Brand Consultant & Coach, Published Business Writer, Brand Author & Speaker, Harpist, Composer, Mom & Wife, Spiritual Student, Educator ... and that's just on Monday. A blog about brand leadership, innovation and anything else I want to write about.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Very Politically Incorrect Statements

It's post Labor Day, and I'm back from the desert. You may say to yourself, "but Alycia, you already live in a desert!" No, I live in the land of strip malls and pavement built upon desert. The real desert is becoming a rarer and rarer commodity these days - not that anyone in urban planning or the state's land trusts really seem to mind.

The truth of it is, I hate the desert. Yes, I was born and raised here. Yes, I spent significant time away in San Francisco, New York and Munich. But I still am not fond of dirt, heat and a bunch of cacti. So why do I willingly putting myself out there in these elements for multiple days on end? For the privilege of connecting with this planet, its elements and Spirit.

Some people go to church every Sunday, I go to the desert and get very intimate with the mud to keep cool in it.

As I drove back in the car with a couple of out-of-state friends (who are equally insane) from spiritually bonding with the high chaparral wilderness , we chatted about the research I'm doing for my upcoming book Brand Avatar - about branding on Second Life, social networking sites, blogs, Twitter, and the realm of the much overused term of "Web 2.0."

She asked, "Don't you think there's a lot of dark stuff on these sites?"

No, she didn't mean dark colors being used in the design templates, she meant "the dark side" - malevolent energy working through the ethers. Juju erring on the side of mal intent.

"Yes," I replied, "but if that's all you're looking for, then that's what you'll find."

[And now comes the politically incorrect statements....]

Everyday I'm working with this thing called with Internet, I see them both: the dark side and the light side. It's absolutely no different than walking in real life - there are good apples and nasty ones. There is kindness, benevolence and and earnest effort to create change for the better and that which is jaded, sarcastic, sucking, depleting, nasty energy. There is that which wants to con, rob, steal, oppress, perpetuate lies and keep people ignorant and enslaved to making change and real choices.

I love technology, I love the Net, and I love the fun and connection that can be made with people instantaneously around the world. It is a real expression of power. The question is how are you using that power?
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