The university student who, last fall, lost control of her bodily functions outside of a Halifax club only to discover the moment had been captured and shared with the masses thanks to those handy cell phone cams?

How about the U.S. elementary school teacher now appealing her dismissal after posting what she thought was a private Facebook status comparing her job to that of a prison warden overseeing future criminals?

It’s 2012.  Do you know where you are?

The frightening reality is that you may not know where your image and seemingly private thoughts have been shared, but one thing is for certain: How you conduct yourself in public, and understanding what IS public, has never been more important.

Look around. I mean really look around. In the past six months, I have been in two local shops where the owners have created displays featuring hidden cam shots of suspected shoplifters – one a wall-of-shame collage at the check-out, the other a series of video stills in the storefront.

And it got me to thinking: Maybe a few of those ‘shoplifters’ were not caught stealing. Maybe they were caught looking sketchy. (It happens). And even if you are sketchy, does that mean your image should be served up for public consumption in this way?

A few years ago, someone forwarded me a picture of an obviously drunk girl laying a beating on another girl outside of a local bar. She was dressed for the bar, not for battle, and the angle of the camera left little to the imagination. By the time she was aware that the photo even existed, it had made its way clear across the country with a subject line like, “LOL!!” or something to that effect. She was mortified.

Now, it’s true, she may have brought this on herself by getting into a drunken brawl, but if you check the Facebook sites of some local clubs, you’ll likely see a few albums with photos of woozy looking folks who don’t appear to know they are being photographed, let alone for the purpose of online promotion.

There are some pretty obvious precautions a person can take to avoid becoming a viral punch line (at a minimum, ladies, going out fully dressed and, in general, resigning ourselves to the fact that with mobile devices, there are cameras everywhere). But the best preventative may be to pay closer attention to the protection of our privacy, our online image and what we are revealing on networking sites. And make no mistake: they’re all public.

At least one local media monitoring company offers a program that allows clients to find out exactly what people are saying about their products and services online. Tweet about Joe Blow’s Café and your comment may reach Joe Blow himself – even if your account is secure. In fact, you might as well strike the word ‘secure’ from your vocabulary when it comes to social media and commentary forums.

While you’re at it, you can scrap ‘anonymity’ too. Remember when the Supreme Court ordered a local newspaper to turn over the identities of certain ‘anonymous’ commentators on its website? We often forget that this sort of thing also applies to email; all of our outgoing messages are stored in a database somewhere, and unless the text is encrypted, can later be retrieved or intercepted by someone who has no business reading it.

A few simple tips that can help put your mind at ease include doing a regular inventory of what personal information can be found about you through search engines; outdated and possibly embarrassing profiles, old public forum comments and more may be visible when someone, say a potential employer, conducts a search of your name.

Never sign up for anything, even something as benign as a professional networking site, without reading the terms of service, and always watch out for automated check boxes that could result in your personal information being passed around.

It is scary to think that the byproduct of this high-tech culture is that someone, somewhere may be watching. Understand this, but don’t let it get to you. Paying attention and simply being aware of your surroundings, (whether online or in public) can go a long way in protecting yourself from the nightmare of having personal details become very, very public.

Quite often, Bruce chooses a pump up song for the team. This could happen at any point of the day so you never really know when the low thumping of the bass will rumble through the walls.

Bruce is very musically inclined, a drummer, so usually he chooses something with a good beat that he can tap his fingers along to. Today, however, he chose something a little.. heavier.

Megadeath – Symphony of Destruction

This oddly reminds me of my childhood. Not a whole lot to say about that other than great trips passing through Mt. Thom on our way to Pictou County.

Mary Beth

The first time I arrived at a fatal car crash, before the first responders had time to throw tarps over the blood on the pavement, I was pretty much convinced that the news business was not for me.  I felt sick. But before long, I too was rushing around with my tape recorder, competing for quotable quotes and front page bylines. And as awful situations unfolded, there was often a certain level of excitement that spread through the newsroom.

When I landed an interview with the family of a child who’d been the victim of a highly publicized horrific murder, I was pretty pleased with myself; finally, I thought – a feature with some depth; a piece I can really get in to.

I got into it alright. In the days that followed, I had trouble sleeping.  I would wake up and think about how, with every word they spoke, I could actually hear their agony and disbelief over this unimaginable thing that had happened to them. This was their life. I only hoped I had captured it with some measure of sensitivity.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot over the past few days, as people in my hometown of New Glasgow try to come to terms with the fact that a 19-year-old girl seemingly vanished into thin air outside of a pool hall on Oct.9.  I can tell you that there’s no excitement in area newsrooms; in fact, I’ve been told that there is, instead, an overwhelming sense of dread as they await word from investigators.  This one is just too close to home, in a community where teenage girls don’t simply disappear.

