Digital Dilemma, Digital Photos

Making Photo Memories

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On my iPad, I recently reacquainted myself with the “For You” feature. The Photo app automatically creates curated memories. The memories are based on a combination of dates, locations, and identified people. Each memory is like watching a mini slide show of a particular event, person, or time period (e.g., 2021).

Each time I opened Photos, the memories displayed, by default. Naturally, I selected one to watch. Then another and another. In some the music is bad. In others, I couldn’t quite figure out how or why certain photos were selected over others in a collection. However, watching these memories, I marveled at how easy it made photo organization seem. Admittedly, this is something I struggle to keep under control, probably like most people.

I create and receive volumes of photos. Sometimes I don’t have time to go through them all. Other times, it’s difficult to decide which ones to keep or delete. Before my photo collection grew to unmanageable proportions, I enjoyed making photo albums. It’s a time consuming activity, but one I find rewarding. However, this feature made me question if the auto-created memories could be just as good as ones I would create myself.

The answer to that is no, but they offer a good starting point. They also provide a new way to review my photos. Each memory can be edited and customized. There is also an option to create new memories from scratch. In reviewing past posts, I noticed I felt very differently about this feature four years ago. I blogged about it in “Memories For You or Just Another Invasion of Privacy.” Looking back at my previous blog, I wondered, what changed?

I’m more comfortable with some automated organizing now that I can see it’s useful. The improved facial recognition makes it easy to identify key people. Like most people, I’m busy and inundated with photos. Having an app produce something useful that I like is appealing. Even better if it does it automatically, or it can be customized. The “For You” feature is a much better way to organize photos than by date.

I’ll still create my own photo albums. I love having them, even though they are a lot of work. But I also find I’m not as offended by the “For You” option as I had been initially. Who knows, it might even surprise me with some good memories.

Digital Dilemma

Navigating In-Person Meetings, Post-Pandemic

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Right before wave six of the pandemic started to crest, all of the restrictions were lifted. This also included my office requiring us to go back to the office two days per week. Along with adjusting to commuting, packed lunches, and wearing work clothes, comes in-person meetings.

For almost a year I’ve grown used to the pros and cons of virtual meetings. One of my big challenges with off-camera virtual meetings is you can’t tell what anyone is thinking or doing. I recently facilitated a virtual meeting with about 10 attendees. It was a live demonstration of a process. If this had been in person I could have read body language and made eye contact. It would have been easier to determine if people were following along. Maybe even more people would have been following along. Point being, it’s almost impossible to tell when all I see is a row of colored circles with initials and muted microphones.

However, the flip side of this is reading body language and making eye contact. Admittedly, this is something with which I need practice. I haven’t attended an in-person meeting in over two years. In that time, I also haven’t attended a lot of gatherings, social events, or even casual meet ups with friends for lunch or drinks. My non-verbal skills are weak and lacking.

Our office tried to open in November, but ultimately closed again because of Omicron. I remember last fall feeling some trepidation about navigating meetings. However, back then, we were still required to mask in meeting rooms. I also anticipated most meetings would still be hybrids, much like now, so counted on being able to attend from the semi-privacy of my cubicle.

This time feels different, as though we’re opening for real, even though wave six is still raging. We can remove masks in meeting rooms, if distancing is possible. Though we still need to wear them in common areas. Sooner or later, I’ll have to attend a meeting in person, without a mask. I’m sure it will feel awkward at first. I won’t be able to roll my eyes freely. Or quietly munch on a snack with the microphone muted. However, as we re-adjust to our post-pandemic normal, I suppose this will just be one more thing we need to navigate. Or re-acquaint ourselves with.

Digital Dilemma, Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning: Facing Information Gluttony

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I often wonder when people hear the phrase “spring cleaning,” if they also consider their electronic clutter. My spring cleaning cues are almost always based in the physical world. Notably when the strong sunshine streams through the windows illuminating dust. It’s also likely that opening windows in spring contributes to the dust, but maybe that’s part of the process, too.

It’s likely a combination of factors in spring that motivate a cleaning urge. Perhaps it’s the nicer weather or longer days. This may give people that much needed boost of energy to tackle the cleaning. Or perhaps it’s more psychological that a good, thorough cleaning feels good after being inside during the winter months. I suppose it’s symbolic of a fresh start. Or yet, for others it may be the changing seasons prompt a routine of switching out clothes, refreshing things, replacing the battery in the smoke detector, etc.

Whatever the reason, spring cleaning is part of our culture. However, it doesn’t seem to impact our digital world in quite the same way. Perhaps this is because we don’t see dust accumulating on our digital hoards. And we never struggle to shut that digital closet since it’s so easy and cheap to buy more (virtual) space.

We have access to more information than ever.  The reduced cost of digital storage and having everything available in digital formats has changed the dynamic. Confronting us is an abundance of digital “stuff” that amounts to more than hoarding. It’s crossed beyond overload and is pure gluttony.

When we only dealt with physical items, we could never save everything.

  1. Physical items take up space, which many of us don’t have in limitless supply.
  2. The time investment needed to organize, store, and maintain everything would be enormous. So we routinely get rid of it.
  3. Sometimes physical items get destroyed, used up, or fall apart. This makes makes the decision to part with them easy and necessary.

