Play It Forward

I recently learned of Akoha, a "social reality game" inspired by the concept of pay it forward. In essence, it's a hybrid online/offline card game designed to tap into the power of online communities to accomplish real-world good. So you can earn karma points and track the spread of random acts of kindness across the world. It's really quite a neat idea. Not quite as inspiring, perhaps, as IfWeRanTheWorld, but it's still a creative idea with potential positive impact.

Learn more...

If We Ran the World...

I was super excited when I read a Wired article about plans to launch a website called IfWeRanTheWorld.com. Today, the site is nothing more than a platform to recruit help to make the site happen...a fitting start for the start-up crowdsourcing project.

Its aim, when launched, is to convert intent into action. Conceived by marketing veteran Cindy Gallop and software developer Wendell Davis, IfWeRantheWorld.com is designed to motivate people to make small contributions toward achieving big things. How? By breaking even the most overwhelming initiatives (e.g., "end world hunger") into irreducible, bite-sized and achievable individual tasks, so that when people find themselves wishing they could do something about some injustice or need in the world, they actually can.

Here's how it works. A simple, Google-like search box on the site will greet first-time visitors with the partially-completed sentence, "If I ran the world I would...." Their entries join a database of action platforms, which platform originators and community members break down into discrete tasks -- irreducible atoms of action. Members complete these tasks, assign them to friends, offer kudos for jobs well done and offer advice to various action platforms. Completed tasks and kudos appear on your profile page, which lists everything you've done.

It's a brilliant concept (read the full article here). So, start thinking of what you'd do if you ran the world...and stay posted.

Make a Buck Spring Cleaning

When Heather and I were packing up our life to move to Slovakia, we made it a priority to downsize, donate, and discard whenever appropriate. I think we made a run to Goodwill every week. We also tried to make a few bucks by selling clothes to Plato's Closet and selling just about anything else of value on craigslist. Just before we left—too late for us—I learned about two websites dedicated to buying used electronics. You're not going to turn a profit, but you'll get a fair price. Besides, it beats the hassle of setting up a yard sale... and the eco-guilt of dumping your gadgets in the garbage.

Gazelle: This slick service lets you pawn your old cell phones, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, PDAs, laptops, game consoles, GPS devices, monitors, movies, external drives, and satellite radios for current market value. If your device turns out to be worthless, they'll still offer to recycle the item for you. Shipping is always free.

Buy My Tronics: These guys don't accept quite as many different items as Gazelle, but they'll accept them in any condition. Plus, their service is worldwide. Free shipping is also available.

And hey, don't forget about RecycleBank. What could possibly beat making money by taking out the trash? It's like getting an allowance for chores again.