Road Warrior Princess

Mid-Year Resolution

I am starting to get tired of the term "integration."

This may sound very strange to those of you who are my colleagues and business associates, so let me explain.

My primary technology focus for the past five years has been on a Web product that we (at my employer) have always characterized as "integrating" with our CRM product.  This made a lot of sense to me at the time, before I really understood the core architecture of the Web product and its database.

However, a term that my dear friend and business associate recently used woke me up.  What I work on is definitely NOT data integration.  It's data singularity.

This is a key difference to which I fear many organizations pay little attention.  The concept of singularity essentially derives from the existence of one, a single, data model or set.  The concept of integration, on the other hand, infers a mashup of two sets which may talk back and forth to a limited degree.

Why do I say that integration is limited?  Why, because when two data sets exist, there is always a potential for disconnect - for a failure to communicate.  In real life, though two people marry, with their personalities, life goals, and hopes for the future incredibly in sync, there still exists communication breakdown, inability to candidly discuss difficult topics, and a potential for individual growth that can forever change the relationship.  Likewise, two data sets, two systems with matching elements storing the "same" data always provide an opportunity for this same communication breakdown.

It is with this thought in my mind that I will attempt to purge the term "integration" from my technical discussions, and replace it with "singularity."

From a technical perspective, it is First Prize when a single record exists to represent a constituent/customer/client relationship.  There are so many channels in which we "exist" - and so many situations in which users expect consistency (bank & bank Web site, zoo front gate & monthly newsletter, Brand name catalogue/Web site/store/daily eMail/Max Azria should be calling me directly at this point), that constituent expectations run high.  It is with this in mind that we must consider that a communication breakdown between systems can be crippling when a relationship is at stake.

So, a short list of what I consider and advise when talking data "singularity":

1. Consider the audience.  To reap the benefits of data singularity, you must market them.  In essence, for data to be a usable resource, it must be dynamic, and only with the constant growth and change of the data (because of behavior, response, activity, etc.) can you effectively use it.  Therefore, the audience must be continually cultivated and pruned to respond.

2. Consider the endpoint.  This is the most dynamic consideration point - with a single source of truth, you have the ability to analyze, grade, and respond to any data element.  Therefore, it is important to understand that metrics and analysis will change, but to also understand that you must begin with at least a short-term way to measure performance.  Without concrete goals, the ROI of the singularity is not definable.

3. Consider the upkeep.  Make sure that you have the manpower to act on providing relevant, targeted information.

4. Consider the hardware.  Ensure that you or your service provider can service the ongoing requests.

Now, who's "single and ready to mingle"?

Identity Crisis

If you follow me on Twitter or Friendfeed, you know that this week is quite important.  My physical future (literally) hangs in the balance.

Without revealing too many personal details, it is quite possible that I will be relocating.  No, not to jail, and yes, I will continue at my current place of employment.

This is a change that I have very little control over (gratefully).  However, it is a change that has caused me to take great pause in thinking about all the areas of my life that will be affected - work, friendships, church, sports teams, the bars I frequent, even the airport personnel that I interact with weekly - there are many versions of myself - identities - that I maintain on a daily basis. 

These are ones I cultivate through physical attention.  However, after reading a commentary from one of my favorite sources, I began to realize that during these hours of mental reflection, nary a thought drifted to the identities that I cultivate through virtual membership!

In thinking about this major life change, I've had to reflect on what I call my physical identities - those that I maintain as a member of physical society.  However, it's been quite interesting, and almost a relief, to realize that much of my collective identity (the one made up of all of my identities) is not physical, but instead virtual.  In fact, a relocation may affect my general interactions in quite a limited way! 

Very few people spend much time cultivating their virtual identities.  I've spent enough time building and researching these branches of my identit-tree (OMG, you didn't see that coming??? Hilarity!) to know where and how I will appear in online searches, and what details my profiles reveal to specific audiences.  I've learned that without proper care and feeding, your online personas will wither, become outdated, or worse - subsumed by another Web participant with the same name.  This affects not only you, but anyone and any organization closely affiliated with you.

