Gotcha: The captcha meets advertising

You never know where advertising or product placement will rear its ugly head these days. Sometimes It’s benign and other times it’s slap you in the face with a handful of linguini obvious. Today, I’ve got a linguini story.

I hate captchas, but I hate spam more. So, I begrudgingly put the squiggly letters and numbers into the box when I’m asked to do so. Imagine my surprise when Mapquest used the captcha to advertise Verizon FiOS (see below).

It’s one thing to make me see an ad for FiOS, but it’s totally another thing to make me have a prolonged relationship with the ad. As a consumer, I see the advertiser name, I commit it to memory, and then I type it. That’s three times the product infiltrates my mind.  Sure, it’s a little over the top. However, I think it’s pretty brilliant.

I’m frequently the first to complain when advertising or product placement goes too far. But, utilizing the captcha is too darn clever for me to ignore. As users, we’d have to jump through the captcha hurdle anyway. So, if Mapquest can find a way to monetize it, more power to ‘em!

What do you think? Are you more inclined to remember a product if you’re forced to interact with it in this way?

The one thing you can do to improve your life

I'm not one for new year's resolutions. The only one I've probably ever kept was when I decided to become a vegetarian. However, this year I'm making one huge resolution that will spare me unnecessary aggravation, save time, and reduce clutter.

I'm throwing out pens that don't work.

Ok, sure, this may seem like the stupidest resolution ever, but think about it. How many times do you grab a pen to write something and discover that it doesn't work? You swirl it around on a piece of paper to activate the ink. And, if it doesn't work, you mindlessly put it back in the pen cup. You put it back! Crazy, right? Yet, so many of us do it.

If it doesn't work, ditch it! Ok, this could be said about a lot of things, but let's just focus on the pen for now.

I'm taking a vow this year and I ask you to join me. Throw away all the pens in your life that don't work (this includes dried up markers!). Leave the aggravation in the gutter! Don't waste your time trying to loosen ink that dried up in the 20th century! Decrease the clutter in your life by discarding the things that serve no purpose.

2012 is the year to say buh-bye to the duds in the pen jar. It's a small thing that can make your life better and soothe your senses with a warm feeling of calm and clarity. It's easy, achievable, and tangible.

Won't you join me on this life-changing journey?

Can social media ruin memories?

The great thing about social media? You can reconnect with long lost friends. The bad thing about social media? You can reconnect with long lost friends.

I recently hunted down a friend I had in high school whom I absolutely adored. He was funny, smart, and the reason I have lots of good memories from my senior year of high school. He was a platonic friend; someone who brought out the best in me, made me laugh, and always served up a good time.

I finally found him on LinkedIn (after many unsuccessful searches in the past) and sent him a note. I was my usual smart aleck, yet bubbly self. He responded and we traded a few brief emails, and I suggested that we catch up on the phone. No answer. Months passed and I dropped him a note to follow-up. I told him how much I was eager to hear about his life (according to his LinkedIn account, he's done some amazing stuff) and jokingly called him Mr. Flaky Flake for not responding.

Now, this is someone who was a grade-A sarcastic prankster when I knew him. Always flip, funny, and unflappable. However, after I joked with him (as I always did), he got very defensive and called me harsh. Very methodically citing his obligations and how he had been busy. So much for picking up where we had left off. This was very obviously not the same person I knew in high school. What a bummer.

Now, instead of remembering all the great times we had in school, I think of how serious he's become. I mean, I've grown up too, but my personality remains intact. Seventeen-year-old Amber is still in me, being silly and joking with those who really get me.

I looked for this guy for years before I finally got ahold of him. And my reward? I now think he's a fuddy duddy. Way to blow a bunch of good memories, Amber!

With all the great social media platforms out there, we can now track down almost anyone. Nobody is further than a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Google search away. That's pretty neat. But, the question is: can reconnecting with people after so many years actually ruin the good memories we had about them?

Have you ever reconnected with someone online and wish you hadn't? How about friending someone whom you've quickly discovered that you've outgrown? Are some people better left in the past?