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blogs for social change

on December 5, 2008 · No Comments

This is my parting post prior to going offline in an effort to dig completely into finance, for Thursday’s final exam. With a little luck, I’ll survive with all limbs in tact. However in order to satisfy my own blogging desires, and to leave you with something worthwhile, here’s Beth Kanter‘s Top 10 Nonprofit Technology [...]

This is my parting post prior to going offline in an effort to dig completely into finance, for Thursday’s final exam. With a little luck, I’ll survive with all limbs in tact.

However in order to satisfy my own blogging desires, and to leave you with something worthwhile, here’s Beth Kanter‘s Top 10 Nonprofit Technology (NPTech) and Social Media for Social Change Blogs (courtesy of Blogs.com):

Amy Sample Ward‘s Version of NPTech
CauseWired
Have Fun Do Good
Katya Andresen: Nonprofit Marketing Blog
Laura’s Notebook
Qui Diaz – Evange.list
Social Actions
Social Citizens Blog
SocialButterfly
ext337

Of course I had to add a plug for Cambridge Community Television (CCTV), while they might not be what typically comes to mind in regards to social change via blogging (since they are a public access center), they are nonetheless breaking the stereotype and doing just that. They are rapidly honing in and expanding upon the idea of localism, what it means, what it looks like and how is can be harnessed. CCTV is utilizing social media in a way that’s causing the metamorphosis of the public access community, which is increasingly critical as the traditional access model continues to be threaten .

Visit Save Access for more.

 

bright, shiny and new doesn’t always equal effective communication

on December 4, 2008 · 3 Comments

3. Tim reminded us that a medium is just a “means of human communication.”  Media include everything from printed newspapers and blogs to smoke signals and church sermons (Courtesy of Tim Walker, Social Media Breakfast Austin). I love this statement, it’s simple, to the point and something that is rooted in my own ideology. It’s [...]

3. Tim reminded us that a medium is just a “means of human communication.”  Media include everything from printed newspapers and blogs to smoke signals and church sermons (Courtesy of Tim Walker, Social Media Breakfast Austin).

I love this statement, it’s simple, to the point and something that is rooted in my own ideology. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamor of the tools. There are lots of them, but the tools won’t magically work by themselves, they need to be directed in a thoughtful manner. As a communicator, marketer, consumer, or other, you have a responsibility to determine if the methods of communication are appropriate to the task, goal or audience.

Miscommunication occurs all the time. There’s an art to communication, to understanding the recipient and how 500+ other factors can play with or against the message you are offering. Perception and interpretation are paradoxical, even more so with the onset of so many new means of communication. It’s easy to be persuaded by the shinier offerings, but sometimes the most effective means of communication is found in the most simple acts, a phone call, note, hand shake or cup of coffee.

So before you get drawn into the bright light, think about what you’re trying to achieve, who you’re trying to reach,  how they prefer to be conversed with and lastly, what you want that interaction to say about you, because the definition of your own reputation is inevitably wrapped up within the method(s) and means selected.

 

twitter defines itself

on December 3, 2008 · No Comments

Lingering questions regarding Twitter are undeniable and its presence is inescapable. Even more so,  due in part to the recent events in Mumbai. Mumbai: Twitter’s Moment Citizen journalism goes real time as Mumbai attacks unfold. Twitter was inundated with “tweets”–short bursts of information posted by users –Wednesday as mainstream media outlets struggled to catch up [...]

Lingering questions regarding Twitter are undeniable and its presence is inescapable. Even more so,  due in part to the recent events in Mumbai.

Mumbai: Twitter’s Moment
Citizen journalism goes real time as Mumbai attacks unfold.

Twitter was inundated with “tweets”–short bursts of information posted by users –Wednesday as mainstream media outlets struggled to catch up with the scope of the attacks on India’s financial capital.

Specific to recent coverage, the question begs will the events of Mumbai impact the direction and/or definition of Twitter? As mainstream media outlets try to disassemble, disrupt and define Twitter, the Twittering community continues its constant state of evolution as individuals, communities and more make Twitter work for them. While I’m unsure of what’s next for Twitter, I do know that it’s not to be ignored, but rather participated in and cultivated throughout as Twitter, and its communities, work to define, refine and redefine itself for the foreseeable future.

