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  • From: Judy Hallman <hallman AT email.unc.edu>
  • To: Internetworkers <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc: Katrin Verclas <katrin AT nten.org>
  • Subject: [internetworkers] Good information about Web 2.0 tools and examples of use, and NTEN info
  • Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:11:44 -0500

To Triangle InternetWorkers list:

I'm forwarding the NTEN December newsletter. If you prefer to read it online, it's at http://nten.org/newsletter/newsletter1206.html

Good Holiday reading.

I found all of the articles interesting and well written, with good examples. There's a link to the Time magazine article near the bottom, under "THINGS WE LIKE." [Time's Person of the Year: You --
In 2006, the World Wide Web became a tool for bringing together the small contributions of millions of people and making them matter]

If you aren't familiar with NTEN, check out their Web site at http://www.nten.org/

I think you can join their affinity groups without having to become a member, but membership for individuals is only $25/year, nonprofits with a budget size of less than $500,000 is $50/year, and for-profits with a budget size of less than $500,000 is $100/year.

Their email list is quite useful, and they have a fantastic conference. This year it is April 4 - 6 in Washington, DC. More on that later...

By the way, RTPnet is an NTEN member, and some of our advisors are also individual members.

Judy Hallman (hallman AT rtpnet.org, http://www.rtpnet.org/hallman)
Executive Director, RTPnet, NC (http://www.rtpnet.org)
--- Begin Message ---
  • From: NTEN Connect <newsletter AT nten.org>
  • To: <hallman AT rtpnet.org>
  • Subject: NTEN Connect: December 2006
  • Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:05:09 -0800 (PST)

INTRO: COMMUNITY-POWERED ACTIVISM

VerclasIn the NTEN community and blogosphere, the backlash against the Web 2.0 hype is in full swing - the hype that has taken on shrill proportions in the mainstream press. But in the end what is this debate all about? Whatever you think about specific Web 2.0 tools - whether Digg, Furl, Flickr, or YouTube - it is about creative _expression_ made easier than ever before. It's about conversations between and within communities and constituents, and that is scary and exhilerating. It's about the ceding of power and control, and nonprofit organizations who like to control their message do not do this lightly. And in the end, it is about collective action, civil society, and participation in the public sphere.

Ali Levine, NTEN fellow and graduate student, makes the point that it's "the conversation, stupid" and especially for young people - online _expression_, talking back, and taking charge are simply who they are and what they do online. Nonprofits - the old, professionalized, top-down organizations that tell what campaign is "good for you" - should take note.

This issue of NTEN Connect is about the power of technology to build community and enable participatory _expression_ in a nonprofit context and for nonprofit causes. It's a heady topic for a year-end edition and was planned long before Time Magazine made us all of people of the year.

So to all of us then, here is what is in store in this last NTEN Connect for 2006. Beth Kanter writes about the many ways in which nonprofits capture and capitalize on these connections and abilities. Alexandra Samuel gives an overview of the most common tech methods and tools for participation. Kari Peterson connects it all to the community media organizations in this country that are reinventing themselves.

To quote Howard Rheingold, "the technical power of many-to-many communication networks is important because it multiples pre-existing human social networking capabilities that enable collective actions." Read that sentence again and breathe. We are more connected than ever before, more able to express, organize, and act for the good.

FEATURE: USING PARTICIPATROY MEDIA TOOLS IN NONPROFIT CAMPAIGNS

KanterBeth Kanter, Beth's Blog

There's something different about these campaigns. Take a closer look. You'll notice that marketing staff and professional graphics designers didn't create the content - the organizations' supporters did. All of these campaigns use Web 2.0 tools like tagging and social media websites to reach out beyond their known constituent base to raise awareness and in some cases dollars for their causes.

> To mark premature birth awareness month in November the March of Dimes launched a photo contest in the popular photo sharing site Flickr. The campaign urged supporters to photograph where they kept their spare change to call attention to the fact that premature babies weigh less than a handful of change. Be A Coin Star attracted more than 100 participants and 200 photo entries. The March of Dimes online community is currently voting on the winners.

FEATURE: THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR NONPROFIT COLLABORATION

SamuelAlexandra Samuel, Social Signal

Alexandra gave a presentation on this topic at last year's Nonprofit Technology Conference. You can see what's scheduled for the 2007 NTC here (And yes, Alexandra will be there with an update.)

Yes, businesses hype Web 2.0. But nonprofit organizations and advocacy and community groups are in an even better position to take advantage of the move towards bottom-up, user-driven, collaborative communities.

That's because nonprofits are all about connecting with people. Nonprofit groups live or die based on their ability to communicate complex issues to large audiences, engage supporters in their cause, and foster collaboration within and across organizations.

GoLightly: Online Collaboration for Nonprofits

GoLightly is a unique online tool for connecting people with email lists, threaded discussions, document libraries, blogs, and more. NTEN uses GoLightly to host its Affinity Groups, set up as discussion groups with messages that can be received via email or on the Web. NTEN members qualify for a 10% discount on launch fees, along with $500 towards GoLightly's Community Startup Kit to reward community moderators.

Visit GoLightly online, sign up for a free webinars, or visit its booth at the NTC in April.

