I was a victim of cyber bullying during my freshman year of college. I will never forget the moment I was sitting at my favorite campus coffee shop, glancing through anonymous posts on a collegiate online forum, when I saw my name. The post said, “Melanie – you’re fat. If you cared more about your weight, people would care more about you.” I blinked back tears and ran to my dorm room in a daze as questions rushed through my mind. Who wrote this post? Are they right about me? Do other peers of mine think this too? I was mortified beyond belief, and for months after I read the post, I no longer felt safe or at home in my college community. The post triggered my deepest insecurities, and led me to constantly criticize myself. It shattered my self-esteem and my flawless perception of the community I had so recently become a part of.


I have come a long way since that moment back at the coffee shop. I am almost ready to graduate with a double major in Government and Sociology, I hold numerous leadership roles on campus, and I look forward to a vibrant career in social justice advocacy. Despite all this, I will never forget how strongly those hateful words affected my life and how my experience with cyber bullying was minor compared to the experiences of many others on this collegiate online forum. Cruel messages can lead to eating disorders, insecurities with sexual orientation, suicide, the perpetuation of stereotypes, and unnecessary tears. Let’s remember the true impact that our words can have on others, and the power that we all have to make sure that our words are kind ones.

via an email to the listserve.

Cyber bullying is indeed a huge problem; I know few people in my generation who have not in some way been affected by it. Melanie’s message is simple, raw, and powerful. I hope that by sharing it, awareness of words and actions, especially those that are amplified online, becomes clearer to folks who find hatefulness ok.

The Anti-Defamation League recently launched the Imagine a World Without Hate video and action campaign. Let’s all do our part to work towards this vision.

Provider Finder for Nonprofits Launched by Taproot Foundation

I think strategic pro bono work is a hugely untapped resource for nonprofits, so I was delighted to recently learn about this tool. It’s certainly in a beta stage, but it has a lot of potential and already evident functionality.

Top 7 telephone tips for calling a company’s main line

You’re calling a general line and don’t know who will pick up. Here’s a list of my top 7 telephone tips resulting in better communication and customer service:

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  1. Identify yourself. Who are you and what is your affiliation? It’s very hard to field an inquiry without someone knowing who you are. Most people forget this.
  2. Speak clearly. Especially when calling from a mobile phone and/or outside, it can really be hard to understand you unless you speak slowly and enunciate.
  3. Do not speak in a run-on for 2 minutes before pausing. You might have the wrong number, be talking with the wrong person, and/or information might be lost or confused. You are just wasting your breath. Instead, start with the thematic nature of your question, and ask who best for you to speak with.
  4. Do your background research. If the company you’re calling has a website, look there first for your question. If you’re calling to follow up on previous engagement with that company or a staff member there, have that information in front of you. This sets a tone for a more productive conversation.
  5. Listen well. If the person who picks up tells you their name, company information, reference number, or anything else, note it. In the event that you get disconnected and need to call back, you have information to resume; in the event that your question isn’t answered and you speak with someone else, you have reference materials; if they are helpful, you’ve already begun recording information.
  6. Don’t assume the person who picks up is dumb; usually, it’s a person who knows more than you might think whether their primary job is receptionist or they’re a program employee manning the phones that hour. If they ask for information, don’t assume what they do or don’t know; tell them they information they ask for. They will inquire further or redirect if it’s outside their scope.
  7. Always, always be nice. Say thank you. Keep the tone of your voice courteous and not pushy. I promise that you will receive better assistance.

Simple! Now go make phone calls!

Did you know: Area Codes

Q. Why was New York City’s original area code 212?

A. Because it was easy to dial.

When area codes were introduced to speed the calling of long-distance numbers, telephones had rotary dials. The nearest digit to the dialing stopper, and thus the digit that could be dialed the quickest, was 1. Next came 2, and then 3.

It would seem the original numbering plan in 1947 assigned the fewest necessary clicks on the rotary dial to the most populous area codes, with New York City’s topping the list. Originally, operators used the area codes, which preceded by many years the actual direct dialing of long-distance numbers by much of the public.

There were also a few other rules. The original North American numbering plan apparently had only 0 or 1 as the middle numeral, with 0 meaning a whole state using the same area code, and 1 meaning a state that had several area codes within it. Another rule was that there shouldn’t be two of the same digit in a row. Since New York State had several area codes, the middle digit needed to be 1. The first and third digits were the fastest remaining option, 2.

By the same system of minimizing the clicks, Los Angeles had 213 and Chicago had 312.

Read this via the New York Times this morning and found it quite interesting. Then, I wondered how other area codes were distributed, so I looked up a list. While upper/central Michigan would have had the short end of the stick in the rotary phone days with 989, at least one can now dial these digits conveniently in the same row on most mobile devices.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Here’s to all the women who live life to the fullest, those who have paved the way for increased opportunity in the past and present, and those men who have chimed in with their undying support. It is my wish for women worldwide that we continue to raise our voices, proudly work and raise families if we choose, and celebrate our unity and spirit.

Read more about celebrations, history, education and advocacy happening today around the world.

Community Calls For Improved Safety Measures At Brooklyn Intersection

It makes me sick that this happened. It also makes me sick that transportation precautions to protect cyclists and pedestrians are lacking in more places than they are present, and that they would absolutely mitigate the chance of fatalities. What will it take for the City to act? Also, the Bandes family has my deepest respect for pushing for a response during such a difficult time. I hope their voice can work in tandem with Transportation Alternatives to make some changes.

After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding - I was fired today. If you’re wondering why… you haven’t been paying attention. From controversial metrics in our S1 to our material weakness to two quarters of missing our own expectations and a stock price that’s hovering around one quarter of our listing price, the events of the last year and a half speak for themselves. As CEO, I am accountable.
Andrew Mason, former CEO, Groupon, upon being fired in an email to employees.

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