Instagram offers some pretty cool features such as filters and connectivity to other networks, it is a uber active community where users not only post pictures but comment and “like” other people’s work as well.

With about 30 million users, instagram is a great purchase as Facebook gear up to go public in what will be the largest IPO ever (estimated at $100 billions). Perhaps spending 1% of their net worth is a good bet in their continuous efforts to grow their user base while adding new features, innovations and talent to the team.

But why 1 billion dollar? Lets do the math; 30 million users, this mean that fb paid about 33$ per user (which I think most instagram users also have Facebook accounts) so that is not spending money on user acquisition… Perhaps they are looking for a larger footprint into the mobile market, adding more interactive users, or expending their advertising market over a larger network? Are those real motivations to spend a billion dollar?

All this talk makes me wonder about a few things: If instagram is worth $1 billion, how much would flickr be worth today? And why is Yahoo! not seeking to sell it off to someone who would take better care of this dying community? Most likely because most talented people behind flickr have since moved on to new projects. Still Flickr offers some great features, has a large, active user base, loads of content dating back to 2004. So why isn’t there someone out there willing to take over our dearest photo sharing social community?

What is the value of a dollar, or a user or an app? Everyone dreams about building the next billion dollar company (it used to be the million dollar dream). These guys somehow managed to pull it off, what started with an idea, secured 200k in 2010 to eventually secure 60 millions from Sequoia Capital only a week before flipping it over to Zuckerberg and his team for a billion dollar. Madness!

What can you buy for a billion in todays’ economy? Yelp! market valuation is 1.5 billion, Zynga (which is responsible for about 22% of facebook’s current revenue) is worth 8.6 billion, Hasbro (you know GI Joe, Transformers toys and movies, and many other big brand merchandizing such as Marvels, Star Wars etc) is worth 4.6 billions. Microsft just purchased from AOL for just over $1 billion the bulk of their patents portfolio.

So how can someone put a billion dollar price tag on a photo sharing social network with no revenue? What does this mean for twitter or Angry Birds‘ creator Rovio and other social network sites and mobile apps out there?

Have we forgotten the value of a dollar and become desensitize to the value of money? The average north American university graduate get paid about $40,000 a year once he/she finished school with an average debt of $25,000.

How much value would you get if you spent a billion dollar and hired 25,000 grads for a year at a starting salary of 40k?

I’m not saying Instagram is not worth that kind of money, but this is certainly setting a precedent for future acquisitions and upcoming social network and mobile apps IPOs.

Looking at these kind of trends, I can’t help but remembering the end of the 90s as volatile company valuations burned into smoke and pipe dreams overnight…

* The year I changed employer twice – I could not be happier with my decision!
* Lived and traveled around Thailand then moved to Bali, Indonesia.
* Became “homeless” when I gave up my Vancouver house , letting go of the place I called home since 2002.
* Our family grew larger thanks to my sisters’ kids contributions..
* Broke my collar bone, scapula and 2 ribs when I crashed my motorbike (which was my 3rd accident in 3 years (Rolled my car in 2010, ski accident in 2009)
* I climbed the PADI ladder – became a Staff Instructor and certified nearly 100 divers.
* Met someone who really understand me and loves me for who I am. Which is amazing because it’s mutual and I could not imagine a better person to share life with.
* REM called it quit, Black Sabbath announced a reunion tour!
* Somewhere in between all that and much more 3 murderous bastards died – Bin Laden, Gaddafi and Kim Jong-il. Canada lost one of its greatest politician; Jack Layton. Liz Taylor, Betty Ford and Steve Jobs were taken away from us but their beauty, passion and genius will live forever in our hearts.
* I celebrated life and enjoyed the last year of my 30s…

2012 I welcome your opportunities and challenges !

Canada’s Prime Minister Mr Harper (@pmharper on twitter) said this about his government’s position on Shark Finning!

“Canada does not favour a ban of shark fins. We do, however, and we’ve been very clear that Canada supports only the humane harvesting of sharks.”

Take a moment to tweet him a line or email him (Stephen Harper – pm@pm.gc.ca) to let him know that his position is simply unacceptable!

You can also use this diplomatic letter template:

Dear Mr. Harper,

From my understanding, the coming weeks will see a bill brought before the Federal Government of Canada to make the imporation of shark fin illegal.

I would like to add my name to the growing number of Canadian citizens that finds this barbaric practice unacceptable for the Government of Canada to encourage by allowing the importation of shark fins into Canada. Banning this form of trade will not only reduce the number of sharks that are brutlized and slaughtered annually, but will also put Canada at the forefront of an initiative that is receiving global attention.

