communications

I'm serious. Last week some people on Twitter had a big heated argument about poo - after someone requested parents stop sharing scent-evoking details about their kids' diaper mishaps.

Yesterday I went to WordCamp 2010 (#WCYVR10) at the Vancouver Museum and learned more about using WordPress – which is the platform I use for publishing this blog. The event included a mix of computer programmers, web developers, and writers (like me) who are less inclined towards tech-i-ness. But the hard-working organizers managed to...

Yesterday I stood outside a hotel in Burnaby watching the Canadian flag flap in the wind. Caught by powerful gusts, the flag snapped and whipped loudly, bound to the top of its pole by rope and rings. Beside it, the “Stars and Stripes” billowed and undulated like a hippie girl dancing at Woodstock, and...

I’ve had some nice exchanges with photographers after I ask permission to use their photos on my blog. For example, today I was in touch with a photographer who took photos of construction workers in Thailand. (And it’s not the person in the photo I used in this post.) I contacted him via Flickr...

If you’re not too busy attending Boobquake (at the Art Gallery today from 4 to 8 p.m.) there’s a great talk scheduled at The Edge in gastown. Come hear what Wesley Regan says about “the mystique and hyperbole of social media” as the Shebeen Club invite / post reads. It’s the monthly meeting of...

The metal shelves rattle a bit when I type at my top speed, so I’ll have to see about that. And I need to locate the power cable for my printer because I want to print something. Adjusting to a new desk is definitely a process, especially for us sensitive writer types who will...

Three-hundred volunteers are counting the number people living without homes in Vancouver. The goal of this project, run by the City of Vancouver, is to end homelessness by 2015. Here’s a quote from Gregor Robertson, mayor of our city, published in today in The Vancouver Observer: “This count gives us the critical baseline information...

In light of the recent panel discussion I wrote about, I’d like to explore the idea of what makes a good panel discussion. The focal point of a panel discussion ought to be the panelists – the experts invited to share their knowledge and experience on a particular topic. We need to have good,...

Kudos to Guacira Naves for live blogging a chaotic panel discussion hosted by the Vancouver Social Media Club in partnership with Vancouver Bloggers Meetup last night at BOB Coworking Space in Vancouver. The point of the discussion was to “review expectations vs outcomes in the context of social and traditional media coverage of a...

Being able to speak and be understood is something most of us take for granted. When we have to repeat ourselves – especially if it’s more than once – we may feel frustrated and irritated. But for some people, “not being understood” is a part of daily life. People with degenerative diseases, brain injuries,...