The Accidental Consultant

Dancing with Matt Harding

2013-01-19T07:45:45Z

I’ve been following the world-wide travels of Matt Harding since early 2005 when he posted his first YouTube video. One of the items on my bucket list (as yet unreleased) was to meet someone made famous by traveling to more than 80 countries. Today I checked that off my list when I had lunch with Matt Harding of www.WhereTheHellisMatt.com. There’s a lot of background as to why I put Matt on my bucket list, but I am sure you’ll get a better idea if you watch a couple of his videos.

In 2012 I missed Matt because I couldn’t fly over to Oahu and meet there. But I never gave up hope that one day we’d meet because I knew that Matt is fond of Maui. At one point somewhere between discussing the best options to get decent smartphone reception in South-East Asia and Leoda’s amazing Banana Pie, I was talking with Matt about the tourism draw to Maui. I explained that Maui has been the highest rated island to visit in the world for more than a decade, and Matt said, “I believe I can say with authority that that is true”. Because Matt has visited more than 80 countries since 2003, I think he’s got plenty of credibility with regard to travel.

Here’s the video we did after lunch:

Sure was a great time. Matt’s book about “Dancing Badly” which I purchased in 2011 was finally signed today.
I was happy that many of my local friends were there to enjoy lunch with Matt as well (Darren McDaniel, Jill Mayo, Peter Liu, Kevin Bates, Chris Norberg, Julie Yoneyama & Jon Maui).

This is Matt’s 2005 video that got me hooked on his adventures:

And in 2006 Matt did this video:

In 2008 Matt released his next video:

And finally, the newest video was released in 2012:

It was a pleasure to meet Matt, his family and friend Elan Lee. I’d like to give thanks to Darren McDaniel of Honua Kai Resort for making this meeting possible.

The lesson I learned from Matt over the years is that you can create a path to your dreams as long as you’re willing to dance outside the box now and then.

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TedxMaui: The Dream is Really Awesome!

2013-01-01T02:31:46Z

TedxMaui is an independently coordinated conference whose goal it is to “inspire a passion for spreading ideas in local communities from within”. The best parts of 2012 started with TedxMaui for me. An inspiring year-full of ideas and exciting happenings many of which sprouted from the passionate talks I had the privilege to experience with many of my friends last January. I was so astonished by last years TedxMaui that I’ve been dreaming and waiting for the 2013 Tedx to return. And here we are only a few days away–I’m so excited that my feet haven’t touched the ground in weeks.

I can, without reservation, attest to the tremendous inspiration that was the flavor and aftertaste that lingered with me throughout the year since the first TedxMaui. There is something about the format that touches me. These presenters are real people–incredibly passionate–but they could be just about anybody. When they speak of their experiences and ideas, their endeavors and accomplishments, you can’t help but be inspired. If you’ve ever had the rare chance to hear someone speak in-person about something that was so powerful that the experience changed their life forever… then you have had a taste of what TexMaui is like. Now multiply that by 18-20 presenters and you know you’re in for something totally remarkable. Join me this year for TedxMaui.

The next TEDxMaui will take place on Sunday, January 13th, 2013 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. This all-day event will present innovative and inspiring speakers and performers who have the courage to dream and change the world with revolutionary ideas.

I don’t do this often, but I’m so passionate about the importance of attending this event in person that I want to hear from you if you’re on the fence about attending. If you have questions or want to hear my recommendation to experience this event, please contact me. This is an event that I feel everyone must experience because of how it could potentially alter your life in a positive way. Please join me and together we’ll laugh, cry, smile, sing, think, dance, dream and transform into something remarkable.

Useful Links and Resurces:

To purchase tickets to TedxMaui (while supplies last–going fast).

To obtain more information about TedxMaui (blog post about this years event).

Main Website: TEDxMaui.com
Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/tedxmaui
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tedxmaui (hashtag: #TEDxMaui2013)
Flickr: http://flickr.com/tedxmaui
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tedxmaui
YouTube: http://youtube.com/tedxmaui
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tedxmaui/
Tumblr: http://tedxmaui.tumblr.com

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Meeting Mark Zuckerberg

2012-12-31T07:23:38Z

My regular meditation (read: surfing the net) over a warm cup of decaffeinated coffee at my favorite little cafe was slightly disrupted yesterday morning. Late was the hour of my arrival to Java Cafe because the Friday night festivities were, well, let’s just say it was eventful. The line in front of me consisted of a mere five people. They were an average lot; a few tourists and a local or two. I rubbed my eyes, wiped the morning away and gazed at the people in line in front of me noting nothing unusual. But then–as if the morning sobriety had suddenly pinched me–I recognized someone. T’was Mark Zuckerberg in board shorts, sandals and a plain t-shirt.

