I don’t know about you, but I often use the words “information” and “data” interchangeably. I’m rethinking that policy after reading a new Forrester Research report about Chief Data Officers (aka CDOs). Turns out they have a very different job description than their better-known counterparts, Chief Information Officers.

• 35 percent of those surveyed had made a donation using online methods (which is actually not as high as some of the other data points suggest it should be); still it marks a shift from “traditional” methods, such as writing a check.
• Slightly fewer (32 percent) watched a video with an overly environmental or social slant (same as the above).
• Millennials and Hispanics were the most engaged when it came to using social and mobile technologies to learn about specific corporate social, environmental or sustainability practices.

Enough is enough! Those of you who actually know me in “real life” know that I’ve been super busy, both personally and professionally. And now, I have some of my time back, so I will pledge (yet again) to be better about updating this column.

Today’s item is a shameless self-plug for my column from my exciting daily assignment, curating and writing the Data Sheet for Fortune magazine — dedicated to the “business of technology.”

Much of the buzz I’m hearing this fall regards wearable technology, various gadgets such as a fitness bands or smart watches or eyewear (ala Google Glass).

These devices collect data about your heart rate or how far you’ve walked or the average time between intervals in your exercise routines. They can also be used to offer more information to you on the job. For example, Google Glass (and its kin) might be useful for letting field service workers watch repair videos while they are actually on a job.

Personally speaking, I can’t imagine ever wearing one of these things, especially if it’s as big and ugly as the Microsoft Band. (Image right.)

If I actually had a job, I might not have a choice. Apparently, almost three-quarters of the U.S. workers recently surveyed by softare company Cornerstone OnDemand believe wearable technologies may become mandatory in our workplace future (no time frame). Sort of like ID badges required for getting around most corporate campuses.

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Anyone who reads my occasional posts here knows that I love exploring how technology can make things better, especially when it comes to helping reduce humans’ impact on the planet. As you might expect, I receive pitches (dare I say “many”) for my paid writing contracts that I often can’t cover, because they sit outside my focus.

One example is a note I received in late April related to a relationship between environmental NGO The Nature Conservancy and WeChat, a mobile messaging service that originated in China and that has more than 100 million registered users. In a bid to build its presence elsewhere, WeChat will donate $5 to The Nature Conservancy for every new user who downloads its mobile app and follows the Conservancy’s official account on the service. (It has pledged up to $1 million.)

“The Nature Conservancy’s WeChat account will be a new destination where users can learn more about the Conservancy’s work to benefit nature and people, find ways to get involved and access daily nature photographs and a host of other fun surprises,” the organization writes on this Web site.

Basically, Nature Conservancy realizes many of us like posting photos of the stunning flora and fauna that nature shows to us on our social networks. The organization is seeking more visibility among that audience, plus (ultimately) it hopes to become connected to individuals that might wind up volunteering at activities it is coordinating around the world.

While this isn’t something I’d write about for my GreenBiz or Forbes gigs, this arrangement struck me as interesting — especially since the non-profit has similar relationships with dozens of other businesses from Avon and Aveda to Walmart. So, I’ve downloaded the WeChat mobile app, and will explore it as a way of organizing the text messages that seem to be flooding into my life with far more frequency. (In order to follow The Nature Conservancy account, you have to set up the app and type in “Nature_Org” in the search bar.)

Will this app be useful? Heaven knows, but if check it out can help one of the environmental groups I already support, why not give it a spin?

I continue to come across interesting software applications that I would definitely evaluate if I was a parent in this confusing age of privacy. The one I’m reading about today — called AVG PrivacyFix Family — is specifically focused on helping parents know when their children are “oversharing” on Facebook, without necessarily spying on all their interactions.