Frank Warren is the owner and founder of PostSecret.com, a website that has taken the world by storm. The idea started with humble hopes and has blossomed into a life-changing phenomenon for Warren and his supporters.
In April of 2008 I spoke with him on the campus of Franklin College, a small private liberal arts school (my alma mater) located in Franklin, Ind.
Wendy Gould: Tell me about the concept of PostSecret. What made you decide to start the project?
Frank Warren: Well I think if anything sparked the idea it was a very monotonous job that I had for about 10 years. As I was copying documents, my mind would wander, and one day it wandered toward thinking about "What if I could create this non-judgmental, safe place where people could feel comfortable sharing parts of their lives that they've never told a soul?"
WG: What did you do from there?
FW: Well I thought about it and thought about it and printed up hundreds of self-addressed postcards and handed them out to strangers in Washington D.C. and that's when the secrets started coming and they haven't stopped since.
WG: Did it start slowly or was it suddenly popular? Are you surprised at how popular it now is?
FW: It was a slow trickle at first - maybe like a handful of cards every week, but somehow the idea of Post Secret spread virally around the world. I started getting more and more and more secrets even though I was no longer handing postcards out. It was then that I realized I had tapped into something that I didn't understand. It was something that I knew would always be special for me, just because I appreciate that kind of interior peek into people's most private and interesting lives. But I had no idea that it would resonate with so many people and there would be books and an art exhibit and the Web site, which gets about 1 million visits every week.
WG: Have you ever submitted any of your own secrets?
FW: I have one of my secrets in every book.
WG: I'm sure you get more secrets than you can post. What makes a postcard stand out?
FW: I think I'm always looking for secrets that surprise me - secrets that I haven't seen before. Also common secrets, but expressed in a creative way that gives a different point of view or perspective than what you expect. Every week I try and include secrets that represent the full scale of our humanity. So there is always going to be a funny secret, a sexual secret, a shocking secret, a hopeful secret. And then some heavy secrets too. I try to arrange them almost like I'm a composer - I'm taking these different notes and trying to make...music.
WG: The Web site does seem to carry a theme every week. Do you do this on purpose or is it more of a random process?
FW: Well, I won't say it's random, but it's almost subconscious. I spend a lot of time selecting the cards and arranging them in a way where I am kind of creating these dialogues or conversations between the secrets themselves, so that when you look at one or two of three or four of these postcards you aren't just hearing individual voices but something more than that.
WG: So it's kind of like you're an artist of sorts?
FW: [laughing] Yeah, maybe I'm like an editor bringing the stories together.
WG: Do you get a lot of repeat secrets?
FW: I will tell you the most popular secret I receive is "I pee in the shower," which is not what you'd expect but that's the most common one.
WG: Any others?
FW: I get a lot of secrets that deal with issues of loneliness and relationships, career, money. Some secrets are funny or emotional. Some deal with heavier topics like self harm or body image issues.
WG: Do you ever get overwhelmed by all the secrets that you receive?
FW: What I try to do is channel those feelings I have to want to help to promoting 1-800-SUICIDE, a national suicide hotline that I promote and support financially, too. I do get that feeling and I can't reach out directly because all the postcards are submitted anonymously but I can support that charity that I believe in.
WG: What are some of your most memorable or favorite secrets that you've received?
FW: Well once I got one on a Starbucks cup that said, "I serve decaf to customers who are rude to me." I like that one a lot. I like the funny ones and the hopeful ones. There was one I got recently from a girl, who on her college campus, puts pennies on the ground so people can feel lucky when they find them.
WG: Have you ever received a secret that was incriminating? Do you have to turn those in?
FW: I don't get too many like that. Most come anonymously so it's difficult to do anything even if we could. There was one though that I'm reminded of - it's on the back cover of the first book and it reads, "He's been in prison for two years for something that I did. Nine more years to go." It makes you understand that there are extraordinary stories out in the world happening every day that go undiscovered.
WG: Do you think this is something that will be around for a long time? Do you plan to ever pass the reigns down?
