NetSquared: Remixing the Web for Social Change

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Deb Levine, Co-founder of ISIS

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 03:15:00 +0000

This podcast is a Net Tuesday presentation by Deb Levine, the co-founder of Internet Sexuality Information Services (ISIS). The organization conducts a number of programs (e.g., inSpot and inBrief) the area of sexual health oriented particularly to young people that use online technology to reach and involve them.

Deb has been involved in sexual health issues since she established one of the first computer-based information services called "Go Ask Alice!" at Columbia University.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Deb Levine, Co-founder of ISIS

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 03:00:00 +0000

This podcast is an interview by David Collin of Deb Levine, the co-founder of Internet Sexuality Information Services (ISIS). The organization conducts a number of programs (e.g., inSpot and inBrief ) the area of sexual health oriented particularly to young people that use online technology to reach and involve them.

Deb has been involved in sexual health issues since she established one of the first computer-based information services called "Go Ask Alice!" at Columbia University.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Ben Rigby of Mobile Voter

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:51:00 +0000

This podcast is a Net Tuesday presentation by Ben Rigby, the co-founder of Mobile Voter and author of the recently published book, Mobilizing Generation 2.0: A Practical Guide to Using Web 2.0 Technologies to Recruit, Organize and Engage Youth.

Ben is the co-founder of Akimbo Design, a successful new media design firm. He was also the CTO of DFILM, a youth-oriented entertainment and mobile applications company.

Ben has devoted himself lately to helping nonprofits learn how to capture the new wave of civic interest among young people by using the technologies that youth are familiar with.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Ben Rigby of Mobile Voter

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:33:00 +0000

This podcast is a Net Tuesday interview by David Collin of Ben Rigby, the co-founder of Mobile Voter and author of the recently published book, Mobilizing Generation 2.0: A Practical Guide to Using Web 2.0 Technologies to Recruit, Organize and Engage Youth .

Ben is the co-founder of Akimbo Design, a successful new media design firm. He was also the CTO of DFILM, a youth-oriented entertainment and mobile applications company.

Ben has devoted himself lately to helping nonprofits learn how to capture the new wave of civic interest among young people by using the technologies that youth are familiar with.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Greg Wolff of the UnaMesa Association

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:18:00 +0000

Presentation by Greg Wolff, President of the UnaMesa Association, at Net Tuesday San Francisco May 13, 2008.

The UnaMesa Association is a public charity dedicated to improving health care, education, and social services by supporting the individuals and small teams who provide these services. UnaMesa acts as an R&D organization with projects that bring together industry, academia, and NGOs to develop and distribute effective tools. Wolff has over 15 years in the research, design, and development of systems that support collaboration within and between work groups. He was a 2004-2005 Fellow in the Digital Vision Program at Stanford University, and is currently Vice President of Ricoh Innovations.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Rushton Hurley of Next Vista for Learning

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:13:00 +0000

Presentation by Rushton Hurley of the Next Vista for Learning at Net Tuesday San Francisco on May 13, 2008.

Next Vista for Learning is an education-focused 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is building a free, screened library of video content by and for teachers and students everywhere.

Hurley has taught at the high school and college level, been a school principal, worked with charter and traditional schools, and organized and run an online school. His graduate school background at Stanford includes exploring technology-enhanced learning through multi-media and speech recognition. The idea of helping students become more engaged in, and confident with their learning is one that drives his passion and resources to make this project succeed. Give him a few minutes, and he'll convince you, too.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Adam Frey of Wikispaces

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:08:00 +0000

Presentation at Net Tuesday San Francisco on May 13, 2008 by Adam Frey, the co-founder of Wikispaces.

Wikispaces is a provider of easy to use and easy to adopt hosted wikis. Wikispaces provides public and private wikis for small groups, and private label wiki environments for organizations such as schools and nonprofits.

Prior to founding Wikispaces, Mr. Frey founded and managed the SourceForge line of business at VA Linux Systems (later VA Software). Frey holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors from Monash University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

In his presentation, Adam emphasizes that ease of use and freedom to explore make wikis a good tool for collaboration. They are a tool that educators have found to be useful in working with students, and they may be a good tool for nonprofits as well.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Adam Frey of Wikispaces

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:02:00 +0000

Interview by David Collin with Adam Frey, the co-founder of Wikispaces.

Wikispaces is a provider of easy to use and easy to adopt hosted wikis. Wikispaces provides public and private wikis for small groups, and private label wiki environments for organizations such as schools and nonprofits.

Prior to founding Wikispaces, Mr. Frey founded and managed the SourceForge line of business at VA Linux Systems (later VA Software). Frey holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors from Monash University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

In this podcast Frey discusses how wikis may be the right tool for easy collaboration projects in non-profits.

Business Intelligence for Nonprofits: An Interview with Steve Williams of Business Objects

Wed, 21 May 2008 00:21:00 +0000

Steve Williams is the Community Program Manager, Environment and Technology Programs for Business Objects.

As part of the Business Objects Community team, Steve is responsible for enabling and facilitating employee-driven environmental sustainability programs and championing the company's sustainability agenda internally and externally.

Steve's other focus area is working with nonprofits and social enterprises to help them demonstrate the value they create to donors and investors thereby gaining access to greater and more consistent funding.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Shining a Light on Politics: An Interview with Ellen Miller of the Sunlight Foundation

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:50:00 +0000

Ellen S. Miller is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington-based, nonprofit catalyst that is using new technology to open up Congress. In just two years, Sunlight has created more than two dozen Web sites, databases, distributed research projects, tools and widgets to make information about Congress’ activities more accessible through the Internet.

Miller is also a NetSquared Advocate.

Funding Nonprofit Social Web Innovation: An Interview with Vince Stehle

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:04:00 +0000

Vincent Stehle is the Program Officer for the Nonprofit Sector Initiative of the Surdna Foundation. He is a NetSquared Advocate and was recently awarded the NTEN Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Net Tuesday SF: Presentation by Jon Warnow of Step It Up

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:50:00 +0000

Jon Warnow is an online organizer and technology coordinator whose most recent project was Step It Up, a campaign to unite communities for on-the-ground action on climate change. In 2007, this web-based project helped to unleash the inner-activist in regular people by experimenting with a model of "open-source activism" that creates deeper engagement, an empowered constituency, and more effective results. By catalyzing and coordinating over 2000 synchronized off-line actions, the Step It Up campaign was able to channel the simmering concerns of a citizenry into a powerful, unified, politically strategic call to action.

Fresh out of college in Vermont, Jon is relatively new to the technology and non-profit scene, and is fascinated by both the hollow hype and the powerful potential of web-enabled activism. He's still doing his damndest to use the best of the web to get people to take effective action on the greatest challenge of our time--climate change. Currently, Jon and his co-conspirators are gearing up to launch an international campaign that harnesses our most promising technologies to build a truly global climate movement--and he wants you to help.

This show is a recording of Jon's presentation during the March 11th Net Tuesday San Francisco: Creating Successful Web Campaigns for Your Nonprofit.

Net Tuesday SF: Interview with Jon Warnow of Step It Up

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:38:00 +0000

David Collin, the SF Net Tuesday Podcaster, interviewed Jon during Net Tuesday San Francisco on March 11th. Jon was one of the speakers during the March Net Tuesday, Creating Successful Web Campaigns for Your Nonprofit.

