Throughout the nine months that Cassidy was developing in Laura’s womb, I gave a lot of thought to documenting her growth. Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to be an early adopter when it comes to technology and share quite a bit on social media. Every time I post something on Tumblr, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram or wherever it’s a decision. When it comes to posting photos or anything about Cassidy I’m much more hesitant and private. I have some idea in my head about how I think social media will play out in the future and the implications of what we post online. I also know that once something is on the Internet, it can take on a life of its own and it’s extremely difficult or impossible to remove. I want to give Cassidy a choice. It doesn’t mean I won’t post things publicly, but I’ll continue to be thoughtful and deliberate about what I post. What I’ve posted privately with a small group of family and friends is another story entirely.

Shortly after Cassidy was born, my sister hilaryhess made me aware of an app called notabli that was being developed by a friend of hers in Vermont. The premise was that I could share photos, video, audio and journal entries privately. It was a closed network by parents, for parents and it wasn’t long before it became my primary tool for sharing everything about Cassidy with my family and some other friends who were also parents. It also wasn’t long before I reached out to jacksonlatka (co-founder) to see if there was something I could do to help. Over the last year I’ve provided him with feedback and advice and we’ve become friends. I really love what he and sensibleworld have created and whatever very minor part I played in getting their new 2.0 app out to the world makes me proud. You guys really did a terrific job.

If you are a parent, or know of one, let them know about Notabli.