FW: I don't know how it's going to go. I've been completely surprised by the project and how it's brought me here to this point. I feel like it's brought so much purpose and gratification to my own life personally that I have just learned to trust it. I'll follow it wherever it goes.
WG: Any word of wisdom to end?
FW: I'd just like to say that through this project I've learned that there are two types of secrets - the ones you keep from other people and the secrets we hide from ourselves. Sometimes by looking at this community of secrets it allows us to recognize a few secrets that we might be carrying unaware.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Alison Gianotto, Founder of Pet-Abuse.Com
Subject: Animal rights
In April of 2008 I spoke with Alison Gianotto, founder and director of Pet-Abuse.com. Pet-Abuse is an internationally recognized organization that tracks animal cruelty cases/abusers throughout the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Spain and New Zealand.
After shifting careers several times (from Wall Street to web developer to professor), Gianotto found solace in a career of animal cruelty prevention and prosecution.
Gianotto has been featured in various publications, including People Magazine, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe and the Chicago Tribune. In addition to print media, she has also made appearances on a number of radio and television programs with the goal of educating the public about "the connection between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence."
WG: Tell me a little bit about Pet-Abuse.com
AG: Pet-Abuse.Com is the largest, most comprehensive searchable database of criminal animal cruelty cases online - we were also the first! Our flagship product is the cruelty database itself, where we analyze thousands of cruelty cases every year, breaking them down by certain criteria so that animal welfare organizations can begin to better understand who is abusing animals, what types of animals are being abused, and why.
WG: What other kinds of services do you offer?
AG: We provide a convicted animal abuser name search, which is used by rescues, humane societies, and breeders to ensure that the person they trust their animals with does not have a history of animal cruelty.
WG: How can this service be of use to common, every day people?
AG: As a general rule, I recommend checking everyone who may end up having contact with your pet when you're not around - vets, groomers, new boyfriends or girlfriends.
WG: What are some of the larger goals that Pet-Abuse.com has?
AG: One of our main goals is to collect data on all of the cruelty cases in the country - to become a clearinghouse for this information - and we've been doing a pretty good job at that. Unfortunately, the government is not mandated to report cases to us, so it's never a complete picture - but the picture gets more complete every year as we make new contacts and gain momentum. Another primary goal is to make it as easy as possible for people to get involved. Our CaseWatch feature, for example, allows registered users to "watch" specific cases for updates and court dates, where they receive an email when new information is posted. Online action alerts and interactive maps that let people see exactly how close to home these cases are occurring are just a few other ways we provide unique tools for animal advocates.
WG: In your 6 years of work in this field, what has been the most surprising thing you've encountered?
AG: That's a tough question. On one hand, it feels like nothing surprises me anymore - and then on the other hand, there are lots of smaller surprises every day. I don't think I have a "most" surprising, but I'll share a few that are important to me...
WG: Any other surprises?
AG: I am also still surprised by the number of cases we get related to animals that were off-leash or loose at the time of the abuse - even more so when it wasn't the owners first animal that was killed. I want to shake these people and say "If you've had 5 dogs killed in the past 10 years - WHY wouldn't you keep them INSIDE or safely in your own yard?" Obviously, the person committing the crime is responsible, but it surprises me how many people don't understand that keeping their pet out of harm's way is their responsibility.
WG: Speaking of responsibility, what seems to be the most common thing occurring in animal crime cases today?
AG: Neglect is - and probably always will be - the most common cruelty type we see.
WG: Why is that?
AG: Animal neglect is a real problem - some people just don't seem to understand that these animals are completely dependent on us. Their lives are in our hands.
WG: When it comes to reporting animal crimes, do you think that most people who commit these crimes actually face the appropriate repercussions? Or do many get off lucky?
AG: I think some people do, and some people don't. I'll have more concrete answers for you once we're further along in our plea bargain statistics - we only have that data for 35% of our cases so far - but in general, I think many cases are plea bargained when they shouldn't be - If they were prosecuted in the first place.
WG: Do more laws need to be created to help this issue?
