Camilla Hawthorne

Alexis Madrigal skewers the New York Times for a story claiming that e-books are inherently more distracting than paper books. (I’ve criticized NYT before for their alarmist stories about technology). He takes a paragraph from the story and replaces all references to technology with references to the “analog” world:

The telephone lurks tantalizingly in reach. Looking up a tricky word or unknown fact in the book is easily accomplished through yelling loudly across the room to someone who might know the answer. And some of the millions of people who have ever picked up a book only to put it back down again a few minutes have come away with the conclusion: It’s hard to sit down and focus on reading.

Yep, the analog world can be pretty darn distracting, too. The different is that we tend to fixate on newer types of distraction. But this techno-alarmism makes no room for the possibility that humans can adapt and find new coping strategies. I’d say that’s a pretty pessimistic and inflexible view of human potential.

Photo by Ben Oh (Flickr)

I was invited to speak at the first-ever TEDxTbilisi on February 11, 2012. I gave a talk about social media, civil society, and the dangers of making sweeping assumptions about the web. My fellow TEDsters spoke about everything ranging from winemaking to the nature of creativity. I’ve embedded my presentation here below, but you can watch all of the talks on YouTube.

After I gave this talk, I came across a manifesto by Polish writer Piotr Czerski called My, dzieci sieci–”We, the Web Kids” in English. One assertion in particular really resonated with me:

The Web to us is not a technology which we had to learn and which we managed to get a grip of. The Web is a process, happening continuously and continuously transforming before our eyes; with us and through us. Technologies appear and then dissolve in the peripheries, websites are built, they bloom and then pass away, but the Web continues, because we are the Web; we, communicating with one another in a way that comes naturally to us, more intense and more efficient than ever before in the history of mankind.

I love the idea of the web as a process; that’s the argument I was getting at in my TEDx talk. People who make all-knowing generalizations are committing the grave error of seeing the web as a static phenomenon, trapped by the limitations of the present. This has nothing to do with being a cyber-optimist or a cyber-pessimist; rather, it involves recognizing that the only constant is change.

This past week, Prague has been swept up in the 14th One World Film Festival, the world’s largest human rights film festival. The Social Innovation competition is part of One World, and focuses on the ways NGOs and activists are using new technologies for social impact. I was on the jury of this year’s competition, along with Gregory Asmolov and Ondrej Zapletal. The projects nominated this year hailed from places as diverse as the United States and Kenya, and encompassed mapping, social networking, and crowdsourcing.

Last night we were proud to announce that the winner is Liza Alert: an incredibly inspiring project out of Russia that is using online organization to find lost children. Gregory Asmolov wrote an article about this project for Global Voices, summarizing why it has been so effective:

The case of Liza Alert demonstrates the triple role of networked organizations. It includes:

1. Increasing transparency around a specific problem and putting this problem on the local and state agenda.
2. Putting the issue on the agenda and engaging people forces the government to find solutions for a certain problem thus holding authorities accountable.
3. If the government is not acting, people use the internet for coordination of collective actions that are able to fill the gap caused by the authorities’ lack of accountability, and solve the problem based on volunteer resources alone.

There are a lot of really interesting digital media projects out there, but sometimes they fall short when it comes to evaluating real impact. Liza Alert is a great case study in how sorts of citizen-driven, online initiatives are supposed to work.

I’m proud to announce that I am writing for a new lifestyle blog called Herb & Lace. Herb & Lace launched on Valentine’s Day of 2012 and features women from cities across the world writing about the things they love most: travel, food, design, fashion, and more.

I will be contributing every Sunday.

My first post went live today – it’s my must-see list for the beautiful city of Tbilisi, Georgia. I was invited to speak at TEDxTbilisi in February and therefore had the chance to see this lovely gem of a city. I’ve chronicled some of my favorite sights and eats from that fantastic (but all too short) trip.

Enjoy!

My latest column for Partisans explores the use of graphic or violent imagery in journalism, especially in the wake of Muammar Gaddafi’s death.

Are there cases when it is not advisable to publish pictures of death and suffering? Where is the line between education and sensationalism?

I believe that good journalism challenges our preconceived notions and stirs us out of complacency. Often, that means using graphic images to shed light on the brutal reality of war, natural disasters, or human suffering. However, these images must be put into context and not just peddled for shock value.

What do you think?

This video is from December 2010, but before yesterday I had never actually watched it in its entirety. It was a powerful 15 minutes because I recognized some of my own insecurities in the types of behavior Sheryl Sandberg describes.

One thing I noticed, whenever the camera panned out over the crowd, was that Sheryl seemed to be speaking to an audience composed mostly (though not entirely) of middle-aged White women. To me, this represents one major deficit in the proliferation of conversations surrounding women in leadership. The discussions often feel like they are dominated by one particular segment of women, when in reality the problem goes much deeper than gender.

When I look around at my peers and feel isolated, it’s not just because I am a woman: it is also because I am Black, and mixed-race. While there is certainly a dearth of women in leadership positions (and in technology), there are even fewer women of color. For people like me, a conversation that’s focused solely on gender is missing out on a huge part of the equation.

I have a column up on Partisans about the pitfalls of the mainstream human trafficking narrative. I argue that  in order to effectively combat human trafficking, we must move beyond the simplistic portrayals common in the media and popular discourse.

Currently, the dominant discourse is skewed by a semi-voyeuristic preoccupation with sex trafficking that ignores the complexities of this multifaceted, international problem. The problem is not that awareness of human trafficking is low; quite the contrary. The problem is that human trafficking is presented to the public in a superficial way, often based on flawed or questionable statistics. There are extremely negative consequences to this framing, from ineffective policies to laws that actually harm the vulnerable groups they are intended to protect.