People all over the country are waiting for news.  A happy ending, and if not happy ending, some piece of information that might suggest this kind of thing could never happen to them; to our friends or family members.

Obviously, there is no such reassurance, and maybe that’s why people are transfixed; within days of the disappearance, the story was picked up by media outlets as far away as British Columbia and Ontario. National interest may have come from the fact that this alarming case was unfolding in quiet, predominantly rural Pictou County, but given the relentless attention this story has received on social media sites, blogs and news forums, I believe it is being driven almost entirely by the public via social media.

These real-time forums have allowed people to gain unprecedented control over the news; people are now able to quickly communicate to the media what it is that they want to know about; what they consider important, and perhaps, most interestingly, how they want the information relayed.

In the days following the death of NDP leader Jack Layton, people took to various social media channels to pour out their hearts and, later, to lambast National Post columnist Christy Blatchford for her cynical commentary on the country’s very public grieving and Layton’s final words to Canadians. The majority of us, it seemed, wanted to see Layton’s parting message of hope reflected back in the media’s coverage of his passing.

I am thinking about the swift blacklash to Blatchford’s article tonight as I scroll down a Facebook page dedicated to the missing New Glasgow teen so many want to help.

“I am trying to make sure negative people don’t post anything,” her friend told a reporter, referring to the Facebook wall.  That sentiment has been repeated over and over, in posts from people who are, in many cases, complete strangers but feel as though they are living out this nightmare right along with her family and friends:

“It’s clear the love and support you have around you. Praying for your safe return. Never let your hope fade away.”

Just the other day I was going through a collection on Flickr of old product packaging and after seeing a ton of these classic items, it got me thinking… “I wonder how past and present company logos would look side by side?”

So I present to you a collection of well known company identities in their past and present state. Feel free to share your opinion with me about these historic versus modern logos. Enjoy.

As a long-time frequenter of interior design blogs (and more recently, wedding blogs!) I have seen many a beautiful and inspiring mood board. I love how a collection of things can evoke a feeling, be it excitement, romance, serenity or even hunger.

Being Monday (and days before Impact’s 16th birthday party), I wanted to kick off the week with a fresh collection of Impacty and otherwise nifty things to inspire the team. This is my first go at a mood board – hope it does the trick!

I don’t think there have been many days since I was three-years-old that I don’t think of my grandfather as I’m drinking my morning coffee.

You see, it’s because of my grandfather that I like my morning coffee so much. We lived with my grandparents for awhile when I was very young and like Grampa I was an early morning riser. We would quietly get dressed and meet in the kitchen and make a quick trip to the outhouse. Then off to the woodpile with the wheelbarrow we would go to get the wood to start the stove. Once the stove was going out we went to the well to get water for the kettle. That’s correct – we did not have running water or any other source of heat besides the wood stove.

Grampa would be in the pantry scooping the instant coffee into two cups, one for him and one for me. The kettle has now boiled and in goes the hot water into the two cups and next was the milk. Back then, milk was in glass bottles and they did not buy it from a store, it came from Red John’s cows. Red John lived a few miles down the road.

So now the house is warming up and we each have our coffee. Next to the wood stove was a beautiful rocking chair Grampa bought before I was born. He couldn’t get into that rocking chair fast enough before I was climbing up to sit on his lap. That is where we would drink our coffee together every morning and every morning he would tell me not to tell my mother that I had coffee. I don’t think he thought that three years of age was too young for a morning coffee, but I think perhaps my mother did.

Now on the weekends, when I make my morning coffee and after putting my store bought coffee cream in it, I sit in my rocking chair and reflect back to the days that the rocking chair that I’m sitting in once sat next to the wood stove.

After a decade of working in the design/advertising world, I’ve seen so many work practices change. Instead of printing work out and getting a cycle courier to take it to the client – I send it by email. Instead of sending artwork to a repro house, who made the colour films that allowed a printer to print, I now send the artwork straight to the printer via an ftp site. So many changes to my working life but one very important activity remains unchanged – my scrapbooks.

It’s a terrible addiction that started back in art college. I dread to think how much money I’ve spent on glue sticks and printing over the years. Big black books with thousands of pages full of inspiring photographs torn from newspapers, neat little pieces of design that I tore off a beer bottle or from a magazine, unusual obituaries, and various tickets/stubs/stickers that I’ve collected on my travels. I’ve thumbed through these books so often, I can usually remember which book a certain image is in.

