Filling the Gap

The Gap is creating quite a stir with its logo, and I'm still scratching my head. Not about its decision to scrap the old logo. Or the choice of its new logo. I just can't figure out why people seem to really care.

Now it's gone viral.

Fast Company has posted an exclusive interview with NewLogo, in which it whines, "...I have feelings! I have a friggin Twitter account! The only way to deal with the pain is comfort eating. Pretty soon I'll be type set in Helvetica Neue Black." (@gaplogo)


Not to be outdone, OldLogo is also tweeting, @OldGapLogo.

Yes, I realize it's all good fun. And I'm sure this will become another success story for the power of social networks.

But the real winner? The Gap, natch. It doesn't matter if people love or hate the logo, as long as they keep talking about the Gap. And the value of all this exposure? Priceless.

UPDATED Oct. 12, 2010: Gap ditched its new logo mere days after this post. (I claim no responsibility.) Responds NewLogo on Twitter: "I HAD feelings. Jerks. Now I'm just numb – I don't know who I am anymore!" And from OldGapLogo: "Well...looks like my work here is done. Peace. I'm out."

Birds of a social feather

Over the summer, I decided to become more social. I read "Socialnomics," by Erik Qualman, and while I was underwhelmed by the book, the add-on Amazon purchase turned out to be a winner: "Twitterville," by Shel Israel. From there, it was only a matter of time before I started tweeting (@4amyink).

So far, it's been fun and an education. I've even been around to see the birth of the "New Twitter," which is much like the old Twitter only more so.

One noticeable difference is a more consistent look in the branding. The new icon is simpler, cleaner, and less cartoon-ish; it's an outline of the bird in flight.

It also reminds me of a more established brand. One that's found in millions of homes across America and around the world: Dove, a personal care brand owned by Unilever.

Several years ago, Dove started a campaign to do away with the hype and stereotypes about beauty. As the brand Web site says, "Dove provides a refreshingly real alternative for women who recognise that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes."

Similarly, Twitter provides a refreshingly real alternative for everyone and anyone to have their voices heard in the realm of social media.

This class clicks along

September used to mean new pencils, rulers, and notebooks. Guess I'm just showing my age. The new thing these days is a clicker -- and it almost makes me wish I were back in the classroom.

From today's Philadelphia Inquirer comes the tale of technology in teaching, with Trish Wilson's piece, "High-tech gadget transforming college teaching - and learning."

A few excerpts to whet your appetite:

• "I think they are the greatest educational innovation since chalk," said Neil Sheflin, an associate professor of economics at Rutgers University.
  
  
• "If I ask a question, and half the class gets it wrong, I can work on that right away, instead of waiting for a test," said Felicia Corsaro-Barbieri, a chemistry professor at Gwynedd-Mercy College. "The misconceptions are being cleared up immediately rather than later."

• "There is a big cadre of students who say, 'Do I like them? No, but I know they're good for me.' Sort of like broccoli," Duncan said.

The days of sleeping through class are over. And it's a good thing, too.

Click on, future of America.

And this would be...what?

One activity I'm getting much too much practice at is going through a loved one's accumulated treasures after a major life event and deciding where things should go. Sometimes, I even have to decide just what certain things are.

Here are two examples:

This was made by the Fuller Brush Company. It's only 4-1/2 inches long, with a wooden handle and a metal brush. What in the world could it have been used for? I'm clueless, so if you have any ideas, please let me know.

Likewise, the 5-inch device on the right has me scratching my head. It says "Perma-Curler" on the metal shaft -- at least that's what I think it says. It's kind of hard to tell. At one point, there was a debate among relatives whether this was a compass or a curling iron. I'm leaning toward the hair-styling tool myself, but there must be some parts missing -- like a power plug.

Want to join the fun? Post your thoughts...and what you think I should do with these things now. (No, I won't make millions on eBay.)

And one final word to the wise: go home and clean out a closet or two. Just think of all the stuff you really don't want someone else going through when you can no longer do for yourself.