Seven years ago this week, I packed my Ghetto Cruiser (same one I drive today, that loyal Jeep) with all of my earthly possessions and moved out of state.  This was my third time moving myself into a new location with a limited or nonexistent network.  At the time, I was both terrified and excited - but understood that a long road lay ahead if I wished to recreate the rich network of friends and colleagues I had enjoyed in the capital of the Dirty South.

This time, however, the colleagues exist and are accessible in near real-time.  The friends?  Likewise.  My daily life, both personal and professional, involves less physical interaction than virtual.  Some of my closest friends, those that I speak with on a weekly, if not daily basis, I've met fewer than a dozen times in person.  Even the systems I maintain and interact with don't have a truly physical existence.  It is the nature of my work, and yet, also my life.  Two different identities, each collectively comprised of multiple sub-identities.  Each one, a valuable component of my collective true identity.  Yet, each network representative of the real me.

As I think more about this physical move, I find more peace.  I've done this before and it turned out fine.  However, I've never before had the network already available upon landing.  This time, though I may find myself in a physically new place, my true network stays in tact, ready to catch me.

First Impressions

The final descent into Salt Lake City was dark and bumpy.  The snow had subsided for the time being but rocked the plane, as if making an attempt to remind us that it was still there, merely taking a break.

The only reason I decided to take this flight, instead of traveling with my companions, was to be available for a highly stressful meeting regarding OLAP and the co-mingling of an external data source with our native data warehouse.

And while I spent hours - nay, days, preparing for creating a conceptual flow of dimensions and measures, and my demo partner equally worked at diagrams and custom SSIS packages, it was during the demo itself that I came to one realization:

It is the rare occasion that someone cares how this stuff works.  It is much more common that people care about how it looks.

Although the ETL refresh and overlay of data were certainly captivating in their own right, I realize that those who want to see it work are those who haven't seen the end product.  What this means is: Show them a screen that looks like what they want, and they don't care how it got there.

Full disclosure: I actually discovered this a couple of months ago when I built a custom view for a meeting that didn't actually calculate anything; rather it simply transformed data into a different data element type, to better mimic what the client had described.  Simply mocking up a view was all it took to allay concerns.  However, today, in actually performing a detailed "How does it" demonstration, I was very aware that we only had to do this because no proof of concept screen had been available. 

Here's a better example: I don't care gas-efficient the Chevy Cobalt I'm renting is; all I can think about is how hideous a canary-yellow car is!  I'm hung up on the presentation layer when I should be thinking about gas cost or suitability for driving in snow!  Oh, how heavy the burden of pre-disposed preference can be!  But really, who in their right mind would be pre-disposed to like this color?  Who told Chevy that this color was a good choice for a vehicle?  A CLOWN?

In all seriousness, it is this that these two situations, today's meeting and my rental of a heinously painted automobile that has brought me to truly understand that first impressions are so important.  Not rocket science, I know.  However, knowing this should remind us to prepare for each important interaction - to think about and specifically design each first impression (well, at least in business).

Click here to see the atrocity that was my rental.

Who am I?

Do you like to watch movies?  As a general rule, I hate to watch movies.  There are a couple of reasons for this:

1. I have a hard time sitting still for more than an hour and want my freedom to roam around.
2. My imagination gets consumed by highly dramatic or psychologically stressful movies, and I get confused, and I end up with nightmares for a week or an irremediable fear of camping/babysitting/amoebas living in the lake/men in clown makeup.
3. I would rather be out living my life than sitting on the couch/movie theater seat watching an actor fake out someone else's life and fund their highly opulent lifestyle that I don't get to take part of in the process.

Yes, I know: Bitter, party of one.

However, last night, I got suckered into seeing a movie with my girlfriends last night: "The Women."  It wasn't the best movie I have ever seen, but it was lively, and we were drinking, and I was with some of the best friends that I have had in my life.  I had fun later trying to categorize my friends into the character roles (the "pregnant friend" was easy to pinpoint, the "friend at a crossroads" was also a shoe-in, we're all pretty much the "career-minded friend", but who's the "homosexual party friend"?  I had trouble with that one.  I guess the "party friend" suits me - but sorry ladies - I am straight.)

