Web Secret 626: That's all folks

It has been 12 years and 625 posts since I started this blog. I have never missed a week. Now it is time to go on an indefinite hiatus so I can focus on my new venture, Impact Consulting and Training.

Here is an update on that venture:

On April 4, I became the first person in the world to be accredited in Mobile Instructional Design (MID) on a platform called Gnowbe. My knowledge enables me to create self-directed, cutting-edge learning experiences accessible on a smartphone, computer, or tablet.

If you are not familiar with MID, I created a fun little program that demonstrates its capabilities. Click on this link, and you will be prompted to download Gnowbe (it’s free, quick and easy). You can then enjoy “Demo in your Pocket: What Is Gnowbe?”

There are so many ways to use Gnowbe:

• Onboarding – new employee, members and business partner orientation
• Product/Service Knowledge - complex product and service knowledge
• Training - soft skills and industry knowledge for frontline employees
• Blended Learning – augment training and workshop experience with mobile learning
• Stakeholder Engagement - continuous learning for alumni, volunteers and members
• Culture Change - habit formation and culture change across organizations
• Leadership Transformation - development and capability building for c-suite leaders

So far, we have created 3 programs:  
Managing Emotional Concerns During COVID-19 – quarantine

Managing the Emotional Impact of Covid-19 - as we reopen

Expand Your Clinical Revenue Stream With EAP Referrals – the first training program for affiliate providers of EAP services

If you or someone you know is interested in creating a Gnowbe program, or transforming an existing presentation into a Gnowbe program, please have them contact me at marina@impactconsulting.health.

To all my loyal followers, thank you for the journey.

Web Secret 625: Financial apps in the age of COVID

The pandemic is causing many to experience serious financial challenges.

Here are some useful apps for those of us struggling to make ends meet:

1. You Need a Budget (YNAB) budgeting software can help you save money and focus attention on working to get out of debt. You can try out the software for free for 34 days (or 12 months free for students).

2. The Saver Life app awards prizes for building up your rainy-day fund, making saving fun and engaging.

3. My Savings Jar is offered through American Association of Retired People (AARP). Their motto is that “We help you start and build up your savings — even if you’re on a tight budget.”

4. Fresh EBT by Propel, Inc is an app that helps you manage EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) benefits in real-time, save money, and earn income. EBT benefits help individuals access food supplement and other cash benefits.

5. Mint is a well-established online program that provides users with a free, safe, and user-friendly app for tracking your money, spending, setting goals etc.

6. The Financial Health Network/Financial Solutions Lab have also funded a number of interesting apps and programs for financial health which can be found here.

Info in this post adapted from Financial Apps in the Era of Coronavirus by Jodi Frey.

Web Secret 624: Impact Consulting and Training

This is an open letter to the readers of this blog:
 
On April 4, I became the first person in the world to be accredited in Mobile Instructional Design (MID) on a platform called Gnowbe. My knowledge enables me to create self-directed, cutting-edge learning experiences accessible on a smartphone, computer, or tablet. These programs include gamification, videos, interactive exercises, etc.

In addition, I am able to transform an existing webinar or presentation into an MID program for almost any industry.

Here is a free program for you to get the feel for the platform: My electronic journey to MID Certification. You will be asked to create a completely free Gnowbe account to enjoy this program.

I have now partnered with my long time colleague and co-presenter Mike Klaybor EdD, a psychologist based in Houston, Texas. We named our new venture Impact Consulting and Training. We are creating a library of training programs on mental health and wellness topics, as well as consulting and training on EAPs, mental health, and wellness topics.

The first program we created, “Managing Emotional Concerns during COVID19,” is based on a training Mike has delivered to over 3,000 attendees. Anyone from a high school senior to a professional can benefit from this program. You can recommend the program to your clients and patients. The program helps you define the strategies that are going to help you get through the pandemic in the best possible emotional shape.

Our second program is for clinicians looking to become an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) affiliate provider. "Expand Your Clinical Revenue Stream With EAP Referrals" is an innovative self directed micro learning program that provides an introductory look at employee assistance programs (EAPs) and employee assistance (EA).

The course describes the component services provided by typical EAPs, and the unique relationship between EAPs and the workplace, EAPs and human resources, EAPs and employees. It explains foundational EA principles, such as the dual client allegiance. Finally, it provides you with a list of resources so you can further your knowledge of the field and join affiliate provider networks to get referrals and grow this part of your business. The program takes about 90 minutes to complete and provides you with a certificate of completion. For more info, view the program here.

Please send the link to this blog post, our Impact website or these 2 programs to anyone you think would be interested.

Thank you!