Net Tuesday SF: Presentation by David Taylor of Radical Designs

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:35:00 +0000

David Taylor is the Founder and Director of Radical Designs, a software development company focused on meeting the technological needs of grassroots social movement organizations. He has spent the last nine years building cutting edge websites, online organizing tools and web based mobilization strategies for over 200 social movement organizations, nonprofits, and political campaigns. When not building websites, David is a direct action trainer, and mass mobilization organizer, for the anti-globalization, anti-war, environmental and global justice movements as well as a political strategist for local progressive electoral campaigns in San Francisco.

This show is a recording of David's presentation during the March 11th Net Tuesday San Francisco: Creating Successful Web Campaigns for Your Nonprofit.

Net Tuesday SF: Interview with David Taylor of Radical Designs

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:11:00 +0000

David Taylor is the Founder and Director of Radical Designs, a software development company focused on meeting the technological needs of grassroots social movement organizations. He has spent the last nine years building cutting edge websites, online organizing tools and web based mobilization strategies for over 200 social movement organizations, nonprofits, and political campaigns. When not building websites, David is a direct action trainer, and mass mobilization organizer, for the anti-globalization, anti-war, environmental and global justice movements as well as a political strategist for local progressive electoral campaigns in San Francisco.

David Collin, the SF Net Tuesday Podcaster, interviewed David Taylor during Net Tuesday San Francisco on March 11th. David was one of the speakers during the March Net Tuesday, Creating Successful Web Campaigns for Your Nonprofit.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Gordon Strause of Yahoo! Groups

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:15:00 +0000

This is a Net Tuesday presentation by Gordon Strause, product manager for Yahoo! Groups. Groups is one of the longest running social organization tools on the Internet. It has millions of active groups. Gordon reflects on Yahoo! Group's place in the development of social networking tools and how nonprofits have used it. He also hints at some ways that Yahoo! might change Groups in the coming year to update it.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Gordon Strause of Yahoo! Groups

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:10:00 +0000

This is a Net Tuesday interview by David Collin with Gordon Strause, product manager for Yahoo! Groups. Groups is one of the longest running social organization tools on the Internet. It has millions of active groups. Gordon reflects on Yahoo! Group's place in the development of social networking tools and how nonprofits have used it. He also hints at some ways that Yahoo! might change Groups in the coming year to update it.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Ian Kennedy of MyBlogLog

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:07:00 +0000

The following is a Net Tuesday presentation by Ian Kennedy, the product manager for MyBlogLog, a service of Yahoo! MyBlogLog is a community building service for bloggers. Individuals who register with MyBlogLog leave their picture or avatar and some profile information automatically each time they visit a web site registered at MyBlogLog and running its widget. They become the top-of-the-list face on the Recent Readers section of the blog or web site. Readers become part of a social community around the blog. Ian discusses how nonprofits can use MyBlogLog to build community around their sites.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Ian Kennedy of MyBlogLog

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:59:00 +0000

The following is an interview by David Collin with Ian Kennedy, the product manager for MyBlogLog, a service of Yahoo! MyBlogLog is a community building service for bloggers. Individuals who register with MyBlogLog leave their picture or avatar and some profile information automatically each time they visit a web site registered at MyBlogLog and running its widget. They become the top-of-the-list face on the Recent Readers section of the blog or web site. Readers become part of a social community around the blog. Ian discusses how nonprofits can use MyBlogLog to build community around their sites.

Mobilizing Generation 2.0: An Interview with Ben Rigby of Mobile Voter

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:11:00 +0000

Ben Rigby is the Founder and Co-executive Director of Mobile Voter. He is also the author, with Rock the Vote, of a new book coming out in April called Mobilizing Generation 2.0: A Practical Guide to Using Web2.0 Technologies to Recruit, Organize and Engage Youth.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Nate Ritter on Using Twitter During San Diego Fires

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:35:00 +0000

This is a recording of Nate Ritter's presentation during the January 8, 2008 San Francisco Net Tuesday. Nate is a San Diego-based developer and business consultiant. During the wildfires of 2007 in the San Diego area Nate used Twitter to set up a help center. He was able to use various features of Twitter to keep a constant stream of information and referrals to other resources flowing to local residents. Friends and relatives outside San Diego County also found the Tweets about the fire helpful.

You can learn more about Nate’s work by going to blog.perfectspace.com and you can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/nateritter

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Jeremy Pepper of The Point

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:04:00 +0000

This podcast is a presentation by Jeremy Pepper, Communications Manager of The Point at the January 8, 2008 San Francisco Net Tuesday meeting.

The Point is a site designed to help people solve problems they can't solve alone. Consumers, employees, and community members can use The Point to initiate a "campaign" about an issue and enroll members until they reach the "tipping point" at which their action will have the impact of significant numbers of people.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Jeremy Pepper of The Point

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:57:00 +0000

This podcast is an interview of Jeremy Pepper, Communications Manager of The Point by David Collin at the January 8, 2008 San Francisco Net Tuesday meeting.

The Point is a site designed to help people solve problems they can't solve alone. Consumers, employees, and community members can use The Point to initiate a "campaign" about an issue and enroll members until they reach the "tipping point" at which their action will have the impact of significant numbers of people.

Twitter and the San Diego Fires: An Interview with Nate Ritter

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:10:00 +0000

Nate is a web developer and consultant who used Twitter as a help center during the San Diego fires. You can learn more about Nate’s work by going to blog.perfectspace.com and you can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/nateritter.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Nonprofits Outpacing Business in Use of Social Media: An Interview with Eric Mattson

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:12:00 +0000

Eric Mattson is the co-author of a recent study, Blogging for the Hearts of Donors, about social media usage by the 200 largest charities in the US.

For more information about Eric's work, check out his web site at ericmattson.com.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Steve Miller of Google Earth Outreach

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:02:00 +0000

This podcast is a presentation by Steve Miller, Product Manager for Google Earth Outreach at Net Tuesday, October 10, 2007.

Google Earth Outreach is a project to enable non-profit or public benefit groups to use Google Earth to capture the work they're doing, the people they're helping, and the change they're helping to enable in the visual context of the environment in which these activities take place. Google Earth Outreach enables any organization to quickly and easily get the resources it needs to create compelling stories through Google Earth layers. Steve discusses how any organization can quickly and easily annotate Google Earth with pictures and information to tell visual, compelling stories of the work they do.

Interview with Nicholas Reville of Miro

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:25:00 +0000

Nicholas Reville is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Participatory Culture Foundation.

The Participatory Culture Foundation is the creator of the Miro Internet TV platform. Miro was a Featured Project, and the Second Place NetSquared Innovation Award winner at the NetSquared Conference in May 2007.

You can listen to their 5-minute pitch at the Conference here.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Steve Miller of Google Earth Outreach

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:15:00 +0000

This podcast is an interview by David Collin, the San Francisco Net Tuesday podcaster, with Steve Miller, Product Manager for Google Earth Outreach.

Google Earth Outreach is a project to enable non-profit or public benefit groups to use Google Earth to capture the work they're doing, the people they're helping, and the change they're helping to enable in the visual context of the environment in which these activities take place. Google Earth Outreach enables any organization to quickly and easily get the resources it needs to create compelling stories through Google Earth layers. Steve discusses how any organization can quickly and easily annotate Google Earth with pictures and information to tell visual, compelling stories of the work they do.