 

how do you define literacy

on November 24, 2008 · No Comments

Now, how do you define “media literacy?” The definition, and our associated opinions, no doubt vary widely, based on our own experiences, knowledge and prejudices: Specifically what kind of literacy is being measured? Let’s see the effect on SAT reading and writing scores. Let’s see book sales data demographically. On the one hand, I believe [...]

Now, how do you define “media literacy?”

The definition, and our associated opinions, no doubt vary widely, based on our own experiences, knowledge and prejudices:

Specifically what kind of literacy is being measured? Let’s see the effect on SAT reading and writing scores. Let’s see book sales data demographically.

On the one hand, I believe distractions were always an issue, and the internet has shifted, rather than created them. But on the other, to say it is a benefit, well let’s just see who the sponsors of this study were. It may be a little bit like the medical studies spouting the benefits of chocolate that were found to be funded by Hershey’s and the like.

— Dennis L, New York City (courtesy of NYT community comments)

There is a major disconnect occurring between those who understand the value of the web, media literacy and the future of technology; and those who don’t. This is clearly depicted by the comments made in response to the recent NYT article, Teenagers’ Internet Socializing Not a Bad Thing.

For those of us who are informed, we have a responsibility to aid in the guidance of youth as they navigate the array of skills they are accumulating, but who’s going  to guide the adults?

And better yet, how? Media literacy curriculum for parents is dramatically different then media literacy for kids, and education for scholars and corporations are other potentially independent categories. In order to cultivate understanding we must encourage this ever-increasing group of digital natives to think critically and participate mindfully, but that only gets us halfway there; we need to equally allocate literacy among a much broader, and feasibly more challenging, group of constituents.

For more of the community comments, click here.

 

space: public v. private

on November 21, 2008 · 1 Comment

How do you define [your] space – public v. private,  physical v. virtual? This is something that I’m continually pondering as I reassess my involvement in various physical and virtual communities. There is only so much time in a day, and I strive to ensure that my participation is intentional and focused. There are public [...]

How do you define [your] space – public v. private,  physical v. virtual? This is something that I’m continually pondering as I reassess my involvement in various physical and virtual communities. There is only so much time in a day, and I strive to ensure that my participation is intentional and focused. There are public and private components to both physical and virtual arenas, but it is sometimes easier to define public and private spaces within the physical world as opposed to virtual ones, or at least for me.

Take Facebook, in some ways it is very easy to control how I navigate within this space – I control who I friend, which requests I accept and the options that are selected for the account. However, I am aware of my responsibility as a participant and am mindful of how I want to be perceived within the space. Though it should be noted that I am slightly more aware of my online rights and responsibilities then most.

Like the physical divvying of space, the virtual definition of space should ultimately be left in the hands of the participant, but this is not always the case, as certain sites predefine or default these decisions. Ultimately the question that remains is, how do you make the case for, and  enhance, digital literacy to ensure folks are not only educated, but empowered to control their virtual participation with the same thoughtfulness that they impart on their physical  lives each and everyday?

 

intangibles, roi and social media

on February 4, 2008 · 2 Comments

The one class I’m taking this semester is managerial accounting. While I wasn’t so much a fan of financial accounting I found it an invaluable source of knowledge. Managerial accounting is much more my speed, but offers a unique challenge – a level of ambiguity in a realm of much gray and cost accounting methods [...]

The one class I’m taking this semester is managerial accounting. While I wasn’t so much a fan of financial accounting I found it an invaluable source of knowledge. Managerial accounting is much more my speed, but offers a unique challenge – a level of ambiguity in a realm of much gray and cost accounting methods that are all relative within reason.

Though it is within this space between the black and white that the accounting for social media occurs. As more and more companies look towards social media as a valid form of branding, marketing and development the question of ROI for such activities is being asked. So how do companies make the financial case for social media when so much of social media cannot be financially accounted for.

Beth Kanter has a great post entitled, Should You Quantify Love? Redux 2, that addresses a layer of this unique challenge.