Web Secret 623: Covid - 19 - What Comes Next

Readers of this blog know that I have featured a guest post less than a handful of times.

I'm going to do it again this week, because so very little has been written about the changes in the USA once the curve is flattened in our country. Full disclosure: the author is my son Eric and the article was published on Medium.com. You may or may not agree with his point of view, consider it a prompt to think about the future:

WHAT COMES NEXT?

History is defined by a series of what I call “before and after moments”. These are the times when we collectively realize that there was a distinct difference between life before the event and after. Given I am already starting to forget what life was like before the quarantine, I think it is safe to say we are in one of those moments. However, it is important to not forget that there is an “after” part of the equation and although we are currently in an indefinite state of crisis, this too will pass. Right now, I think what people need and want is a vision of what the world looks like once this is over. Here are five ideas for what we could do next.

1) The Western world needs to adopt Asian facemask customs I lived in South Korea in 2015 and was struck by the normalization of wearing facemasks. I finally asked my landlord why people wore them and he explained that it was because they were not feeling well, so the polite thing to do is wear a mask. The dramatic urbanization (and the density that comes with it) that occured in Asia over the last 40 years, paired with the collectivist nature of their societies have created cultures, which based off of the current data, are better at “flattening the curve” than Western nations.

If we have to choose between an interconnected civilization with fairly free movement of people between nations and wearing a mask when we get sick...I think we know what choice we should make.

2) The world needs to collectively address China.

Let’s be very clear about something. What allowed for COVID 19 to become a global pandemic was the suppression and cover up of the virus by the Chinese Communist Party. Not the Chinese population, not Chinese Americans...the CCP. Had the Chinese government acknowledged, addressed and collaborated internationally...this simply would not have happened. I am not going to comment on the various responses by different governments around the world to this crisis because we will collectively learn from this experience (until 100 years from now when we lose that institutional memory).

Ever since China’s entrance into the WTO, the collective West has piggy backed on the explosive growth of the Chinese economy because they had the now obviously false belief that their political system would liberalize alongside wealth creation. Now, China has become such a global force that the EU is now seriously considering embracing Chinese global leadership, despite their clear unwillingness to be honest with the international community (this includes insidious economic practices), an abysmal human rights record and a fundamentally different system of morality. One must ask themselves, when are we (the citizenry and elected officials of the “Free World”) going to stop the Chamberlin-like appeasement of the most dangerous organized entity in the face of the planet? What could have been prevented if the world intervened when Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939? This is our moment to unify around this collective experience and hold the responsible party accountable.

3) We have proven that we are willing to dramatically change our lifestyles to address challenges...so let’s actually address climate change I write to you from NYC and I must tell you how amazed I have been by the willingness of the most individualistic people in the world to make a shared sacrifice for the common good. Barring those spring breakers who should be air dropped into North Korea, the governments and citizens of the world have made drastic changes to their lives, in order to help end this pandemic.

The shift in lifestyle that would be required to address climate change pales in comparison. I am not talking about a “Green New Deal”, but a consumer led transformation of the economy toward sustainable capitalism. You can go to bars and restaurants, but make sure to use a metal straw and manage your red meat intake. You can use modern appliances, but be prepared to sacrifice a few Uber rides, so that you can pay for the adoption of renewable energy. Want a new look? Totally fine, but maybe try to go to a thrift store and donate your leftover clothing to those in need. Want to hang with your friends? Volunteer as a group for the Trillion Trees Initiative and build the carbon sink necessary to solve this challenge.

What’s worse...being quarantined or planting trees?

4) Let’s admit that we spend too much time in the digital world

We have been talking about the corrosive nature of social media use and the alienation that comes from not engaging with the analogue world. I am sure many companies will move to a partial or total work-from-home model and commercial real estate will take a hit (huge opportunity for those who figure out what to do with all that extra space - I liked how Faraday Futures thought about cars) once this is over. However, I think social distancing and the failure of the digital world to satisfy our human needs for connection have proven that we need to find a new normal, with respect to our technology usage.

I have no suggestions here, but please share yours in the comments section.

5) We need to acknowledge the success of science, modernity and capitalism and stop thinking the world is about to end

Let’s be honest about how people in the advanced world have lived through this once every-hundred-years pandemic. Most of us have spent this quarantine watching unlimited amounts of entertainment, eating food from our unnecessarily stocked fridge, while laughing at memes about the idiots who are hoarding toilet paper. If this is what becomes of the advanced world during a global pandemic, then we ought to admit a few things:

1) The Age of Enlightenment and the scientific revolution that followed it, have created societies of material and cognitive abundance. It is also what will allow for the cessation of this crisis.

