I try to limit my opining in this column to areas where I'm either extremely passionate, or believe there are emerging digital-media trends in need of further probing and discussion. With a bias toward consumer experience and social media, I've pondered in the past year a variety of human topics, like mourning, game mechanics, identity management and exposure, salesmen psychology, fatherhood and parent communities.

Today, on behalf of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, I am testifying before Congress on proposed legislation to combat spyware. While that may seem like a black and white issue that should be easy to write and talk about, it is more complicated than it would appear. I assure you that any time you get involved in public policy issues, things are never black and white, but instead constantly changing shades of gray.

The world around us has been changing dramatically for the last 15 years, but the last six have by far and away been the most exciting. For the last 12 years I've been fortunate enough to be surrounded by many of the exciting, energetic people who are responsible for these changes, which means I've been exposed to the cutting edge of technology, marketing and digital media. Even today I have the opportunity to continually evaluate new companies and technologies and hypothesize how these will be applied in the general marketplace. So I thought this week I would share a few …

The question I keep coming back to is this: Does a content-rich portal like iVillage guarantee the formation of sustainable online community? To date, the answer is a resounding no. In order to understand what's ailing iVillage and every other content producer, search engine or portal attempting to grow a social networking community around their online traffic, one has to understand two rules: 1. Using content to create community and using community to create content are two extremely different beasts. 2. Creating community for the purpose of monetization first doesn't work in the long run (unless you think you can …

Come on, you have to laugh: a title like this from a gal named Seana Mulcahy from Boston. I just had to do it. It's funny; people call or email me, bellowing, "Happy St. Patrick's Day" like it's my birthday or something. Well believe it or not, in retail it is something to celebrate.

I spent a great deal of time over the past few years pondering what engagement meant in the advertising world. And I wasn't alone. Everyone seemed to be caught up in debating its definition, and how it should be applied to complement or overtake existing models of advertising planning and accountability. Everyone knew that traditional mass-marketing models based on reach, frequency and impressions were losing traction, and this new dimension of engagement seemed a promising evolution.

I'm currently attending the Online Publishers Association's Forum for the Future in London. This is the second year for the Forum, which is living up to its well-earned reputation from last year as a unique event focused on high-level issues and networking for top digital executives from many of the world's most important media and content companies. The event only started yesterday afternoon, but I've already heard and participated in some fascinating discussions.

Is what you're doing advertising or marketing -- and what's the difference, in this age of consumer control and hyper-speed multitasking?

To answer the question "What is the future of social networks?" we first have to answer the question "What is a social network?" In reality, the Internet itself is THE social network, and what we call social networks today are simply a new interface for gathering and displaying social information; albeit incorporating various layers of additional functionality.

I won't bore you with all the details of my online banking horrors. I'll give you the quick synopsis of what happened and explain how I'm still dealing with it on a daily basis.