaching retirement age and what the Hindu system calls “the forest-dweller stage”, we as The Central Householders on this planet require a set of fresh perspectives in the major disciplines and verticals, such as politics, economics and environmental policy, so that our planet, communities, food sources and children are protected.

Due to the severity of events in several significant theaters of action, particularily finance, political-process and ecological preservation, we respectfully ask that you join us to hear some fabulous ideas from the forward thinking leaders of our generation. We want you there because you gave us the foundation for this thought and invention to come about. We want to show you, Mom and Pop, Grandpa and Grandma, Uncle and Aunt, Mentor and Teacher, what we have come up with as part of our assignment to make a better world. We hope you’ll come and we think you’ll like what we have in mind.

Our goal is a healthier, wiser and more effective human family, well-equipped to heal, guide and protect our children and your grandchildren into a fabulous and exciting future that will contain astounding technologies, well-woven/integrated communities and children motivated to live and thrive. As we see it, this is truly possible and we have seen a glimpse of it through the rapidly expanding communities of thought, invention and innovation in our online and offline worlds. These worlds are increasingly being woven together globally through the social fabric of the internet, through technologies in multiple verticals and through our innate drive to survive as humans.

We characterize this drive to survive in our generation primarily through meaning. The social fabric of the internet, our primary vehicle for communication, is driven by a search for meaning. In fact, studies show that The Millennials, the latest generation on this planet to hold credit cards and turn in resumes, are characterized as the generation in search of Meaning. These torch-bearers of humanity want work, communities and activities that amount to something more than accumulation of wealth and property. Their definition of wealth is spiritual, emotional and communal.

Understand that we have no choice at this time but to ask you to step down from those aspects of your leadership that involve the wholesale raping of this planet and one another FOR THE EXPRESS INTEREST OF OUR MUTUALLY SHARED CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. Understand also, that for those of you who cannot or choose not to hear us due to greed, entrenched interests and general allegience to an out-dated paradigm of consumeristic accumulation, we may need to remove you by force. We honor your courage and vigor in building the worlds you have built…these edifices are truly monumental. But now, in this time, we require that you re-orient toward the survival of the planet, its species and the beautifully woven cultures of the world.

With Kind Regards and Good Intentions,

GenX, GenY and The Millenials

Popularity: 10% [?]

It is in the space between inner and outer world, which is also the space between people–the transitional space–that intimate relationships and creativity occur. ~ Winnicott

I suggest that social networks ARE this transitional space for humanity. During this time of paradox and liminality, individuals get to explore the connections between themselves and others, between worlds hitherto seen as separate, between one’s deepest beliefs and trending topics. Liminal space has been defined as “…a space in which alternate realities meet, in which the past and future are open to us” by Starhawk, a leading teacher of human circle-gathering. Liminal space implies permeability and a kind of communication/discovery which has, up until now, been known by the very few.

Social networks have changed all of this. In fact, the very fact that boundaries are seemingly more permeable due to swift accessibility in social networks makes discovery of truth both more practical AND more questionable. The kinds of questions emerging out of our burgeoning social networks contain a specificity not seen 20 years ago. An example of this is the explosion of infographics available now to bring previously unseen phenomenon into view (http://bit.ly/infographic_blog_resource).

What is one TO DO amidst this increasing complexity AND swift migration of the human spirit/mind/heart from earth to virtual worlds, virtual economies and, quite honestly, whole new planets (formed and lived within the collective human psyche)?

Brian Solis has produced a fabulous graphic along with JESS3 (http://bit.ly/heart_based_marketing) that suggests the most effective roles humans can play in the social fabric of the internet. He invites us to be Problem Solvers, Producers, Curators and Conversationalists vs. being Marketeers, offering Too Much Information (TMI), being Complainers or Self-Promoters.

In keeping with this are Paulo Freire’s fabulous steps for solving problems and making progress. Find below the steps, along with social tools for aiding you in resolving just about any problem currently facing you in your life. By the way, prior to getting into this, I must add that having courage and belief in yourself is a BIG piece of the puzzle!

STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS through getting acquainted with the participants in the issue/eco-system/sub-culture/conflict. – Do this using social listening and scanning tools (http://bit.ly/audience_counts) AND flesh-matching tools like http://www.meetup.com. Study focus group agencies and their methodologies: http://bit.ly/egg_strategy_blog

STEP 2: PRODUCE THE CODES – (a) Employ a graphic artist who is intuitive to help you create an infographic + a single symbol to hold the essence of that information OR (b) upload CSV files full of data to a tool like Many Eyes or another data visualization tool: http://bit.ly/many_eyes_tool. The infographic functions as a kind of map of a vicinity within a niche sub-culture or slice of the greater social eco-system AND the single symbol is a kind of talisman or avatar that holds the power of that niche and quickly communicates this in the greater social fabric of the internet.

STEP 3: SEE THE SITUATION AS THE PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCE IT – More on this here: http://bit.ly/listening_tips.

STEP 4: JUDGE THE SITUATION – Read Chinese military classics like these: http://bit.ly/chinese_military_classics. Military leaders are some of the best diviners of truth, out of necessity. It has been un-fashionable and politically incorrect for too long in therapeutic settings to make outright judgements but we live in times when good judgement is more important than ever.