Thank you for listening to my voice, Mr. Harper. I look forward to being part of the process to stop the shark fin trade in Canada.

Regards,

[Your Name Here]
[Your City/Province Here]

There is nothing humane about Shark Finning!

Want to do more? Sign the Petition today:

And don’t forget to check out Project AWARE Foundation

Not happy with just being a arm chair revolutionary! Perhaps you would like to contribute to help our Ocean Planet by taking an active role in Marine Conservation Projects. Check out our Eco Internships starting January 2012.

Or Contact us today for more information.

Working to make our Ocean Planet a Better Place

I recently joined team Blue Season Bali as their new Business Development Manager and IDC Staff Instructor. Over the past few years, I have been looking for ways to combine my diverse background, expertise and passion for digital media, environmental activism and scuba diving training, so naturally when they offered me the position, I was immediately interested. As part of my new role, I am working with our in house Marine Biologist Dr Niels Rijneveld developing our new Eco Internship Programs and coordinating our various Project AWARE actions.

Eco Internships in Bali

Do you care about the environment? In today’s world that’s a pretty loaded question. We all know that marine conservation is of increasing importance

Go Eco and join Niels, Blue Season’s in-house marine biologist, and his team as they give you their brand new Bali Eco Internship program. Designed to give you the ultimate diving holiday whilst doing your bit for the underwater environment, these Eco Internships offer you, the Eco enthusiast, the scuba diving experience of a lifetime.

Visit www.Eco-Internships.com to learn more about the program and 2012 schedule.

Decreasing Shark Population

Shark populations are devastated by overexploitation, including targeted fishing, bycatch and finning. Together, we’re gaining the attention of policymakers worldwide. We’re closing loopholes in existing global shark management policies and insisting on full protections for Endangered and Critically Endangered sharks.

For more information about Project AWARE “Shark in Peril” action visit their website.

Sign the Petition Today!

Project AWARE created this shark petition widget to help gather the support needed to apply pressure on the various governments, organizations and local groups.

Sign the petition and urge your friends and colleagues to do the same.

Add the Petition Widget to your Website or Blog Today.

Simply “cut and past” this shark petition widget code to your website to start collecting petition signatures. The signatures Project AWARE collects from these widgets will help secure shark protections in the countries that matter most.

<iframe frameborder=”0″ height=”510″ scrolling=”no” src=”http://www.e-activist.com:80/ea-action/widget?widgetId=332″ title=”Sign Petition Widget 2″ width=”291″></iframe>

You too can help the fight against shark finning by collecting shark petition signatures directly from your website or blog.

Some years later, I was selected to participate in Canada World Youth, a cultural exchange program between Canada and various host countries. My first choice was Thailand, but for some reason I ended up in the India program. Which to this day I credit with widening my travel interests, opening me to new beliefs and cultures.

Almost another decade passed before I made my way to Thailand for the first time. But ever since that initial visit, I have been fascinated by this country, its history, people, culture and religion.

Over the past 5 years, I’ve made several trips, exploring the Land of Smiles. I was blessed to visit Bangkok when the king celebrated his 60th anniversary as head of Thailand. I saw Thai people show their love for the royal family. It was in that moment as I walked the crowd, wearing my “Long Live the King” bracelet, making friends with youth and elderly locals that I realized how welcoming the Thai people really were, generating a profound desire to explore this culture in more depth.

Amazed by everything that this country had to offer, I wanted to stay here and immerse myself in this culture. Sadly I was stuck between my personal desires and my professional obligations, despite wanting to leave it all behind, I decided I would remain loyal to my goals and vocational needs.

In 2010, after suffering years of depression and a series of personal breakdowns, I opted to leave behind a career that had been at times amazing, while hard of my personal life and health. This welcome change set the foundation for me to return to my first love: Scuba diving and traveling the world.

Once again, I was free and open to explore the depth of Planet Ocean and immerse myself in other cultures. As I filtered my options, ranging from working in Belize, Honduras, Egypt, and Thailand I was torn having to choose between, culture, location and great mentors.

After consulting with several of my peers and life teachers, I opted to start my new path in Thailand. Fitting, considering that once again, I was embarking on a life changing path, ready to turn my world upside down.

I spent the better part of the last six months studying under one of the world’s most respected PADI Platinum Course Directors, Mark Soworka at Buddha View Dive Resort. While gaining the expertise needed to become a Master Scuba Diver Trainer, I helped him and the resort achieve some of their marketing goals utilizing my background and knowledge of the internet.