2) Capitalism has its faults and those should be addressed, but it is the system that has continued to refill big-box stores and supermarkets that have been the target of panicked consumers. It is also the system that will allow for us to reemerge from this crisis in the most efficient manner possible.

3) If this global pandemic didn’t end the world, Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders won’t either. Regardless of your political positions, the advanced world is as resilient as it is affluent. There are only two things that can existentially threaten it

- (See Number 1)

- Irrational fear and distrust of those that you disagree with

On that second point, we really must bring back two concepts that used to be the bedrock of our democracies. The first is the idea of the “Loyal Opposition”, which means that whatever party is not in power continues to work with the elected government and not consistently try to delegitimize or cause it to fail. There are signs of this emerging because of this crisis, so let’s pressure our elected officials to continue to build on this good will. The second is the assumption of good intent. Anyone who thinks that Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders wakes up in the morning with the intent on making America a worse place to live is being irrational. These two men entered politics to address the grievances of a specific electorate (actually there is a lot of overlap of constituencies, which says a lot about the problems faced) and should be met with criticism, indeed that is necessary for democracy to function. However, the idea that they seek to actively destroy US democracy is something there really is no evidence for and our constitution and the fifth estate are more than capable of preventing from happening.

There was the world before this moment and there will be a world after it. The question is...what does that world look like?

Eric Wollberg is a global innovation expert working for a mobile first micro-learning startup — Gnowbe.

That's my boy.

Web Secret 622: Put your smartphone on a data diet

I have 5 family members on my cell phone plan, consisting of myself, my spouse and my 3 adult children. The kids refuse to get off my plan because it would cost them more than staying on it.

I know, I'm enabling.

At this point, I have an unlimited data plan - I make them pay for it.

If you are not on an unlimited plan, here is how to save yourself from unexpected charges, courtesy of a recent New York Times article:

1. Connect to Wi-Fi whenever possible, especially when you’re at home.

2. See which apps are using the most data. If you just spent three days in quarantine bingeing Netflix on your phone, you can bet that’s your culprit. If you’re using an iPhone, open the settings app and head to the cellular section. Scroll down, and you’ll see a list of apps under the cellular data heading, in order from heaviest to lightest data usage. Under each app, you’ll see how much data it has used in the “current period.”

3. Tweak Your App Settings. Once you have an idea of the worst offenders, figure out ways to dial back their data usage. Here are some common culprits and how you can curb their appetite:

Dropbox, Google Photos and iCloud Photos: If you take a lot of photos and video, some apps allow you to automatically back those photos up as you go. By default, they shouldn’t back up your photos unless you’re on Wi-Fi, but if you have changed these settings in the past, they may be eating up your data (remember, uploading counts against your data too). Check the app’s settings and turn off uploads while on cellular.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: Many social networking apps have the ability to auto-play videos as you scroll through your feed, which can use data quickly. If you find this happening in your favorite social app, head to the app’s settings and look for the auto-playing video option — set it to Wi-Fi only, or turn it off altogether.

YouTube, Netflix and other video players: You probably already know watching videos can blow through your data, but you don’t have to cut yourself off cold turkey. For a compromise, look through your binge-watching app of choice for an option to lower the video quality. If you can stand to watch videos in standard definition (480 pixels or below) instead of HD (720 pixels and above), you’ll use less data.

Spotify, Podcasts and other audio apps: While audio doesn’t use up nearly as much data as video, you can still chug through your allotment if you jam from sunup to sundown. Streaming apps like Spotify allow you to download playlists at home for offline listening. Use these features as much as possible: Next time you’re on Wi-Fi, download your favorite playlists and grab podcast episodes before you leave home.

App updates: It’s a good idea to keep your apps up-to-date, but letting automatic updates run wild on cellular data isn’t really necessary. On the iPhone, head to Settings > Your Name > iTunes & App Stores, and turn Automatic Downloads off under Cellular Data.

If the app in question doesn’t have a setting that does what you want, you may be able to limit it at the operating system level. On the iPhone, head to Settings, scroll down to the app in question and turn off Background App Refresh, which will limit it from using data in the background. Or, from that Settings > Cellular screen, you can toggle the switch next to any given app to prevent it from using cellular data at all, allowing it to work only over Wi-Fi.

4. Get a Better Deal on Your Data. If all else fails, it may be worth looking into a better data plan for you and your family. Unlimited plans have made a comeback in recent years, but if they are too expensive for you, see what other carriers have to offer for the same price. In fact, if you are still with one of the big four — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint — you might be able to get better bang for your buck by switching to a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, like Cricket Wireless, Mint Mobile or Metro. They use the same networks as their bigger competitors, but with lower prices. If you can get a bigger data plan for the same amount of money you are currently paying (while eschewing expensive features you don’t use), you won’t have to ration your internet usage like it’s 1993 dial-up.