Interview with Ivan Boothe of the Genocide Intervention Network

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:51:00 +0000

Ivan Boothe is the internet strategy coordinator for the Genocide Intervention Network, which empowers individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and stop genocide. He holds a degree in peace and conflict studies and authored a thesis on third-party nonviolent intervention. His technical skills include more than a decade of web development, including semantic, standards-compliant XHTML and CSS, as well as extensive work with Drupal and WordPress content-management systems. Ivan was a co-founder of why-war.org, which launched a nationwide campaign of electronic civil disobedience against the voting machine manufacturer Diebold in 2003. His writings can be found at quixoticlife.net.

The Genocide Intervention Network was one of the Featured Projects at the NetSquared Conference in May 2007. You can hear their 5-minute pitch at the Conference here.

A transcript of the interview is available here.

Interview with Angela Siefer of Grassroots.org

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:20:00 +0000

Angela Siefer has over ten years nonprofit capacity building experience. Prior to joining Grassroots.org , Angela served as the Executive Director of the Ohio Community Computing Network. She is a nationally-recognized nonprofit technology expert and has received a number of honors including the John Glenn Social Capital & Midwest Community Networking Awards. Angela currently serves on several voluntary boards, including the International Advisory Council for the Public Interest Registry (PIR.org), OCCN and CTCNet.

Grassroots.org was Featured Project at the NetSquared Conference in May 2007. You can hear their 5-minute pitch from the Conference here.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Interview with Michael Furdyk of TakingITGlobal

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:55:00 +0000

Michael Furdyk is the Co-founder and Director of Technology of TakingITGlobal. He founded two successful Internet companies before he was 17, selling the first, Mydesktop.com, to Internet.com in May 1999. He has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and in 2001 Teen People named him one of 20 Teens that Will Change the World. He is an advisor to Microsoft, Pollution Probe, Possibilities, and several other organizations.

TakingITGlobal was a Featured Project at the NetSquared Conference in May 2007. You can hear their 5-minute pitch from the Conference here.

A transcript of the interview is available on the NetSquared Blog.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Ephrat Bitton of iCare

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:44:00 +0000

This podcast is an interview by David Collin of Ephrat Bitton at the September 11 Net Tuesday in San Francisco . Ephrat is the co-founder of iCare, a web-based service that facilitates person-to-person assistance for people recovering from disaster. Ephrat is a PhD engineering student at Berkeley and applies her skill in mathematical modeling to solve complex problems. With iCare she finds ways to use underutilized capacity in transportation systems to ship supplies to those in need at low cost.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Ephrat Bitton of iCare

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:37:00 +0000

This podcast is a presentation at Net Tuesday September 11 by Ephrat Bitton. Ephrat is the co-founder of iCare, a web-based service that facilitates person-to-person assistance for people recovering from disaster. Ephrat is a PhD engineering student at Berkeley and applies her skill in mathematical modeling to solve complex problems. With iCare she finds ways to use underutilized capacity in transportation systems to ship supplies to those in need at low cost.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Jonathan Thompson of Humanlink

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:32:00 +0000

This podcast is an interview by David Collin with Jonathan Thompson at the September 11 Net Tuesday. Jonathan is the founder of Humanlink, an organization that helps humanitarian organizations use technology so they may help others. Jonathan has worked in the humanitarian field for the last six years. He has been the logistics officer for Medecins Sans Frontieres and other organizations working in Ethiopia, Sudan, Indonesia and Iraq/Kuwait. He talks about how the right techniques can enable relief operations in developing parts of the world work more cost-effectively.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Jonathan Thompson of Humanlinkl

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:12:00 +0000

This podcast is a presentation at the September 11 Net Tuesday by Jonathan Thompson, the founder of Humanlink, an organization that helps humanitarian organizations use technology so they may help others. Jonathan has worked in the humanitarian field for the last six years. He has been the logistics officer for Medecins Sans Frontieres and other organizations working in Ethiopia, Sudan, Indonesia and Iraq/Kuwait. He talks about how the right techniques can enable relief operations in developing parts of the world work more cost-effectively.

Interview with Siegfried Woldhek of NABUUR

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:54:00 +0000

Inteview with Siegfried Woldhek, the founder and CEO of NABUUR. NABUUR links you directly with people around the world who need your assistance now. All you need is a computer, a little free time, and the desire to make a difference. NABUUR was one of the Featured Projects at the NetSquared Conference in May 2007.

You can hear their 5 minute pitch at the NetSquared Conference here and read a transcript of the interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Interview with Jim Slama of FamilyFarmed.org

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 23:36:00 +0000

Jim Slama is the President of the nonprofit, Sustain, and Founder of the FamilyFarmed.org project. FamilyFarmed.org is a website, food label, and EXPO that supports Midwestern organic farmers by connecting them with consumers and commercial buyers. The project was one of the Featured Projects at the NetSquared Conference in May 2007.

You can also listen to their 5-minute pitch at the Conference here and read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Nonprofit Commons in Second Life Launch at Net Tuesday

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 04:57:00 +0000

An audio recording from the launch of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life on August 14th, 2007. Over 100 avatars in Second Life and 60 people in San Francisco gathered to celebrate the Nonprofit Commons' launch.

Speakers included Anshe Chung, Glitteractica Cookie, Jeska Linden, Coughran Mayo and In Kenzo.

You can learn more about the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life at www.nonprofitcommons.org and you can watch a video from the event at netsquared.blip.tv.

The recording begins part way through Glitteractica Cookie’s opening remarks.

Interview with Peggy Duvette of WiserEarth

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 02:03:00 +0000

Peggy Duvette is the Director of WiserEarth, WiserEarth is a community directory and networking forum that maps and connects non-governmental organizations and individuals addressing the issues of social justice, poverty and the environment. WiserEarth was one of the Featured Projects at the NetSquared Conference in May 2007.

You can hear WiserEarth's 5-minute pitch at the Conference here and read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Interview with Jennifer Sly of YouthAssets

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 01:25:00 +0000

Jennifer Sly is the Founder of YouthAssets, an organization committed to increasing and efficiently managing resources for youth made vulnerable by HIV/AIDs in Southern Africa. YouthAssets was one of the Featured Projects at the NetSquared Conference in May 2007.

You can hear their 5-minute pitch at the Conference here and read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Interview with Eduardo Bejar of Yankana.org

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 19:42:00 +0000

Eduardo Bejar is the Executive Director of Fundapi.org, a nonprofit foundation based in Guayaquil, Ecuador that works with information and communication technology in developing countries. Fundapi’s project, Yankana.org, was one of the Featured Projects at the NetSquared Conference in May 2007.

You can hear their 5-minute pitch from the Conference here and read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Interview with Jesse Patel of Innovatorz

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 23:51:00 +0000

Jesse Patel a the Co-founder of Innovatorz Media.

During the 2nd NetSquared Conference in May 2007, 21 projects that use the web for social impact presented their work and received feedback and support from the NetSquared Community. Innovatorz was one of the Featured Projects. You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog and listen to their 5-minute pitch at the NetSquared Conference here.

Interview with Linda Alepin of Global Women's Leadership Network

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 01:19:00 +0000

Linda Alepin is the Founding Director of the Global Women's Leadership Network. The Global Women's Leadership Network (GLWN) is an international network of women leaders who dare to transform their organizations, their communities, and the world. During the 2nd NetSquared Conference in May 2007, 21 Projects that use the web for social impact presented their work and received feedback and support from the NetSquared Community. The Global Women's Leadership Network was one of the Featured Projects.