These books (I must have at least 12 of them spread between here and Dublin) are what I turn to when I need inspiration. It’s where I look when an idea I have needs a visual style, or sometimes I find something that triggers a train of thought that can eventually lead me to a solution. Along with pencils and paper, they are my most valued tools for work. If my house were burning down, I’d do my best to rescue them (after any loved ones, passports, bank cards, and cameras were taken care of). People marvel at how I can find the time to fill these books, but it’s quite easy to sit down in the living room and do it while I watch a dvd or listen to a podcast.

I’m well aware of online scrapbooking tools like ffffound and Tumblr. I think they’re a great idea (and a great source for images that I can download and print out in Kinkos!) but I love the idea that I can take a scrapbook anywhere with me and not have to worry about wi-fi connection or slow page loading. I’m sure someday (maybe a few kids down the road), I’ll no longer be able to find the time to stick pictures in a book and maybe then I’ll take the online route, but until that day comes, leave me with my big heavy books and their gluey aromas. So endeth the nerd alert.

It wasn’t one of those impulsive ‘brb’ kind of deactiviations. I got off and stayed off for four years. To me, dodging virtual sheep and untagging 3 a.m. bar shots just didn’t jibe with PR’s assertion that social media was ‘revolutionizing’ the way we communicate.  The hype alone was enough for me, (although to be truthful, the reasons were more personal), but basically, I began to find the amount of time I spent online really, really uncool – not to mention unproductive.

Of course I still used social media to promote events, causes and clients.  From a marketing perspective, I never once questioned the benefit to building a strong social media presence. Afterall, that’s where the people are. But from personal standpoint, I simply lost interest.

“How do you keep up with what’s going on socially?” people  asked.

My response: Email. Text messaging. The phone..and (gasp) actual communication..in person. We keep up with the people we want to keep up with, don’t we?

We want to stay in touch, but how often do we actually pick up the phone and have a meaningful  conversation with an old friend or family member on the other side of the country? Probably not as often as we’d like.

That much I was willing to admit even as I defended my general dislike of social media to Bruce Thompson after joining Impact earlier this year. In the end, however, he had the more persuasive argument in favour of social media.  (Also, he’s my boss..). Gradually, and to the surprise of many, I made my return. Even more surprisingly, I had a complete change of heart. My thoughts so far:

- Twitter is awesome, and is now as much a part of my morning routine as Tim Horton’s (bold statement!); it is one stop shopping for news headlines, celebrity gossip, weekend plans, bargain hunting and inspiring quotations.  The best part is that it’s brief and to the point, forcing everyone to condense their thoughts into 140 characters or less.  (Like!)

- Google+ has about 10 million users now, mainly because it allows you to segment your contacts using social circles – in other words, you get to target your updates accordingly. For this reason, I know people who say it is better than Facebook, but my prediction is that it will never rival the world’s most popular social network. Everyone (upwards of 700 million people ) is already there. Watch for more varied privacy options, but don’t expect Facebook to fade away anytime soon.

- Facebook. We have a tumultuous relationship, but the reality is this:  It takes time to make a phone call or compose an email – time many people do not have.  On the other hand, it takes only seconds to ‘Like’ a status update or post a funny video on someone’s wall to let them know you’re thinking of them.  If that doesn’t make you a fan, a single friend request and reconnect with  someone who has been missing from your life may win you over (that was my experience anyway). The same online detachment that allows some people to post embarrassing photos and awkward status updates (..we’ve all seen them..) also makes it possible for us to reach out to those who, for whatever reason, might leave us lost for words in ‘real life.’

Revolution might be overstating it, but the omnipresence of social media has simplified staying in touch to the point where it has become more than just routine; it is expected. What’s not to ‘Like’ about that?

10. Minnesota Wild

Primary Logo (2000/01 – Present)

Who would ever think to put a landscape within a hockey logo? Well… whoever did, executed the idea extremely well in my opinion. Great use of colour and this logo looks great on the team’s jerseys.

9. Anaheim Ducks

Alternate Logo (2006/07 – Present)

This is Anaheim’s alternate logo, but basically it is just the ‘D’ taken from their primary logo. I feel as though the designers behind it spent all their time on this element and then stuck the rest in last minute. I love this Duck’s foot stamp and personally think it should be their primary logo.