Working on Koh Tao over the past six months, has been a mixture of positive and challenging experiences. Sacrificing my desire for spiritual development to gain new skills and a deeper knowledge of the diving industry has been at times hard on me. Yet I knew that my stay on the Turtle Island was going to be relatively temporary and that ultimately it was a necessary step on my journey.

In February, I broke my collarbone, crashing my motorbike on my way home after work. This forced me once again to slow down, take a moment to reflect on my goals and life’s desires. It also allowed me to return to Canada for 6 weeks, spending time healing and visiting friends, family and loved ones.  (Read about my Broken Collar Bone)

During that time, I was offered a new job, managing and teaching scuba diving at a new upcoming dive shop in Tulamben, Bali. Torn by my desire to spend more time in Thailand and taking this amazing opportunity, I debated this once in a lifetime offer.

After receiving my clean bill of health, I returned to Asia in late March. Knowing that within a month I was moving to Bali, Indonesia and traveling with one of my best friend who had never visited Thailand, we set out on our journey around the old Kingdom of Siam.

First stop was to be Koh Tao where I had been working prior to my accident, sadly mother nature had other plans for us, and a nasty typhoon/tropical storm hit the Gulf and south of Thailand a few days before we arrived.

As we landed in Bangkok and received news of our peers stuck in some of the worst flooding to hit Koh Tao in years, we opted to travel around the country until things settled down south.

Our first destination was Katchanaburi, where just over half a century ago, allied troops where held in prison camps by the Japanese occupation troops. (This story was made famous by Director David Lean who filmed the movie, “The Bridge Over the River Kwai” in 1957).

Between the war monuments, visiting allied force cemeteries and exploring beautiful waterfalls at Erawan National Park, I realized how little I actually knew about Thailand. This sparked a new curiosity in me. Fueled by the fact that I was traveling with someone new to the Thai culture, we decided to travel around the countryside, learning about Thailand and its people.

From Bangkok to Phuket via Katchanaburi, Chumphon, Koh Tao, Koh Samui, and Chiang Mai there is still so much of this country that I have yet to see.  So many stories I have yet to tell….

Hyperbaric medicine is a corollary field associated with diving, since recompression in a hyperbaric chamber is used as a treatment for two of the most significant diving related illnesses, decompression illness and arterial gas embolism.

Here’s an overview of some of the most common dive medicine and safety guidelines. Lots of information about diving and boating safety, injuries and illnesses, safety equipment, CPR and first aid, and dive insurance can be found online. Do you research and when in doubt consult with a doctor specializing in dive medicine.

What Are the Emergency Decompression Guidelines for Recreational Diving?

A scuba diver should perform emergency decompression if he accidentally exceeds the no-decompression limit for a dive.

Carbon Dioxide and Scuba Diving

On February 8th, I crashed my bike while on my way home from work. It’s funny how fast things happen! Here I was bleeding, in pain on the dirty, sandy asphalt. My groceries spread all over the road, my bike on the ground several meters away. A few local people offering to help me in their broken English. I was on a small island in the Gulf of Thailand, the nearest hospital was about 2 hours by boat and I just had broken my collar bone, scapula and 2 ribs.

Over the past months prior to my accident, I’d taken on the role of “island medic”, helping several of my peers with their health problems. From infections to fever, cuts, scrapes, twisted ankle, and back pain. Now, the medic was down. (Again!)

I’m grateful that I have travel insurance (I use DAN) and a solid network of friends. This helped me get sorted and return back to Canada where I could get the support I needed to mend my wounds..

I spent the better part of the last month in bed or visiting various medical facilities. This inspired my desire to write about travel medicine and things to know when traveling/spending extended period of time in the tropics.

At 39, I’ve had a few careers. I spent the early part of my 20s as an activist while studying nursing. After getting lost while scuba diving in the caribbean for nearly a year, I return to Canada and began to study business management and new media. I spent the better part of the past decade working as an new media executive until 2010 when I return to my first passion, mixing digital media and scuba diving.

As a Professional Scuba Diving and Emergency First Aid Instructor, I get to travel around planet ocean and meet people from all over the globe. Despite feeling invulnerable, I’ve had my share of accidents, injured myself and/or got sick a few occasions. I’m living the dream and I feel that I truly have the best job in the world. That said, living and working in the tropics can have its ups and downs.

Anyone who has spent an extended period of time abroad or gotten sick while traveling understand the importance of buying good travel insurance coverage, owning a cell phone with pre-programed emergency and local contacts, and having a well stocked emergency kit and medicine cabinet.