You can hear their 5-minute pitch from the Conference here and read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

Interview with Randy Roberson of H.E.L.P.

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:47:00 +0000

Interview with Randy Roberson, the Founder and President of H.E.L.P (Humanitarian Emergency Logistics and Preparation). During the 2nd NetSquared Conference in May 2007, 21 projects that use the web for social impact presented their work and received feedback and support from the NetSquared Community. HELP’s International Telemedicine Humanitarian Emergency Mobile Medical Clinic Network was one of the Featured Projects.

You can hear their 5-minute pitch at the Conference here and read a transcript of the interview on the Net2 Blog

Interview with Don Jansen of Farmer 2 Farmer Learning

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:37:00 +0000

Interview with Don Jansen Programme Manager of the DE Foundation. During the 2nd NetSquared Conference in May 2007, 21 projects that use the web for social impact presented their work and received feedback and support from the NetSquared Community. Farmer 2 Farmer Learning was one of the Featured Projects.

Farmer 2 Farmer Learning helps farmers in developing countries become more efficient and market oriented when they learn from their experiences, and the experience of their colleagues. The tool provides them with the means to learn by comparison.

You can listen to their 5-minute pitch at the Conference here and read a transcript of this interview on the Net2 Blog.

Interview with Allen Gunn of the Social Source Commons

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:42:00 +0000

Allen Gunn is the Executive Director of Aspiration, a nonprofit that connects other nonprofits to software solutions that help them more effectively meet their missions of positive global change. During the Second NetSquared Conference in May 2007, 21 projects that use the web for social impact presented their work and received feedback and support from the NetSquared Community. Aspiration’s Social Source Commons was one of the Featured Projects.

You can hear Aspiration's 5-minute pitch at the Conference here, and read a transcript of the interview on the Net2 Blog.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Dan Newman of MAPLight

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 05:10:00 +0000

Presentation by Daniel Newman at San Francisco's Net Tuesday.

Dan Newman is the Executive Director and Co-founder of MAPLight.org, a nonpartisan nonprofit that illuminates the connection between money and politics. During the 2nd NetSquared Conference in May 2007, 21 projects that use the web for social impact presented their work and received feedback and support from the NetSquared Community. At the end of the Conference, each attendee voted for the projects that they thought would have the most impact. MAPLight was the first place winner.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Ann Blocker of Freestyle

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 05:08:00 +0000

Presentation by Ann Blocker, a moderator with Freecycle, at the San Francisco Net Tuesday. The Freecycle Network™ is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving--and getting--stuff for free in their own towns.

During the 2nd NetSquared Conference in May 2007, 21 projects that use the web for social impact presented their work and received feedback and support from the NetSquared Community. At the end of the Conference, each attendee voted for the projects they thought would have the most impact. Freecycle was the third place prize winner.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Ann Blocker of Freecycle

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 05:03:00 +0000

An interview by David Collin with Ann Blocker, a moderator with Freecycle, at the San Francisco Net Tuesday. The Freecycle Network™ is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving--and getting--stuff for free in their own towns.

During the 2nd NetSquared Conference in May 2007, 21 projects that use the web for social impact presented their work and received feedback and support from the NetSquared Community. At the end of the Conference, each attendee voted for the projects they thought would have the most impact. Freecycle was the third place prize winner.

Interview with Kim Lowery of Kabissa 2.0

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:52:00 +0000

Kim Lowery the co-Executive Director of Kabissa, an organization that helps African civil society organizations put information and communication technologies to work for the benefit of the people they serve. Kabissa’s project, Kabissa 2.0, was one of the Featured Projects at the NetSquared Conference in May 2007.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog and hear their 5-minute pitch at the Conference here.

Interview with Deron Beal of the Freecycle Network

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 18:37:00 +0000

Deron Beal the Executive Director and Founder of the Freecycle Network, a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. During the 2nd NetSquared Conference in May 2007, 21 projects that use the web for social impact presented their work and received feedback and support from the NetSquared Community. At the end of the Conference, each attendee voted for the projects they thought would have the most impact. Freecycle was the third place prize winner.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog and hear their 5-minute pitch at the Conference here.

Interview with Dan Newman of MAPLight.org

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 23:15:00 +0000

Dan Newman is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of MAPLight.org, a nonpartisan nonprofit that illuminates the connection between money and politics. During the 2nd NetSquared Conference in May 2007, 21 projects that use the web for social impact presented their work and received feedback and support from the NetSquared Community. At the end of the Conference, each attendee voted for the projects that they thought would have the most impact. MAPLight was the first place winner.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog and hear their 5 minute pitch at the Conference here.

Interview with Heather Cronk of PledgeBank

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 02:07:00 +0000

Heather Cronk is the US Outreach Officer for PledgeBank, a site that allows users to set up pledges and encourage other people to sign up to them.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Katy Newton and Sean Connelley of Not Just a Number

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 05:13:00 +0000

Katy Newton and Sean Connelley, producers of Not Just a Number for The Oakland Tribune, and their web affiliate insidebayarea.com, talk about the citizen journalism project.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Jonathan Boutelle of SlideShare

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:03:00 +0000

A presentation by Jonathan Boutelle, Co-founder and CTO of SlideShare at the June 12, 2007 Net Tuesday in San Francisco. SlideShare is a site for hosting and sharing presentations. Users can upload their own PowerPoint presentation, view and download others, and make a mashup of the material from the site. SlideShare is a site for shared knowledge.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Jonathan Boutelle of SlideShare

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:58:00 +0000

An interview by David Collin, the Net Tuesday San Francisco podcaster, with Jonathan Boutelle, Co-founder and CTO of SlideShare. SlideShare is a site for hosting and sharing presentations. Users can upload their own PowerPoint presentation, view and download others, and make a mashup of the material from the site. SlideShare is a site for shared knowledge.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Cindy Li of Scrapblog

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:53:00 +0000

Presentation by Cindy Li, Director of Content for Scrapblog at the June 12, 2007 San Francisco Net Tuesday. Scrapblog is a scrapbooking website designed to make creating good-looking context for your pictures quick and easy. The Scrapblog motto is: "create a world for your pictures." Cindy also talks about how she used Scrapblog to create a display site for a major nonprofit organization.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Cindy Li of Scrapblog

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:47:00 +0000

An interview by David Collin, the Net Tuesday San Francisco podcaster, with Cindy Li, Director of Content for Scrapblog. Scrapblog is a scrapbooking website designed to make creating good-looking context for your pictures quick and easy. The Scrapblog motto is: "create a world for your pictures." Cindy also talks about how she used Scrapblog to create a display site for a major nonprofit organization.

N2Y2 Con: MAPLight.org: A Light on Money and Politics Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 21:46:00 +0000

MAPLight.org is a Featured Project at the NetSquared 2nd Conference.

Project Summary

After each election, does your Congressperson vote your way?

Do they take money from tobacco companies? Oil companies? Pharmaceutical firms?

Do they vote to lower your prescription and gas prices? Or do they vote with big-money special interests?

MAPLight.org provides the information you need to hold your legislators accountable.

MAPLight.org is a groundbreaking public database. We illuminate the connection between campaign donations and legislative votes in unprecedented ways.

Elected officials collect large sums of money to run their campaigns, and they often pay back campaign contributors with special access and favorable laws.

This common practice is contrary to the public interest, yet legal. MAPLight.org makes money/vote connections transparent, to help citizens hold their legislators accountable. We bring together all contributions given to legislators with each legislator's votes on every bill. We publish this key civic information on an attractive, easy-to-use free website, www.maplight.org.

