odds/ends things/thoughts

Mostly from the Internet, sometimes by Conrad Lisco.

  • Dear insurance companies

    • 13 Aug 2011
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    • fitbit foursquare health insurance nike+
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    Photo

    I checked in to Crunch Fitness on Foursquare like I always do. Not news. However, today I got a little extra recognition — for nine straight weeks, I have checked into the gym for a total of 31 visits. That's approximately three days a week. Not bad. 

    Now, the gym is just one of the ways I get exercise each week, so Foursquare isn't tracking my Nike+ runs or my Fitbit steps or my long bike rides (note: I've been wearing a helmet lately too). 

    In a country that's getting collectively heavier and unhealthier, this type of personal data should be of huge value to individuals. It should enable them to [re]negotiate their insurance deductables, premiums, rates, etc. I should be able to send monthly reports (even better, link them) to my insurance company. Over time, I should benefit not only from a healthier lifestyle, but also from a lower insurance commitment. 

    And insurance companies should be chomping at the bit for this type of data and integration. But they're not really. Why? Is it not profitable? Is it too nascent (the quantified self)? 

    Anyways, this is a new topic of interest for me, and I hope to share more data, thoughts, inquiries to insurance companies and more in the coming months. 
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  • Social data exhaust put to use

    • 23 May 2011
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    • data facebook foursquare future social
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    Screen_shot_2011-05-23_at_7

    You might recall 4square & 7 years ago from Foursquare hack day 2011. Essentially it reminds you what you were doing a year ago today via email each morning. 

    Well, the same folks are responsible for Past Posts, a similar application that shows your Facebook activity from a year ago.

    Both are super simple and present your peronal data back to you in a fun way. I suspect we'll start to see more sites and services like this which showcase your social data exhaust. 

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  • This time last year...

    • 12 Mar 2011
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    • foursquare sxsw
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    Screen_shot_2011-03-12_at_7

    I've said it before, 4squareand7yearsago is great. Last year is looking a lot like this year. Started at JFK, ended at Lustre Pearl.

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  • This day last year

    • 26 Feb 2011
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    • apps awesome foursquare hack mobile social
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    Screen_shot_2011-02-26_at_10

    I've been enjoying 4square&7yearsago, an awesome Foursquare hack. The daily email shows what you were up to last year. I wish I was repeating the itinerary below right about now...

    Photo

    Sent from my iPhone

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  • Infographic: @Foursquare's 3400% growth in 2010

    • 24 Jan 2011
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    • awesome data foursquare infographics social
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    Media_httpplayfoursqu_bnyeu
    via foursquare.com

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  • Check in to get in.

    • 14 Dec 2010
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    • foursquare mobile social
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    via apartm.net

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  • 20% of Foursquare users push their check-ins to Facebook

    • 19 Aug 2010
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    • facebook foursquare places social
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    via techcrunch.com

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  • WeePlaces.com FourSquare Visualization

    • 9 Aug 2010
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    • awesome foursquare social
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    via weeplaces.com

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  • The Data-Driven Life

    • 2 May 2010
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    • culture data foursquare future quantified self social
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    Our only method of tracking ourselves was to notice what we were doing and write it down. But even this written record couldn’t be analyzed objectively without laborious processing and analysis.

    Then four things changed. First, electronic sensors got smaller and better. Second, people started carrying powerful computing devices, typically disguised as mobile phones. Third, social media made it seem normal to share everything. And fourth, we began to get an inkling of the rise of a global superintelligence known as the cloud.

    via nytimes.com

    Awesome piece in the NYTimes.

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  • The odd man out.

    • 20 Apr 2010
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    • facebook foursquare planning social twitter
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    Oddmanout_700

    Foursquare has more than half a million users, 1+ million venues and 15+ million checkins, and is still growing rapidly. According to Experian Hitwise, Facebook acounts for 33% of the upstream to Foursquare, followed by Google and Twitter a with 22% and 8%, respectively, with these top three websites accounting for nearly two-thirds of all traffic. Net net, Foursquare is growing in size and popularity, and is being adopted by already socially-networked users. 

    Iboy_and_friends

    This weekend, a friend posted the message above to Twitter using Foursquare. Checkins almost go unnoticed because of how many we're starting to see on Twitter and Facebook. This one, however, stuck out. But it wasn't the technology platform or the behavior or the push message or the hashtag. Rather, it was his friends attending dinner...You can see he was out with @technokitten, @annagud, @cait_tierney, @olicca and Rob. Not @Rob. Just Rob. He's the odd man out. 

    This could suggest that he wasn't known well enough to know his Twitter handle or that he's not a Twitter user. Either way, it shows that our digital identity is beginning to define who we are offline (or at least it's becoming a symbol or identification). It's how we're known to friends (real and digital) and strangers alike. Non-users of pervasive technology platforms will quickly find that they're the odd man out. The person who can't be counted or included.

    An example from my life: A few years ago, I stopped using Facebook (I've never been a heavy users). This upset a few of my friends...and not because they were sad I wasn't posting photos or status updates. It was because they couldn't include me in invites to events. So, if they wanted to have a BBQ on a Saturday, they could invite nearly everyone via an event invite on Facebook, except me. For me, they'd have to send an email or text message. Not a huge deal, but you get the point. My non-usage created work for my friends. 

    Over time, and as social platforms gain more and more users, I wonder if non-participation will have adverse effects on relationships...

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  • About

    Head of Community Experience co: collective, a brand innovation studio
    for the 21st century C-Suite.

    This is where I keep odds and ends, things and thoughts. Mostly from the Internet, sometimes written by me.

    A few projects:
    filterfest.tumblr.com
    townholler.tumblr.com

    Note: opinions are my own.

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