GET THE DISCOUNT >

RANT: TALKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE (NOT AT THEM)

LevineAli Levine, NTEN Fellow

I couldn't be more excited about the increasingly participatory nature of the Internet and its benefits for nonprofits. It's not just that these Web 2.0 technologies offer new and powerful tools for nonprofits to engage people in the all important activity of two way conversations (as if that wasn't exciting enough) - it's who can be reached this way.

Almost all nonprofits struggle to engage young people with their missions. Each generation seems to decry the lackluster civic participation of the next and worries that the ties that bind us together as a community are getting weaker. Nonprofits play a big role in building those ties. Using the Internet and Web 2.0 technologies to involve young people is a natural fit.

RANT: COMMUNITY MEDIA'S NEW VEHICLE - THE WEB

PetersonKari Peterson, KAPmedia

According to Time Magazine, we collectively are "People of the Year" for 2006. And why? Because we've begun to reclaim the media. We've created and taken advantage of online tools to stake a claim in the vast, difficult to penetrate media landscape. This is good news for us all! Social networking and citizen journalism have allowed the average person to stake a claim in the media - to have a voice, to share information, to frame the debate, and rally the troops in more powerful ways than ever before. Web tools are easier to use, cheaper, and more effective in helping nonprofits achieve their missions than anything we've used before.

HOW TO: START PUTTING TECHNOLOGY TO USE

Your guide to resources that will help you put technology to work for your cause.

UNDERSTAND WEB 2.0 TOOLS
You've heard the hype and now you want to see what these tools are all about. These resources will show you the ropes.

> Idealware explains popular Web 2.0 tools and gives you the perspective you need to determine which are right for your cause

> CogDogBlog has two great explanations of how to use Flickr in What Can We Do With Flickr?, and The Magic of Flickr.

> Will Richardson explains how to use RSS to publish tagged content.


USE SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR ADVOCACY
Just how can nonprofits do social networking right? These two resources have some key pointers.

> Nancy Schwartz gives the Nonprofit Do's for MySpace Success.

> Kevin D. Hendricks gives some quick tips on how nonprofits can make the most of social networking.


Thank you, Beth Kanter, for pointing us to many of these resources!

THINGS WE LIKE

A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources. Read more posts on our blog.

  1. Time Magazine's decision to make YOU - the people who blog and podcast, create videos and mashups, rate and digg articles, share your photos online, and create content in any way - the 2006 person of the year. Congratulations!

  2. Check out NewsCloud, a great news service where all articles and videos are submitted, voted on, and talked about by its community of users.

  3. Take care of your last minute holiday shopping on Threadless, the website that lets people submit their own t-shirt designs and vote on which ones should be for sale.

COMMUNITY BUZZ

News and buzz from people and organizations in the nonprofit tech sector. Read our posts on our blog.

SUPPORT REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS
If you plan to donate to an important cause this year, consider giving to Reporters Without Borders to help their work protecting journalists and bloggers worldwide. Most recently they've appealed for the release of Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer, who has been detained for six weeks for posting articles critical of Islam on his blog.

CAN YOU DO A BETTER JOB THAN CORPORATE MEDIA?
Start practicing your radio announcer voice. The FCC is giving away free radio licenses to nonprofits in many smaller cities across the United States. If you're interested in claiming a slice of the FM dial, get in touch with the Radio for the People Coalition for assistance.

FUNDING FOR INNOVATIONS IN ONLINE NEWS
Have an idea that you think can change news as we know it? Here's your chance to put it into action. The Knight Foundation is giving out $5 million to people and projects that will improve access to news and information. But apply now - the deadline is December 31.

CRAIGSLIST FOUNDATION LOOKING FOR A CTC VISTA
The Craigslist Foundation is just one of the many NTEN members that's taking advantage of one of our latest member benefits - top priority for CTC VISTA placements! Apply for your CTC VISTA today or check out Craigslist's job description.

 

 

RENEW FOR 2007

Get membership benefits for the entire 2007 calendar year at 2006 rates! Hurry and renew before member rates increase in 2007 for the first time since we were founded in 2000.


REGISTER FOR THE NTC

The 2007 Nonprofit Technology Conference is just around the corner. Register before January 15th to get the lowest price available.

NTEN members can save up to $200 on conference registration. If you're not a member, join today.


UPCOMING WEBINARS

Start the New Year off right by building your professional skills.

Getting Started with Online Donation Tools
Wednesday, January 24, 11:00 am Pacific
Presented by Laura Quinn from Idealware

Protecting Your Clients' Data: A How-To for Non Techies
Thursday, January 25, 11:00 am Pacific
Presented by Henry Kumgai, CompuMentor

Getting Started with Blogging Software
Wednesday, February 7, 11:00 am Pacific
Presented by Laura Quinn from Idealware

 

ONLINE NETWORKING

Meet people who share your interests and talk to them online. No, NTEN doesn't have a dating service, but we do have Affinity Groups!

Find a few that are right for you.

 

READ THE BLOG

NTEN's blog is the place to find resources, read nonprofit tech news, and share knowledge with the NTEN community.

NTEN CONNECT is the monthly e-newsletter of the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN).
Contact the editors at editor AT nten.org



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  • [internetworkers] Good information about Web 2.0 tools and examples of use, and NTEN info, Judy Hallman, 12/22/2006

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