I am just back from Legal Services Corporation and a keynote on ROI and Nonprofits. Stephen Downes pointed to a post by Jay Cross called “The Income Statement It Isn’t”

Jay Cross is exactly right. “It never ceases to amaze me how many people assess the cost and benefit of projects with accounting approaches developed in Venice in the five hundred years ago.” And, of course, such metrics are useless. “Organizations that make decisions based solely on things that are sufficiently tangible to be counted might as well consult a Ouija board to set their goals.”

In my keynote, I spoke about the importance of intangibles for a couple of reasons.

1.) Intangibles often come in the form of stories or anecdotes about the technology value and if used along with numbers can help make the case.

2.) The discussion around trying to quantify it – can lead to productive conversation about why the technology is important to mission. If the conversations focuses on the results, not the measurement unit.

I tried to make the point by raising the question, “Can you quantify the intangible?” Of course you can’t. But intangibles are important to note and often inform decisions.

The notion of intangibles in accounting seems almost contradictory, but as Beth states “intangibles are important to note and often inform decisions.” It’s critical to assess all the moving pieces, determine the risk associated with each and assemble a strategy that takes everything into account – not just the numbers, but intangibles and their impact on solidifying the desired outcome.

So then the other question is how does one begins to determine what activities would be valuable to the strategic picture – and therefore be leveraged to make a compelling case for resources, support and implementation. Nick Stamoulis’s post entitled, Social Networking: Are You Measuring ROI?, offers some valuable insight.

When it comes to social networking, there are a myriad of activities that involve time. Some of those activities may translate into additional business for your company, but many do not. For instance, finding and approving friends could lead to earned income if one of those friends becomes a customer, but how often does that happen?

One of the many challenges for full adoption of social media into corporations and other institutions is going to be this ambiguity of financial return. Companies are striving to attain their desired bottom-line and decisions are based on the numbers. This isn’t a new concept and has been driven into me throughout my academic and professional life.

But social media offers creative, sustainable solutions that live beyond such stringent monetary boundaries. Social media is valuable. That much has been established, but what makes it a compelling strategic direction is that the impact is not only on an organization’s bottom-line, but rather cultivates strength via relationships, confidence and loyalty – establishing a presence within a global context with an infinite reach.

 

boston.com features hub2 on youtube

on February 3, 2008 · No Comments

Some very exciting stuff for Emerson, Hub2 and my husband, Colin. Well, this blog’s back from break to share the exciting news that our course video from last semester, “Re-Imagining Boston City Hall Plaza Using Second Life,” just made it onto the front page at Boston.com under the “Your Videos” section. The exposure has generated [...]

Some very exciting stuff for Emerson, Hub2 and my husband, Colin.

Boston.com YouTube Video

Well, this blog’s back from break to share the exciting news that our course video from last semester, “Re-Imagining Boston City Hall Plaza Using Second Life,” just made it onto the front page at Boston.com under the “Your Videos” section. The exposure has generated over 2,500 views of the video on YouTube so far. And there’s some good discussion about how people feel about the real life Boston City Hall Plaza and using virtual worlds, like Second Life, to re-imagine our public spaces.

Watch the video and join the discussion.

 

friday things: social media marketing, marketing with a conscience & bags

on February 1, 2008 · No Comments

Friday articles/posts worth the read: Marketing Monster “Why do companies fear social marketing?” Why do companies fear social marketing (using blogs, social networks, and feeds)? The answer is fairly simple; they see it as unchartered territory. This is according to a recent Coremetrics survey of marketers (read more). Portland Press Herald “Groups use ‘social marketing’ [...]

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Friday articles/posts worth the read:

Marketing Monster “Why do companies fear social marketing?”

Why do companies fear social marketing (using blogs, social networks, and feeds)? The answer is fairly simple; they see it as unchartered territory. This is according to a recent Coremetrics survey of marketers (read more).

Portland Press Herald “Groups use ‘social marketing’ to aid environment”

Communities across the globe are turning to community-based social marketing to encourage environmentally conscious behavior, an idea pioneered by environmental psychologist Doug McKenzie-Mohr and based on the idea that sustainable behavior can be marketed using tried-and-true techniques, including peer pressure (read more).

And in an ode to handmade shopping:

moop “…a maker of real nice bags”. The bags are simple, yet eye catching, and the creator’s blog is wonderfully eclectic. Take a peak. I loved their bags so much that I simply had to buy (2)!

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