AG: Many people believe we need better laws to prevent and punish animal abuse, but I think that for the most part, we have plenty of good laws already on the books (I did say for the most part). If those laws are not being used properly, no amount of new legislation is going to improve things for animals. One project we're working on is tracking misdemeanor versus felony charges in cases. Once we have more data collected, we'll be able to point out which states have great felony laws, but never, ever use them.
To learn more about Pet-Abuse.com, visit their website by clicking here.
In April of 2008 I spoke with Alison Gianotto, founder and director of Pet-Abuse.com. Pet-Abuse is an internationally recognized organization that tracks animal cruelty cases/abusers throughout the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Spain and New Zealand.
After shifting careers several times (from Wall Street to web developer to professor), Gianotto found solace in a career of animal cruelty prevention and prosecution.
Gianotto has been featured in various publications, including People Magazine, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe and the Chicago Tribune. In addition to print media, she has also made appearances on a number of radio and television programs with the goal of educating the public about "the connection between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence."
WG: Tell me a little bit about Pet-Abuse.com
AG: Pet-Abuse.Com is the largest, most comprehensive searchable database of criminal animal cruelty cases online - we were also the first! Our flagship product is the cruelty database itself, where we analyze thousands of cruelty cases every year, breaking them down by certain criteria so that animal welfare organizations can begin to better understand who is abusing animals, what types of animals are being abused, and why.
WG: What other kinds of services do you offer?
AG: We provide a convicted animal abuser name search, which is used by rescues, humane societies, and breeders to ensure that the person they trust their animals with does not have a history of animal cruelty.
WG: How can this service be of use to common, every day people?
AG: As a general rule, I recommend checking everyone who may end up having contact with your pet when you're not around - vets, groomers, new boyfriends or girlfriends.
WG: What are some of the larger goals that Pet-Abuse.com has?
AG: One of our main goals is to collect data on all of the cruelty cases in the country - to become a clearinghouse for this information - and we've been doing a pretty good job at that. Unfortunately, the government is not mandated to report cases to us, so it's never a complete picture - but the picture gets more complete every year as we make new contacts and gain momentum. Another primary goal is to make it as easy as possible for people to get involved. Our CaseWatch feature, for example, allows registered users to "watch" specific cases for updates and court dates, where they receive an email when new information is posted. Online action alerts and interactive maps that let people see exactly how close to home these cases are occurring are just a few other ways we provide unique tools for animal advocates.
WG: In your 6 years of work in this field, what has been the most surprising thing you've encountered?
AG: That's a tough question. On one hand, it feels like nothing surprises me anymore - and then on the other hand, there are lots of smaller surprises every day. I don't think I have a "most" surprising, but I'll share a few that are important to me...
- The fact that we've managed to secure prosecutions and convictions based solely off of the content of a MySpace profile. I am surprised and encouraged by the fact that law enforcement in some areas is taking animal cruelty seriously enough that they are willing to prosecute people who post videos of themselves burning, fighting and torturing animals on their MySpace profiles.
- Also, the fact that so many more young people "get it." They understand compassion towards animals, and many are making life choices based on their desire to help. Years ago, if you asked a child what they wanted to be when they grew up, you'd hear "doctor," "lawyer," "astronaut." Now, "animal cop" comes up in that same mix, and that's a wonderful, wonderful thing. There are students in law school right now whose sole purpose in being there is to become a prosecuting attorney to help animals. It's just amazing.
WG: Any other surprises?
AG: I am also still surprised by the number of cases we get related to animals that were off-leash or loose at the time of the abuse - even more so when it wasn't the owners first animal that was killed. I want to shake these people and say "If you've had 5 dogs killed in the past 10 years - WHY wouldn't you keep them INSIDE or safely in your own yard?" Obviously, the person committing the crime is responsible, but it surprises me how many people don't understand that keeping their pet out of harm's way is their responsibility.
WG: Speaking of responsibility, what seems to be the most common thing occurring in animal crime cases today?
AG: Neglect is - and probably always will be - the most common cruelty type we see.
WG: Why is that?
AG: Animal neglect is a real problem - some people just don't seem to understand that these animals are completely dependent on us. Their lives are in our hands.
