I got to thinking recently that the way people date today has changed drastically, simply because of technology. Equal rights gave way to the downfall of chivalry, and while I don’t mind opening my own door, how about the fact that it’s now kosher to text or email instead of call after the first date? What is the world coming to?

So in an effort to laugh about such nonsense that singles in 2009 lose sleep over, let’s compare what once was to what is now, shall we?

Developing a crush

Was: Meeting a guy or girl in real life, smiling flirtatiously, going up to talk to them.
Now: Seeing a theoretically-cute avatar of a suggested friend and praying they don’t use their privacy settings to their fullest potential.

Background check

Was: Ask friends around town: what’s s/he like?!
Now: Cyberstalking. Lots and lots of heavy cyberstalking. [Don't lie to yourself. You've Googled.]

First date

Was: An intimate conversation over a candlelit dinner covering everything from where you born to how much time you spend with your family today. All goes well, then maybe a movie.
Now: Reading his/her Facebook profile and learning every intimate detail about them.

Meeting the friends

Was: A casual dinner date or drinks.
Now: Friends following him/her on FriendFeed and learning every intimate detail about them.

What-might-be-someday Day Dreaming

Was: Doodling his name on your notebook.
Now: Checking that your married name will be available as your new Twitter handle. (And possibly snatching it up, just in case.)

Catching a cheater

Was: Noticing some strange credit card purchases or recurring phone number in the bills.
Now: Using Facebook’s wall-to-wall for all its (questionably intended) potential.

What do you notice has changed?

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They say you should never discuss politics in the workplace… I’m a big fan of Barack Obama, I think he’s got just what it will take to restore the faith of the world in the last remaining superpower and perhaps even the faith of Americans in themselves. I’m not going to get into politics. I’m at the workplace. What I will get into is just how spectacular I find Barack’s website. Beyond the tremendous aesthetic appeal, the smart information architecture, and the seemingly-endless number of things to do or ways to get involved, the power of the my.barackobama.com volunteer section is fantastic!

For several evenings over the past week I have been calling everyday Americans to encourage them to vote in their state Caucus or Primary. The site asks me which of a select group of states I would like to focus on, dishes me up names/numbers along with a script and an orderly abundance of responses to questions Joe Citizen may have on nearly any topic. The interface is slick, the results are useful, and the cause is mighty.

Aside from having a very sturdy website, Barack has grabbed Web 2.0 by the horns in a big way - linking to every relevant social networking site imaginable and a whole host of sites I’d never heard about. I wonder how candidates 100 years (25 political seasons) ago would have integrated the internet into their efforts. I wonder if riding across the country in a caboose campaign would work today.

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