He turned as if to read my mind and nodded as to confirm that I had recognized him. Simultaneously I said, “Hey” and lifted my head in a gesture of hello. It was comforting to note that Mark’s friends were not so unlike my own. I tapped Mark on the shoulder and asked him how he was able to get around in public places without being photo-bombed. He said most people are considerate and then asked my name. In my mind I toyed with the idea of snapping a picture. ’This moment would be much easier to explain with a photo’ I told myself. But I didn’t want to be that annoying paparazzi photographer that wouldn’t leave this guy alone. We shook hands and I said it was nice to meet him. And they left the cafe.

There I was a man of simple means who lives paycheck to paycheck sharing a moment with someone whose life is complicated by 9.4 billion dollars worth of considerations. As a social media geek this is an awkward moment. It’s kind of like how some people get starstruck when they meet a movie star or famous sports figure. To some people, Mark Zuckerberg is the quarterback of one of the winning-est teams in social media, and also the subject of notoriety in the news and even a Hollywood movie. For me, he was just a regular guy with more than 16 million Facebook subscribers that was quite pleasant to meet in person.

A few minutes later I found myself alone in the cafe and the empty-quiet made me smile. I was still the same person and yet something had changed. The coffee still tasted the same, well, slightly less sugar I suppose. I made an honest effort to wait some time before announcing my version of what happened on of all places, Facebook. I waited mainly because I wasn’t sure who might freak-out and run down to my little cafe with the intent to catch Mark in an embarrassing paparazzi moment all because of me. It was a good experience for me. One of my friends said, “don’t wash that hand until I get to touch it”. Another friend told me, “We should talk… about #magicdust”. For me it was just a great story. Something to share among friends. Nothing more.

Some related articles:

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Letter from Santa

2012-12-15T22:28:14Z

This year I got a letter from Santa. It went something like this…

“Dear Resident or Current Occupant:

What if we could give the world community the gift of peace this year? It we could, would you be one of my elves?”

Initially I though Santa was a political campaign looking for contributions, but as I read further I discovered it was something completely different.

“What if you stepped out your door and the first person you saw, and everybody after that you saw a smile and heard a welcoming “Aloha”? Wouldn’t that make your day, perhaps even your year?”

I was intrigued and read on…

“It’s a crowded world filled with the struggles of living and challenges of meeting the needs of a world lacking in healthy food, clean air and safe water. But we still have each other. What’s not important is the newest electronics, most expensive car or how many presents are piled under the tree. I think we can all agree on that.”

Santa was right. We’re so deeply engaged in a mad world where we’ve forgotten that doing something as simple as sharing a smile with someone you don’t know or helping someone in need, or spending time with loved ones is more meaningful now than ever before.

“You can be one of my elves this Christmas fairly easy. First, if you must buy gifts, buy local. If you can afford to help those in need, please do generously. If you are a landlord and you can survive with less, give your tenants a month free. If you’re a mortgage company, why not forgive one months payment for those homeowners in need. If you’re a service and you can have one day where you work for your customers at no charge, why not. When you’re out there mowing your lawn, mow the neighbors too. When someone is struggling to find change in line at the store, have change ready. Don’t expect monthly bills on time this season, and don’t penalize people for being late. Say Aloha to everyone your see. Give the gift of love and kindness this Christmas. There’s no better time to start then today. Oh, and please don’t hide the elves, they need to be out in the open where everyone can see them.”

I get it, be vigilant for opportunities for random kindness. Give more than you receive. Share and welcome and Aloha… be open to happiness and do something remarkable for those in your community.

“It’s a circle you see…” Santa said. “we’ve got to think outside this box we call an economy and change the equation to something less like greed and more like kindness, generosity and understanding.”

I have always liked Santa Claus but until this moment, I never though he needed anything. I thought he only gave presents away and never needed one himself. Yet here he was asking for help and I thought to myself, we must answer that call for the years and years Santa has been there unselfishly for us all. Isn’t it time we showed Santa we could sacrifice greed for something better?