8. Washington Capitals

Alternate Logo (2007/08 – Present)

This logo is a great example of how to use negative space. The illustration of the bird is fantastic and the addition of the hidden white house structure brings it to a whole new level. This should really be the team’s primary logo.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning

Primary Logo (2011/12 – Present)

Tampa Bay never had any luck finding a perfect typeface for their brand; they have, however, managed to find some horrible ones. That said, with this very recent rebrand, they dropped the lettering all together and went with a simple one-colour rendition of the lightning bolt. I love it. The possible uses for this mark are endless. This logo grows on me everyday.

6. Boston Bruins

Primary Logo (2007/08 – Present)

The gold and black ‘B’ is a very strong logo that carries with it a vast history. This version of the logo was created in 2007 but the Bruins have used a similar logo since 1934. Great design is what makes this logo amazing and all of its alternates look incredible on those black and gold jerseys.

5. Montreal Canadiens

Primary Logo (1956/57 – Present)

This is the most historic logo in sports history, to go along with the most historic team in sports history. The ‘C’ and ‘H’ which stand for ‘Club de hockey Canadien’, carry behind them an immeasurable record of championships, players and people.

4. New Jersey Devils

Primary Logo (1992/93 – Present)

Can’t say anything bad about this logo. A great typographic ligature made by combining the N and J of ‘New Jersey, then adding the devil’s horns and tail to complete the combination perfectly. I’m a fan of the logo, but not the team!

3. Edmonton Oilers

Primary Logo (2010/11 – Present)

The Edmonton Oilers primary logo is very recognizable and was once worn regularly by one of the greatest players in history. It contains awesome typography and great use of colour. I enjoy the simplicity of this logo.

2. Hartford Whalers

Primary Logo (1979/80 – 1991/92)

This is probably the most well designed sports logo around. It contains perfect use of negative space and object placement to accomplish a ‘W’, an ‘H’ and a whale’s tail. It also contains great symmetry and colour.

1. Detroit Red Wings

Primary Logo (1948/49 – Present)

This is one of the most recognizable logos in sports. A strong tie to Detroit’s culture and the use of only one colour to create a winged wheel is incredible! Something about it just continues to amaze me.

What I wish someone had said to me on my first day of University:

Let me start off by saying hello. This is my first blog post for ‘The Fresh Press’ and I must say, I’m very happy to be here. Here as in writing for this blog, here as in working at such an exciting place and well, here in general. The notion of ‘live life to the fullest,’ ‘seize the day’ and ‘live every moment as if it were your last’ has always resonated with me, because living any other way seems counter-productive to the grand scheme of this thing we do every single day: life.

On this daily journey we encounter many different obstacles, big and small, that shape who we are as individuals. We choose paths that steer us (hopefully) towards achieving our lifetime goals. The best part about this is that we get to decide every step, every move and ultimately our own, unique place in the world.

People accomplish this in many different ways. Music, art, personal style, you name it. But the key word here is most definitely: different. While I do believe society as a whole is getting better at accepting differences, we are no where near equality clear across the board.

For me, one major part of my life that makes me feel unique and not factory made are my tattoos. I have seven of them. Yes, seven. They’re not overly big and I’m not going to get into where they are , but at least five are visible to passers-by. They all have a specific meaning to me and that’s the most important part. They’re mine and only mine. I get to look at each one, every single day, and smile knowing exactly why I got them. The meanings range from memorial and family oriented to nerdy just plain silly. But so what? Who cares? Well, here’s the sticky part. People care. More specifically, employers care. And they’re the ones paying the bills, right?

By profession, we are Public Relations People, and as much as none of us want to admit it, appearance matters. We are often coined as ‘the face of the company,’ and if we don’t fit in with their specific look/feel then we aren’t accepted to be that person. Unfortunately, we are still stuck in a time where uniqueness can considerably hurt you in a situation like this. At least for now.

Now for my two-cents. Why would you want to work in a place or situation where your uniqueness is an issue? Where your employer, your colleagues, and people you spend roughly a third of your life with don’t accept or appreciate who you want to be as an individual. You have decided every move, with or without help from influencers, up until this very point. It’s all been done with one thing in mind: I will find my place. There will always be roadblocks and hurdles to overcome but those too are things that shape you into being the most amazing you that you can be.

Whether it’s an out of the ordinary haircut, a facial piercing, a spur of the moment trip across the world or a tattoo, regret nothing because at one time it’s exactly what you wanted.

Take chances, practice happiness and stay true.

Best,

Mary Beth