MAPLight.org is designed for bloggers, issue-oriented advocacy groups, journalists, and citizens leaders. We provide timely, specific information about money and votes, in the California legislature and, starting in May, U.S. Congress. Our efforts show how big-money campaign contributions affect issues that people care about, promoting transparency, accountability, and reform. We are nonprofit and nonpartisan.

â��â�¦a preview of the next generation of money-and-politics reporting.â��
--The Sunlight Foundation

With NetSquared funds, we will create customized â��widgetsâ�� showing campaign contributions and votes in U.S. Congress, updated in real-time. Any blogger, nonprofit group, or citizen can create a widget for free about whatever Federal issue they are interested in.

For a brief overview of MAPLight.org, see our 6-minute Video Tour.

N2Y2 Con: Big Brothers Big Sisters AIM System Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 21:43:00 +0000

Big Brothers Big Sisters AIM System is a Featured Project at the NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

Performance figures for agencies who have converted to AIM show that they are leading all other agencies in year-to-year growth, yield rates and improved quality. They are a valuable source of system, workflow and quality enhancement ideas and are our best ambassadors. This effort is at a transition state as we both must maintain momentum to move all desiring agencies to the sytem while maturing/deepeing the ways that it can be used to "go to scale". The addition of a "volunteers portal" at both national and local public website, along with improved CRM (constituent relation management) and CMS (content management systems) capabilities will further leverage AIM.

N2Y2 Con: FamilyFarmed.org Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 21:41:00 +0000

FamilyFarmed.org is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

The recent Time Magazine cover story on Local and organic food made it clear. People want healthy food they trust grown by local and organic farmers. FamilyFarmed.org is a revolutionary system that connects consumers and trade buyers with a network of family farmers and artisanal food producers. FamilyFarmed.org is the place where consumers â��meetâ�� their farmers re-establish connections with their food, their community, and the land. Buying food from local producers improves the environment, increases access to healthy food, creates jobs and economic development, prevents sprawl, supports family farmers, and combats global warming.

FamilyFarmed.org is helping to create a sustainable local and organic food system by building a community of buyers and sellers of local and organic food. The system is designed to promote more transparency and accountability from producers while simultaneously creating many more opportunities for buyers and sellers to meetâ��both on line and in person.

The FamilyFarmed.org EXPO, is a unique and successful show that brings farmers, distributors, retailers, and consumers together to network, learn from each other, and build marketing relationships. The show is profitable and is geared towards building the business of local food producers as well as highlighting leading organic and sustainable businesses.

FamilyFarmed.org is ready to go to the next level by fully developing its capacity as a web community. We seek funding to fully develop content, social networking capacity, and a sophisticated marketing campaign.

N2Y2 Con: The Freecycle Network Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 21:37:00 +0000

The Freecycle Network is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

We are creating a global gift economy in an entirely nonprofit online community at Freecycle.org. Our goal is to make it easier to give something away than to throw it away on a globally local scale with each local community having their own microsite on Freecycle.org which hooks up givers with potential recipients in their local community. Freecycle is a sort of free eBay or cyber curbside.

It represents a global "paying it forward" in which each individual gives away their items which were otherwise destined to fill local landfills. Membership is free and anyone may give or receive in this free cycle of giving.

The Freecycle Network was launched with one email about 3 1/2 years ago and is now active in over 75 countries with millions of grassroots members and thousands of volunteers moderating local groups. We are keeping over 300 tons a day out of landfills as a result which amounts to four times the height of Mt. Everest in the past year alone when stacked in garbage trucks.

If we are to save our planet, we will need to become inspired reusers. Freecycle.org empowers individuals directly to reuse.

N2Y2Con: WiserEarth Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 21:33:00 +0000

WiserEarth is a Featured Project at the NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

WiserEarth links organizations and people in new and powerful ways.

The media, academics, students, politicians, and the non-profit world itself can better visualize the extent and comprehensiveness of global civil society
WiserEarth's structured data format combined with its comprehensive taxonomy makes it among the most powerful search tools available in the environmental and social justice fields.
WiserEarth encourages social entrepreneurs, students, scientists, consultants and volunteers to construct personal profiles that will create opportunity and visibility for them, while providing organizations with broader pool of prospective talent.
WiserEarth provides grassroots groups that cannot afford a web presence with visibility and access. Organizations have the full benefit of a database, clearinghouse and web presence without having to build their own.
WiserEarth acts as a no-cost communication network for all organizations through the publishing and encouragement of voice-over-internet-protocol hook-ups (ex: SKYPE).
WiserEarth generates geographic maps to locate individual organizations, or any collection of organizations, from street level to continents.
It offers free postings for recruiting staff, volunteers, and interns and marketplaces to share surplus resources and materials.
WiserEarth is scalable and doesn't require extensive ongoing funding once built. Data will be user-generated as opposed to centrally managed, requiring few staff after public launch.
WiserEarth provides funders a comprehensive landscape of organizations engaged in specific program activities, a helpful tool to better evaluate programs and dockets.

N2Y2 Con: Grassroots.org Toolbox Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 17:35:00 +0000

Grassroots.org Toolbox is a Featured Project at the NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

The internet is moving rapidly towards a model of collaborative conversation that leaves static web pages obsolete. Emerging open source technologies are rapidly redefining the cutting edge, and organizations are able to leverage these technologies to engage constituents, partners, and donors.

So why doesn't every nonprofit, everywhere in the world, have the e-advocacy capacity of Moveon.org? What if every community had the social networking tools of the Omidyar Network, or the community publishing abilities of Wikipedia?

The tools already exist (some were used to build this website). However, they're also difficult to configure, customize, and maintain...creating an unfortunate barrier to entry.

Grassroots.org is partnering with groups such as Democracy In Action, MAIN.org, Web Targeted, StrongTech and the Chicago Technology Cooperative to host, configure, and maintain these tools for nonprofit organizations and communities everywhere in the world, for free. We'll include content management, discussion forums, e-advocacy, CRM, event registrations, and even free SEO consulting, using integrated tools based on Drupal, the DIA's Salsa platform, and Egroupware. We'll also offer the free training and support crucial to empowering nonprofits online.

The internet is a conversation; it's time the nonprofit community is heard.

N2Y2 Con: YouthAssets Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 17:31:00 +0000

YouthAssets is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference (N2Y2).

Project Summary

YouthAssets will develop a web-based knowledge management tool that utilizes the latest mapping technologies and collaboration tools to enable youth and their supporters to share critical information about and for HIV/AIDS orphans in Southern Africa.

N2Y2 Con: Global Women's Leadership Network Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:45:00 +0000

Global Women's Leadership Network is one of the Featured Projects at the 2nd Annual NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

GWLN is creating the network, training programs, and leadership support systems necessary to embolden and enhance the capability of women leaders worldwide. A key part of sustaining results is the availability of a vibrant social network to facilitate continuous mentoring, training and collaboration. GWLN is committed to providing this network through the use of technology. The impact of this technology will be further enhanced by the establishment of in-country academies.

N2Y2 Con: MyKenyanSpace Project: Addressing Africa's Problems Through Social Networks Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:38:00 +0000

MyKenyanSpace Project: Addressing Africa's Problems Through Social Networks is a Featured Project of the 2nd NetSquared Conference (N2Y2).