However, confronted with our gluttony of digital assets, it’s a different landscape and a new kind of problem. The task of maintaining and managing it is too overwhelming. It leaves us greedy for more without good solutions in place to control our excessive indulgence for information.

Digital overload is real. Spring cleaning for it is not sufficient as too much will accumulate in a year. My proposal is to focus on the strategic save. Purge the rest. Routinely.

Human Archives

Spring Ahead

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Admittedly, I’m a bit of a spring enthusiast. Each year, when the wind changes from a piercing stab to a gentle caress, I hang up my winter coat. From that point on, I refuse to put it on again. If the temperature drops a bit, I add a layer. I remain stubborn about this, even when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

This past weekend, the weather was unseasonably cold. The temperature dropped below freezing. The wind turned bitter and piercing. We had snow! Sunday I went for a walk. I was wearing a long-sleeve shirt, a thermal shirt, a down vest, and my heavy leather coat. In addition, I also wore a hat, gloves, and wool socks. I felt cold! A few times during the walk I wished I had reneged on my stubbornly held view that the winter coat stays retired until next winter.

I mentioned this to a couple of friends, both of whom dislike winter. They both told me they keep their winter gear out until they’re sure. For one friend, this means May! With all the crazy weather changes, I could almost justify the rationale. Personally, I’d already packed up and then unpacked the winter boots two times since February. Each time I felt certain I was done with my chunky, sturdy winter boots, only to drag them out again and again for surprise weather events. Ugh.

However, as I hunched into my layers, gloved hands in pockets to stay warm, attempting to enjoy the walk, I was reminded of something special. I glanced up, exposing my tender face to the penetrating wind and saw buds on the tree branches. A sure sign that the arrival of spring is in full force. The sudden frost and drop in temperature probably killed some plants. Yet, many survived and continue to grow and develop.

I took comfort in that sign as I scurried home to warm up with some hot cocoa. The perfect end to a snowy, cold, windy walk, anytime of the year.

Digital Dilemma, Productivity

The Future of Email

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A few years ago, or maybe even closer to ten, my profession was buzzing with the end of email. Around this time messaging on social media, or other alternatives, was gaining popularity. I recall one colleague telling me that he would love to give up email and only use Twitter. The catch for him was that not everyone used Twitter, or not enough people used it.

The seduction and ease of email is that it’s universal. Regardless of which browser or type of email account used, they’re all compatible with each other. Unlike my colleague, email is usually a first choice for communication precisely because everybody has it. I imagine my twitter-loving colleague often made tough decisions because not everyone used Twitter. Or he ended up with a lot of hybrid messaging in email and Twitter. Or just reverting back to email because everybody uses it.

Another selling point of email is that it’s reliable. A lot of companies rely on email for communication and sharing information. Even at my job, I’m always amazed at how many important kernels of information and key decisions get buried in emails. Even though I can find things, it seems inefficient to be hunting through emails for essential information. It takes a lot of effort and thread scrolling to find what I need sometimes.

Although email has a lot of compelling reasons to use it, that doesn’t mean we should be using it for everything. Over time, as more types of information started to be shared, email became the starting point. For example, lots of people still share photos as email attachments even though better, easier, and more secure options exist. However, the effort to change to one of those options, or have the new option work for everyone, creates barriers. I know there are better ways for me to share the occasional photo with my friends and family. But email is the fastest and easiest. I know it will work and I don’t have to explain it to anyone. Or train someone on how to use something new. Or require someone to download a new app, or create a new login.

I’m not sure we’ll ever get away from using email. However, we can definitely be a lot more effective managing it. We can also be more selective with how we use it.

Digital Dilemma

The Future of Shopping: Constant Surveillance

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Last week I blogged about an Amazon technology called “Just Walk Out.”

Essentially, the technology charges consumers for their purchases when they leave the store. No cashiers or long line ups. No monetary transactions of any kind. It’s a seamless experience.

Except…the experience of having cameras and sensors track, monitor, and record every movement in a grocery store seems creepy. Do I really want something to know this much about my grocery store shopping habits? I realize a certain amount about my shopping habits is already being tracked, analyzed, and monetized from credit card transactions.

Even so, the “Just Walk Out” technology takes it to a new level. It has to in order to be effective in charging people for what they actually take when they leave the store. But do I really want a report of how long I spent shopping? Or how many things I put in my virtual cart and returned to the shelf before leaving? Or how long I spent considering a certain item? Is this useful information?

To me, it likely isn’t very useful. However, to the company it’s probably a gold mine of information. Within a short period of time I’m sure stores utilizing the “Just Walk Out” technology will have all kinds of new insights on their customers. In the long run, will this improve my shopping experience? Or just make it one more opportunity to inundate me with too many ads and tempting offers?

Maybe the problem is me, that I’m too old-fashioned about grocery shopping. For example, I tried hard to appreciate online grocery shopping during the pandemic. I thought it would be a great time saver and a huge convenience. Instead, finding the things I wanted to buy online took longer than actually going to the store. This was a direct result of poor search options for many online grocery stores. I also found the accuracy was lacking. It seemed there was always something off about my order. Either I had things I never ordered or I was missing items. Or sometimes I ended up with these bizarre substitutions.

For me, online grocery shopping was not hugely successful. I’ll reserve judgement about using “Just Walk Out” until I get an opportunity to try it. Creepiness aside, being able to shop and avoid lining up to pay sounds like a real convenience and a time saver.