Despite my aversion to scripted pseudo-stories, this movie had more of a lasting effect than I thought it would.  When the protagonist reached "rock bottom", she was asked a very pertinent question: "What do YOU want?"

This certainly got my mind brewing, but I soon extrapolated it:

What do I want?
Who am I?
Who do I want to be?
What do I expect out of others?
What do others expect of me?
(Finally) What do others expect of...OTHERS?

This last question had an extremely technical implication, of course, and since I had just been in a technology meeting with a health services organization, it had special meaning. 

Technology has provided so many options for personalizing an experience through different types of interactions: Web, E-mail, direct mail, phone.  However, so often, these interactions are disparate - those I spoke with today even shared that today, they have an entire Corporate Major Gifts program that is not only run by a single person, but managed completely separately from their "central database." PERISH THE THOUGHT!

This is NOT what I want or expect.  I would barely tolerate it, were I able to detect it. 

So, what is it that I want?  What is it that I expect, and other Gen Yers expect?  One word: Consistency.

I expect that when I provide information to you, that you receive it, regardless of medium.

I expect that when you receive this information, that it travels throughout whatever internal systems you have, so that I don't have to provide it twice.

I expect that once I provide this information to you, that things will "change" - that you will send me things addressed appropriately, that are timely, and that I've indicated an interest in. 

I expect you to be able to answer the question of "Who am I?" FOR me - to anticipate my interests, before I even know them, by past behavior. 

I expect you to be my "listening friend."  Because once I can see that you are listening, I will be more willing to be the "responsive friend." 

Anatomy of an Addiction

Facebook went down for me today.  Not for long, but long enough for me to freak out, head for the nearest corner, and curl up in fetal position. 

I should be used to this by now, since I use Twitter.  But, I can't help it, because I am addicted.  When not using an acceptable liquid substitute, I self-medicate with social media (anyone who has heard this before from a certain BFF of mine, let it be known that he got it from ME).

So I took the time to reflect back on some of my past social media addictions.  A short timeline:

1998-2002: Genghis Khan Voodoo Chat

Yes, it was exactly what it sounds like (although, what does that name sound like?!).  However, I was 18, had just set up my very first Web site, and somehow found this chat room.  My sister and I had ENDLESS hours of fun confusing teenage boys (or their impersonators) as we took turns replying to questions, each trying to send the other sister into hysterical laughter with the responses:

HotCollegeDude: So, what do u like to do 4 fun?
<Us>: Im in a fight club
HCD: WHAT? That's weird for a girl
<Us>: Yeah, I'm the biggest one so I win alot.
<Us>: Oh, and I collect insects.
HCD: That's...uh...cool.
<Us>: And I like to bake. I want to have a business some day.
HCD: Awesome. Maybe u can make me somethn good? :-)
<Us>: YES! My fave cookies are like choc chip except I use some of the bugs I collect instead of choc chips. It combines my interests PLUS they are SO good for you, extra protein!!!
<HCD has left the chat>

2000-2002: CollegeClub

Now an online advertising paradise, CollegeClub was THE place to be when I was in college...up until I tried going out on a date with a guy I met on site.  This is when I learned that the sexier a guy's online name is, the creepier he will be.  This may also be the primary reason I got back together with my boyfriend.

2002-2006: The "Dark" Years

There was about a four year period where I didn't really have a social media addiction, possibly because I didn't have Internet access at home (too poor) and I got my fix broadcasting NET SEND msgs via the network at the office.  Good times, for everyone except the IT dept.

2006-...: MySpace

After my dark period (when I finally decided to PAY for cable and DSL instead of stealing unstable wireless from the neighbors), a couple of my friends decided to join MySpace.  So, I relented.  I had to knock a few cobwebs out, but I rediscovered my CSS coding skills and my love of PhotoShop.  My page became a glistening tribute to ME!  I finally had to make my profile private, though, as the creep ratio climbed (plus, being "friends" with people I avoid for a reason wasn't as appealing).  I still have the page, still check it, but it's now my "unprofessional" page.