Santa’s letter was short but meaningful and he closed it with this last passage:

“For me it’s been a life of giving and I’m grateful for the opportunity to make people smile all over the world, even if for only one day. Now it’s your turn to reach out and accomplish something great every day, from this day forward. I’m counting on all my elves to smartly go forth and make the dream of a better world a reality. It’s starts with an Army of elves doing random acts of kindness and blossoms into a movement and overruns the economic stumbling blocks that the naysayers will put in your way. Fear not and lean forward, do the right thing and forget the so-called societal norms or cultural conditioning and do something remarkable. You’ll be glad we did. Aloha”

If you didn’t get a copy in your inbox, please copy and paste the one above to share with your community, network, friends and family. And be the best elf you can be!

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Hello world!

2012-12-11T16:47:26Z

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

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Google Hangout Livestreamed on YouTube

2012-12-01T01:30:54Z

Caution, you’re now entering the Living Maui Social Scene…

Tara Coomans, President of Social Media Club of Hawaii (SMCHI), joins Living Maui Social for a google hangout livestream with special guest Peter Liu.

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Not Voting in Presidential Election is a vote of No Confidence

2012-10-28T04:39:03Z

[I]n the 21st century it has become fashionable for people to believe that the mere appearance of democracy is enough to make it so - Marc Goldberg

I used to think people who didn’t vote shouldn’t complain (no vote, no grumble). Back when I was first into politics voting was a privilege and not voting was unacceptable. Is it true that not voting is wrong or is it really a vote of no confidence?

@rplevy – which is why I’m not voting for either major-party candidate. Actions > Words, and #theybothsuck

— Steve Scaffidi (@hercynium) October 27, 2012

If we look back at the last 20 years how much has actually changed as a result of elections? We’re still in debt, Congress continues to fail at their jobs and no one is held accountable. Earmarks and pork rules the halls of Congress. Lawmakers vote on bills they never read. Presidents have broken nearly every campaign promise and get credit for and get blamed for so many things they have no control over like the economy, jobs and healthcare. Yes, it’s easy to argue the finer points, but overall, we’re still in trouble in this country. It really hasn’t mattered which President was in office, overall nothing has been done as far as change or hope. The last 12 years has been a fairly steady increase in the “Cost of Living” of most Americans and the economy has been on a steady decline (slower growth, less opportunity). Just as the cost of living is increasing, jobs, wages, hours and benefits have been on the decline. What has kept this country going is real people, entrepreneurs, scientists, technologists, teachers, doctors,inventors, and business people. Twenty years of well-intentioned government down the drain…

I’m not voting for either candidate. Neither deserve to be a president, both are flawed. I don’t like either of them — Brandon Combs (@Brandon_Combs) October 23, 2012

Doing the exact same thing over and over again expecting a different result is considered by mental health professionals to be crazy. It could easily be argued that voting for one or the other of the candidates is just that. Take the last 3 Presidential elections and the promises the elected Presidents made during the election and you’ll be amazed at how many of those promises just didn’t work out the way you wanted them to. And they always blame Congress of course, and rightfully so because Congress actually IS responsible for those promises not working out. The problem is that THEY (the candidates) should NOT be making promises they cannot keep. In fact, why even have debates–we should have Congress debate the issues before the make them into laws, not presidents. Crazy right?

All these debates showed me is that I’m not voting for either candidate — Eddie Beaudry (@beauboarder) October 23, 2012

The two major parties are well funded and they protect the two-party system at all costs–all costs–even lies, deception, propaganda, false legal actions, manipulation of documents, illegal activities, paying for votes, threats, etc. These two parties spare no expense to convince you that their candidate is the second coming of Christ and the other candidate is the Devil. The promises they make prior to getting elected are based on studies, polls and surveys of American voters, not what the country really needs. So they promise based on what analysts say we want, and have no real plans of accomplishing anything. When you listen to what they promise and buy into that, remember that you’ve been ‘marketed to’ and you’re a ‘buyer’. And if you vote for a candidate based on that, then you’re doing the country an injustice.

I’m still not convinced of voting for either candidate #debates.

