CAUTION: This post contains a word that many people find offensive. Because the point of this post is to examine society’s contradictory and confusing attitudes toward the word, I’ve decided to use the word—and to warn you that you will see the word throughout the post.

It’s the “n” word. Nigger. The abbreviated version appears in most recent news articles about a decision by a publishing company to reissue two Mark Twain literary classics and to replace every instance of “nigger” with “slave.”

This Publishers Weekly Online news article uses the word nigger and explains why Mark Twain scholar Alan Gribben and NewSouth Books plan to combine versions of “Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” in a volume that replaces the “n” word with the word “slave.”

The announcement already is causing debate among purists who decry changing Mark Twain’s writing, and “social purists” who find the word nigger offensive. According to the Publishers Weekly article, some teachers want to include Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in their classes, but are concerned about offending students and parents because of the “n” word.

I’ve rarely used the word nigger as a racial epithet—I WANT to say that I’ve never used it that way, but I probably have, at some point in my life. My current view of it was molded in the early 1980s while watching the movie, “Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip.” Until then, I had laughed and laughed at Pryor’s comedy–which had included a seemingly endless supply of expletives and epithets, including “nigger.”

But I was deeply moved as Pryor talked about a trip he took to Africa in 1979. He said that he was changed after seeing millions of Africans, any of whom could have been his relative or neighbor if it had been in the United States, living as “regular people.” They weren’t “niggers”; they were people, he said. Pryor swore he would never again use the word “nigger” in his stand-up comedy routines, and I also vowed that day never to use the word as a racial epithet.

But that doesn’t mean that I, or you for that matter, should be conflicted or contradictory over whether the word should remain in our literature, music, or everyday conversations.

An interesting point that I learned while researching this post. In 1998, Pryor won the first Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Wikipedia quotes former Kennedy Center President Lawrence J. Wilker as saying:

“ Richard Pryor was selected as the first recipient of the new Mark Twain Prize because as a stand-up comic, writer, and actor, he struck a chord, and a nerve, with America, forcing it to look at large social questions of race and the more tragicomic aspects of the human condition. Though uncompromising in his wit, Pryor, like Twain, projects a generosity of spirit that unites us. They were both trenchant social critics who spoke the truth, however outrageous.

Pryor forced us to look at the social question of race. Twain forced us to look at the social question of race.

What about rappers?

It’s not my favorite music genre—by a long shot. But I have a teenaged son who has fought for years to be able to load explicit rap songs on his iPod. It used to only take one utterance of the word nigger on a song for me to make him delete the song, or at least stop playing it in my presence. But what I prevented when he was 15 is not as easy to avoid now that he is 17. Anyway, I think he gets perverse satisfaction out of making his dad squirm. I know that I did when I was his age.

I know a guy who has recorded rap songs. I downloaded his latest project onto my iPod and gave it a listen. Along with the usual themes of sex, violence and drugs, the lyrics were coated with liberal doses of the word nigger. I wondered why a black artist would want to use this derogatory word…so I asked him.

I probably sounded like the 50-something white suburbanite that I’ve become:

I don’t understand something, and I want your honest opinion.

I read today that a book publisher is changing Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, to replace the “n-word”—as they call it—with the word, “slave.” Why don’t you and other rappers consider the word offensive, and something not to avoid in songs and conversation?

I'm 1/2 Irish, 1/2 German. I don't call myself a "Mick Kraut" (or McKraut). Perpetuating the 'n' word doesn't remove the sting, does it?

When he didn’t respond immediately, I started to worry that I had breeched some secret racial social barrier that was supposed to keep us from talking about this sensitive topic. Keep white people from understanding some deep pain—or its antidote—that is only shared among black people.

It turned out that he was only waiting for break time to respond. Silly me!

