NTEN: Webtools for Activists (How to pull it off if you are not MoveOn)

<p> Different communities engage on different levels or with different technologies. It is important to think about the audience when deciding on a means of communication.</p> <p><i>I am so sick of power point presentations at this point. If you are going to write it down then don't just read it out. I can read.</i> </p> <p>I have been in a few sessions now with some of the same panelists, or at least folks from the same orgs/vendors. [lk:democracyinaction|Democracy In Action's] April Pedersen is giving the same presentation that the Chris used 45 minutes ago. </p> <p>Interestingly a major point both made was that Orgs need to trat the people on their email lists like <i>real people</i> and encourage a dialogue, thought neither presentation did this.</p> <p>Johanna (last name?) talked about how her group in Amherst MA is using Mambo and Democracy in action.</p> <p>Gunner from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.aspirationtech.org/node">Aspiration</a> thinks <a target="_blank" href="http://www.moveon.org">moveOn </a>holds too much power and doesn't push it out to the fringes, but in other cultures around the world, it is a cultureal thing, you can't take initiative as a non leader, it is not socially acceptable.</p> <p>In many other countries computers don't have the penetration as they do in the US, but cell phones and text messaging is becoming universal. Other countries are Blogging for social change better than in the USA.</p> <p>[lk:cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/ethan_zuckerman|Ethan Zuckerman] at Harvard is encouraging people to blog from remote locations.</p> <p>The Community Wireless movement is an e-advocacy "thing" in many developing areas will be the key to get people online. (We were talking about [lk:www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3423026|Strattelites] at a small dinner on Wednesday, and I feel like it is worth mentioning here).<br /> Outside the US there is impressive innovation with "lower Technologies" like cell phones and blogging.<br /> "As we craft online strategies, be mindful of how we reach out to people who do not have access."</p> <p>Aspiration and green media toolshed are hosting a conference on SMS activism in june in toronto.</p> <p>Andrew Hoppin (<a href="http://www.civicspacelabs.org" title="http://www.civicspacelabs.org">http://www.civicspacelabs.org</a>) and Sheldon Rampton (Center for Media and Democracy <a href="http://www.prwatch.org" title="http://www.prwatch.org">http://www.prwatch.org</a>) are talking about how to use civicspace and some other tools to accomplish the mission of the organization.<br /> Andre started with a short presentation about open source software and some of the benefits of it, amongst which he includes the [lk:www.marketingterms.com/dictionary/network_effect|network effect], and the fact that it is developed for the public good really, developed for real people with real needs (mission driven).</p> <p>I asked the panel where we would be in 12 to 18 months (given that 12 to 18 months ago, civicspace and deanspace didn't exist) Andrew suggested that we would be at a point where many of these systems will be better integrated and there will be a convergence not of technology but of groups using the technology. The technology will act as a bridge between groups to increase civic engagement but also to help groups we aren;t even thinking about: bands, artists, kids….</p>