That's it.

Web Secret 621: Plus ça change...

The French have a saying "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose", the more things change, the more they stay the same.

To wit, a letter from F. Scott Fitzgerald, quarantined in 1920 in the south of France during the Spanish influenza outbreak:

Dearest Rosemary,

It was a limpid dreary day, hung as in a basket from a single dull star. I thank you for your letter.

Outside, I perceive what may be a collection of fallen leaves tussling against a trash can. It rings like jazz to my ears. The streets are that empty. It seems as though the bulk of the city has retreated to their quarters, rightfully so.

At this time, it seems very poignant to avoid all public spaces. Even the bars, as I told Hemingway, but to that he punched me in the stomach, to which I asked if he had washed his hands. He hadn't. He is much the denier, that one. Why, he considers the virus to be just influenza. I'm curious of his sources.

The officials have alerted us to ensure we have a month's worth of necessities. Zelda and I have stocked up on red wine, whiskey, rum, vermouth, absinthe, white wine, sherry, gin, and lord, if we need it, brandy. Please pray for us.

You should see the square, oh, it is terrible. I weep for the damned eventualities this future brings. The long afternoons rolling forward slowly on the ever-slick bottomless highball. Z. says it's no excuse to drink, but I just can't seem to steady my hand.

In the distance, from my brooding perch, the shoreline is cloaked in a dull haze where I can discern an unremitting penance that has been heading this way for a long, long while. And yet, amongst the cracked cloudline of an evening's cast, I focus on a single strain of light, calling me forth to believe in a better morrow.

Faithfully yours,

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Nothing more to add.

Web Secret 620: Network TV

Two things about Millenials: they don't have landlines and they don't have cable TV. They use smartphones and streaming services.

In a Fast Company article, Joe Berkowitz writes how "he replaced Netflix and HBO with network TV for a week", and his brain is different now.

"Back in the ’80s, network TV was everything. It was what you were watching if you were watching TV. .. The past couple decades have seen an increasing erosion of network TV’s sovereignty...Nielsen ratings among adults 18-49 for broadcast TV dropped about 35% between 2014 and 2019, thanks to cord cutting and the rise of streaming. Everybody with the means to subscribe to premium platforms, can watch whatever they want to watch, whenever they want to watch it, on a variety of devices big and small. It’s almost hard to believe now that in previous generations, families would gather around a living-room TV set together at night and simply watch What Was On."

Characteristics of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC shows:

1. Easier decisions: It's 7pm and there are only 4 shows to choose between.

2. Everything is the same: Watching network shows again feels like swathing yourself in a cozy, familiar blanket. Everything on network TV is as it once was: The cadences are the same, the patter is the same, the fantastically unlikely “relatable” situations are the same.I t’s a soft parade of uniformly telegenic people in clothes that always fit perfectly. Nothing bad happens and if it’s not, it’s headed for a quick resolution, typically within the episode.

3. Holidays impact programming: "This network TV experiment happened to fall during the week of Valentine’s Day, and I forgot how network TV shows all converge around each holiday." We’re in this together.

4. There are reality shows, news shows, game shows, sports shows and cop, doctor, and firefighting procedurals. That's it.

5. Network TV is "deliciously undemanding. You can play Candy Crush or online shop or get a snack at any time and not miss a thing, and all the while feel like you’re in the company of friends." In contrast Netflix et al are intellectually demanding, often require reading recaps to even understand and are consequentially exhausting. Also many of these shows are very disturbing, showcase hair raising violence and graphic sex scenes best watched when you are alone. And not right before bedtime.

"Sometimes you just want to lie down and be counted, to sit in television’s warming glow and feel comfortable. That’s when network TV will always (probably?) be there for you. Come on in, the water’s still nice."

Thanks Joel.

Web Secret 619: How do you know you aren't in 1973?

I write a lot about the speed of technological change in this blog. So it was a refreshing and somewhat terrifying experience to consider a completely different point of view.

The brilliant Eric Weinstein launched his podcast "The Portal" via an almost three hour conversation with Peter Thiel.

Both men are, to put it mildly, brilliant. Weinstein has a PhD in mathematical physics from Harvard, Thiel, a billionaire, has a JD from Stanford and founded PayPal.

You can watch Episode #001: "An Era of Stagnation & Universal Institutional Failure" here:



Here is what I found interesting:

Eric suggested the following "Go into a room, subtract the screens, and how do you know you aren't in 1973?" Putting aside changes in design, what is different? Well nothing. My toaster looks no different than the one I used as a child. I have a microwave - which wasn't available until the late 1970's - but it too has a screen. So maybe he's right?

