Volunteers needed for next week's Marathon Sports Jingle Bell Run!

7-8 volunteers are needed for each of the five

Marathon Sports Jingle Bell Run next week.

Check out their Facebook Page.

Contact Pauline: BAEvents (at) aol.com

Time	Sunday, December 19 · 11:00am - 1:00pm
Location	Davis Square Somerville, MA
Created By	BA Event Promotions
More Info	Includes: 5Km Run & Walk Finisher Medal - bottle opener w/ribbon Cool Colorful Short Sleeve Tee Shirt Festive Somerville Post Race Party with our Participating Sponsors And More! See http://www.baevents.com/jinglebell/ for details.

WITHOUT FUNDING GRASSROOTS GROUP BUILDS A MOVEMENT

Marking Four Years of Building a Cross-Issue Progressive Network in Boston

1400 Members, 80 Events, and Countless Connections Made Since 2006

Boston-based network Socializing for Justice will commemorate its fourth anniversary with an Open House event called Connecting for Justice on September 16th from 6-9PM at Lir Irish Pub on Boylston Street in Boston. Held three times a year, this event draws hundreds of progressives of all stripes - diverse by age, race, gender, sexual orientation, newness to Boston and experience with activism. The purpose is to build a cross-issue progressive community, network and movement in Boston while putting the social back in social justice. Newcomers and long-time members will come together at Connecting for Justice to celebrate the remarkable success of this member-driven, volunteer-run grassroots group.

Socializing for Justice is the brainchild of local activist, community organizer and event planner Robbie Samuels. For almost 10 years, Robbie has been involved with Boston’s progressive community through a number of organizations. He has been recognized for his efforts - in 2009 he was the inaugural recipient of the History Project’s Lavender Rhino Award and the Theater Offensive’s Gender Hero Award. In creating SoJust, Robbie has combined fun, socializing and cross-issue mobilization as never before.

The vision for SoJust comes from Robbie’s firsthand experience. He wanted to address what he was repeatedly finding in his work – that individuals, organizations, and campaigns stunted their effectiveness by focusing solely on single-issue work. He shares, “There was a definite void that I thought SoJust could fill. I thought that if we could get enough people representing enough progressive issues into a room, we might be able to engender cross-issue collaboration and more effectively fight for social justice.”

At their “birthday” event participants can experience the connecting power of Socializing for Justice for themselves. There will be Action Stations to link attendees with local organizations, a Catalyst Corner with “I’m Looking For” and “Ask Me About” tags, a Jobs Board filled with openings from other social change groups and a free Literature Table. These features mirror options on SoJust’s website, www.sojust.org, an online hub where social justice events, job and volunteer opportunities from other social change organizations are cross-posted on the Calendar and Message Board.

Get involved with Boston’s fastest-growing cross-issue progressive community. Network with like-minded progressives and find the space and opportunities you’ve been searching for. In the words of Robbie, ““If you think this group MIGHT be for you – it is.” Learn more and RSVP for Connecting for Justice at www.sojust.org.

Eat Better this Season!!!

"Imagine for a moment if we once again knew, strictly as a matter of course, these few unremarkable things: What it is we're eating. Where it came from. How it found its way to our table. And what, in a true accounting, it really cost," - Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma

Let's follow in the footsteps of our forefathers this season (minus the murderous killing spree) and get our food local. Come down to Suffolk Law School near the Boylston T stop this Tuesday to learn about local and sustainable eating in the Boston area.

We'll have FREE local snacks and a raffle for Apfel Eis Wine from Still River Winery in Central Mass.

Our distinguished speakers:

Alex Loud, Slow Food Boston
Matthew Kochka, ReVision Urban Farm
Jessica Banhazl, Green City Growers
Jamey Lionette, Lionette's Market

DETAILS:

RSVP To: boston (at) OYFP (dot) org by 4 p.m. Tuesday and get a free raffle ticket!!!
Date: Tuesday, November 17th
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Suffolk Law School Faculty Dining Room, 4th FL Suite 495 120 Tremont Street Boston, MA, 02108-4977 617.573.8000
Who: OYFP Boston, Suffolk University's Sustainability Committee
Cost: Free

Opinions Please!

Survey time... it should take you less than 1 minute. Who doesn't have 1 minute to spare?

This summer, OYFP Boston hope to hold a sequence of panels that address interesting issues impacting our communities and provide information on how to become involved in addressing them. Completing this survey will help OYFP achieve that goal.