— Abbas Hamideh (@Resistance48) October 23, 2012

Remember that America is NOT a true democracy. That’s right my friends, the United States of America is a Representative Democracy, also known as a Federal Republic in some circles. One of the reasons we’re not a real, honest to goodness Democracy is precisely because your vote doesn’t actually count. Huh? Yup, when you vote for a presidential candidate your vote is “considered” by the Electoral College who are people hand selected by the two parties (Democrats and Republicans). Google it! So if your vote is merely a suggestion, then once again we’re struck with another reason why your vote is watered down.

I’m glad I’m not voting for either of these two tools. If only another candidate actually had a chance. #thirdparty #SupportRangeVoting

— Walter Kolczynski (@bubba0077) October 23, 2012

I remember people arguing and issuing amazing claims and threats when people have said they weren’t going to vote, yet even after all this time the same old practices and problems with our government remain. Did their votes really count? Ask any statistician worth his salt about voting, surveys and polls. Ask them if we had a community of 1,000 people who all were affected by the results of an election and the votes went something like this: 350 for candidate A, 320 for candidate B and 330 who refused to vote. Ask those statisticians what the refusal vote means to the election and you’ll hear that although it may not invalidate the election, it’s a strong case for a vote of no confidence in the process. It means that, if anyone is listening in the government, we have a growing surge of people how are willing to give up their privilege to vote and stand on principle regardless of popular belief that voting is mandatory and necessary. It’s not, and it isn’t. That growing surge is happening right now!

@mjlandis18 I’m not voting for either. Give me a candidate that can go a day without lying then ill vote

— Adam Murphree (@murphezius) October 20, 2012

Should people who don’t vote complain after an election? Yes, and no. Yes, they should complain about the way our system of government isn’t getting things done, and no, they shouldn’t wait until after an election, they should complain before, during AND after. This is supposed to be a free country and given the privilege to vote doesn’t mean you MUST vote, only that you can (in most cases). Who are these roaming do-good’ers out there who think it’s their job to tell others that they should vote and if they don’t vote it’s “un-American”. Shame on those elitist people exerting peer pressure like so many school-house bullies trying to convince little Johnny to take a drag off their Marijuana Cigarette. Not voting is a purposeful act perhaps even more meaningful than voting itself because to do so in the face of all the pressure to vote for either one of the “good old boy parties” is honorable.

Voting For President – 8 Reasons Why Your Vote Doesn’t Matter fb.me/z8exKZJw

— NotaPersonOrCitizen (@NotPorC) October 28, 2012

Voting is NOT a civic duty, and it is not an actual “right” either. Read the constitution people! Please watch the video at the bottom of this post to see why you should reconsider badgering those that don’t vote and rethink why you’re voting at all.

After posting this article I received this important Tweet:

@erikblair This kind of article annoys me. It IS illegal in Australia not to vote.And that leads to a more representative democracy.

— Time Travel Turtle (@michaelturtle) October 28, 2012

Response: 1) I don’t know much about Australian politics Micheal, but I think Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy–under a parliamentary democracy, and the people don’t actually VOTE for a president, 2) The purpose of the article is to describe why it is permissible for Americans to decline to vote if they deem the “process” has failed or is improperly applied. That’s definitely the case here in the United States. 3) If it was illegal not to vote, and the only two candidates you could vote for were crooks, then you’d either elect an unsavory politician or disobey the law. So that kind of law wouldn’t work over here. We don’t have much of a choice because only the rich can muster the massive support and have the time to campaign for office. Thank you Micheal for that important perspective.

What does a social media expert cost?

2012-10-16T16:32:05Z

A commonly known phrase in social media circles is, “if someone says they are a social media expert, run away, run far away!” There are no social media experts. There are professionals and talented social media managers, strategists, community and brand managers, specialists in a specific niche, but no experts. I sometimes joke around about social media rock stars, but even the title rock star is meaningless in social media. The same goes for gurus. I’ve been labelled a guru by some well-intentioned people, but it sure doesn’t fit me, and it implies traditional wisdom (static knowledge, not dynamic like social media). I endeavor to keep up with the ever-changing world of social media which means I can’t rest on what I learned yesterday, I must be vigilant for what emerges today and tomorrow. So I am always the disciple not the master.

Don’t hire an “expert”.