WG: When it comes to reporting animal crimes, do you think that most people who commit these crimes actually face the appropriate repercussions? Or do many get off lucky?
AG: I think some people do, and some people don't. I'll have more concrete answers for you once we're further along in our plea bargain statistics - we only have that data for 35% of our cases so far - but in general, I think many cases are plea bargained when they shouldn't be - If they were prosecuted in the first place.
WG: Do more laws need to be created to help this issue?
AG: Many people believe we need better laws to prevent and punish animal abuse, but I think that for the most part, we have plenty of good laws already on the books (I did say for the most part). If those laws are not being used properly, no amount of new legislation is going to improve things for animals. One project we're working on is tracking misdemeanor versus felony charges in cases. Once we have more data collected, we'll be able to point out which states have great felony laws, but never, ever use them.
To learn more about Pet-Abuse.com, visit their website by clicking here.
Danny Roberts, MTV's The Real World: New Orleans
Subject: Human Interest, Gay rights
Danny Roberts was a cast member on MTV's hit TV show "The Real World: New Orleans." which aired in 2000. At the time he was in a long-term relationship with a man named Paul, a captain in the US Army. Because of the U.S. Military "Don't ask, don't tell" policy toward homosexuals, Paul's face was obscured on TV and much national attention was brought to the issue.
Now Roberts gives motivational speeches to college-age students across the nation. I interviewed him in 2007 over dinner.
WG: What are some of the characteristics about yourself that you most identify with? Is it your time spent on the real world, the fact that you are openly gay, etc.?
Danny Roberts: I think what defines me as a person is that I like to constantly explore. That's a big reason why I love to travel. I always want to meet new people that challenge me and who I can grow through. And I don't ever like to feel like I'm any one type of person. Any time I start to feel like one type of person I feel stagnated.
I am quite often asked "Do I closely relate to being gay?" and, honestly, there is absolutely no doubt that it is part of who I am, but it never has been, and never will be my defining trait.
A lot of people do closely identify and label them selves along one trait line and I think that's very self limiting and yeah, I will never be that way.
WG: What do you have to say about your time spent on MTV's The Real World?
DR: My taking part in the "The REAL World" is not something that defines me, but there is no doubt that it has highly affected my life. There are people out there who let their reality TV show experience define their life and who they are from that point on, and I find that to be sad.
WG: Tell me where you are today.
DR: I came from a very small town in the south, and I don't even know how the hell I got to where I am now, but I love the direction I've been going. I got here by being that person who wants to expand and wants to grow and explore what the world is.
This world is huge and there is so much to see and experience and so many different kinds of people and so many different ways to think.
WG: What has been a major pivotal experience in your life?
DR: My entire college experience. The combination of the environment that I was in and the people that I met there really established the direction and the person that I've become since. I was really really open to a lot of things through the people there. At the time I thought I was open-minded, but I wasn't at all. I was so close-minded and had such limited views. But when I got to the University it made me realize not what I did know, but what I didn't know.
One of my favorite quotes is 'A wise person is somebody who knows what they don't know,' and that's all of life. You are never, ever going to know anywhere near what there is to know. That lesson has made my life since, and it will always be a part of my life.
WG: How do you think others view you?
DR: One bizarre affect of taking part in that show is the fact that strangers already do have a perception of me. When a lot of people already "know" a lot about me, they may not necessarily but perception is more important than anything. People often do recognize me more than you'd think. I'm not saying that everybody and their mom remembers, but it happens almost every day.
On a real level, in this real world, perception is bitch. Through this experience that's the number one lesson I carried away from that
All reality TV is, on a social level, is nothing but creating perceptions of people through the process of editing and production. And what you learn, if you're lucky enough to learn throught that process, no matter if it's positive or negative through the show is nothing but that - it's perception. But on a bigger view, that's the way the world works. That show is just a microcosm of the way the world works on a daily basis. The show just puts a magnifying class on it and it's scary what simple things can change a persons perception of you entirely.
When viewers are smart, they get that. But they don't, necessarily.
WG: What is your ultimate goal when it comes to speaking to young adults?