CLICK HERE.

or here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=RGONqLRiul6EQwLI_2bSZfqw_3d_3d

Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions about OYFP’s Speaker Series.

Twitter- Do people know about it?

One of the things I remember most about my grandmother is how she always had a phone on her ear. Always. She was an early adoptor of the cordless phone. She would be talking to a friend, one of her kids, an in-law, or a grand-child; coordinating donations for a charity that collects and distributes cribs; or frequently, trying to get into contact with a customer service department.

If only Twitter had existed when she was around. Yes, Twitter, the microblogging platform. Think Facebook status updates, except without the rest of Facebook. (For further explanation, watch Twitter in Plain English.) When my grandma Mil was awake at 2 AM, she could have scanned her grandkids' tweets, or written an angry tweet to DelMonte foods about the declining quality of their green beans.

There are numerous jokes about Twitter. (Here, here, and here are my faves.) It's vain, it's egocentric, it's boring, it's dull. I've heard it all. Yet I keep going back to it.

But really, for us consumers, it can be great. See, many companies and non-profits have accounts on there, posting updates and responding to our tweets that are relevant to them. Gone is the time where you would have to wait hours and hours and hours on the phone just to speak to a Comcast representative. You can tweet them if your cable is out!

If you have a flight on Southwest, you can monitor its tweets to see if you're going to be on a WiFi enabled flight. If you're a huge NPR fan, follow the tweets of your local station and you might get to go to a special event!! Heck, even Idealist.org is on Twitter, talking about new jobs and trends in the non-profit world.

These companies and non-profits have realized that Twitter is a platform that allows them to engage with their audiences. They can talk - and people will listen!! And vice versa. Brands are actually able to create a relationship with their consumers. And you know what? It benefits us. At least for now - while they're still listening.

What are your thoughts on Twitter-land?

Follow Casey on Twitter: http://twitter.com/smazzle
Related Posts: Getting your volunteer on; Words for Sale; Create your own community - Online!

Get out of the House, Learn New Skills, Help Others and Your Resume

Jobless? Volunteer for Opportunities

Today, Good Morning America ran a story for the jobless - suggesting that volunteering can put you back on track to gainful employment.

"Everyone knows you're not job hunting effectively if you flood job boards with resumes and then hope the phone rings. Carve out time daily to find good leads, send out resumes to follow up, and make new contacts. That leaves time to devote to volunteering, which offers great benefits to advance your career."

When You Volunteer You:

Gain a new skill or enhance an existing one while minimizing a gap in unemployment. The change to get out of the house and feel good about giving your time and talent. Introductions to new people who may help in your search A positive experience to share when a prospective employer asks, "What have you been doing with your time?"

Ideally, to reap the maximum benefit from your volunteer time, your efforts should be aligned with your career goals. For example, an out-of-work graphic designer can offer to create a logo, invitations and all print and online materials for the 25th anniversary fundraiser at a church, or that same person can volunteer for an organization that brings arts programs to needy schools.Those contributions help a worthy cause and add value to a resume that's in keeping with the type of position the candidate wants to pursue.

Position Value to an Employer:

It's up to you to position your volunteer work in a way that's perceived as valuable by prospective employers. Do so in business terms that translate in any work place.

Tap New Connections:

Don't be shy about looking at the board of directors or the list of supporters at the organization. If you can point to the value you've brought to that group, there's nothing wrong with making a cold call or sending an e-mail saying, "I've been volunteering here ... this is my contribution ... and I'd very much appreciate the chance to spend a few minutes talking to you about my work in this field."

That doesn't work if you've been there for three days; it's only applicable once you've shown a sustained commitment.

Talk to other volunteers to find out what kind of work they do. Even if they're out of work, they likely have a spouse, friend, neighbor, former colleague or someone who they could introduce you to if there's a potential connection.

Volunteer Overload?

In some organizations, there's a catch-22. Finally, highly qualified people want to volunteer, but the charity doesn't have the people and resources in place to handle the overflow of volunteer requests.

If this is true at your desired place of service, your best move is to approach the organization with an idea of how and where you can help, as opposed to waiting for the group to assess your interests.

Don't limit yourself to the big names. While there's instant recognition and prestige, you can also contribute to smaller groups where you can truly have ownership of projects and cut through red tape to make things happen.