There are really just two salary models I like to share with other social media professionals. The first goes something like this:

Charge clients a $1,000 retainer*, and $67.00 per month for basic consulting (teaching and coaching, not doing).
Now I have your attention! You heard that right, $67/month. It’s basic math really and nearly a proven fact that we “normal” human beings can only engage effectively with 150 people or less with any regularity. 150 x $67 = $10,000 per month. (see “how much to charge for social media consulting“). To expand on this, there are roughly 22 working days in the average month, so 150 clients divided by 22 is about 6 clients per day. that means that you can have a $120,000 per year consulting practice and all you have to do is meet with 6 clients a day for about an hour. Of course you’ll have to spend 4-5 hours per day handling a lot of followup, support and client maintenance issues, so for me, this model doesn’t work. Your clients deserve positive results and that’s impossible to achieve in one hour a month. [* when I mention "retainer" I mean "a sum to be received prior to performance, not a recurring fee or salary"]

The second model I like to call the, “you get what you pay for” rate (YGWYPF). Most non-social media people might question how much time it takes to “do social media”, or say that they, “can just hire someone for $10/hour to do that stuff”, when in reality, social media is best done by those who (A) have a strong sense of urgency, (B) enjoy their work, (C) have a consistent “take ownership” style, and finally, (D) must “get it” as we say in professional social media circles. The latter means basically they they have an in-depth knowledge and experience engaging in the various networking platforms that are collectively called, “social media”. You can’t buy that for $10 an hour.

The YGWYPF rate is $150/hour on average. I’ve seen $300 per hour and $25 per hour, but you get what you pay for. This is all dependent on your geography and local economics of course, but in general, expect to get good results for about $150/hour. So the next question is often how much time is involved. That depends on so many factors we cannot discuss them in much detail here. Some very talented friends of mine who are social media professionals once hammered out the time it takes to conduct social media activities according to an average strategy. Having said that, I know every business, organization, project or event is different and requires a custom social media strategy. But for the sake of argument we assumed some very basic factors. For example, minimum needs, starting fresh, no time constraints, and the client was required to produce all “content”. Content in this case was photos, videos, links, marketing materials, contests, or whatever minutia we needed to conduct this thing we affectionately call, “social media”. We determined that about 30 hours a month of sporadic and generalized activity was needed to supply quality results for a very basic small business. A complete generalization, but we just wanted to get a rough idea. So the basic cost of a social media professional should effectively be at least $4,500 per month. Ironically, the average compensation in the United States for a social media consultant is $66,000 per year, so our number wasn’t far off the average (see stats here: The average Social Media Consultant salary in the United States). These are just guidelines and nothing here is set in stone by any means. [note: you can't hire a social media professional for "x-hours" per day. It doesn't work that way.]

How many tweets do I get for $100?

Don’t try to break down how many tweets or Facebook posts you’ll need, because that’s not the way it works. Remember these three time-consuming practices that all social media practitioners preform regularly: Research, Outreach & Engagement. I call it the ROE of social media. These three interdependent and dynamic concepts require nearly constant attention. If you’re social media person is worth their salt, they will have effective tools to be productive as well as to measure success. The best way to measure social media effectiveness is audience participation and community growth. The more improvement you see in those two areas the better your brand exposure. The more brand exposure, the higher the potential for new business from the different profit centers you have set up such as your blog, event registration, website email collection page, donation form, product sales page, etc).

Social media done right is an art form that doesn’t require the artist to die before the work is valuable.

So what exactly is the cost of a social media expert? Expensive! Hiring the wrong person or agency could be very costly. Today’s social media professionals know that it’s not traditional marketing, but they must work closely with a company’s marketing manager(s). They know that social media is an involved practice that is time-consuming and requires uncommon talents to perform an ongoing strategy that evolves every moment. If you’re on the lookout for a social media professional for your business make sure you properly interview and investigate before you get involved with someone who is a wrong-fit for your brand. Don’t be afraid to Google the name of your new found social media person and wander around on the various social media outlets to see how that person or agency is interacting online. Check with your local college or technology community to find who they might recommend. It doesn’t hurt to ask your friends who they may know because you might hear the same couple of names come up often. Then ask those professionals who they know in the field. Social media isn’t cheap. Do your homework and remember, don’t hire an expert!

Here are some valuable resources about hiring and compensating Social Media Professionals:

How to Buy Social Media Services: A Survey (really good info!)
Social Media Jobs Salary Guide
How social media consultants dupe their clients

I am more than happy to recommend professionals with many different of talents. Please check out my Maui Resources page for local professionals I recommend.