Studies indicate that the cardiovascular disease accounts for most deaths during travel (50-70%), while injury and accident follow (~25%). Infectious disease accounts for about 2.8-4% of deaths during/from travel. Studies suggest that about half of the people from a developed country that stay one month in a developing country will get sick. Traveler’s diarrhea is the most common problem encountered.

Before you go.

Ensuring that you are healthy should be one of your top priorities. It’s importance to visit a travel physician well before going away. Better understanding your health, abilities and limits is also crucial when planning your trip. The last thing you want is to have to take an emergency flight back home because you pushed your limit on a remote island or injured yourself while hiking a mountain in the wild.

When travelling, you may be at risk for a number of illnesses that can be prevented by vaccination. As you age, your vaccine-acquired protection against many illnesses may decrease. Your risk of getting certain diseases may also increase. Travel physicians stress the importance of having your immunizations up to date. Depending on your destination, these vaccines may be recommended by your doctor. (Public Health Agency of Canada)

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• HP V (Gardasil)
• Influenza
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Measles/Mumps/Rubella
• Meningococcal (Menactra)
• Pneumococcal
• Polio
• Rabies
• T etanus/Diphtheria
• Typhoid Fever
• Travellers’ Diarrhea/Cholera
• Yellow Fever
• Zostavax (shingles)

Q: How do I figure out what shots I should get?

A: There are several possibilities. The Centers For Disease Control is a good resource for general information in the United States. The World Health Organization and several national organizations such as Health Canada are excellent resources. Local health departments sometimes provide information but, because of budgetary constraints, many cannot provide specific or up-to-date advice. One of the best resources is a travel medicine clinic (like the Healthy Traveler Clinic) which has very accurate, up-to-date information which is tailored to your itinerary and health history. Most can provide you with immunizations, medications, advice and just about anything you may want to know about a destination.

Q: How do I find a travel medicine clinic?

A: Ask you doctor if she/he knows of one. There are some good lists of clinics at the web sites of the following: (links are provided on our web site)

The International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM)

Q: How far ahead of my trip should I get my shots?

A: Two months ahead is great as some immunizations take time to complete. But some shots, like Hepatitis A, are worthwhile right up to your departure date. Plan as far ahead as you can but check with the travel clinic before even a last-minute trip.

Q: Do I need other things besides vaccinations?

A: You may need Malaria prevention medication. There are also medicines available for effective treatment of traveler’s diarrhea, altitude sickness and more. The most important item is good, reliable, up-to-date travel health information.

Keep your family’s vaccination records in a safe and accessible place and carry copies when you travel. If your destination country requires proof of yellow fever vaccination, you must carry the original International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis. Keep a copy of this certificate at home.

If you are heading on a trip, take a moment to research the area you will be traveling to. There are various resources available to help perpare yourself for your holidays. Ask your doctor/pharmacist to help you prepare your personalized emergency and prescription kit.

Most travel doctor and clinics can offer the following services.

• Health Promotion & Disease Prevention
• Health and travel risk assessment
• Food and water safety
• Insect precautions
• Malaria prevention
• Sun safety
• Altitude sickness
• Sexually transmitteddiseases
• Motion sickness
• Personal safety
• Jetlag prevention
• Traveller’s diarrhea
• Travelling with children
• Travelling during pregnancy
• Referral for personal medical conditions

While you are there.

Now that we have the pre-trip planning mostly sorted, here’s a few tips to keep you healthy on the road

• Keep your feet clean and remember the importance of wearing proper footwear.
• Wear your helmet and protective gear when riding motor bike.
• Drink water, 4-6 litres a day minimum, specially if diving or drinking alcohol.
• Sleeping is not a luxury, tired people have weaker immune systems.
• Maintain a well-balanced nutrition. Keep healthy snacks with you when on the road.
• Apply sunscreen before you go outside and reapply often.
• Use a mosquito repellent with DEET and a mosquito net on your bed.
• Don’t scratch or itch your skin, keep your wound clean, and dry.
• If hurt, change your bandage daily, use anti-bacterial cream and antibiotics.
• Cleanliness is godliness; maintain proper hygiene.

If something happens while abroad.

If you need urgent care while abroad, the best option is often the nearest hospital. In some countries, ambulances may not be common. Use whatever form of transportation you have to get to a hospital.

If you have a medical emergency while abroad, officials at the nearest government office can help.  They can provide the following services:

• Supply names of local medical providers and facilities. (Some embassies and consulates post lists of local medical providers on their website.)
• Visit you in hospital and provide basic translation services if required.
• Assist in arranging for medical evacuation if treatment is not available locally. You must have appropriate travel health insurance to cover the costs, or pay the costs yourself.
• Help with travel health insurance issues.
• Contact your next of kin, with your authorization, if you have an accident or are hospitalized, or in the event of your death.
• Provide advice about burying a foreigner abroad or repatriating the remains to home country.
• Assist you in obtaining financial help from family and friends.
• Make alternative travel arrangements for you, including obtaining visas and other travel documents.