2008-...: Twitter, Facebook, Dream.In.Code, etc.

This was the year that I really got into social media.  This has also been the year that I began preaching what I practice (no, that's not backwards, I've been doing it a long time and now I have the chance to tell others about it).  But, with all this networking, it's a full time job keeping up with it!  I don't want to pick favorites since these networks all have very different personalities, after all...

But...I've realized that having multiple social media gives me the opportunity to be ALL of myself, but break that self up into microcosms...the REALLY geeky side goes to Dream.In.Code, the wilder side to MySpace, the professional side to LinkedIn, the semi-professional-but-still-kooky-just-not-too-over-the-top side to Facebook.

Also, with my 10-year high school reunion rapidly approaching, I hope that I've been able cut at least a couple of awkward interactions off at the pass.  Because, let's face it - the things we say and do online seem a WHOLE lot weirder in RL (that's Real Life, not Second Life, you newb).

 

Stomach Stalker

I am being cyberstalked.

Not really by a person per se, but part of a person - it's awful.  Every time I log on to Facebook, there she is!  Taunting me, ridiculing me.  Looking at me.  Well, not really.  She really can't look at me because I am not sure that she has eyes.  You see, I'm being stalked by a stomach.

Sure, the shoes at iLike and the FreeCreditReport.com guy are also lurking there in the shadows, but they are not NEARLY as agressive as this stomach - well, THESE stomachs, because I think there is more than one.   

The good, the bad, and the ugly about technology comes down to targeted marketing.  Companies can put the right information in front of the consumer, based on their true interests, on perceived interests (passive, based on behavior the user exhibits), and even based on expected interests (those that you should have, based on details about you).  This last bit is why I think I'm being haunted.

I am female, and twenty-something.  CLEARLY I could stand to lose a few pounds.  Or...at least I should think I could.  As much as I want to look that stomach in the eye (*ahem* navel??) and tell it that my stomach is flat enough, thank you...I am starting to believe the stomach.   

The hardest thing about traveling is keeping in shape.  Gyms are often sub-par, it is nearly impossible to eat healthfully, and booze is everywhere.  Then, this darn stomach, appears, taunting me, telling me to forego that cheeseburger.  Curses!!

However, the point is that this targeted marketing is working - even on someone who should know better (since I peddle this stuff, natch).  But the strategy isn't perfect.  You see, I may be the target demographic for self-loathing and feelings of physical inferiority, but one glance at my group membership will tell you that I'm an active athlete.  So, although that stomach haunts me, I'm still not going to buy what it's selling!  It makes me feel a little more inadequate, but I'm the girl who will push herself harder in the gym (since I'll be there in the morning anyway). 

Bottom line: I hope they don't pay by the view, because the advertiser didn't filter the results carefully enough.  I am going to continue to defy that stomach (but not until after my workout). 

Anal Glaucoma

Anal Glaucoma (slang): A condition in which you just can't see your ass going in to work today.

Lately, I've been feeling a bit unmotivated.  What motivates me?  "Cool" stuff.

That's right, if I'm not actively working on a challenging project or one that I consider "cool", I lose motivation and get bored...which got me wondering what is, in fact, "cool".  Well, at least from a tech perspective.

Where I'm getting my most recent fix: thinking about mini-networks. 

Ning is a platform that represents elements of what some of my employer's clients are trying to do - build a mini-network for a specific cause. 

A close friend of mine recently wrote that social networking doesn't negate the fact that online fundraising is still all about the relationship.  But, is that what social networking has come to?  Another dollar stream?  What happened to the mission?

You gotta spend money to make money.  This may be true, but in my job, I have started to notice how many people have forgotten about the bottom line in NPO work - further the mission in everything you do. 

So, IMHO, people need to realize that although social networking may not immediately be the next goal mine, it will do a few things:

-Social networks will raise awareness.  I hear every day of organizations who desire "to engage the next generation."  Guess what?  Gen Xers waste a lot of time on the Internet, but they also waste a lot of time talking....about things they see online.  Engaging them in their comfort zone will spread the word in many ways.