In the same conversation Thiel puts it this way: "We have the computer from Star Trek, but we don't have the Warp Drive or the Transporter."

Elsewhere in this blog, I have written about the lack of progress in commercial aviation. The planes we take to fly around the world haven't changed much since the 1970s. It still take 24 hours to get to Australia.

Thiel wonders if this might partly be caused by increased specialization. He points out that a well educated man in the 1900s could know everything there was to know about science and literature. 100+ years later, it is impossible to know everything in one's field, let alone in another. Maybe we need more big picture people who can synthesize the next advance for humanity.

You can poke some holes into their arguments. As an example, there has been tremendous progress in medicine.

But still.

Web Secret 618: Mercari

Mercari.com is a website/app that makes it easy to sell or buy just about anything: shoes, bags, collectibles, jeans and more.

Need to offload that pair of Dr. Martens you never wore? Take a few photos and post them to the platform. Once you sell, Mercari provides you with a prepaid mailing label so you can easily ship them to the buyer. Mercari takes 10% of the sale price. Voila!

Simple.

Web Secret 617: The Real Real

Periodically, I like to review a website that does a great job at whatever they claim they do.

The RealReal is an online luxury goods marketplace, where you can buy or sell Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel (and more) for a fraction of the cost.

What separates Real from the pack is that their experts do an exhaustive job of vetting the authenticity of everything posted on their website. So you can buy with confidence and save a ton of money.

Have you always wanted an iconic Hermes scarf? Instead of paying $550+, for a new one, you can buy these for a fraction of the price.

On the selling side, you can drop off your items at one of their bricks and mortar locations, or, if you have many items, they will come to your house to pickup. They guarantee each of your items will get 100,000+ views. Items that don't sell are shipped back to you at their cost.

It's pretty great.

Web Secret 616: Crafted by Carbon

The future will be printed.

You might have a few prized possession, but anything disposable, that becomes obsolete or gets used up will be printed. In your home, by you.

It's beginning to happen at Crafted by Carbon.

Check out the video:



20 years from now.

Web Secret 615: The end of serendipity

I strive for precision in all of my Internet based undertakings. I don't want to waste my time.

This means I have unfriended or unfollowed any individuals, companies or causes that I am against, or fail to interest me. I exist in a social media bubble of my own making.

I zero in on facts or objects with laser precision. I know where I can find red leather combat boots in size 10 wide made in Portugal. I am not surfing the Net, I plan drone strikes.

Recently, I watched a CBS Sunday Morning news piece on the founder of the eponymous Bob's Red Mill, a $100 million health food company started in the 1960s by Bob Moore. Bob Moore was working in the automotive industry when he wandered into a library, and for reasons he cannot recall, picked up "John Goffe's Mill," a book about an archeologist who rebuilt a flour mill. The book inspired Bob to start his own mill business producing whole grain oats and other products making him a very wealthy man.

And it occurred to me that with technology comes a loss of serendipity. No more browsing through libraries, bookstores, clothing racks and more. Or at the very least less browsing.

Think about it.

Web Secret 614: Mobile Microlearning

Have you been paying attention to how often you upgrade your smartphone, your computer, your software, your printer, the list goes on and on.

What about the way you perform your job? Have you added video based services, electronic record keeping, online appointment platforms, Square to accept payments, etc., etc.

What about information? New tests and treatments, new cures, new techniques, etc. etc.

The rapidity with which our world is changing because of advances in technology is increasing.

This means all of us, along with our our institutions and companies face a mounting challenge to learn new skills.

Often.

Upskilling refers to teaching employees new skills so they can thrive in their current position; reskilling means teaching them new skills to do a different job. We will be doing this a lot, as many jobs are going to become obsolete due to AI.

But how can we do it efficiently?

As learning evolves, we need to reimagine content delivery for the modern learner.

Learning 1.0 Traditional learning: face to face training

Learning 2.0 Old school web-based training - I learned Microsoft Word by watching a VHS tape

Learning 3.0 Video based e-learning - that's your live webinars and other forms of knowledge delivered on YouTube and the like

Learning 4.0 Mobile microlearning which is experiential and participatory.

Never heard of mobile microlearning? It's coming soon to a neighborhood near you.

You will be learning on your smartphone, using an app that integrates andragogy (effective teaching of adult learners) with technology that heightens powerful learning experiences on-the-go. It will be fun, interactive, it won't even feel like learning.

You've been warned.

Web Secret 613: Alerts

I loathe alerts. I am constantly working on getting fewer of them on my smartphone.

It is not always an easy task.

I still get Temple University basketball scores flashing across my screen. I have no idea why.

