• Did Taisir Anbar's story of hiking the Camino de Santiago in Take a Long Walk encourage you to embark on an outdoor adventure? The history of the Camino de Santiago is rather fascinating and explored in detail at A Short Guide for Pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. A great informal resource for hiking and walking opportunities in Europe (and some in the United States) is Ton de Maagt's Hiking Page, which lists trip ideas, links to various international help sites, and helpful topo map references (if you are planning a trip to the Netherlands, be sure to read about the Het Pieterpad, a trip from south to north of Holland). Looking for a trip or endeavor in your backyard? Check out the Sierra Club listings for national and international outings. If your cell or organization is interested in getting involved beyond just a recreational outing, check out the variety of volunteer projects with the Appalachian Mountain Club. These projects take place along the expanse of the Appalachian trail and allow for a breath of fresh air plus a vital contribution to an important public resource. Or, if you are located in the western United States, check out the adopt-a-trail program with the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Your local cell or organization could adopt a part of the Pacific Coast Trail and be consistently involved with the maintenance and reconstruction of the Pacific Crest Trail networks.
• Did She Reads Customers' Minds excite your curiosity about the retail experience? In this age of catering to consumers, how is the physical space of retail stores organized to meet customer needs? How do customers behave in or respond to this organization of space? Take a trip or have your cell record observations of consumer experiences for discussion. How are stores customized to consumer needs? How does the organization of products influence or direct the behaviors of consumers (why are women's clothes always at the back or top floor of the store? why are candy bars at the check out counter)? How do customers navigate through the retail space? What are the specific items that people look for versus impulse buys? What are the characteristics of stores that you think best cater to customers? What are the intangible attributes (free samples at the bakery counter, indoor/outdoor lighting consoles in dressing rooms, listening stations at music stores) of these retail spaces and how do they influence the buying experience? How do retail stores compare across 'industries' (as in how does the organization of a hardware store compare with that of a department store)? How do discount, outlet, or wholesale stores compare to their full-price counterparts? Is there a difference in customer behavior across gender lines? Is there a difference in customer behavior across generational lines?
• Was reading Fast Foundation a call to action? Want to contribute to building a public voice in technology? Check out N-Ten and TechRocks to read about nonprofit initiatives underway. Also take a look at The Institute for Women and Technology which is working to increase the involvement and influence of women in technology. The Fund for the City of New York's Center for Internet Innovation is a city initiative that works to improve the lives of the disenfranchised and encourages innovative uses of the internet in large scale problems and projects. To find an organization to get involved with, browse through The Benton Foundation's Best Practices Toolkit for an extensive list of resources that seek to help nonprofit organizations use communications technologies.

Ann Karash contributed this month's Next Steps.

February 2001 Connexus | Flash Points | Next Steps

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