DR: Young people are so impressionable and I think that with the content that I discuss it is usually just younger generations that are open to the change I am trying to make change. It's important to reach younger generations so that we don't have to repeat the mistakes of our grandparents and parents.
Danny Roberts was a cast member on MTV's hit TV show "The Real World: New Orleans." which aired in 2000. At the time he was in a long-term relationship with a man named Paul, a captain in the US Army. Because of the U.S. Military "Don't ask, don't tell" policy toward homosexuals, Paul's face was obscured on TV and much national attention was brought to the issue.
Now Roberts gives motivational speeches to college-age students across the nation. I interviewed him in 2007 over dinner.
WG: What are some of the characteristics about yourself that you most identify with? Is it your time spent on the real world, the fact that you are openly gay, etc.?
Danny Roberts: I think what defines me as a person is that I like to constantly explore. That's a big reason why I love to travel. I always want to meet new people that challenge me and who I can grow through. And I don't ever like to feel like I'm any one type of person. Any time I start to feel like one type of person I feel stagnated.
I am quite often asked "Do I closely relate to being gay?" and, honestly, there is absolutely no doubt that it is part of who I am, but it never has been, and never will be my defining trait.
A lot of people do closely identify and label them selves along one trait line and I think that's very self limiting and yeah, I will never be that way.
WG: What do you have to say about your time spent on MTV's The Real World?
DR: My taking part in the "The REAL World" is not something that defines me, but there is no doubt that it has highly affected my life. There are people out there who let their reality TV show experience define their life and who they are from that point on, and I find that to be sad.
WG: Tell me where you are today.
DR: I came from a very small town in the south, and I don't even know how the hell I got to where I am now, but I love the direction I've been going. I got here by being that person who wants to expand and wants to grow and explore what the world is.
This world is huge and there is so much to see and experience and so many different kinds of people and so many different ways to think.
WG: What has been a major pivotal experience in your life?
DR: My entire college experience. The combination of the environment that I was in and the people that I met there really established the direction and the person that I've become since. I was really really open to a lot of things through the people there. At the time I thought I was open-minded, but I wasn't at all. I was so close-minded and had such limited views. But when I got to the University it made me realize not what I did know, but what I didn't know.
One of my favorite quotes is 'A wise person is somebody who knows what they don't know,' and that's all of life. You are never, ever going to know anywhere near what there is to know. That lesson has made my life since, and it will always be a part of my life.
WG: How do you think others view you?
DR: One bizarre affect of taking part in that show is the fact that strangers already do have a perception of me. When a lot of people already "know" a lot about me, they may not necessarily but perception is more important than anything. People often do recognize me more than you'd think. I'm not saying that everybody and their mom remembers, but it happens almost every day.
On a real level, in this real world, perception is bitch. Through this experience that's the number one lesson I carried away from that
All reality TV is, on a social level, is nothing but creating perceptions of people through the process of editing and production. And what you learn, if you're lucky enough to learn throught that process, no matter if it's positive or negative through the show is nothing but that - it's perception. But on a bigger view, that's the way the world works. That show is just a microcosm of the way the world works on a daily basis. The show just puts a magnifying class on it and it's scary what simple things can change a persons perception of you entirely.
When viewers are smart, they get that. But they don't, necessarily.
WG: What is your ultimate goal when it comes to speaking to young adults?
DR: Young people are so impressionable and I think that with the content that I discuss it is usually just younger generations that are open to the change I am trying to make change. It's important to reach younger generations so that we don't have to repeat the mistakes of our grandparents and parents.
Roni McCall, Executive Director of Inhumane.Org
Subject: Animal Rights
Contact: NoAbuse@inhumane.org
Roni McCall is the executive director of www.inhumane.org. She lives in Merrimack, New Hampshire. The website is used as a reference source for potential adopters. According to McCall, "Others use the statistics for strengthening legislation in their states as or statistcs show the weaknesses in the animal statutes, laws or courts."
Information on inhumane.org
Interview
WG: What are some of the most common crimes you see committed against animals?