-Social networks are best run out of a combination of marketing/development/programming.  This is not likely the place in which you're going to find your next major donor.  But it IS where you will find activists, volunteers, people who want to grow up and go on mission trips.  Eventually, yes, it may lead to dollars, as these passionate people move on to positions that allow them to be generous to the organizations that engaged them early.

-Social networks can help get the right people at the right time.  For one, any gigantic site like Facebook or MySpace linking to you is a good thing for your Google rating (more eyes may = more dollars).  But - give a cry for help when a piece of legislation is threatening your funding, and you will be surprised who comes to your rescue.  Some users of MySpace call this "whoring" - which is not a bad thing.   

So, it really is all about the relationship. You just have to realize that not all relationships are consummated in dollars. :-)

Gen Y, but no Y Chromosome

I am used to being in the minority.  Growing up, my family always celebrated our Latino heritage, even when ridicule was our reward.  I attended the prestigious North Avenue Trade School, known for its lack of female students.  When I moved into my current position, it was only a matter of time before I realized how few females (read: no females) held a similar position, and don't think I haven't noticed the pitifully small (though the ones that exist are phenomenal) number of female role models available in the technology industry.

With all of this life experience, I should have gained some perspective, no?  I like to think that I have, but that didn't stop me from feeling immediately uncomfortable when singled out in a fly-by meeting yesterday. 

I dropped in to discuss a meeting I had been requested for, and after the usual niceties, the bomb dropped.  One of the primary reasons (number TWO, in fact) that I had been requested for this project was because the rest of the team were white guys.  (Bet they didn't know they were getting a two-fer minority with me, eh?)  My heart sank.

Just like the female serial killer that has to work twice as hard for notoriety (that's a joke, well, in theory at least), I've spent the past 24 hours wondering what to think.  Is this a disadvantage?  Or, is this actually an advantage?

Rather than binge-drink myself into a spiral of self-pity, permit me to wax optimistic with the ideology I've adopted during the past few years.

The feminine wiles have been touted in many a poem, ballad, and suicide note.  However, I firmly believe that there are a few of them that set me (because really, I can't vouch for anyone else's wiles...well, except maybe my Mom or sisters...but only sort of) apart from the men I work with in the technology "biz":

1. Listening comes naturally.
We all know that women are collaborators.  Rather than talking over people, using "active listening" makes other feel at ease with you (perhaps even trust you), and gives you a chance to weigh the consequences before responding.  Therefore - less likelihood of embarrassment, provided that you do, at least occasionally interject, and, of course, provided there are men around you who embarrass themselves.  Listening also gives you fodder for the second wile.

2. Manipulation comes naturally.
When you listen, you learn things.  This means that you have enough information to make informed decisions (necessary leadership quality), and that you have information that can help you influence other people's decisions at some later juncture.  Flirting may have to become part of your process, but if you're really good at listening/manipulating others' decisions, at some point, those around you will trust you and not need the extra *ahem* persuasive argument. 

3. My desire to compete is on a different level.
Although my competitive streak is a mile wide (got that from my Dad, natch), I don't feel the need to compete against others relatively (again, I am not really tempted to talk over people in meetings that are "competing for attention"), but rather, compete by excelling.  Essentially, my idea of competing is not besting someone else, but improving and gaining respect, and being able to be respected.  I want to be "the best" but I think that such an accolade can be shared with others.  Novel idea, huh?  Sharing...

There are certainly men who share these characteristics, but they are not the majority.  I realize that I have been so blessed with success in advancing my career to this point, and in gaining the respect of my peers, and it is directly related to being given these tools.  So - I invite comments or at the very least, deep thought on this issue.  Am I right to be happy to be "a minority"? 

Heck, do I care?  I am really near-sighted anyway, so as far as I'm concerned, the atrium doesn't have a ceiling at all, much less a glass one.

Your Tweeting Makes Me Tired...