Project Summary

Social networking has been an African way of life for centuries. It is embedded in the Ubuntu philosophy of life that translates to, â��You are because we are.â�� It is a way of supporting each other which, thanks to technology, can now be used to solve a critical African problem. Although 80 percent of African people make a living as small farmers or in other self-employment sectors (making handicrafts, etc) they depend on middlemen to access outside markets and therefore earn very little from their labor. My project will take advantage of the spread of ICT in Africa to roll out country-specific social networking sites that will give an opportunity to African producers to network with the outside world, showcase their products. I have personally financed a Kenyan model that can eventually be replicated throughout the continent. You can view my humble contribution at http://www.mykenyanspace.net

N2Y2 Con: Yankana.org: Social Web Tools for Developing Countries Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:36:00 +0000

Yankana.org: Social Web Tools for Developing Countries is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference (N2Y2).

Project Summary

The digital divide that affects developing countries is more than just the lack of access to the internet. It also has to do with lack of, or minimal, content development as well as limited use of appropiate tools to get the best of the net. Taking these issues into account, how can most non profit organizations located in developing countries attempt to create content with local relevance while using appropiate tools if their technological skills are limited, usually they don't have the required hardware and sometimes not even speak english?
With our help!

Yankana is a project designed to help non profit organizations located in developing countries to utilize, adopt and benefit from social web tools in their fields of work, without requiring technological skills or financial resources for infrastructure, and with support in their native language. Yankana is a project created and promoted by Fundapi, a non profit organization based in Ecuador, South America, that has experience with ICT initiatives for development since 2001.

N2Y2 Con: Farmer 2 Farmer Learning Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:34:00 +0000

Farmer 2 Farmer Learning is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference (N2Y2).

Project Summary

Farmer 2 Farmer Learning aims at providing a tool to (small scale) farmers in the developing world that allows them to gain insight in the performance of their management of crops and produce and to learn from comparing their performance with that of colleague farmers. This will help farmers into becoming entrepreneurs and to gain/keep market access by being able to comply with demands of buyers for registration of crop and produce handling.

The tool will be free to use and free to adapt (under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 license from creativecommons.org).

N2Y2 Con: TakingITGlobal Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:32:00 +0000

TakingITGlobal is a Featured Project at the 2nd Annual NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

In 1999, two young Canadians imagined what would happen if young people around the world could join together online to inspire each other, get informed about social issues, and become involved in their communities. Over seven years, TakingITGlobal.org has evolved from this idea into a powerful platform, a "Social Network for Social Good", with an array of programs, inspiring hundreds of thousands of young people to create a better future. A sophisticated technical platform has supported expansion into eleven languages, and Education programming has been developed to ensure a pipeline of engaged youth into the community.

See the case study on us: http://www.netsquared.org/takingitglobal

N2Y2 Con: HELP International Telemedicine Humanitarian Emergency Mobile Clinic Network Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:31:00 +0000

HELP International Telemedicine Humanitarian Emergency Mobile Clinic Network is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference (N2Y2).

Project Summary

Disaster Relief Telemedicine is a project that brings specialist physicians from around the world to a disaster scene (via satellite) to help with medical triage and emergency medicine.

N2Y2 Con: Innovatorz Media Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:24:00 +0000

Innovatorz Media is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference (N2Y2).

Project Summary

The Opportunity
Leading social entrepreneurs have developed innovative, scalable solutions to society's problems that are already having significant impacts. Over the next ten years, however, the scale of these impacts will explode as many innovations move past the tipping point. This is the most important story in the world, and Innovatorz will tell it.

The Innovation
Assisted podcasting will enable leading social entrepreneurs to tell their stories on an unprecedented scale.

Team & History
We are a team of three young professionals working to drive adoption of online storytelling by leading social entrepreneurs. The Innovatorz project has been in development for over a year. We are beginning the process of scaling up, and aiming to have the organization accomodate more social entrepreneurs and volunteers.

(For more information visit innovatorz.org)

N2Y2 Con: Kabissa 2.0: Space for Change in Africa Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:22:00 +0000

Kabissa 2.0: Space for Change in Africa is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

Through this project, we will develop a strong network of African technology activists and advocates who can effectively take advantage of the many possibilities Web 2.0 has to offer. We will recruit twenty key partners throughout the continent who are very motivated to serve as "Web 2.0 ambassadors" for their local communities where they already work as well as to the larger Kabissa community of civil society organizations throughout Africa.

Together with our partners, we will develop a shared understanding of how Web 2.0 technologies work, their application to the Kabissa community, and how they can be used by different types of African civil society organizations working in different environments. Kabissa will support these partners in applying these lessons to their own organizations, but also to the larger community, creating a viral spread of tech-activism throughout African civil society.

Kabissa - Space for Change in Africa was founded on the belief that technology is a revolutionary force for change in Africa.

N2Y2 Con: Aspiration Social Source Commons Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:14:00 +0000

Aspiration Social Source Commons is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference (N2Y2).

Project Summary

The Social Source Commons (SSC) helps nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations find appropriate software tools to support their programmatic work, and share knowledge about using those tools. It is the only venue on the internet striving to build a complete inventory of what tools are available for nonprofit needs, in both general and sector-specific categories.

SSC is a standards-based, open source web platform for mapping "what's out thereâ�� and â��who's using whatâ�� in nonprofit software, based on a model that blends the sharing ethic and passion of nonprofit and NGO technologists with the best new internet technologies and information models. SSC builds on the "social network-driven" software selection paradigm that pervades NPO/NGO technology (â��hey, what are you using for...?â��), allowing users to discover tools and connect with allies by asking:

* What are others using? Which tools are most popular?
* Who else is using what I'm using, and what are they saying about it?
* What tools exist in a given category?
* What new tools are people discovering?
* What am I not using that I could be using?

The platform documents the landscape of software tools available for NPO/NGO use by letting nonprofit techies compare what tools they use. The architecture is based on sites such as wikipedia.org, del.icio.us and flickr.com that leverage collaborative editability, democratic categorization schemes, and ease of use to build shared knowledge stores. SSC is designed to enable peer supported, collaborative sharing of software knowledge.

SSC is not just an inventory tool; it aims to be an information "prism" through which relevant information feeds, updates, and new resources can be aggregated and redistributed per tool, per category, and per user. SSC takes advantage of the emerging RSS paradigm to "push" information to each user in a personalized fashion, and to allow other sites and sources to query and publish SSC data.

N2Y2 Con: Maps 2.0: Geospatial Tools for Nonprofits and Humanitarian Relief Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:07:00 +0000

Maps 2.0: Geospatial Tools for Nonprofits and Humanitarian Relief is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

Since the Asia tsunami disaster in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a growing number of nonprofit and humanitarian organizations have recognized the tremendous potential of Web-delivered maps and map-based analysis. Google Earth and other Web services have demonstrated the power of online mapping tools, often known as geographic information systems (GIS) or geospatial analysis.

The HumaniNet team and our nonprofit partners believe that this revolution in mapping tools will change the way we think about – and manage - programs with social, environmental, and humanitarian purposes. Geospatial, map-based data management will improve program monitoring and evaluation, reporting, overall transparency with beneficiaries and donors, and the speed and effectiveness of humanitarian responses.

Maps 2.0 will establish the first nonprofit online resource for sharing best practices in GIS and digital maps. In partnership with Aspiration and Mercy Corps, HumaniNet has already formed an advisory team for creating a volunteer-based community of practice in GIS.

