A useful(???) website to help your Christmas shopping this year?

This morning I came across a rather timely new website GiveEmThis which has had me both intrigued & feeling a little uncomfortable at the same time. The site promises to help me work out the perfect gifts for those closest to me with the simple click of a button. For anyone who's feeling time poor at the moment it does seem like the perfect solution doesn't it?

With GiveEmThis, all you have to do to create your gift shopping list is simply select a friend from your facebook list, hit a button and the website analyses said friend's every click, comment, 'like', and piece of personal information to create a list of 'right' suggestions.

I thought it rather important I experiment a little and so began my short stint at stalking...

First off, I was intrigued to see what the perfect gift would be for me - especially useful as I have no idea what I want from Santa this year! I'm sad to say that the 'right' suggestions in my opinion were really all 'wrong' and I'd probably be offended if anyone who really loves me gave me items from the list. And my favourite suggestion - Junket Rennet Tablets - ummmm?? I had to look these up and found they are tablets to make easily digested milk foods. Really makes me wonder what I've been searching and clicking on???

Not overly blown away by the suggestions for me, I thought I'd try my best friend to see if the website was any better at stalking her. At seeing the results I nearly fell off my chair with laughter. The top suggestion was a very lovely book on Celtic Tatting. If you know who my BFF is, you would know how far wrong this would be as a 'perfect' gift... but then again it makes me question - does she have a secret thing for Celtic Tatting and has been hiding it from me?!

You can see how this website can play with your mind!

So as we fast approach Christmas and hit the 1st of December tomorrow, may I suggest that rather than stalking people with the latest technological tools, perhaps simply ask your loved ones what they would like for Christmas? Better yet reflect on what you know about them and think of something creative.

Then again... maybe it's time to just accept that technology and the data know best and simply get those seemingly ridiculous gifts that your friends secretly desire!

Let the count down to Christmas begin...

Now part of a global community of creative thinkers for social good...

After hearing from its founders from international design firm IDEO at the recent ideas festival in Brisbane, I was inspired to join the community of change makers at openIDEO. 

openIDEO is a a place where thinkers from all walks of life can contribute ideas and solutions, thoughts and reflections on a range of issues or challenges.  I'm looking forward to being a part of this great community and learning from thinkers from all over the world.

Do you see yourself as a creative thinker? Whether you're from a design or business background, or something else altogether and simply want to check out what's happening out there, you can read more about openIDEO at the website: http://www.openideo.com/

A worldwide community with a common goal - to contribute ideas and create solutions for a range of global issues.

A pretty cool use of mobile phone technology

Have you ever considered how it would feel to be unable to smile? To not be able to express joy with the simplest facial expression? To essentially become an outcast in your community because of the way you look?

Back when I was in Grade 3 my best friend had a cleft lip which she had been lucky enough to have operated on when she was little. Her scars were her main concern, but to me she was just a pretty girl wanting to fit in with all of the other 'normal' kids.

Memories of my friend immediately came to me when I saw pictures of similarly effected Tanzanians while flying back from Africa to Australia last month. The big difference for people with this condition in Africa is that much of the time they are bullied, sometimes rejected by their parents or worse can die of malnutrition because they can't eat properly.

The inspiring thing to me was that these people, many of whom are young children, are being given a second chance at being part of the community through mobile phone technology. As you may or may not know, Africa has been using mobile technology to provide access to money in lieu of bank accounts since 2008. Essentially a text through money transfer technology can be shown to a wakala (street stall agent) to receive the cash. Perfect for a country like Tanzania that lacks accessible banking infrastructure for the majority of people (who typically earn less than a dollar a day).

And to see now how the design of such a simple system which utilises cheap, accessible mobiles to help patients with fistula (a devastating and isolating childbirth injury) and cleft lips and palates is nothing short of inspiring. An organisation called CCBRT is now using the Vodafone M-PESA technology to quickly transfer money to ambassadors who have identified a patient. This helps get the patient to Dar es Salaam to have an operation and their new life can begin.

Have a look at the CCBRT website to see what else they are up to... http://www.ccbrt.or.tz