Good question,

As far as changing the book I would have to disagree, the N word is as much a part of our culture as the book…

Hip hop is a form of art and expression there for there are no boundaries… when I was a kid my grandpa and uncles would use that word as a term of endearment like “yea son this willy right here… he my N-word” so I wasn’t raised on the word being bad, only if u use it in a offensive or challenging way dose the word become a problem for most people…

And its funny but the “ER” rule is always in effect, what that means is “it’s not what u say its how u say it.” Like my BFF would say “im a ni##a not a ni##er lol

“Nigger,” “Nigga,” “Slave.”

Words have their specific meanings, and a remarkable author like Samuel Clemens (a.k.a., Mark Twain) knew the subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle differences.

What was good enough for Mark Twain is good enough for me. If my teenaged son can hear a rapper singing about his “nigga posse,” my son should be able to read the word “nigger” in “Huck Finn” and “Tom Sawyer.” I don’t want to offend people, and if anyone in my son’s class would object to the word, use it as a way to link the past with the present. Talk about what it meant to be a “nigger” in the late 1800s. Talk about why people think it’s acceptable or not acceptable to use the word today. That would be educational.

I believe that Mark Twain, if he were still alive, probably would be heartened that we understood what he was trying to say…and to some degree, what he was trying to stop.

Networking during the holidays Tip #3: Get past it!

This is a construction barrier, used to deter people from moving into a construction area. Its intent is to increase safety at the work site. We’re not meant to get over it, or around it.

This is a high hurdle, similar in shape to the construction banner. Its intent is to increase difficulty during a cross-country meet. We’re meant to get over it, but not around it.

This is a communicator who has become frozen at a networking event, unsure of what to do. My final tip for networking during the holidays is to get over whatever fears, doubts, and/or anxieties are keeping you from getting started. I’m going to share some ideas for getting around those fears, doubts and anxieties.

These barriers are limiting your opportunities to enhance your professional contacts and to increase your opportunities to advance your career. How do you overcome your personal barriers?

1. Recognize your barriers.
You can start with this good article on WikiHow, “How to Overcome Shyness.” It provides advice and tips on how to recognize and overcome shyness in social situations.

2. Make a decision to proactively work on your networking skills.
We often need the accountability and “realness” of concrete goals before we take action to change for the better. That’s true in the resolutions we make at this time of year, the decisions we make in our personal lives, and the planning we undertake to advance our careers. You won’t move forward unless you make a conscious decision to do so. So do it right now!

3. Put yourself in networking situations, and then network, network, network, baby!
Check out local organizations to find networking events. Some events are open to anyone, others are member-only. For example, IABC/Chicago recently held a great networking event that included a presentation on effective networking.

Here are a couple of other resources to help you improve your networking skills:

Barbara Gibson’s Power Networking Tips Former IABC Chair Barbara Gibson is a social media and networking champion, and this tip-sheet offers some practical ideas.

How to Network Effectively This post on eHow contains useful tips for you, as well.

The increasing use of social media is allowing us to make connections in new and wonderful ways. Just remember that networking–in whatever ways you do it–can improve your personal and professional lives. Don’t let the holidays end without making a commitment to putting yourself out there–and get ready to leap over (or move around) those barriers that have stopped you before.

One of my many responsibilities at VW Credit, Inc.’s Chicago Service Center is to place awards, customer letters and other similar items in a display case located in the main hall of our call center/operations office. It’s nice for employees and visitors to see the various ways that our company and its employees have been honored for achievements and thanked for charitable donations.

Today I had to explain why I wanted to remove some older items from the display case. Our facilities head was aghast. “What do you want to do with the stuff you take out of the display…toss it?” he asked. I thought he was going to have an episode when I replied that that was exactly what I planned to do.

“We should keep it to show people,” he said. “Don’t throw it away, give it to me and I’ll find a place to store it.” Awash in the holiday spirit, I agreed to pass along any awards that I remove in the future from the display case.

Don’t tell him that I already had tossed an award from a charity that acknowledged our donation in 2002. That award was proudly presented to “Volkswagon Credit Union,” which misspelled “Volkswagen” and mistakenly called us a credit union.

Does your company store its outdated awards, plaques and mounted correspondence, or dispose of it after an appropriate amount of time?