Minimizing your alerts will lead to improved mental well-being and decreased stress.

Be discriminating. Unless you work for CNN, do you need to get breaking news alerts which invariably feature something terrible like coronavirus deaths or some political idiocy?

If you commute, you probably want to know the weather and traffic situation when you leave to go to work and when you leave work to go home. Not throughout the day. And those alerts negatively impact your battery life.

Also, I set my phone so that when I do get alerts, I hear a swooshing sound, not a ding. Much better for the nerves.

The first time I open a newly downloaded app, I will be asked if I want notifications. The answer is always no. Do you need to be alerted that there is a new level of Candy Crush? No.

The sounds of silence.

Web Secret 612: Excellence

I have passion for excellence. It thrills me when I encounter it.

And it can be discovered in all walks of life and in every action large or small.

There is excellence in flower arranging, in teaching, in the way some people keep their homes, or flip pancakes, or...well you get the idea.

Some events reliably showcase excellence - the Super Bowl does it for TV commercials, many of which embody the zeitgeist of their times.

Who can forget Apple's 1984? Many think it's the best ad ever made. It introduced the revolutionary Macintosh personal computer, and was directed by Ridley Scott before he became famous and won Academy Awards for movies like Thelma & Louise, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down - to name but a few.

Here it is with apologies for the poor quality - have not been able to find better:



What about the amazing Budweiser 9/11 commercial, featuring their iconic Clydesdale horses, shown at the 2011 Super Bowl? It was shown only once, but is perhaps one of the most moving tributes in the wake of that disaster. And seriously, how classy to show it only one time?



This year, the New York Life Insurance Company knocked my socks off with their ad celebrating love. Where most Super Bowl ads create their wow factor from their visuals, this one does it primarily with words:

“The ancient Greeks had four words for love,” the ad's narrator explains. “The first is ‘Philia’ Philia is affection that grows from friendship.

Next, there’s ‘Storge’ – the kind you have for a grandparent or a brother.

The third is ‘Eros,’ the uncontrollable urge to say ‘I love you.’

“The fourth kind of love is different. It’s the most admirable. It’s called ‘Agape’ – love as an action.” “It takes courage. Sacrifice. Strength.”

The commercial ends with one last message, “For 175 years, we’ve been helping people act on their love, so they can look back, or look ahead, and say – ‘we got it right.'”



I cannot watch this ad without being moved to tears. It is wonderful on so many levels.

Excellence.

Web Secret 611: After-hours email

As I was looking for a topic for this post, I came across a lot of articles about after hours work emails.

All negative.

So in case you need to be reminded or need to remind someone, this is why it's bad:

1. You're sending it after hours and most people respond to those email after hours, on vacation, weekends and their off time.

2. Because of this, you are exacerbating their anxiety and decreasing their workplace well-being. So seriously weigh the pros and cons of doing this after hours.

3. When you respond after hours, you are sending the message that you are available anytime, anywhere. It's called setting a precedent.

No one should be open for business 24/7.

Except hospitals.

Web Secret 610: Coronavirus and Internet misinformation

In 2020, news travels at warp speed. Recently, I was at a craft fair with friends when one of them got an alert on her phone that Kobe Bryant had died in a helicopter crash. In a matter of seconds, it seemed everyone knew. And news outlets continue to churn out "news" about the event.

Similarly, the Internet is propagating endless "information" about the Coronavirus epidemic. Everyone is concerned, but how does one manage that concern?

The Verge published "Everything you need to know about the coronavirus from China" on January 29 as a reality check. They have advised readers to be careful to vet their news sources, and have pointed to the CDC as reliable. They actually have a dedicated website https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html.

Another Verge posting asked "Misinformation about the Coronavirus is threatening to overwhelm tech platforms - Hoaxes are spreading quickly — are Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter up to the challenge?." (Quick answer: NO, they are not up to the task.)

In that article they wrote:

One result of a world in which everyone has more or less equal access to publishing tools has been what’s sometimes called an epistemic crisis: a scenario in which large groups of people muddle along with very different understandings of reality, undermining the ability of elected officials to govern. This might be particularly scary during a catastrophe, when citizens are relying upon their government for accurate and potentially life-saving information. If you can’t trust official government announcements — or you are misled into thinking that an official-sounding hoax is real — catastrophes might begin compounding upon one another.

The global outbreak of a coronavirus that originated in China has given us fresh reason to consider the downsides of an internet where social media posts are amplified by engagement-hungry algorithms, and vetted by fact-checkers only days later — if at all.

My advice: get your news from the most reliable news site and otherwise turn it off.

Not always easy to do.