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Open Letter to Congress

2012-10-10T04:50:13Z

An open letter to the 113th Congress of the United States of America

In review of the last ten years there hasn’t been many positive solutions coming out of congress. In fact, some could argue nothing positive has been accomplished by Congress in more than 20 years that isn’t easily contested in a public forum. This trend seems to point to a failure of Congress to accomplish what is expected of them by the American People.

At the water-cooler, posted on all manner of social media, and in the streets, the conversation tells of the deep divide our society suffers as a result of more than just the authoritarian two-party system, but a failed, winner take all capitalist mentality gone awry. In this economy “What the market will bear” seems more like criminal behavior than a business practice.

The giant gap between those on the left and on the right, and those that ‘have’ and those that ‘have not’, is so debilitating that we can’t focus on solutions or even realize that we’re loosing our humanity. We’re loosing the hope of a better future for our children. Name calling and finger pointing dominates every political conversation on all the TV networks, on social media, in the various newspapers, magazines and news outlets online. We’ve all forgotten the fabric of our historic system of government and how it once gave us reason to be proud as one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice. Because cowardice has replaced honor—profit is worshiped and compassion is seen as a sign of weakness.

Once we were a nation of heroes and countrymen that resolved to amend the Constitution to better suit a changing future. We faced challenges like going to the Moon and overcoming injustice and promoting freedoms worldwide. However, in recent years we’ve allowed compassion to slip away from our everyday lives and it has been replaced by mere survival. It’s not uncommon to hear people say that they ‘just don’t have time’ to find solutions or help make a difference. We hear excuses like, ‘we can’t afford that’, ‘it’s not my job’, ‘I can’t do anything about it’, or ‘it’s not my fault’. When did we become the greatest country that ‘couldn’t'?

We’ve become a society searching for someone honorable and honest to follow, yet we’re filled with plenty of poor excuses for leadership and few good reasons to vote. Everybody is distracted, detached and disenchanted. Our economic system no longer allows most people the freedom to devote time and effort to worthy causes like a Constitutional Amendment, nor to afford what it takes for the common person to effect large scale change.

It’s not about the Election, or the Jobs Report, or the National Debt. It’s about people and compassion and making life better for everyone. It’s about removing greed and selfishness from the economy. The government, quite simply, has to wake up and lower the cost of living. Corporations and businesses need to stop giving us “less for more”, and start giving us “more for less”. It’s not just about your bottom line anymore. Landlords and property owners need to find ways to reduce rents not raise them. The interest rates on credit cards and all debts should to be lowered dramatically or forgiven entirely. Companies big and small, especially Big Oil and Big Pharma, need to drop their prices significantly. People need to stop screwing each other over for profits. And it is the responsibility of Congress to put an end to this. Clearly you can’t legislate morality, but you must make it profitable to do the right thing. Congress has allowed these problems to reach a state of crisis, and you’ve got to step up and fix this mess before it’s too late!

So you must ask yourself, Congressmen, will you maintain the status quo we’ve so painfully become used to? Or will you truly effect change regardless of party affiliation, campaign contributions, perks, special considerations, earmarks or favors? Mind your decision carefully because you are either the harbinger of solutions or the herald of problems. Choose wisely and ‘we the people’ will support you—choose poorly and we will find a way to remove you from any and all aspects of government.

Will you stand with your fellow countrymen of all beliefs and opinions, men and women, rich and poor, left and right, people from all walks of life, to stop this endless debacle we call politics? Will you make a stand here and now and take action to relieve people from the burdensome high cost of living, and steer our political system back on track to that which brings us together in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

Choose wisely, Congressmen. Choose wisely.

– We the People

Download the PDF version of this letter to share

Political Cartoon credit: Jim Morin of the Miami Herald

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Google Maps Underwater

2012-09-27T04:51:46Z

I’m never surprised when Google does something new, they are prolific with their own style of innovation, but this time I’m at least amazed! In google’s own words: “Google Maps strives to provide people around the globe with the most comprehensive, accurate and usable map of the world – including the underwater world. This ocean collection includes six of the world’s most incredible underwater spots, including coral reefs (and their inhabitants) in Australia, the Philippines and Hawaii. This imagery is available to millions of people through the Street View feature of Google Maps and in our Street View Gallery at: maps.google.com/ocean. ”

These images were collected by our partner, The Catlin Seaview Survey: http://www.catlinseaviewsurvey.com

The original Tweet that mentioned this: https://twitter.com/PeterLiu47/status/251074306589749248

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