To find an opportunity, VolunteerMatch.org is a national database of organizations looking for volunteers. You can also approach any group of your choice in your area.

Externships Are Also an Option

Volunteering is associated with nonprofits, interning is connected to students, and externing is a combination that's focused on professionals in the corporate world.

Tory Johnson is the Workplace Contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America" and the CEO of Women For Hire. Visit her Web site at www.womenforhire.com and follow her on Twitter.com/ToryJohnson."

Article: Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures. Picture: Copyright http://www.move.org.sg/ebook.gif

Spirit of Service is Hiding Something

OK, so your time has freed up a bit because things are slow at work and your getting a little nervous that your job might not be there tomorrow.

Experts say the leading cause of depression and anxiety during this recession is lack of meaning. People who's schedules were jam packed now have free time and are contemplating (while procrastinating and worrying) how they should spend it. We have an answer that is both meaningful and productive...

Volunteer, serve on boards, network, make friends, get off the couch, go out for a drink after work, try a new restaurant.... you see where I'm going with this.

Come tonight to Spirit of Service from 6-9pm at M.J. O'Connor's by the Park Plaza Hotel.

Mingle with others like yourself looking to volunteer, eat, drink, and visit the tables of over 30 nonprofit organizations. Stop in or stay the whole 3 hours; bring your resume or leave it at home; wear your dancing shoes, a suit, your workout clothes --- just come!

All of the organization you see in the picture above (along with some others that will be floating around) will have volunteering opportunities in the Boston area. Some will also be looking for people to serve on their board. I'm sure at least one of these organizations will inspire you.

Getting your Volunteer on in any City.

Recently I was asked by a colleague of mine how to find the right kind of volunteer opportunity within her city (not Boston). She knew of the work I do with On Your Feet Project and is naturally an avid fan of our blog and thought I would be a good resource for her. At first I was not sure how to answer this because my experience in non-profits and volunteer organizations stems mostly from Boston.

Then I realized that I am a transplant here and I had to retrace my steps on how I went from knowing no one, even my roommates I met via craigslist, to now be considered the go to person for my friends and colleagues for volunteer opportunities and non-profit information.

If I can do it you can to! All it takes is a lot of research (Google is your friend), and a little guts. So here is my how to guide to get involved in your city.

1) Use National Websites. Start with a couple of websites to see what kind of volunteer opportunities are available in your city; http://www.volunteer-match.org/, http://www.idealist.org/, http://www.unitedway.com/ are good national resources that list volunteer opportunities which are geared towards your interests/time level of commitment within your city.

2) Attend a Cause-Related Event. A good portion of the people I have met in Boston have been met at attending various events put on by non-profits or social networks in the Boston area. A couple of good resources for finding events in your area that support causes your interested in are http://www.going.com/ or http://www.yelp.com/. Another great resource for finding non-profit events is your local newspaper. Specifically the newspapers online portion which is probably more likely to show more volunteer events & opportunities than in printed newspaper.

3) Research Social Networks in Your Area. Google is your friend in this one. Now not knowing what each city has to offer, try searching under various terms, "[your city] Volunteers", "Social Volunteering [Your City]", "Young Professional [Your City]". It has been my experience that many of the social networking organizations in Boston have a volunteer component to their organization. Once you find the right network for you, it's great because you meet people with similar interest to yours, and continue to build Social Capital in the city you live in. When you do find a social network you feel connected to, make sure to get on their e-mail list because they will help connect you to your city scene better than doing Google searches.

4) Move to Boston -Attend OYFP events. As if you didn't see this plug coming.

So these are some of the tips I have learned over my five year stint in Boston. I would love to hear your stories or your experience in getting involved within your city.

Related Posts: What OYFP has meant to me; Doubts about Volunteering? Read about Fred.

Photos Taken at OYFP Events.

Who wants to go to Prom?

Next Friday, June 27, 2008 Yelp is holding an event at Whiskey Park called Old Skool Prom.

Yelp is “an online city guide made up of real reviews from real people. The definitive local guide in big cities from San Francisco to Chicago, New York and Boston. But really, Yelp is everywhere. From Austin to Madison and everywhere in between, reviewers are chiming in from all over the country!"

So, join fellow OYFP’ers and the Yelp Crew and “bust out your ruffled shirts, puffy sleeved dresses, crimpers and all other rad 80s/90s gear- because we're having a PAR-TAY! Plan on an evening of dancing to throwback jams and sipping on amazing concoctions from Pearl Vodka.