I used to think that it was clever to convert a telephone number into a word, using the letters on a telephone keypad. “What a great way to make a phone number easy to remember,” I thought back then.

But technology (actual mobile phone design) has changed all that, and companies that use words, rather than numbers, in their advertisements are showing that they are out-of-touch. And that’s exactly the effect that they are having with their device-dependent customers.

It actually is annoying to have to hunt-and-peck on a telephone when all you have to go on is the “secret word.” That’s why I told my church’s marketing team years ago that it was fine to list the phone number for Joy Lutheran Church as 1-847-362-4JOY, but that they should include the final four numbers in parentheses (1-847-362-4569).

What back then was annoying, today is harmful to potential sales and customer satisfaction. That’s because the correlation between letters and numbers on mobile phone keypads is no longer standard.

Here’s an example. I wanted to call OfficeMax regarding its MaxPerks(r) reward program. The only phone number listed in the MaxPerks brochure is 877.OFFICEMAX. The first thing I noticed is that OFFICEMAX is nine letters, and U.S. telephone numbers (minus the area code) are seven digits. So OfficeMax has tacked on two letters that are meaningless–and confusing–to a customer trying to dial.

The adventure continues, depending on the customer’s mobile phone. Here is a keypad similar to the one on my Nokia phone.

See how each number 0-9 is assigned to just one letter? That is not the way that old-time landline telephone keypads are designed. But more and more people are opting away from landlines, and using their mobile phones exclusively.

So when I tried to dial 1.877.OFFICEMAX, I experienced this:

• The letter O--no corresponding number
• The letter F--the number 4
• The letter I--no corresponding number
• The letter C--no corresponding number
• The letter E--no corresponding number
• The letter M--the number 0
• The letter A--no corresponding number
• The letter X--no corresponding number

Without the actual digits shared in the OfficeMax brochure, I was totally unable to call them. Frustrating! Would that be the case for my Blackberry friends? Oh yes!

However, their numbers 0-9 are assigned to different letters than on my Nokia, so the picture is even more muddled. Imagine a Nokia user trying to share a “decoded” number with his colleague using a Blackberry. They’ll never get the number right!

Ok, since so many creative types adore all things Apple, surely the iPhone designers anticipated this issue and made an app for it. Not really:



In fact, I’d say that iPhone users really have no chance, because their phone’s keypad makes no attempt to correlate numbers with letters. Perhaps it’s for the best, right?

If you work in advertising, marketing or sales, point your communicators to this post. It will save your customers much frustration, and prevent you from having a real “hang-up” with customer satisfaction.




















Tip #2: Remember your place, and circulate past it.

The above photograph was taken in 1998 or 1999. It’s a photo of executive administrative assistants from Fort James Corporation enjoying a holiday meal at the Forge Club in Vernon Hills, Ill. That’s me on the left–the only male in the group.

At that time, that’s what I was: An administrative assistant at Fort James Corporation, a global consumer products company. I’m telling you this so that you understand that my Tip #2 is based on my experiences on both sides of the management divide. It’s directed primarily at managers, but definitely does have application for “front-line” employees.

Just a few years prior to when this photo was taken, I supervised a group of administrative assistants within the Management Services Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. My later role just before joining Fort James was manager of a small team that provided document production and other communication services to consultants and staff at a Chicago-based consulting firm for the healthcare industry.

I thought I understood how to navigate between the worlds of administrative assistants and front-line employers on one side and “upper management” on the other. I’ve held positions that provided me access to all levels of the organizations for which I worked, and I thought I knew how to “act” with everyone in the organizations.

But somewhere along the line, I forgot what it’s like to be on the bottom of the corporate food chain…until I accepted the executive administrative position at Fort James.

That move occurred a short time after I decided to quit my manager job at the Chicago-area consulting company. I had been working 10 to 12-hour days, seven days a week for several weeks, and for many reasons, had had enough. Although (maybe surprisingly) my wife supported my decision to quit–she knew how the job was affecting me–it was scary to leave a job without having the next one lined up.