RM: "Neglect is the biggest thing we see, sometimes it is just a matter ofsomeone not knowing how to properly care for an animal so we will helpeducate them. Other times it is someone who is hoarding animals - theythink they are the only ones who can help those animals but in fact they areharming them more because they are not getting the medical attention, theyneed."
WG: Why do you think people don't realize they are doing more harm than good sometimes?
RM: "Those people have a psycological problem of not being able tolet go of the animals. Almost all of the animals are sickly, have mange,worms or other parasites and are not being fed and sheltered properly."
WG: What are types of abuse cases are typical?
RM: "Other cases are of domestic and elder abuse where the animal is the firstone in the family to be harmed, sometimes long before the kids or parentsare harmed. The person who is harming the family is ususally someone whohas anger issues and takes it out on the family pet first, or they havecontrol issues in a world that is out of control for them."
WG: How are these crimes reported and who often does the reporting?
RM: "Neighbors often report the hoarder cases because the stench coming from thehome is terrible. Domestic and elder abuse is rarely reported until someone is hurt badly orthe family enters a shelter for protection."
WG: Are a lot of abusers punished for their crimes?
RM: "Some do but most don't get punished as often as they should. "
WG: When these abusers are reported, what happens?
RM: "Every state has different animal cruelty statutes which decide if the crime is a misdemeanor or felonycrime. Felony crimes can go to jail but in first offenses most are plea bargained out. If the offender is a teenager, these plea cases don't help because in most instances within 2 years the offender has gone on to commit a more heinous crime."
WG: Any words of wisdom?
RM: Education is the key to stopping animal cruelty. People need to learn theearly warning signs, police departments need to get more aggressive at getting cases into courts and judges need to be stricter on the punishments."
WG: Thank you, Roni!
RM: "You're welcome!"
Contact: NoAbuse@inhumane.org
Roni McCall is the executive director of www.inhumane.org. She lives in Merrimack, New Hampshire. The website is used as a reference source for potential adopters. According to McCall, "Others use the statistics for strengthening legislation in their states as or statistcs show the weaknesses in the animal statutes, laws or courts."
Information on inhumane.org
- Non profit organization (501c3)
- Documents cases of animal cruelty from the United States as well as international cases.
- Helps move cases into the courtroom
- Helps pay for veterinary fees of abused animals that are part of their program.
- Work with legislators to get laws strengthened.
Interview
WG: What are some of the most common crimes you see committed against animals?
RM: "Neglect is the biggest thing we see, sometimes it is just a matter ofsomeone not knowing how to properly care for an animal so we will helpeducate them. Other times it is someone who is hoarding animals - theythink they are the only ones who can help those animals but in fact they areharming them more because they are not getting the medical attention, theyneed."
WG: Why do you think people don't realize they are doing more harm than good sometimes?
RM: "Those people have a psycological problem of not being able tolet go of the animals. Almost all of the animals are sickly, have mange,worms or other parasites and are not being fed and sheltered properly."
WG: What are types of abuse cases are typical?
RM: "Other cases are of domestic and elder abuse where the animal is the firstone in the family to be harmed, sometimes long before the kids or parentsare harmed. The person who is harming the family is ususally someone whohas anger issues and takes it out on the family pet first, or they havecontrol issues in a world that is out of control for them."
WG: How are these crimes reported and who often does the reporting?
RM: "Neighbors often report the hoarder cases because the stench coming from thehome is terrible. Domestic and elder abuse is rarely reported until someone is hurt badly orthe family enters a shelter for protection."
WG: Are a lot of abusers punished for their crimes?
RM: "Some do but most don't get punished as often as they should. "
WG: When these abusers are reported, what happens?
RM: "Every state has different animal cruelty statutes which decide if the crime is a misdemeanor or felonycrime. Felony crimes can go to jail but in first offenses most are plea bargained out. If the offender is a teenager, these plea cases don't help because in most instances within 2 years the offender has gone on to commit a more heinous crime."
WG: Any words of wisdom?
RM: Education is the key to stopping animal cruelty. People need to learn theearly warning signs, police departments need to get more aggressive at getting cases into courts and judges need to be stricter on the punishments."
WG: Thank you, Roni!
RM: "You're welcome!"
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