I *finally* uploaded all my photos of China.  I've struggled with whether to put them on Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, and who knows where else.  With all these media options, it took me longer (5 days) to figure out where to post them than to actually post them (3 hours).

How many accounts do you have?  How often do you use them?  Why even bother with more than one?  Aren't they all the same anyway?

The only thing I can figure is that it's kind of like collecting baseball cards.  You have accounts at a few places, and then you see that one of your friends has an account elsewhere...so you want one, too.  You join there, excited, then eventually find a new toy to play/network with.

Where does it end?  I don't see it ending right away, but thinking about this reminds me why the concept of social media is such a nebulous thing to a lot of the NPO's I talk with.  To get any benefit, you have to be everywhere at once:

-Blogging and media sharing are important for education and awareness.
-Facebook and MySpace give you access to the tech-savvy new generation of constituents.
-Twitter gives you a platform to blast immediate SMS to everyone you know.
-Hopefully, your Web site pulls it all together.

Without guidance, though, it's no wonder that most organizations have a hard time making sense of it.  Add to this the reality that social media hasn't really emerged as a cash cow for nonprofits.  Is it worth all the work?

My answer is YES, as long as you 1) have your priorities straight and 2) have a strategy.  Otherwise, your blogging/tweeting/status updating is going to wear you out!

By priorities, you have to understand that social media is about communication and information, not raising money.  As part of a program that serves your mission, it's a no-brainer.  Money may come later, but it may not come at all.  At least, it might not come through a TweetStream.

By strategy, you have to know what your goal is and how you will define success.  A post I read on the NTEN Web site summarized a book about this topic quite nicely.  I was especially pleased to see that choosing a Technology platform came as a last step, not the first - something I've always thought was wise. 

Now you may be thinking, "So, Roadwarriorprincess, your ranting has worn ME out.  Get to the point!  Which one did YOU choose for the China pics?" 

I'm really bad with commitment - always have been - so I put them in a few places.  The quickest links are below.

The Great Wall
Street Food
People & Sights
Ancient Relics
Shanghai

Sticky

My first few days back in the blogosphere have already been fruitful!  After receiving a couple of great comments and reading two very interesting posts (here and here), I have had plenty to think about.

Specifically after reading the two blog postings I referenced above, I began to wonder what really draws people to social media.  The posting from Beth's Blog in particular leads me to believe that it is truly that people like the communicative element of the Web.  Basically, they like to talk.  About themselves.

This is what first draws you into MySpace, other networks, etc., isn't it?  The idea of carving out your own personal little part of the Web - for free - that others will immediately flock to (why wouldn't they?  Your space will rock).  I have to admit, that is what appealed to me, back in college, when I joined CollegeClub.  Well, that and all the creepy men posing as students.  Clearly.

Once that initial void is filled, though, people do one of two things.  They 1) drop off or 2) find some other way to distract themselves. 

My point is that in preaching this idea of social media, I think we fail to look at that initial draw as the reason to keep people engaged.  At work, we strive to educate on the ways that we can "tailor" content, target messaging.  Is that really enough, though, to make your site "sticky" like flypaper?  Is the fact that I fall into an identifiable segment going to be enough to keep ME (part of this self-centered Internet generation) interested enough?

I think the answer is yes AND no.  Essentially:
*Appealing to my interests will interest me.  To an extent.  It will help me feel like this Web environment is changing, but I am not convinced that the average person will believe it has been done on purpose.
*TELLING ME in the context of the environment that you are paying attention to me may clue me in a little, but if I and my colleagues are any indicator, only about half of what is on a Web page ever gets read.  :-p
*Without reaching out to me in a way that feels truly personal to me, it is going to be difficult to keep me engaged.  I mean, I expect "Top Friend" status, after all!

I have begun to wonder if the mid-term answer is going to be out of the hands of the site owner, and fall more into the hands of the users.  For example, what makes people log into the social networking giants?  Other people - knowing that there might be a comment, or invitation, or message from a real person.   

Who are you going to trust to keep your site going?  (Hopefully it won't be the creepy CollegeClub guys)