To jump-start my job search (I wasn’t a member of IABC at that time, so I couldn’t use its job board), I went to Manpower to apply for communication positions. My thinking was that accepting a temporary position within a company would give the employer a chance to see my value, and me a chance to avoid another bad employment situation.

The phone was ringing when I returned from the meeting with a Manpower recruiter. She was excited as she told me that I would be perfect for a position with a Fortune 250 company that was relocating its headquarters to the Chicago area. The starting salary, if they brought me on full-time, would be exactly the same as the salary I had made at the Federal Reserve. A step backward from the salary I had earned at the consulting firm, but no doubt a better deal on a work/life balance basis, I thought. The situation sounded great…until she told me the position: Executive Administrative Assistant to the Senior Vice President/Controller.

“Administrative assistant,” I remember almost stammering into the phone. “B-but I’ve MANAGED admins in my past jobs.” I ended the call with a promise to consider the offer. The conversation that followed with my wife was very difficult and humbling. This job would provide a decent salary at a company that was doing well. I could prove myself in full view of the company’s top executives, and work toward moving into a more suitable communication role after paying some dues.

On the other hand, it could be a career-ender, with me painted into a professional corner that would keep me from getting back onto the successful career path I had been traveling along.

I’ll talk more about what happened at another time. To bring this back to the original point of this post, I interacted with people from all levels of Fort James. At times, I could clearly see that someone was looking at me as a lowly admin, and sometimes would seem perturbed when I would assert myself based on my overall experience and skills.

Even in my current position, I’ve worked with a couple of management-level people who clearly wanted to limit their interactions with me and others “below them” according to our internal band levels. This kind of “superior attitude” isn’t directed solely at administrative assistants!

The point I’m making is that, during this holiday season and in the year to come, when you have an opportunity to gather socially with coworkers, don’t blow it off if they are either above or below your pay grade. It’s valuable and important for connections to be made throughout the organization, and people on the “front line” do like to rub elbows on occasion with their managers and other leaders.

Circulate within your organization, and circulate “good will” to all employees.

Every year at this time, I hear from people who, because of the holidays, feel the urge to connect with me and others in their lives. Sometimes we haven't communicated in months; sometimes it's been years.

I hope that you feel that urge to connect with other communication professionals, and that you register for tomorrow's Holiday Networking Reception at Maggiano’s in Chicago. (For the sake of transparency, I have to admit that I have a conflict and won't be there.)

Networking is one of the benefits of your IABC membership, and this session will provide some practical advice from Matt West, Vice President, Insidedge, as well as the opportunity to dust off your networking skills. If you are a newer IABC member, or a more "seasoned" member who hasn't been active in a while, this is a great event to attend. Register here.

Nearly a decade ago, I learned the importance of maintaining a professional network. I was downsized when the declining economy dried up revenue and forced employers to cut staff. Sound familiar? The same thing happened only a couple of years ago, and this nation still has a large unemployed pool of workers.

Back in 2001, I wasn't active in IABC or any other professional organization. I figured that with my experience and skillset, I could find a good job fairly easily, all on my own. Sound familiar? I hope not!

I quickly formed a job search and support group with other unemployed members of my local church. Three weeks after being let go, I was talking with that group in a coffee shop when one of the other members interrupted me, exclaiming, "Someone just flew a plane into the World Trade Tower." I remember my response, "That is sad, but we can't do anything for that pilot now…we have to get jobs!"

It was Sept. 11, 2001.

The nation shut down in large part that day, and for the next several months was not in a hiring pattern. I went through the next 2 1/2 years either collecting unemployment or working temporary jobs for about $15 per hour. I tried to start a one-person communication company, but struggled mightily.

In 2004, a form of networking gave me some hope. My pastor asked me to speak during worship one Sunday about how congregation members had supported my family financially, emotionally and spiritually during our struggles. After one of the services, a man walked up to me, handed me his card, and said that he was looking for a communication professional. I got an interview, and eventually, the position.