As for me, short of a bruised ego, a few broken bones and a fairly uncomfortable return flight to Canada, I was lucky to walk away from This accident: I had no helmet, I was wearing flip flops, a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. In the end my accident will have cost me a few months of revenue, and many great dives, but nothing I can’t make up in time.

I hope this shared experience will give you the foundation you need to prepare your next adventure. Remember that no mater how well you’re prepared, accidents do happen. Always have your emergency contact information, your travel insurance information and copies of your identity cards and passport with you.

Best of luck and enjoy the journey.

My next entry will be on Scuba Diving Medicine.

Your support is kindly needed

South by Southwest 2010 is just around the corner and once again it is time for the community (YOU) to help select which panels will make the cut! I submitted an idea for a session on “Social Media and the Olympics” and I hope you’ll consider voting for it. I think this session will be especially relevant since SXSW will be taking place after the closing of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. We’ll be sure to have plenty of stories from trenches!

Please Vote “YES”!

Social Media and the Olympics: A Case Study – Robert Scales + panelists

Coverage of the Olympic Games is dominated by IOC’s contracted rights-holder and accredited major media conglomerates however some feel there is a role for grassroots documentation of both sporting events and the cultural context. The related conundrums are discussed by social media makers who covered several Olympics Games.

You can also see “Then and Now.. Citizen media and the Olympics”, a video recording of the panel I co-hosted at Northern Voice 2009.

Who Am I?

Robert Scales is one of the Co-founders of Raincity Studios – a pioneering open source and Drupal development agency in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is an advocate of Social Media and is often witnesses espousing on open source business models.

As a gonzo journalist, Scales has covered events including the Olympic Games in Turin and Beijing, the Dali Lama’s visit to Vancouver and rock bands and tech luminaries at SXSW. Besides the various social media channels, his reportage appeared in MSM outlets as diverse as the BBC, 21st Century Herald (Shanghai), and Warsaw Daily.

Winner of a 2006 Canadian New Media Award, Robert also teaches at Vancouver Film School and acts as an advisor on various Boards. He participated in the Canada World Youth cultural exchange program as well as various social change workshops and training programs. He frequently presents at (un)conferences around the world about open source tech, business and culture.

How can you connect with me?

• Scales on Facebook
• My You Tube Channel
• Scales’ Flickr photostream
• Twitter
• My Olympic coverage via Beijing 2008 Social Media Backpack

Thank you for your Support!

Our city is a hotbed of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. From the fashionable to the ecological, here are 10 businesses — new and established — we think are at the top of their game.

We are honored and exited to be featured with some of Vancouver’s greatest and most innovative companies.

Here’s what they had to say about Raincity:

RAINCITY STUDIOS

What it is: trailblazing online-community host

Why them? Rising from the wreckage of 2002’s internet bubble bust, technologist Robert Scales was in search of something new. At the time, Vancouver’s open-source and Web 2.0 scene was very much in its infancy, and Scales set out to chart new territory in what was then known by his contemporaries as the Wild West of new media. He became the sole founder of Raincity Studios in 2003. Since then, the influential Gastown headquarters of the social media and technology consulting firm has evolved, becoming known as the pioneering hub of Vancouver’s new-media scene. True to the multifarious nature of open-source technology itself, Raincity Studios is difficult to define in one stroke — the company creates templates for websites built in Drupal (an open-source content-management system), delivers graphic-design services, and helps companies build websites which, in turn, build community capacity. Sounds like the future? Well, it’s all happening now. (RaincityStudios.com)

Also on the ” Made in vancouver” list:

• The prominent Vancouver shoemaker John Fluevog
• Small Potatoes Urban Delivery, a personal favorite since 1998.
• Pyrrhais, jewelers to the stars
• Cheeky Umbrella supplying Vancouverites with dryness accessories.
• The Co-operative Auto Network, an awesome idea, catching on fast.
• Portobello West, Vancouver’s original fashion and art market.
• .. and a few more..

In our opinion, this list is only a small fragment of the amazing talent that is present in this city.

As Vancouverites, we are lucky to have an empowering community and amazing support to help us harvest the innovations and creativity that is found here.

Without this community and the support of our friends, employees, family and peers, perhaps we would be telling a much different story today… Thank you everyone for the support you have given us over the years.

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