"So go pick up a sweet outfit from the era, getcha nails and hair did, swoop up a corsage/ boo-tun-ears (no one ever knew how to spell that word), and come down to get silly!”

-Where: Whiskey Park @ The Park Plaza

-When: Friday, June 27th from 9-11pm
-Why: Cuz slow dancing to Forever Young is what we need.
-Who: Soul Clap will be DJing! And, I’ll be there. Nuff said.

RSVP now if you're in! To: Boston@Yelp.com.

Words for Sale?

I'm a shopper - but today was the first time I have ever bought a word. Wow. Just saying it makes me feel important. I. Bought. A. Word.

What word did I buy? Well - what do you think? "Volunteer" of course! And it links to this blog. At $1 per letter, "volunteer" didn't come cheap ($9! Cripes!). However, "Boston" was already taken.

OYFP's blog is now part of two Masters students from Northern Ireland's project to allow people to redefine words visually, through their websites. It's an experiment in viral marketing, social marketing, and the power of words. Either that or it's a huge scam to get people to give them money.

Either way, it's interesting. And I'll pay $9 for that.

My Word (Hands off! well, I guess you can click it):

This is the corniest image related to words that I could find.

Creating Your Own Online Community Online - Non-Profits

A few weeks ago, Liz wrote about how in order to be successful and both retain and gain new donors, non-profits need to have a community for their donors. I find this a fascinating topic, and believe it's true. Non-profits typically have events ranging from casual teas to galas, send regular mail, and call their donors in an effort to create and maintain this community.

Much research has been done on why we like communities, and what we're looking to get out of them. Essentially, once our basic needs are met (shelter, substinence, and safety), we look to fulfill our emotional needs, which include affection, understanding, participation, recreation, creation, identity, and freedom (Source: Max-Neef, Fundamental Human Needs). Communities help us fill all these needs, from the basic to the more abstract.

New research from Communispace posits that those more abstract needs can be met by small, highly focused, online communities. Of course, because Communispace is in the business of providing businesses with the software and technical know-how to create their own online communities, so they're no doubt biased.

However, I think they correct. By providing individuals with the opportunities to connect to people who are similar to themselves, share information, and form long lasting relationships, businesses and non-profits are moving above and beyond their traditional role. They are integrating themselves into people's lives - a marketer's dream!

Non-profits do not take advantage of this often enough. Even when researching for this blog post, I had a hard time finding examples. The AARP has message boards (and a strong community), but that's not exactly where I would hang out online. Some non-profits (like us! or Interplast, which helps impoverished people get much needed surgeries) have blogs, which are a step in the right direction... but usually fall short on fulfilling the affiliation/sense of community needs as blogs are more about putting out information, and less about receiving.

So. If you're a non-profit, where do you start if you want an online community?

First, determine what it is you want to get out of the online community. Is it member retention? Donations? New members? Industry recognition?

Next, assess the demographic you are trying to attract. It may make more sense to create a community within another community that has already been set up (Facebook or Bebo, for example) than to create your own. Or, perhaps your demographic is not as comfortable in online communities, and it might be good to start with an email campaign to "warm up"

your audience before launching the community.

Thirdly, list out the necessary resources. Do you need to recruit some IT help - perhaps an intern? Make sure the infrastructure is easy to update, and that you will have access to help in the future.

Fourth - Launch the community internally. Work out all the bugs. Make sure your web analytics system is working correctly. Get some content up there.

Fifth - It's time to set that community free! Launch to all your members. Connect with them in the community - engage them. Interact. You will have to get the ball rolling.

Sixth - Promote the heck out of it. If your goal is to attract people outside of your current donor network, participate in other online communities. Make sure you're adding value to the community, not just spamming them with your promotions, though. Invite noted people in your field to guest post. Discuss events that you attended, and invite those people who attended with you to view the post.

Seventh - Never stop trying. It's not easy. Even a blog takes a lot of effort. But at the very least, in the process you will learn more about your audience, and more about the people you work/volunteer with. I think the OYFP team has gotten more out of this blog than our readers have - our online community was/is intended to engage our members, but has had the side effect of engaging us more fully in OYFP itself, and making us even more dedicated to our cause.

Best of luck out there - your online community is just waiting to be formed.