One of the FIRST things I did with my first paycheck was to rejoin IABC. I later went through the IABC Accreditation program to become a certified Accredited Business Communicator (ABC). Since then, I've been strengthening my professional network at every available opportunity. I've spoken at communication conferences and meetings to build my professional resume and credibility.

I hope that you see the value of networking, and will take action today to strengthen your professional network.

(Cross-posted on the IABC/Chicago website)

It’s time for me to brush up on networking tips. Not the ones that Matt West, Vice President, Insidedge, will share on Dec. 15 at an IABC/Chicago Networking event.

I need to remember the very practical tips that are burned into my brain because of the painful experiences of life. For example, Tip #1:

Never get drunk at a company function.

Tonight my wife and I are attending the VW Credit, Inc. Chicago Service Center holiday party. It’ll be a nice few hours spent with people I work with, a good meal and the chance to win some nice door prizes.

I’ll be drinking pop or nonalcoholic beer, as I follow my personal Tip #1. I learned that lesson back in 1983, as an editorial assistant at Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS).

Back in those days, before organizations like MADD educated us on the legal, emotional and life-threatening repercussions of drunk driving, companies actually PAID for the drinks at holiday parties. We employees would only decide whether to throw a dollar or two into the bartender’s tip jar.

But I had heard that if you gave the bartender a big tip right away, you would benefit from attentive service and strong drinks. So when I ordered my first gin martini of the evening, I slapped down a $5 bill, and told the bartender to keep it.

The first martini led to several more, and as my alcohol level rose, so did my tips. I remember a friend trying to stop me from stuffing a $20 bill into the jar of my “best new friend,” the bartender.

I can’t say that I remember much more of the evening. But here is a photo of me twirling around the dance floor with one of the middle-level SRDS managers.

Not coincidentally, my career at SRDS began to wane after that party. So like I said, tonight I’ll be sober and safe in my job. Some free advice for you communicators just entering the field.

I’m driving downtown this morning to participate in the first “Gift of Communication” event offered by the Chicago Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.

IABC/Chicago members will use our experience and skills to make a difference in the Chicago metropolitan area. We’re joining IABC chapters throughout the world in offering the “Gift of Communication” program sometime this year.

The “Gift of Communication” program connects IABC chapter members with local not-for-profit social service agencies that need communications counsel and tactical support, and that don’t have resources to address those needs by themselves.

The IABC/Chicago “Gift” program is being led by long-time IABC member, Greg Gordon, senior vice president, research and strategy at L.C. Williams & Associates LLC.

We’ve teamed with United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, which has linked us with six local not-for-profit organizations.

During the “Gift” session, members will spend two hours working in small groups with agency representatives, providing communication advice and support.

The six agencies that we will support include:

1. Cambodian Association of Illinois (www.cambodian-association.org)

Mission: Cambodian Association of Illinois enables refugees and immigrants from Cambodia residing in Illinois, especially those in metropolitan Chicago, to become self-sufficient, productive participants in American society while preserving and enhancing their cultural heritage and community.

2. Chinese Mutual Aid Association (www.chinesemutualaid.org)

Mission: Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA) is a community-based social services agency. Our mission is to serve the needs, promote the interests, and enhance the well-being of Chinese and other immigrants and refugees in the Chicagoland area, and to foster their participation in and assimilation into American society.

3. Organization of the North East (ONE) (www.onechicago.org)

Mission: ONE is a mixed-income, multi-ethnic, intergenerational organization of institutions that unites our diverse community. Our mission is to build power and develop leadership so that the community can address critical human rights issues that improve our common life.

4. Corazon Community Services (www.corazoncs.org)

Mission: Corazón Community Services mission is to improve the quality of life for children, youth and families through holistic social services offered in a culturally sensitive environment.

5. El Hogar del Nino (www.elhogardelnino.org)

Mission: The agency’s primary mission is to provide and demonstrate comprehensive bilingual/bicultural early childhood development programs for infants, preschool, school-age children and their families. El Hogar seeks to meet the needs of the entire family so that children can develop in environments that are culturally, emotionally, psychologically, socially, and financially strong.

