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Check out the new demo we built for AccountAbility, a project led by Nate Greenslit at the MIT Media Lab. AccountAbility aims to put socially responsible information on online bank statements.
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A bilumi workshop is when a bunch of folks get together in the same room and add their opinions and research to the knowledge of our whole community. The workshop goal is decided by the host. (more…)
Aaron K. Chatterji and Michael W. Toffel of Harvard Business School are taking a closer look at how environmental practices change when companies are publicly rated for their performance.
Here’s what I took from their paper: (more…)
Wondering what happened with the results of the poll where you helped us think about what kinds of revenue we should pursue? The short answer is: Courtney is on it.
Courtney Tyler is interning with bilumi this semester and will be preparing a comprehensive business plan around the various revenue models that you commented on in that survey. We’re really lucky to have her on the team!
Says Courtney: “I am (more…)
GoodGuide.com has released a scientist’s take on socially responsible ratings guides. Learn about this and other socially responsible guides on our updated Research Guide. That is where you can find ways to contribute that take as little as two minutes of your time! (more…)
The dev flock just whipped out our first external web API, bringing BILUMI closer to expanding how and where people get information. Try it!
Why is this cool? Now it is easier to mash BILUMI data with other data. Mashups can lead to insights and utility not available to a narrow data view. Plus, they’re hella fun.
Ravens (our metaphor for tools that help us share socially responsible product information) that are prevented from retrieving a bit of food can direct others how to get it. New research shows that they can also remember which humans are threats using facial cues. They even teach their neighbors which faces are potentially threatening. (more…)
Mollie, Catie, Stefan, and I have all collaborated to create these options based on the winning logo from our previous poll.
Click on the image to enlarge it… then vote for your favorite by clicking: (more…)
Have you noticed how much information is now available on our main site about chocolate? Sure, there are gaps, but we now have data on everything from Kosher scores to labor practices. Many people shared their research with our community to get us this far. Here are three of them. (more…)
We’ve voted to make Buy It Like You Mean It (bilumi) our project’s name instead of our slogan. So we could probably use another slogan. (more…)
“‘This year’s class reveals an empowered group of consumers. From their purchasing decisions and media consumption to their pull at the polls, this college consumer is clearly in control and showing their strength in numbers.’
College students demonstrate strong commitment towards the brands they feel are contributing positively (more…)
Click the monkey to help us choose between innovative ways to help bilumi become financially self sustainable. We are beginning a process of business planning and your input will help direct that process.
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Click on the ravens to see Aaron Donovan’s full sized image of us passing out pamphlets. Or click on the Bicycle Band to see more Somerville Arts Fest photos.
Cool, I was worried that no one would send pictures. Thanks, Aaron!
Lucy and I after the July Somerville Arts festival. In case you were wondering what we looked like after a hot afternoon of handing out fliers and dancing behind a 5 person bicycle (while wearing black feathers and sandwich board signs.)
There are still many chocolate companies in our database which have yet to be reviewed. Whoever breaks the ice by creating the most “first” reviews about these companies will win our next contest!
Dylan Zeigler and Chris Pepe have each earned prizes from our review contest. (more…)
It’s nice to see the seeds of a movement using technology to enable individual socially responsible actions. Cool People Care and Free Rice represent different ways that the internet can help people make a difference. (more…)
If punitive damage payments are capped then abuse of the system is far more likely. The equation for whether industry will harm society is as simple as it is dangerous: If the chance of being discovered times the cost of being discovered is less than the opportunity income of misconduct then businesses have an incentive to misbehave.
Justice David Souter’s Supreme Court majority opinion (more…)