Jim Clancy, a CNN International correspondent and anchor, had some very thoughtful comments about this issue. Check out the comments section on my article to see the conversation unfold.

Many years ago, I had an idea for a sitcom about a roving band of conference crashers: kids who sneak into corporate events for the free snacks and SWAG. I thought the script was lost to the ages, but I just managed to dig it up.

I will probably never be invited to speak at another conference after posting it, but here goes!

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Setting: A carpeted hotel lobby. A prominent banner displays the name “Benchmarking Strategic Change for the Future: Networking Conference 2010.” A few event organizers look off into the distance aimlessly, waiting for the last of the conference stragglers to arrive. Some suited conference-goers powerwalk out of the lobby in order to make their sessions in time.

The protagonists enter the lobby. They’re dressed in business attire but look visibly uncomfortable and awkward in their clothes.

Conference Crasher 1: S***! We’re late. I TOLD you not to stop at the Halloween shop for that fake mustache.

Conference Crasher 2: I thought it would make me look more… professional. I want to be taken seriously, you know, blend in with the crowd. Anyway, we’re here now.

CC 1: Well, you don’t look professional and no one’s gonna take you seriously, but hey: I’m sure you’ll blend right in with this group. Come on, let’s check in.

CC 2: (to event organizer) Hi, we’re John (mumbles a last name incoherently) and Patty (mumbles again).

Event Organizer: Sorry, I didn’t get that. Here, check the roster—your name should be on here.

CC 2: Hm… I don’t see our names there. We registered on the last day—perhaps there was some kind of error with the online system? Geez, you people need to get your stuff together. I’d expect better from the 2009 Benchmaking Strategic Change conference.

Event Organizer: I’m so sorry. There was clearly some kind of mistake. Just write your name on this paper, and grab a nametag.

CC 2 scribbles in illegible cursive on the roster.

CC 1: Thanks. Hey, do you have, like, pens or something we can grab? Coffee mugs?

CC 2 nudges CC 1 forcefully and whispers angrily: Hey! TRY to be subtle?

Event Organizer: Oh, of course. Down on that table you can grab pens, mugs, even a complimentary tote bag!

CC 1: Oh, a tote bag! Environmentally friendly. Wonderful, just wonderful.

CC 1 and CC 2 walk to the SWAG table and give each other a discreet high five. In unison: “Jackpot!” They grab fistfulls of conference pens, notepads, and coffee mugs and shove them into bulging canvas totes emblazoned with generic corporate logos.

CC 1: Ok, so, which session to you want to go to first? They walk over to a schedule displayed on the far end of the lobby. We can make the last 30 minutes of “Managing Outcomes with Dynamic Evaluation Processes.”

CC 2: How about (pauses) … “Dashboard Metrics for Retooling Assessment Programs…” (groans). Eh, let’s just see if there’s any complimentary breakfast leftover from the networking breakfast.

CC 1: Sounds good to me. I hope they have croissants like they did at the International Strategic Innovation Conference last summer.

CC 2: Don’t count on it, buddy. It’s probably just watered down coffee and day-old muffins.

They exit the lobby, laughing. End scene.

I just began writing for Partisans, an online journal of political and social commentary. My first piece, published yesterday, is about the intersection of online privacy debates and an increasingly international social media user base.

As social media takes off around the world (and U.S. companies like Facebook and Twitter gradually overtake their regional equivalents), the market is shifting along with the unique needs of its users. Security concerns, for instance, vary wildly from market to market. When tech companies circumscribe their security policies to reflect one narrowly defined type of user, they risk ignoring the rest of the world. In some places, for example, governments use social media sites to track down dissidents. An entire class of users who employ social media to organize protests and advocate for change is left vulnerable.

Do major tech companies favor certain types of netizens in their security policies? You can decide for yourself here.

It’s been a disappointing summer here in Central Europe. We’ve fallen victim to a thoroughly depressing combination of fog, rain, and flat grey skies. Fortunately, the cloudy weeks have been punctuated by the occasional hot-and-sunny day. Unfortunately, the sun retreats just as soon as your hopes for a traditionally scorching summer have been raised.

As I’m writing, the sun is shining and the heavens are an inviting shade of cerulean. In true pagan style, I decided to celebrate the return of the sun with a special meal. Something healthy, cool, and refreshing. I came across this promising recipe for a lentil salad with grapefruit, but since I didn’t have all of the necessary ingredients I had to do a significant amount of improvisation. I’m quite pleased with the way it turned out, so I thought I’d share my version. It makes a great light lunch on a warm day, and I could also imagine it working as a picnic dish.

What You’ll Need:

Lentils (I used a mix of brown and yellow)

Smoked salmon (lox, gravlax, or anything else similar)

Chia seeds

Grapefruit

Olive oil

Salt

Red pepper flakes

Powdered cumin

Fresh jalapeno pepper

Grapefruit juice

Do it up!

Boil the lentils in water for 15-20 minutes until they are softened but chewy, retaining their shape. Drain and refrigerate.

Mix olive oil, salt, red pepper, and cumin for the dressing. Finely dice a jalapeno pepper and add it to the mix.

Peel the grapefruit, remove the pith, and cut the fruit into wedged sections. Squeeze a few of the sections into the dressing, and put the rest aside.

Remove the cooled lentils from the fridge, and mix in a bowl with the chia seeds. Shred some smoked salmon and mix it in with the lentils and chia.

Spoon your dressing over the lentils. Arrange the remaining grapefruit sections around the sides of the salad.

For Your Ears

Cooking is more fun when good tunes are blaring in the background. For your enjoyment, I submit this remix of La Roux’s Bulletproof, by Fears of Tigers. It’s bright and citrusy electro-pop song that is perfect for a sunny day. (You can download it here.)