6. YMEN (Young Men’s Educational Network) (www.ymenchicago.com)

Our mission is to prepare young men in the North Lawndale community for mature, responsible leadership, love for learning, and outstanding service to the larger community through a comprehensive college preparatory program, entrepreneurial training, a long-term mentoring network, and community service learning.
YMEN strongly believes that developing life-long relationships with our students will offset the negative external pressures they face in school and on the streets.

This relationship includes:
• Mentoring from positive community role models,
• Encouraging guidance and support from YMEN staff,
• Tracking grades and working with school counselors,
• Communicating frequently with the child’s parents,
• Visiting colleges and universities nationwide, and
• Tutoring in all academic subjects.

The “Gift” program was originally developed by IABC’s Maritime Canada chapter, which has been running it successfully for nine years. IABC’s Golden Horseshoe chapter has participated in the “Gift” program for five years. Both consider it a huge success — and have made it an annual tradition.

Former Chicago Cubs third baseman and broadcaster Ron Santo died yesterday. While it might be more common to write, “a piece of me died with him,” the truth is that a piece of my heart revived, thanks to Santo.

At least the piece of my heart that had hardened to baseball in general, and the Chicago Cubs in particular.

Yesterday evening, before I heard the news of Santo’s death, I was driving my 17-year-old son home from his wrestling practice. The radio was tuned to a football station, and Kevin commented that he’s lost interest in the sport of football. He thought that was weird, because he had played football from the age of 8 through the end of his freshman year of high school. “I think it’s boring now,” he said.

I replied that I could relate, because the same feelings occurred in me several years ago regarding baseball. I told him that after too many years of having my heart broken by the Chicago Cubs, I made up my mind to forget about baseball. Once I did that, and began to watch football, baseball seemed plodding, dull and uninspiring.

Quite a change from the days when I first watched the sport…and players including Santo. I turned 11 years old in August 1969, the month and year when Santo and his fellow Cubs blew an eight-game lead and lost a chance to reach the World Series.

In the months before the collapse, I spent countless hours watching Cubs games on television, or listening to them on the radio, as I suntanned in my backyard. I got a terrific tan that summer–along with a painful lesson in the emotional danger of giving my heart to the Cubs.

But it was almost impossible for me NOT to love them. Santo was one of my favorites, as he seemed to vacuum hard-hit baseballs into his glove and produce clutch hit after clutch hit. When the Cubs won each game that year, we waited for the WGN-TV camera to zoom in on Santo’s feet. As he headed to the clubhouse, Santo would make a little hop and click his heels. That heel clicking started as a spontaneous outward manifestation of Santo’s inner enthusiasm. It soon became an expected part of the Cubs “mojo,” and finally was derided as a sign of hubris within an organization that didn’t seem to understand what it took to win the championship.

I remained loyal to the Cubs in the years that followed, and decided on a whim to try out in freshman year of high school for the freshman-sophomore (frosh-soph) baseball team. I had never played organized baseball up to that point, only joining in the occasional game of catch or running bases. By all rights, I should have been cut after the first day of tryouts.

But I had learned something from watching players like Ron Santo; I understood the importance of a positive attitude and a strong desire to succeed. Those qualities often make a less-talented individual outperform a more-talented person. When I was asked which positions I could play, I said third base (because I wanted to be like Ron Santo) and pitcher (because I heard that the team needed pitchers and I also wanted to be like Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas).

I made the frosh-soph team as a freshman and a sophomore, and made the varsity as a junior. For sake of transparency, I went to a high school with an enrollment of under 300, so the competition wasn’t THAT great. Also, I spent more time on game days keeping score and “coaching” from the bench.

But in practice and on those rare occasions when I played third base for an inning or two, I tried to mimic the stance and attitude of Santo. He had that much influence on me, in terms of baseball.

Turns out that he still does.

