Comic explains Google Chrome

We’re just back from August holidays, and have arrived back to find  a comic from Google explaining the why and how for their new open source browser called ‘Google Chrome’.

Nice idea.  The comic introduces the Google team working on the product, and then they talk their way through explaining what they are up to with the browser.  The team become characters in the story and get in and interact with the new features of the browser, at their scale, playing with it.  It is a long comic but the way it explains some quite technical concepts is very clear.  Worth a read. Much, much better than a boring FAQ or press release.

Chrome, they say, will be released tomorrow.  We’ll have a bit of a go and see what it means to the web.  I’m hoping for a bit of a revolution as I’m feeling that the browser metaphor is a bit stuck and is holding us back from making and using fully on-the-web applications.

Everyone’s Blogging

These slides from the training session for the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce last week. Let me know if you want us to come to your event or run a bespoke event or Masterclass.

More details on our Social Media for Good course soon (looks like next date will be Oct 3 in Brighton).

Covers a bit of an introduction to social media and blogging, plus some questions to get you thinking about your own context, opportunities and challenges.

Some good thinking in the room and animated conversations. Quite a few organisations ready to get blogging and exploring integrated social media in more depth.

A few of you made pledges are you walked out the door about your goals and intentions, so let me know how you get on!
Thanks to all for your warm feedback and to those who helped make it a positive event, especially Lorraine Bell (BCP), Tania “Radiance” Fullerton (Brighton Steiner School) and Fay McDonald.

Twitter stumbles, and there goes the neighbourhood

Witness the emotional committment of Twitter users.  Wow, people love it, really want this thing to work, and really love to moan about it as the fail whale displays more and more often.

Twitter looks back on track after a shaky few days back there, which shows that all is not well in microblogging land, and there’s something wrong with the microblogging model, but that’s a topic to take up later.

Having Twitter get slow, turn off features, or just not respond has started to get really annoying.   We’re inclined to include Twitter as an emerging tool to use to build and attract community. But without stability, it’s not going to work predictably . How can we recommend building twitter into a social media campaign?  Well, we can’t really.  Or we have to accept Twitter as a somewhat flaky, sometimes useful tool.

And worse, with Twitter going up and down, there goes the neighbourhood.  People pick up and leave to one of the fifty other microblogging services that are growing up in the shadow of twitter and waiting for users to fall out of the Twitter tree.

Trouble.  We’re never going to find each other if we’re spread across tens of different services.

But then again, we want Twitter, in its lovely cuteness, to work.  But that makes it a monopoly with a secret or currently secret business model.

Tricky.

So, my big needs in microblogging are:

1. I want something reliable that works
2. I want something that accesses most people (that want to be involved)
3. I want it to be long term sustainable, not a monoculture or monopoly with a secret business model

To meet these three, we’re going to need to do some internet-level architecture work to support microblogging and ambient status.  Basically, we’re going to need to:

1. Develop some standards for microblogging messaging
2. Develop standard ways to connect microblogging services together
3. Allow users to migrate from one service to another easily– and use more than one service at once
4. Ensure some level of reliability in messsaging
5. Make sure the whole thing can scale up to the current level of global SMS usage and beyond

This looks a lot like what we have for the internet email architecture.  It took a long time to get organised, and it has some problems, but it is a mostly universal service with lots of servers, providers and clients.

There are a bunch of people talking about these sorts of standardisation. I’ll review the efforts in a later post and see where we are headed.  My guess this is going to take a while and we are going to have some early-adopter pain in the meantime.

Key point:  At some point Twitter is going to have to open up and interwork with other microblogging services.  And that is the moment, in my opinion, when they will really succeed.

On writing (& social media)

When I read this, I also include social media (eg. blogging / photo sharing / social networking).

Commentators like Clay Shirky and Charles Leadbeater tend to be a bit snobbish when it comes to acknowledging the inherent human need to be heard, to share, to tell our stories.

Lawrence Sanger told me he was worried about non-experts getting together to construct their own knowledge. But he would say that.

I say – do it! Experts be damned. Speak your truth, and find others that share it.

[[ Just be careful about checking the facts that really matter. Which is not what we are talking about here anyway. The subjective realm is far vaster than many wish to acknowledge.]]

Writing is egalitarian; it cuts across geographic, class, gender, and racial lines… vice presidents of insurance agencies…factory workers…lawyers, doctors, gay rights activists, housewives, librarians, teachers, priests, politicians…

We all have a dream of telling our stories – of realising what we think, feel and see before we die. Writing is a path to meet ourselves and become intimate.”

Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones

Scholarships available for next course

30 June, 2008

5:00 pm

Our Social Media for the Third Sector course is starting soon. Keep 11 July free for the group learning day, and make a commitment before early July so we can work with you on your learning needs analysis.

That’s if you want a taste of a truly educational, capacity building package, and not just a quicky training day.

We are looking for two motivated people / organisations to award 80% scholarships for Part One (and potentially, Part Two).

If you ‘get’ that social media is essential knowledge to:

• build stronger relationships with your stakeholders
• get attention online and in real life
• raise funds
• collaborate creatively and build innovative approaches to social and environmental challenges

.. then apply here.

Find out all about the way we give and support real learning here.

Any questions, just pick up the phone and talk to Libby on 07968 687 107.

As of today, there are still places available, and we won’t decide on the sponsored places until 30 June. But the earlier you apply, the better.

Pros & cons of blogging – for social entrepreneurs

Some interesting analysis and discussion around this question at Social Edge – the Skoll Foundation online space for social enterpreneurs. Check it out, join in and subscribe to Social Edge is that’s your area.

See other Nodestone posts on blogging.

Social Media for the Third Sector

Learning Package: Social Media for the Third Sector

New dates coming soon…

Your chance to get > share > use radical knowledge for positive impact. More information…

Here Comes Everybody

He talks as well as he writes. Here’s Clay Shirky talking at the RSA about the concepts behind his book, Here Comes Everybody. I haven’t read it all, but so far it is a well argued, consistent view of what online social networking, social media and mass content creation mean. And it ain’t a bunch of techno-utopian cheer leading either.

The RSA don’t have (easily) embeddable videos, so click through to see the 20-odd minute presentation.

Third Sector – Is The Internet Friend or Foe?

Despite what some might think, even Africa is getting online.
(Click the image to access individual site links.)

Nick Aldridge, CEO of MissionFish helps charities raise money on eBay. He also writes inspiring, informative pieces about the potential and pitfalls of social media and web 2.0.

On the Social Enterprise Magazine website, Nick talks about why social enterprises (and by extension you could add other Third Sector organisations – charities, non-profits, community organisations and other social/eco innovators) should be thinking hard about how to handle the new paradigm emerging.

Authenticity, yet again, is seen as a priority. Something we need to explore more in practical ways. In essence, think “do what you are”, “be who you are”. A congruent, human, appropriate identity emerges.

“The fundamental idea is that the Internet is now a huge forum where people can interact with each other and generate their own content. A bundle of technologies, such as blogs, feeds and widgets (check Wikipedia!) have grown up to catalyse and spread user generated content.

“The result is that customers or donors are no longer passive recipients of marketing messages, which many now actively and vociferously challenge…

“This undoubtedly makes things more complicated for social enterprises, but also more exciting. A real-life supporter or client talking authentically about your work to a large network of friends is worth a dozen beautifully crafted press releases.”

Thanks for your perspective Nick. Thanks to all at Social Enterprise Magazine for putting together a great publication and website.

As an aside… Would be good to see some appropriate social media / interactivity come into Social Enterprise Magazine. I know this is going on in other places (eg. UnLtd World and Ammado), but there is still a chance here to engage on your specific content, even just to the degree that the Guardian, Times and client-specific publications like the RSA Journal are doing… but different. Perhaps focussing interaction between readers not between readers and editors.

Continues on the Social Enterprise Magazine website here…

Other items you might find useful:

Social Media for the Third Sector – at Shine Unconference 08

Social Media for the Third Sector

Gra Sutherland and I ran a session at the Shine Unconference for social entrepreneurs yesterday in London. What was billed as Authenticity in the Online World became Social Media/Web 2.0 for the Third Sector on Day Three, as the event unfolded and our awareness of what might be most useful came into focus.

Given it was one of the last sessions on a sunny Sunday afternoon, after nearly three days of the great shiny “happening”, we were delighted by the number, passion and knowledge of the people in the room.

Many were there to start scratching the surface of this new paradigm, this new way of making things happen in the world, others had already begun to engage more deeply and several were card carrying members of the converted and critically aware. Perhaps half were actively making part or most of their income directly through engagement with the social media space, which might explain the vested heat in the room. All were passionately involved in the debate that unfolded, whether they were talking or listening.

Questions People Asked

Initial questions asked included:

Why bother? Is it worth the 3rd sector getting into social media (back question here is about what is relevant to 3rd sector)

What is the current diversity of the internet? Who’s online.