Web Secret 609: Digital etiquette part 3

This is the last in a series of 3 articles on digital good manners. The New York Times believes that poor digital behavior is a big problem, as they are devoting yet another week to the topic. Here are the top suggestions:

Best practices include:

E-mail

The main recipients of an email, who are expected to reply, go in the “to” field. People who are not expected to reply go in the “CC” field.

Make your email as easy to deal with as possible. Keep it short, to the point and make clear what you need (if anything) in response. Passive-aggressive tricks to avoid — things like CCing someone’s boss, putting “URGENT” in the subject line unnecessarily, and the dreaded “Thanks in advance” signoff.

If necessary, consider declaring email "bankruptcy” — delete old emails you know you’ll never get to. If the emails are weeks old, it’s likely the senders are no longer expecting a response anyway.

Texting

Texting is replacing a face-to-face or phone conversation, but you don’t have access to all the nonverbal cues — facial expressions, tone of voice, etc. — to get the same message across. So getting the tone right is really important, and often really difficult. Because we have so little to go on, we often end up reading too much into messages. Read your message back to yourself and check that your intentions won’t be misunderstood before you hit send.

I think I'm going to be writing these kinds of blog posts again and again.

Web Secret 608: Digital etiquette part 2

Last week, I summarized an article in the New York Times, providing you with general principles about digital etiquette.

This week, some specifics:

Email signatures: Should you use a digital signature? It depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re selling something, include a link to whatever you’re selling. Ditto if you’re very active on social media: Include a link. An email signature can even be inspiring. The signature of TV producer Shonda Rhimes states: “Please Note: I will not engage in work emails after 7 p.m. or on weekends. IF I AM YOUR BOSS, MAY I SUGGEST: PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE.”

Direct messages. A direct message — DM — is a one-on-one conversation with another user hosted on a social media platform. Most of the places you spend your time online — like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn and so on — offer some form of DM communication.You can DM just about anyone, whether you know them or not, without needing to know their contact information. The barrier to communicating with people outside your realm socially, professionally and geographically is shrinking. A DM is tantamount to sitting across the table from someone who has given you their time and their openness. You want to use that opportunity well.

1. Keep it short. Think a few sentences, not several paragraphs. “When DMing, give the recipient the information they need. If you’re interested in continuing the conversation, suggest moving it over to email within the first two or three messages.

2. Don’t make demands. If you’ve never sent somebody a message before, your first message to them should never be a request of them.

3. Avoid chasing someone across several platforms. Don't send DMs across multiple platforms hoping to catch the person's attention.

4. Be interesting. Use your introductory message to offer something relevant to the person you’re DMing (a video, an article), and say, “Here’s something I thought you’d find interesting.”

5. Never assume this is a private exchange. Anything we write through direct messaging could become part of a public post. Act accordingly.

6. Explain why you’re reaching out. Be specific. Pose precise questions, such as, “I’m wondering about the following two things.”

7. Check your DMs regularly, especially your requests folder. This way you won’t miss out on any professional opportunities. Ninety-two percent of H.R. people use social media before making hiring decisions. DM might not be the place you sign the contract, but it could be the place you first shake hands.

8. Let people know how you’d like to be contacted. Consider sharing your email address in your social media profiles, along with a note that lets people know how you want them to connect with you and what you wish to connect over.

9. Be realistic. If you admire a person in your field or industry, chances are that other people do, too. It’s probably not personal if they don’t respond to you. You’re allowed one follow-up email if your DM is unanswered. Saying something like, “I’m sorry to bother you, but I just want to make sure that you saw that I asked you about X,”

Lastly, when using social media for work purposes, Don't use emojis. Consider using emoticons sparingly.

:)

Web Secret 607: Digital etiquette part 1

A basic grasp of digital etiquette is an essential aspect of modern “soft skills.” However, there is no real consensus on what actually constitutes “good” digital manners, and even if there were, that consensus would be constantly shifting as technology advances and social mores evolve.

So sayeth, the New York Times in a lengthy article on the subject. As always, I have summarized the essential information from said article:

Digital communication is usually text-based. Both the content of your message and its tone will live or die based on what you type on your keyboard, so the gap between, say, landing a joke and causing mortal offense can be perilously fine.

In digital messaging, a period is no longer required to show that the message is over; a sent message is presumed to be complete. Used in a sincere context — as in, “That’s terrible.” — the period reinforces the seriousness of the message. When used after a short, positive phrase — “That’s great.” — the tone of voice implied by the period can add a sense of sarcasm.

As in the real world, a lot of digital etiquette is highly context-dependent; you wouldn’t behave the same way when sending an email to your manager as you would when texting your best friend. As well as choosing the right level of formality for the situation, you should be prepared to adapt according to the culture and background of the person you are speaking with and the medium through which you are communicating.