Something I read today in news accounts and commentary on Santo has softened my heart. I didn’t think that was possible.

You see, after the Cubs blew subsequent playoff chances in 1984, 1989, 2003…well, pretty much every year if you think about it…I finally reached my breaking point about five years ago. I had to walk away from the Cubs before they killed me. It was surprisingly easy for me to stop following baseball altogether.

But today as I’ve read about the way that Ron Santo persevered against many things that could have convinced him to stop caring and stop trying, I’ve been rejuvenated. He dealt with diabetes as a player, later lost both legs past the knees because of the disease, and seemed to suffer on-air from CRS disease (Can’t Remember Stuff). Here’s some of the other points about his “faults” addressed in the Chicago Tribune article:

• Santo was the quintessential Cubs fan and made no apologies for his on-air cheerleading or his utter frustration over a bad play.
• Santo mangled names, sometimes lost track of what was going on in a game and occasionally didn't realize a player had been on the roster for months, but none of that mattered because people loved it.
• His toupee caught fire in the Shea Stadium press box on Opening Day 2003 after he got too close to an overhead space heater.
• Last spring in Mesa, Ariz., Santo lost his front tooth while biting into a piece of pizza.
• Perhaps most sadly, he has not been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, although his statistics rank him among the top six third basemen of all time.

The news items reporting on Santo’s life and death gave me a renewed appreciation for Santo as a human being. He demonstrated what can be great about baseball and about us: Passion, energy, effort, a positive attitude, and the humility to understand that we are flawed, but that it is ok.

In honor of Santo, I thought about breaking out my 40-year-old Wilson A2000 mitt and playing catch with my son.

But it’s December in Chicago, 27 degrees Fahrenheit, with snow on the way. Opening Day is months away, and for the first time in decades, Ron Santo won’t be there.

Except in hearts like mine.

The public debate within the United States over Internet privacy, and whether to change U.S. laws related to it, is uncovering troubling considerations that most likely will impact any future changes in the browsing habits of individuals, as well as the design of browser security by organizations.

On Wednesday (Dec. 1, 2010), the Federal Trade Commission issued a preliminary staff report that proposes a framework “to balance the privacy interests of consumers with innovation that relies on consumer information to develop new products and services.”

The proposed report suggests implementation of a “Do Not Track” mechanism, such as a “persistent” setting on consumers’ browsers, that would allow consumers to choose whether their online searching and browsing activities could be collected by others.

“Technological and business ingenuity have spawned a whole new online culture and vocabulary – email, IMs, apps and blogs – that consumers have come to expect and enjoy,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. “The FTC wants to help ensure that the growing, changing, thriving information marketplace is built on a framework that promotes privacy, transparency, business innovation and consumer choice. We believe that’s what most Americans want as well.”

The report states that industry efforts to address privacy through self-regulation “have been too slow, and up to now have failed to provide adequate and meaningful protection.” The framework outlined in the report is designed to reduce the burdens on consumers and businesses.

But groups representing advertising and media agencies, along with individuals, have expressed concern that a “Do Not Track” option could unintentionally disrupt useful features and measurement. For example, said one commenter to an Advertising Age post about the report:

If they do end up setting up this type of mechanism, it has to be very carefully worded so as to avoid unintended collateral damage. What I'm talking about is the undesirable scenario where third-party or cross-domain analytics tracking tags are lumped in with advertising data collection and a "do not track" consumer disappears from web traffic statistics.

I know that's not what they are proposing, but history is full of examples of laws being created with imprecise wording and then being applied in ways they weren't intended. Aggregate web traffic statistics and anonymous, individual clickstream data are critical "natural resources" for the improvement and evolution of the web and digital business, so I wouldn't want to see them thrown out with the bathwater. - Jeff Greenhouse, http://www.JeffGreenhouse.com

I personally would rather have less information about me circulating without my consent–and by “consent,” I mean much more than a one-time “accept” on a site’s log-in dialog box with a link to a too-lengthy and too-dense “privacy statement.”