Data on growth of social media for various groups, 3rd world, stakeholders of 3rd sector

What about reputation issues. How can we put stuff out there without losing our rights, our control of our message?

How do we build trust in each other online?

What are the sensible things to do in social media? How to start, put a toe in the water etc?

Why is there so much pressure to get onto facebook etc?

What will be left when the social media hype is over?

How can you make introductions safely online. How to replace the 20 min face to face ‘intuitive trust’?

Essence & Consensus

The key points we wanted to get across follow. Consensus was not sought, but to a large extent was experienced.

1. Web 2.0 / social media is a new paradigm emerging, not another internet fad or buzz word. It is changing the way we do things – potentially for the better. The pace of change is speeding up. New ways of collaborating, new economic models, new ways of building engagement and participation (think: fundraising, recruitment, contracts), new ways of communicating.

2. There are challenges and opportunities. It’s not utopia (yet). There are significant gains to be made, with wisdom and caution. Some often overlooked opportunities are for individual and group learning, collaboration and innovation. But it can be as simple as building dialogue tools into your website and partcipating in key online conversations that matter to you.

3. There is essential learning and initial or further exploration to be done by third sector people – leaders, communications/ fundraising people, HR and others. Case studies and other elements in a body of knowledge are already emerging to help in this (see UK Catalyst Awards for example). Professionals from a range of backgrounds are emerging to help.

4. The tools will keep changing but the key conceptual space is already starting to become clear (see We Think and CommonCraft for simple animated examples). Learning needs to focus on concepts first, tools second. This knowledge can be learnt and experienced without undue risk or brain drain, but a commitment is required to build capacity and embed the knowledge in specific contexts. There are no magic bullets or one size fits all.

5. Authenticity has never been more important.

6. Experimenting with tools like blogging, forums, flickr, facebook, YouTube, MySpace twitter, discussion lists etc is essential. You need to get your hands in there having real life experiences to get a feel for things. That doesn’t mean you have to be on facebook nor reveal all, anywhere at anytime.

7. We can now more easily be thinking and connecting with words, images, music, videos, photos, animation. It’s good to explore when and how to use a range of media to communicate. Different tools are more or less supportive of different media.

8. It can all be very confusing and time consuming! Even for seasoned specialists.

9. Small steps might be all it takes. One step at a time. As long as the path is clear.

10. Social media should work in support of, not as a substitute for, face-to-face, “real world” interaction.

We are well aware real consensus cannot be achieved in such a short time, nor was this an intended outcome of the session. To ensure your views at this point become clearer to yourself and others, participate in the ongoing debate.

Who Was There

Some of the people and organisations represented in the discussion included the very knowledgeable Dave Dawes (Foundation of Nursing Leadership), David Wilcox (Social Reporter. Much involved with building up social media around the Shine event and very active in this space. Do check out his blog and coverage of the event), Angela Walker (Neru – Brand & Marketing), Parag Shah (Art Switch), Alison Coward (social entrepreneur), David Floyd (Social Spider), Chris Prior (Franklin Waugh), Eszter Kun (social entrepreneur), Ben Matthews (Bright One Communications),

In the true spirit of the unconference and web 2.0, we collaborated with whoever turned up, rather than delivering a one-way, “we have the knowledge, sit there and eat it” presentation. Which of course can be very useful and inspiring to receive. But not empowering, nor making the most of the opportunity rare “face time” offers for deeper human interaction.

Social Media for the Third Sector Video

We see our job as offering time and cost effective training and ongoing support to help the Third Sector find out what is really worth knowing and doing within their own context.

To find out more about the approach we are offering in our next learning programme in Social Media for the Third Sector, view this short interview David Wilcox invited me to do.

At the end?

We were all intent on making sure the Third Sector (social enterprise, charities, non-profits) are not left behind in gaining this knowledge, if it can be used in meaningful ways that lead to genuine social impacts. No-one’s in it just to get “friends” in facebook or waste their time, to be sure.

How will we create these impacts? Well, we might need to dip a toe or two in the water. Maybe even plunge in at some point.

Let’s continue the conversation…

…in our social network to explore these ideas further… If your questions need expanding or clarifying, if you want answers or to help others find them, get in there. All with an interest are welcome. There are already many posts and discussions in the Ning that start to cover some of the question above.

Never joined one before? No time like now to experiment… You can watch for a while, explore when you are ready.

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