As lifestreaming becomes more accessible and we are able to collect more and more data, meaningful parsing of the information becomes more difficult. Lifestreaming can generate a lot of noise that is unfocused and hard to make use of. Approaching a lifestream with a specific purpose, as in a ‘goalstream’, can help one work toward specific goals through documentation, measurement and community support.

Goalstreaming is a lifestream design methodology consisting of the following: (1) a workflow for updating and sharing one’s goal-oriented lifestream. This is the process by which one documents, measures and manages goal progress. (2) a lifestream hygiene routine. This checklist keeps the lifestream running smoothly with steps to regularly monitor progress.

Although there are privacy issues that arise with sharing any information online, the primary value of goalstreaming is that it is public. By sharing our lives with others, we are motivated, we are held accountable for what we say, we receive tangible help, and we create a sense of ‘being in it together’. And as one makes progress towards her goal, she becomes an expert on the subject for others to learn from.

DEFINITIONS

Lifestream: A chronological, public archive of digital artifacts and activities collected into one place to represent a person or group of people.
Goalstream: A lifestream designed to document, measure, and manage progress related to a specific goal or project.
Activity stream: A protocol for syndicating online activity.
Social stream: The feed of lifestream updates from your friends, like a Facebook news feed or Twitter friends feed.
Social graph: “the global mapping of everybody and how they’re related”.

INTRODUCTION

The past year, I have been experimenting with lifestreaming. After collecting my online activity in one place, I began to identify benefits of lifestreaming, including process and failure documentation, personal accountability, and the revealing of the invisible.

I wanted to create a project that explicitly demonstrated the value of lifestreaming. I used the concept of ‘goal-oriented lifestreaming’ (now ‘goalstreaming’) as a lifestream design methodology. I chose a goal I wanted to achieve (to understand and simplify my personal finances) and created a lifestream site and workflow to visualize, measure and manage progress towards the goal.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Can I demonstrate measurable progress towards a goal with a lifestream? What privacy conflicts arise and what can we learn from sharing our financial lives?

BACKGROUND LITERATURE

• http://www.slideshare.net/erinblaskie/lifestreaming-the-new-future-of-blogging-delivered-at-wordcamp-nyc
  a brief and simple slideshow explaining the basics behind lifestreaming.
• http://www.webershandwick.com/resources/ws/flash/Lifestream_WhitePaper_mech_v2.pdf
  an in-depth look at types of lifestreams and a more corporate approach.
• http://lifestreamblog.com/
  for the latest news, software and services in lifestreaming.
• http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/05/23/blogging-essential-for-a-good-career/
  Penelope Trunk explains many reasons why blogging is essential for a good career.

METHOD

My lifestream workflow for this project was this:

VISUALIZATION

• Document real life financial activities with photos, videos, and text. For example, I photographed bar tabs, trips to the ATM, and stacks of paper mail piling up on my desk.
• Screengrab online financial transactions to capture transaction numbers and to create a third party verification system, since I do not print these transactions. Obscure account numbers to deter identity thieves.
  (Show examples)
• Email documentation and forward relevant financial emails to post@financiallifestream.posterous.com. Posterous is a lifestream email conduit that allows me to email my content to one place where it is shared with my social networks (like Facebook and Flickr) automatically, and then syndicated to my self-hosted WordPress blog (the central goalstream location) with the help of the FeedWordPress plugin.
  (Diagram: email content to posterous, forward to WordPress, FB + Flickr)

MEASUREMENT

• Hook up various bank accounts to third party money management system, Wesabe, for a view of the big picture and budgeting tools.
  (Show budget)
• Use services such as Daytum.com to track shared expenses.
• Utilize iPhone apps for monitoring budget.

MANAGEMENT

• Write longer posts in WordPress blog to synthesize meetings, critiques, online community feedback, and to evaluate project progress.
• Review past posts for new insights.
• Ask for specific information or feedback and announce updates on Twitter.

RESULTS
(9/28/09 – 11/24/09)
Posts: 158

1. I found developing a lifestream hygiene routine (#5, #4, #3, #2, #1) significantly reduced my financial stress levels. I perform the following list of steps weekly to ensure I am current with my books. Completing this routine weekly ensures I don’t miss any payments or deadlines.