In an email chain, this could mean starting with a formal means of address, such as “Dear Mr. Wesson,” but then switching to “Hi Rupert” if the conversation becomes more familiar.

There are plenty of specific digital etiquette pointers to live by: don’t reply-all to an all-office email; always get consent before sending an intimate photo; never leave a voicemail (a text message shows much more respect for the other person’s time).

Etiquette in the digital world can shift particularly quickly as new technologies and platforms call for the development of new standards.

Even where the technology stays the same, social and cultural norms can rapidly shift. It used to be OK to upload whole albums full of photos to Facebook and tag everyone in them. Now, the rise of Instagram has correlated with a more curated approach to online photo-sharing, and people are generally more aware of privacy and security concerns.

Next week, some specifics.

Web Secret 606: Cyber security for solo practitioners

This week's post comes courtesy of Diana Wicker, Director of Compliance and Reporting at First Sun EAP and easily the coolest person I met in 2019. She is a social worker turned Chief Technology Officer of a major EAP.

How cool is that?Here is her post:

You can do this thing.

The one thing I would like everyone reading this to take away is – you can do this thing. You can learn about and implement cyber security even as a solo practice counselor.

Step 1: Read – You won’t know what you don’t know until you start reading. Right now, the US Federal government is diligently pushing to update regulations and create guidelines and frameworks that are easily accessible and understandable so that everyone that needs to comply can do so.

A great place to start: https://www.itgovernanceusa.com/federal-cybersecurity-and-privacy-laws.

Step 2: Watch – So, you’ve done the reading and some of it is still above your head. I get that. Look for videos so that you can see how these frameworks are intended to be used. Many of the government agencies are holding webinars and releasing video tutorials on how to do these things.

A great place to start is https://www.healthit.gov/topic/privacy-security-and-hipaa.

Step 3: Attend – Cyber security is hands on, and not everyone has experience with updating settings on computers, smart phones, tablets, and other electronic equipment. Many local technical schools, colleges, and universities hold continuing education classes in computer skills.

Step 4. Do – Download and use SRA Tool 3.1. https://www.healthit.gov/topic/privacy-security-and-hipaa/security-risk-assessment-tool This is a freebie from the federal government that helps you track:

a. HIPAA Security Rule
b. HITECH Act
c. NIST Cybersecurity Framework

Step 5: Vendors – When in doubt, hire out. IT consulting firms abound. Seek one familiar with HIPAA, HITECH, and the most up to date guidelines and frameworks so they can review your office setup and help you ensure that you have everything set up as you need it to be.

The easy things you can do with the equipment you already have:

1. Modem/Router – how the internet gets to you

• Update the name of the device to something unique.
• Change the default password that came with the device to something unique.
• Update the Firmware on your wireless router so the security patches have been completed.
• Turn off unnecessary ports and services (such as FTP servers), if they are not routinely used.
• Encryption on your router: WPA2-PSK (AES) or WPA3 (SAE)

2. Machine – how you do your work

• Encrypt your machines with a password (computer, laptop, tablet, smart phone)
• Set password or PIN for the operating system
• Turn on virus protection
• Turn on security updates
• Do not set programs, apps, or websites to auto-fill passwords to login. Use a password keeper app instead.

3. Software – where your data lives

• Set password or PIN on all software that might contain PHI (18 PHI Identifiers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_health_information)
• Encrypt your data – at rest and in transmission (this means email too)
• Know what your software touches – be mindful of integrated apps and what they have access to.

4. The Cloud – 3rd party services and vendors

• Software that lives on the internet and you log into it – Get a BAA if it touches PHI.

5. Internet of Things – smart toys

• Does it listen? Does it record? Does it respond? Then it is NOT HIPAA compliant. Turn these OFF in your clinical areas!

Oh, and, heads up, just in case you missed the announcement - The FAX machine is dead.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid have decreed that in 2020 the FAX is no longer to be used for healthcare information. Whither the government goest, business/industry will follow. Look for a HIPAA compliant cloud fax/email service.

I know, that really looks like a lot. Take one item on the list at a time and work your way through.

And remember, you can do this thing!

Thank you Diana!

Web Secret 605: Tik Tok

Happy 2020.

TikTok is an app that I have no use for.

And most likely, neither do you.

But you do need to know about it.

TikTok is an app that enables you to make a very short (20 second) mobile video and add music to it. It is super easy to use and fun.

And mostly loved by teenage girls.

And owned by China.

Never heard of it? It's the mot popular app in the world (see "China").

What is China going to do with all the data it collects from Tik Tok users?

I have no idea.

But I am concerned.

And you should too.