Monthly Archives: December 2007

"The Point": web site leverages the power of numbers to solve problems

The Point offers strength in numbersThey say that there’s strength in numbers. And that’s the premise of a new web site, The Point, which bills itself as “a social platform for people to solve problems they can’t solve alone.”

Visitors to the site can register and create campaigns to encourage others to join their cause. Videos on the landing page of the site demonstrate the kind of individuals who can launch campaigns to instigate change: the Frustrated Consumer, the Unappreciated Employee, the Loving Parent, and the Concerned Citizen — archetypes that any of us can identify with.

The values on which The Point are based are straightforward:

The Point changes the way we participate in activities, removing the primary cause of inaction – not knowing if we will make a difference. The Point is a natural adaptation of collective action to the Web, and the most effective model for channeling frustration into coordinated, decisive action…

People want a way to make a difference, but many problems are so large that we feel powerless to solve them. People are not apathetic – most of us will help if we feel like we can make a difference.

By bringing people together in numbers sufficient to create change, The Point aims to “to empower people with an easy way to make the world the one they want.”

For those who say you can’t fight city hall, The Point may offer some hope.

(Hat tip to Bill Warters.)

Premier ADR web site Mediate.com adds new feature with global focus

Mediate.com connects visitors with resources world-wideMediate.com, the world’s leading online resource for news, information, and bleeding-edge thinking in the field of ADR, has added a new feature.

Mediation Today highlights the importance of mediation, posting stories from around the globe that demonstrate the many ways in which men and women confront and address disputes — and the continuing relevance of the work that the conflict resolution field is engaged in.

Optical illusions as a training tool for mastering negotiation and conflict resolution skills

Optical illusions as negotiation and conflict resolution training toolsAs a trainer of negotiation and conflict resolution skills, I love using optical illusions to demonstrate the fallibility of our perception. They alert us that our senses can be unreliable and susceptible to influence. And they remind us that it is always possible to see things differently. The ability to be alert to errors in thinking and judgment that any of us are prone to is of course essential to anyone who is negotiating or resolving a dispute.

Here are two optical illusions I was recently introduced to that I’ve incorporated into my training. Both of us these can be found at Michael Bach‘s web site, 75 Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena.

The first is Shepard’s “Terror Subterra”, a cool interactive illusion that demonstrates how perspective can bias us.

The second is Shepard’s “Turning the Tables”, an interactive illusion with tables that appear to be of different dimensions but are in fact identical, with the ability to test the visual effect for yourself. It’s extraordinary how knowing the truth doesn’t necessarily prevent us from making mistakes in our thinking.

Divinely inspired Blawg Review #137

Blawg Review #137 inspired by the poet DanteThis week’s Blawg Review, the weekly review of the best in legal blogging, is hosted by Colin Samuels at Infamy or Praise. Blawg Review #137 draws poetic inspiration from The Divine Comedy‘s third cantica, Paradiso.

This edition of Blawg Review is Colin’s third. Each time the works of the immortal Dante have served as Colin’s muse, resulting in an Inferno-inspired Blawg Review #35 and a Purgatorio-themed Blawg Review #86.

Congratulations, by the way, to Blawg Review for earning its rightful place among the American Bar Association’s list of top 100 law blogs. Blawg Review stands apart for its ability to present unique voices in the legal community.

Consider, for example, these two recent hosts of Blawg Review:

Peter Black’s Freedom to Differ, providing an Australian perspective on legal and policy issues concerning the media and internet

Dr. Jillian Todd Weiss at Transgender Workplace Diversity, covering law, politics, and policy affecting gender identity

Each weekly host presents a refreshingly different perspective on the law and legal issues — the issues that affect all of us, whether we practice or study law, or simply care about it. And if you love both law and literature, don’t miss Blawg Review #137.