Related Posts: Non-profit networking Aug 13; Who is Happier?; Eyes Wide Shut

mic check! one, two, one, two~

youtube has taken the world by storm... and by storm, we mean the perfect nor'easter. you can't escape it. i even know of a church that used the site to sponsor a homemade video contest about one of their events. but aside from some laughs, gasps of "are you serious?" and maybe an occasional video to raise awareness for a cause, youtube's contribution to humanity is limited in scope and depth (unless i'm completely unaware, which is not an unlikely possibility).

enter "five for fighting" and their newly created video community. it's the first one to "give back" because they believe that "we are all connected to one another through our actions [and] each person has the ability to make a difference."

you simply create a video that answers the question, "what kind of world do you want?" and for each hit, the site will donate $1.00 to specific charities (there is a limit, but they also take general donations, and 90% of those donations go directly to the charities).

so, bust out that gel, lacquer up those lips, and put on your snazziest threads. you're up next. what kind of world do you want?

Turning your cause into a community: Is this the way to nonprofit success?

Mark Rovner recently wrote about how ineffective nonprofits are at using digital media to acquire new donors. He poses that people have tuned out nonprofit marketing in the same way they've tuned out commercial messages. "Shock and awe" message techniques show diminishing return and just come across as inauthentic--not exactly the kind of feeling that retains or attracts supporters of your cause.

Like commercial companies, nonprofits do have to think of their supporters as consumers. Maybe it's a callous thing to say, but there are a lot of causes out there and there has to be something in it for a person to become not just a supporter, but a member of the cause. In this era where every ad is trying to engage the consumer, how do you make your cause not just a human-interest story but a user-driven story?

OYFP has sort of addressed this problem from the start, by forming long-standing partnerships with very local Boston nonprofits to create fundraising, awareness, AND volunteer opportunities. If we were to take that one step further along, maybe we can figure out a way to create more of an online community for our members after events through Facebook photo gallery re-caps, for example.

If you're a nonprofit looking to stir some interest, think about what value you provide and ways in which your members can gain a sense of ownership over their contribution, whether that's their time or money.

This weekend in Boston

I enjoy the creative events people come up with around Boston. It is one of the reasons I enjoy being part of OYFP - it helps me find new events that can draw people to get involved in their community. My favorite past event was the Boston Zombie walk, where people came to Davis Square, dressed as Zombies, simply to walk like zombies to a bar.

Today, in the Metro, my eye happened to land on an article entitled, "T riders to drop drawers" by Christina Wallace. In the article it explains the group Improv Everywhere have been successful in creating 6 years of pantless rides (you can still wear your underwear, so it's not naked) events in the NYC subway system. This Saturday is their first try in Boston, where at some point Saturday afternoon a bunch of riders are going to meet at Alewife stations and will drop their pants while riding the subway.

Apparently Improv Everywhere already has 380 people signed up to ride the T pantless. There is no cause or awareness they are trying to raise, just rather people doing something for the sake of doing it. The Metro highlights a section in the article saying "Get Involved". I guess I never thought of de-pantsing myself as a way to get involved with my community, but it definitely seems to have struck a cord in Boston.

So, "To have pants on or pants off this weekend?" That is the question.

'Tis the Season to Change the Present

It's December 21 and there are not a lot of shopping days left in the holiday season! Earlier, Liz highlighted some gift-giving ideas that help make a difference in the Boston community and I wanted to highlight Changing The Present, a nonprofit Web site that offers gifts that makes the world a better place.

Instead of giving a scarf or slippers, you can choose from a variety of causes or search for a nonprofit to make a donation. For example, You can fill a bookshelf for $50, clothe a girl for $25, adopt a beach for $20 or another cause that the recipient cares about.

Changing The Present also has a variety of tools for nonprofits, helping nonprofits raise awareness and raise money, including some of the $250 billion that people in this country spend each year on traditional gifts. They also have a Facebook application, allowing friends to purchase $1 virtual gifts that benefit nonprofits.

I did a quick search for Boston nonprofits, but didn't find any that had an account set up.

Changing the world isn’t easy, but this is a great place to start.

Wikipedia and Google's Knol: How to use them for your non-profit's benefit

Google is coming out with its own version of Wikipedia called "Knol." Now not only will Google be searching and saving all the world's information, it will be encouraging users to create profiles and post their own knowledge. Yes, there are privacy concerns (will Google results be biased?). But as a non-profit, Knol will be yet another way for you to get your name out there in the the digital world.