STEP 5: TAKE ACTION TO CHANGE THE SITUATION – Pro-active beings are the ones who make the world go round AND have the most fun in life. Here are some fabulous tools from Behance to aid you in getting IT done, whatever IT is: http://www.behance.com/Products.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Getsuan said to this students: `Keichu, the first wheel-maker of China, made two wheels of fifty spokes each. Now, suppose you removed the nave uniting the spokes. What would become of the wheel? And had Keichu done this could he be called the master wheel-maker?’

This Zen koan identifies precisely what leaderless organizations, user-generated communities and social networks are fomenting NOW!

Who is turning this wheel, brand OR consumer? I say consumer! http://theconversationprism.com/1900 (click on wheel to enlarge).

When the hubless wheel turns,
Master or no master can stop it.
It turns above heaven and below earth,
South, north, east and west. ~ Getsuan

Popularity: 7% [?]

The problem of humanity is crystallized within Greece. The country’s situation speaks as a lesson to the world. Those who provide solutions for Greece in various verticals WILL be leaders in providing solutions for the entire planet. The lessons learned here in the remainder of 2010 WILL be templates for the planet of the future. ~ Nathaniel Hansen

Popularity: unranked [?]

Can transparency be shaped? If the concept “transparency” were a medium, what qualities would we give it in its current state globally? Meet a Transparency Expert, http://bit.ly/transparency_expert, who has written books on fascinating subjects like Doublespeak (http://bit.ly/doublespeak_article) and THE SEC Plain Language Handbook: (http://bit.ly/plain_language_handbook).
~ Nathaniel Hansen

Popularity: unranked [?]

by Nathaniel Hansen, Athens, Greece

A central first thought about those entering social initially: lighten up! Have fun! If social networking is like a cocktail party, then treat it as such: this is when humans get to have fun! Find what you love and be THERE.

To continue: jaded individuals and critics are THE greatest allies to creative, social beings, pushing the Creatives to higher heights of brilliance. In the best case scenario, these two are like lovers: The Critic and The Creative, driving, enticing, seducing, pushing one another to their best.

To be more clear: Love exists and always will. Find what/who you love and socialize about that, market that, sell that. If you don’t love it, aren’t into it, and only are pushing it for money, this will become abundantly clear. The passionate brands sell fun (after identifying pain points, of course)! Some fun ad campaigns out now:

http://bit.ly/time_to_cheer_up

Popularity: 4% [?]

“If they turn on advanced search tools, this can threaten Google.com. All this social aggregated content will yield a powerful database of what you and your friends like, the precursor to customized web experiences and social advertising.” ~ Jeremiah Owyang, an internet analyst with the Altimeter Group

Welcome to the opportunity to create your own planet. Starting with your Facebook page and then adding a Flickr account, a YouTube channel, a SecondLife avatar, a Last.fm channel, a Twitter profile, a StumbleUpon or Digg profile, a Wordpress, Tumblr or Blogger blog, you can assemble your own tribe, create your own advertising, monitor the traffic within your world and be its leader. Find intelligence from leading sources. Ready your rocket and leave planet earth for your own planet, fellow Human. Earth is Chalmun’s Cantina. Come and visit when you like, especially when you need a tactile experience with flesh, sand, forest, and fellow friends, easily found through services like MeetUp.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Social networks have changed the face of what it means to be human. We are no longer bound by the confines of the physical realm. Human social networks are launching pads, entrance halls, to the fantastic and limitless realm of spirit…welcome to Forever, mankind. We are moments from a collectively-experienced “tasting” of once intangible concepts like Infinity, Forever and Eternity.

Virtual goods are the new economy. We are firmly caught in a river of thought that is carrying all of us into vicinities known by ancient peoples: places like Dreamtime AND Hyperborea. Our very dreams, the images that fill our minds, have a value to ourselves, our communities, our pareas, our World.

The nature of competition has changed forever. And the earth from which we now may mine gold IS firmly the Imagination.

Those who are primarily physically-oriented and adept in the realm of Density (not a negative or perjorative realm at all) are now being introduced to the Subtler realms – places well known by artists, poets, philosophers, meta-physicians and the like. They need only apply the same principles to the Invisible realm and their livings will be secure. The practioners of the subtle are now free to peddle their goods, their crafts and, most importantly, the fantastic realms of Within, a far vaster realm than Without. ~ Nathaniel Hansen

Popularity: 4% [?]

Fabulous global-novel woven with status updates; Terrific Troubadours tweeting the current IT; Visionary Directors/Editors mashing, and re-mashing, billions of minutes of movement and music; Rivers of images finding semantic-tributaries…what was hidden is now apparent, the human psyche is now opening into a collectively-realized multi-dimensional experience. What will be the FIRST singular thought to pass like a wave across every social property?

~ Nathaniel Hansen

Popularity: unranked [?]

Whether intentionally or not, humanity is writing a story, a his-story, her-story, our-story, their-story, through status updates, video and blogs world-wide. A true renaissance in collective story-telling is currently underway. ~ Nathaniel Hansen

Popularity: 7% [?]

By Brian Solis

If you were to look at Social Media the United States and many other parts of the world, you would believe that the world of Social Media was flat, dominated by social continents including Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, and Flickr. As we zoom in, we visualize other established and emerging social services that depict provinces and outlying settlements of our social atlas.

Upon publishing the original Conversation Prism, which was the culmination of a year’s work documenting and organizing the social web by usage and conversational patterns, the world responded by creating Conversation Prisms specific to each country. I shared several new social maps in “The Landscape for International Social Networking.”

(read more here)

Popularity: 4% [?]