Blog

I have been blogging about digital technology’s impact on culture and our lives since 2007. I post when inspiration strikes as I’m working on various projects.

 

Design for the user. The user isn’t you.

It is too easy to assume that whatever it is we’re about to post is earth-shattering fantastic, but that doesn’t mean our audience will think so, too. They are interacting with our websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, YouTube channels, or whathaveyou, to solve a...

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My comic strip campaign for stuttering awareness

International Stuttering Awareness Day takes place every year on October 22. I like to plan an awareness campaign each time. In the past I've created audio podcasts, special Google+ Hangouts throughout the day, blog posts, and tweeting stuttering fun facts mixed in...

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Crowdfunding is my latest adventure

Slight excerpt from the book I'll be crowdfunding Crowdfunding is my latest learning adventure. Joining forces with my friend, Jean-François Leblanc, who lives in Quebec City, we will learn this exciting new field first hand — in not only raising funds, but also...

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Getting the C-suite to warm up to social media

I came across this article in The Guardian about various reasons the c-suite may not understand or see the value in social media. At the end of the article it lists 3 useful ways to explain the value in social media. However, not every c-suite is alike. This is why...

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Increase your focus and productivity with Coffitivity

Coffitivity is an app that simply plays the sounds of a coffee shop as you work. I immediately dismissed it as a silly waste of code when I first heard about it. Why would anyone want to simulate the sounds of a coffee shop when they can go to the real thing? Pardon...

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2013 is the year of self-publishing

Have I mentioned that I self-published a book? Speaking of self-publishing, this interesting article appeared in the Toronto Star today describing 2013 as a year with a high volume of authors self-publishing. thanks to a few enablers such as low digital distribution,...

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Lessons from Batkid

One simple wish from a 5 year old boy generated so much goodness. Indeed no hero too small. Miles Scott, 5 years old and in remission of leukemia had a wish: to be Batman. So the Make A Wish Foundation turned San Francisco into Gotham City for a day on November 15....

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The reason why I’m not upgrading to iOS7 just yet

In a nutshell, I don't have the time to relearn or get used to a whole new way of using my iPhone and iPad. I'm in the final stretches of completing my book and I don't need yet another digital distraction. If only Apple had consulted me first. Ok, but seriously, it...

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What does podcasting look like in 2013?

Looking to relaunch his podcast, my friend and fellow podcaster, Sylvain Grand'Maison, recently asked on the Podcast Artifacts Facebook group what is important to add on a website for a podcast in 2013. Back in the 2000's, an RSS feed was vital, buttons to various...

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Oh the benefits of failure!

I had the fortunate opportunity to attend TAHSN Education Day 2013 with my day job team a few weeks ago. The annual conference is a collaboration among communications departments of teaching hospitals (which is what the TAHSN refers to: Toronto Academic Health Science...

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Content and social strategy keep me busy

Content and social strategy projects have certainly kept me busy the last few months since my last blog post. Thought I'd begin revitalizing my blog by introducing some of the projects I've been working on: 1. I'm writing a self-help book about living with stuttering...

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Beautiful graffiti mural in Toronto

It has been quite a while since I've taken the GO train. I rode the iconic green and white public transit locomotive the other day when I attended a day-long conference about social media in the health care industry. To my surprise and delight, the ugly graffiti all...

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Add a third set of eyes to your process

I've been noticing a lot of errors in semantics across blogs and even articles by major media outlets lately. And emails, too. Sentences that make no sense at all because one word was mistyped or auto-corrected without the author realizing. That word will be skipped...

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Death by infographic

My first honest-to-goodness post for my new digital strategy community on Google+ talks about how creators of infographics seem to have missed their original intention. Instead of conveying data and information through design and using minimal text— and only when...

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I created a digital strategy G+ Community

Google recently rolled out Communities. It's like the old forums of the web 1.0 days (interesting how everyone keeps using Facebook Groups as the analogy). So far it looks great and not intrusive. You decide if you want to be notified of new posts. While all member...

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Risk management in content strategy

It has a been a while since I've blogged. That's because I've recently started a new job! I'm in charge of all things web and social media at a children's rehabilitation hospital in Toronto (see my LinkedIn profile for details). Part of my job involves assessing risk...

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iPhone as a secret recording device

I came across this post describing a journalist's preference of using her iPhone to record interviews in secret. In dangerous situations where the sight of a microphone can give the journalist or their interviewees away, using someone as common and ordinary as a...

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Google+ Hangouts On Air tips!

My guest blog post for The Community Manager is up! I share ten of my best practices when hosting a live Q&A Google+ Hangout on Air. As well as continuing my tradition of offering a custom illustration to go with the post. Check it out! The Community Manager is a...

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NASA putting the social back in social media

Knowing how to keep enthusiasm going among followers is an important ingredient in community engagement. I participated in last week's #cmgrchat (Twitter chat about community management hosted by thecommunitymanager.com) with the team behind some of NASA's many, many,...

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