Using Aspiration's Social Source Commons, a proven Open Source platform, the Maps 2.0 team will review and post significant and promising GIS developments and facilitate networking with other GIS experts and users. HumaniNet's experience in leading collaborative communities and partnering with over 100 global organizations will be a key advantage.

The Maps 2.0 online community will be an energetic, volunteer-driven initiative that will change the way many nonprofits present information and collaborate to solve difficult problems, using the power of GIS.

For an example of maps used by relief teams, see the UNOSAT map of the Solomon Islands (1MB pdf file) following the April 2 tsunami.

N2Y2 Con: Miro: Open Source, Open Standards Video Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 08:59:00 +0000

Miro: Open Source, Open Standards Video is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

We are seizing an opportunity to build a new, open mass medium of online television – through the use of Internet video. Through our nonprofit software development we’re making watching internet video channels as easy as watching TV and broadcasting a channel just as easy.

Our project is relevant because:· Television is the defining medium of our culture. There's now an opportunity to create a television culture that is fluid, diverse, exciting, and beautiful.

· Our platform is open-source and built on open-standards. This matters because it keeps video flowing freely. When you lock people in to closed, proprietary services, you lose everything that makes the Internet work.

· Television is moving online. Will it be the same narrow, top-down cultural stagnation that we see on traditional television? All the major media and computer companies are clamoring to control video online. If they succeed it will be a disaster.

· We don't have to spend years playing catch-up. Open-source and open- standards can lead this fight for the future of video online. We’re not in this to get rich. We’re in this because of our deep commitment to fully open and not-for-profit video distribution on the Web.

N2Y2 Con: Genocide Intervention Network Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 08:52:00 +0000

Genocide Intervention Network is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference (N2Y2).

Project Summary

Empowering anti-genocide activists with the tools for community-based education, user-generated content and strong shared connections, the anti-genocide community will pool the collective knowledge of a growing movement for change.

You can read the text of the presentation here.

N2Y2 Con: Stop Family Violence Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 08:49:00 +0000

Stop Family Violence is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

Every year, millions of people are severely abused in the United States. Stop Family Violence (SFV) is the leading national grassroots activist organization working to organize and amplify their voices and the voices of their allies to bring them to bear on the social and political agendas affecting their lives.

Since its beginning, the strength of the violence against women movement has come from diverse people joining together, realizing their shared struggles and collective power and then raising their voices to effect social change. Research has shown that the incidence of family violence declines when the community is made aware of the problem; when residents can find services; when there is a network of leaders within the community and when services and institutions are held accountable to community needs.

Stop Family Violence looks to utilize the many new technologies of the Web 2.0 revolution to empower local programs, enhance information sharing, help people find the services they need, promote local leadership and coordinate online and offline activism that will hold institutions accountable and keep women and children safe.

The new SFV website will create an integrated, collaborative, service, information and action network between local, state and national programs, community activist groups, survivors and their allies. We will develop innovative community blog tools to allow our members to publish their own action alerts, build petitions and send email through our site to specified targets. Other members of the SFV community will be able to recommend (rate) the action, add comments and participate.

N2Y2 Con: NABUUR: The Global Neighbour Network Intro Presentation

Wed, 30 May 2007 08:39:00 +0000

NABUUR: The Global Neighbour Network is a Featured Project at the 2nd NetSquared Conference.

Project Summary

www.nabuur.com is an internet platform where villages in developing countries get direct assistance. Online volunteers help create whatever is needed in 150 villages now and with your help 10,000 soon: a potential revolution!

NABUUR has developed a unique platform for person-to-person hands-on problem solving. Villages from developing countries put their issues on the internet and online volunteers from different continents help create solutions, as neighbours (â��NABUURâ�� in Dutch) in the global village: a stable with cows in Khunti (India), instructions on bee-keeping in Gbongay (Sierra Leone), or an internet centre with computers and training in Zapotillo (Ecuador). The support entails more than providing knowledge: from the physical building of a hospital to the reframing of a problem; from ensuring that goods get through customs to finding transport for an international shipment, etc. Both experts and non- experts are needed. NABUUR opens the unique collaboration possibilities of internet communities to villages around the world so that they can better master their destiny . The potential is simply huge.

NABUUR combines the best of the old with the best of the new: a time-tested community phenomenon - neighbourly help- with the 2.0 power of the internet. It is so promising that president Clinton invited us and mentioned NABUUR publicly (see www.nabuur.com).

But even though the present rate of growth is impressive from an ngo perspective (45 villages connected in 2005, 150 in 2006, 300 at the end of 2007), it needs to speed up more to reach significant numbers. For that it must become easier, more authentic, smoother, more fun. Your help in making that happen is very much appreciated.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Not Just a Number

Mon, 21 May 2007 03:50:00 +0000

A Net Tuesday presentation by Katy Newton and Sean Connelley, producers of Not Just a Number. Not Just a Number is a community journalism project focused on the topic of violence and violence prevention, produced for the Oakland Tribune and their web affiliate, insidebayarea.com. Last year, Oakland's homicide rate reached a five-year high of 148 people. NJN was created to give Oakland a place to share stories and to connect and develop solutions by utilizing a variety of new media journalism tools and interactive web based technologies.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Anne-Christine d'Adesky of Pulsewire

Mon, 21 May 2007 03:31:00 +0000

A Net Tuesday presentation by Anne-Christine d'Adesky, the Director of Global Advocacy for World Pulse Magazine's PulseWire. PulseWire is an interactive website where women worldwide can speak for themselves to the world and collaborate to solve global problems.

PulseWire is a tool designed by and for diverse users: a Sri Lankan market woman looking for new sources of micro-creidt, a Zimbabwean journalist documenting a crackdown in the streets with her cell phone, or a New York businesswoman offering to bring school supplies to women's groups in Cambodia.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Anne-Christine d'Adesky of Pulsewire

Mon, 21 May 2007 03:24:00 +0000

Net Tuesday podcaster, David Collin, interviews Anne-Christine d'Adesky, the Director of Global Advocacy for World Pulse Magazine's PulseWire. PulseWire is an interactive website where women worldwide can speak for themselves to the world and collaborate to solve global problems.

PulseWire is a tool designed by and for diverse users: a Sri Lankan market woman looking for new sources of micro-creidt, a Zimbabwean journalist documenting a crackdown in the streets with her cell phone, or a New York businesswoman offering to bring school supplies to women's groups in Cambodia.

NetSquared Finalist Podcast: Moment of Inspiration for MapLight.org

Thu, 17 May 2007 00:12:00 +0000

In this podcast, Dan Newman describes the inspiration for MapLight.org, which illuminates the connections between money and politics. It started two years ago with a car dealer's bill of rights that would have given consumers more rights when they bought new cars. The bill was defeated, and Dan looked into the connection between donations from car dealers and votes. He found a strong relationship between funding of legislators by car dealers and their votes. He started MapLight.org to bring these relationships to the public eye.

NetSquared Finalist Podcast: Moment of Inspiration for FamilyFarmed.org

Thu, 17 May 2007 00:11:00 +0000

In this podcast, Jim Slama, founder of FamiliyFarmed.org, shares the inspiration that lead him to start the project. His inspiration began many years ago with a successful campaign called â��Keep Organic Organicâ�� which worked to ensure the federal government kept their definition of â��organicâ�� strict. SaveOrganic.org was the first major use of the internet in an environmental campaign, and it was wildly successful. In the end, 270,000 comments were collected supporting the campaign and the media just loved it. The campaignâ��s rallying cry, â��Keep Organic Organicâ�� became a national rallying cry, and in the end the USDA put out better organic standards. That was the beginning of Jimâ��s use of online tools in his activism.