What are the benefits to participating in resources like Wikipedia or Knol? Well, primarily credibility. Yes, anyone can add themselves to Wikipedia, but not anyone will stay - the subject of the entry must be of interest to the general public, and have been covered by other sources.

In addition (and just as importantly), you will likely get a good deal of referrals from your Wikipedia entry (and, I'm assuming, your Knol entry). More traffic = more awareness, which hopefully leads to more volunteers, funds, or beneficiaries.

A few important things to keep in mind as you write your Wikipedia entry:

1. Write the entry in an unbiased tone. Yes, we know your non-profit is the best ever and deserves donations from everyone, but Wikipedia is all about providing accurate information. Your entry will get taken down by ever-vigilant editors if it is not factual.

2. Cite external sources. Again: Cite. External. Sources. Other websites (not your organization's site), press coverage, books, facts/data reports. This is a bit of a catch-22. You may be writing your Wikipedia entry because you want to attract outside interest, but you need outside interest in order to have a Wikipedia entry. You can have a short entry without external sources, but it won't have much credibility with the editors.

3. Edit the post from your home computer or a public computer. You may remember the scandal involving government employees editing entries to favor their own views or the administration. Or perhaps you recall the Diebold employee who deleted paragraphs criticizing the company’s electronic voting machines? Your IP address is being recorded, and the world is watching. Don't give them reason to doubt what may be perfectly valid information.

Don't forget to reference Wikipedia's rules of engagement. Also, including an image or two never hurt.

Privacy may be the one gift Santa won't be bringing this year, but try to use that to your organization's advantage. I know OYFP will be, as soon as we find the time to get the press to write about us to we can have external sources to cite! Sigh. The never-ending battle.

Social Media Adoption Higher for Non-Profits

I have a soft spot for the University of Massachusetts, as two of my siblings and I graduated from UMass Amherst and my sister is currently enrolled at UMass Dartmouth. Soft spot aside, a recent study by the Center for Marketing Research at UMass Dartmouth found that non-profits are more likely to use social media than Fortune 500 companies.

In fact, 75% of the surveyed non-profits utilize social media or Web 2.0 strategies to assist their fundraising and/or outreach efforts. And, non-profits are much more likely than Fortune 500 companies to blog!

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not that surprised. Corporate blogging opens up a whole can of worms. Non-profits are often smaller, perhaps with fewer regulations, than Fortune 500 companies... though this study did look at the largest US non-profits. Or, perhaps non-profits are more likely to pursue "free" marketing like social media.

Why do you think non-profits are more likely to use social media than other groups?

Study Details: The Center performed a telephone survey of the 200 non-profits named by Forbes Magazine as the largest US charities in 2006. Over 1/3 answered, which is a great response rate and makes the data statistically significant. More details are available at the Center for Marketing Research website.

Social Networking: Is it here to stay?

Should non-profits get involved in social networking? Clearly, I would argue yes. Social networking of one form or another will be around to stay, and non-profits can and should take advantage of it. However, the way in which they participate has to change – it’s no longer just about putting an ad that people see when they drive (or click) by.

It’s about participating in the community, and demonstrating your value. Instead of (or rather, in addition to) taking time to put together a print ad, marketers are going to spend time interacting with potential volunteers or donators on these social networking sites, and designing campaigns to facilitate these interactions.

In addition, it’s important to point out that social networks offer the opportunity to reach highly targeted audiences. For example, there’s a group on Facebook called, "Do Something". Now that seems like an audience that any self-respecting non-profit would want to be in front of. (Yes, OYFP has a group on Facebook. Join us!)

Yes, the social networking field is full of many contenders. Yes, many of them probably will be forced out. But the change in the way you can and will interact with potential consumers is around to stay for a few years at least.

(This post was in reaction to http://mediabiz.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2007/11/27/web-bubble-20-for-social-networks/?section=money_technology)

Use the web to be socially active

Well, what do you know? People are using the internet to express their views! It's almost as though it's the perfect medium for such a thing. Oh wait, it IS the perfect medium. At least in the USA. (Other countries are big into SMS txt messaging - Burma, for example.)

Anyway. If you're into being socially active, want to use the internet, but aren't sure where to start, read Four Steps to Ease You Into Social Web Activism. It will at least give you an idea of some of the technologies out there.

(Source: The Non-Profit Blog Exchange)