After the successful campaign, Jim decided to go home to Chicago and do a buy local campaign. Unfortunately, he started shopping around at all the locally owned shops and â�¦ well â�¦ there was absolutely nothing to local to buy. It was summer, the perfect time for local farmers to supply local shops, so Jim knew something had to be done. He launched his local organic campaign, which eventually morphed ino FamilyFarmed.org, and the momentum has been building ever since. Now a lot of food is being grown organically in the region, and Jim is greatful for it.

NetSquared Finalist: Project Overview for HELP's Telemedicine Network

Thu, 17 May 2007 00:09:00 +0000

Randy Roberson, founder of HELP (Humanitarian Emergency Logistics & Preparedness), describes how HELP organizes mobile medicine clinics around the world during humanitarian disasters. Three years ago, HELP incorporated telemedicine into their response to the Tsunami disaster, and it was incredibly successful. Randy describes the success of telemedicine and also their innovative new model for transparent individual donations. In this new model, individual donors can direct 100% of their funds to a specific program and actually witness the work being done through a live webcast. Randy also describes some dishonest practices used by some disaster organizations, that this radically transparent model is a response to.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Ben Rattray of Change.org

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 21:50:00 +0000

This podcast is a presentation by Ben Rattray, the founder of Change.org at the April 10, 2007 Net Tuesday. According to the Change.org site:

Change.org aims to transform social activism by serving as the central platform that connects like-minded people, whatever their interests, and enables them to exchange information, share ideas, and collectively act to address the issues they care about. To augment the power of the grassroots networks that develop through Change.org, we help connect these networks to the many nonprofit organizations that are already working to advance worthy causes around the world - over 1 million in total.

Ben demonstrates the features of Change.org and discusses how individuals and nonprofits are using it to build critical mass around issues.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Ben Rattray of Change.org

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 21:39:00 +0000

This podcast is an interview by David Collin, NetSquared's San Francisco podcaster with Ben Rattray, the founder of Change.org. According to their site:

Ben explains why he established a site to enable people who are passionate issues to network and participate in ways not commonly available to them through established organizations. Ultimately, the goal is for the network and nonprofits to collaborate on common goals.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Gina Bianchini of Ning

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 21:36:00 +0000

This podcast is a Net Tuesday presentation by Gina Bianchini, the co-founder of Ning. Ning is a platform for individuals and groups to use to create their own social network. Ning has a rich feature set, and all features can be configured and customized to meet the network's needs. Ning enables users to have the experience of control of all aspects of their network rather than being a tiny subset of a massive social network. Gina describes how individuals and nonprofits are using Ning.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Gina Bianchini of Ning.com

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 21:19:00 +0000

This podcast is an interview by David Collin, the Net Tuesday podcaster in San Francisco, with Gina Bianchini, the co-founder of Ning. Ning is a platform for individuals and groups to use to create their own social network. Ning has a rich feature set, and all features can be configured and customized to meet the network's needs. Ning enables users to have the experience of control of all aspects of their network rather than being a tiny subset of a massive social network. Gina describes how individuals and nonprofits are using Ning.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Ken Banks of kiwanja.net

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:29:00 +0000

We've all heard of the KISS Principle: keep it simple, stupid! The following presentation by Ken Banks, founder of kiwanja.net, is testimony to the notion that a simple, lower-tech approach to reaching people can sometimes be the most effective one. Ken has extensive experience with IT and telecommunications. He uses that knowledge to help nonprofits implement SMS communications technologies for reaching large numbers of people in the developing world effectively and inexpensively through the most ubiquitous communications device in the world: the mobile phone.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Ken Banks of kiwanja.net

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:13:00 +0000

We've all heard of the KISS Principle: keep it simple, stupid! The following interview by David Collin of Ken Banks, founder of kiwanja.net, is testimony to the notion that a simple, lower-tech approach to reaching people can sometimes be the most effective one. Ken has extensive experience with IT and telecommunications. He uses that knowledge to help nonprofits implement SMS communications technologies for reaching large numbers of people in the developing world effectively and inexpensively through the most ubiquitous communications device in the world: the mobile phone.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Darian Hickman of Village: the game

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:48:00 +0000

Can you work on tough, real world problems with a game? In this interview by David Collin with Darian Hickman, we hear about one effort to answer that question in the affirmative. Darian is founder of Village: Play the World of Social Enterprise, a real-time strategy game for the PC that puts the player in the position of an entrepreneur building companies that lift villages out of poverty. The real goal is to get players "hooked" on emerging world development. Eventually Darian hopes to make Village a web-based, multi-player game.

Net Tuesday: Interview with Darian Hickman of Village: the game

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:36:00 +0000

Imagine a Better World: An Interview with Ami Dar of Idealist

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 01:09:00 +0000

Ami Dar is the founder and executive director of Action Without Borders, the organization that maintains Idealist.org. Launched in 1996, Idealist is one of the most popular nonprofit resources on the Web, with information posted by 65,000 organizations around the world, and over 50,000 visitors every day. Ami was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Peru and Mexico, and worked as a waiter, translator, and marketing manager at a software company before starting Action Without Borders.

In the last four years the Nonprofit Times included Ami in its annual list of the 50 most influential people in the nonprofit sector, and in 2004 Ashoka invited him to join its global fellowship of social entrepreneurs.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared Blog.

E-Advocacy, the Digital Divide & GIS: An Interview with Arnold Chandler of PolicyLink

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 01:39:00 +0000

Arnold Chandler is a Program Associate at PolicyLink where he conducts policy data analysis and research studies into the innovative application of information technology and data to community building, advocacy, neighborhood change and revitalization, and regional development. His research focuses on economic and community development in America's older core cities; the digital divide and public policy; supporting technology innovation in the nonprofit sector; electronic advocacy; and the use of geographic information systems (GIS) for policy change. Chandler has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a M.S. in Telecom Policy and Information Systems.

You can read a transcript of the interview on the NetSquared blog.

Communications for Humanitarian Aid & Relief: An Interview with Gregg Swanson of HumaniNet

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:46:00 +0000

Gregg Swanson is the Executive Director of HumaniNet, a nonprofit that provides assistance in ICT (information and communications technologies) to the humanitarian community.

A former Air Force officer and fighter pilot, Gregg served for 20 years in line and staff positions with Air Force headquarters, NATO forces, and operational units in Asia and Europe. He has held executive and management positions in several Silicon Valley companies, largely in operations and international programs. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he has studied in Germany as an Olmsted Scholar and has graduate degrees in international affairs from the American University and in business from Stanford University. Before founding HumaniNet in 2002, Gregg was Director of Technology at Northwest Medical Teams in Portland, Oregon.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared blog.

Internationalization of the Social Web: An Interview with Teresa Crawford

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 23:25:00 +0000

Teresa Crawford is a strategic technology consultant based in Washington DC. She has been working in the field of NGOs and technology since 1998. Over the last few years she has worked in 30 countries with organizations both large and small to help them make better use of information and information technology in their work.

You can read a transcript of this interview on the NetSquared blog.

Net Tuesday: Presentation by David Sanford of LinkedIn

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 04:58:00 +0000

This podcast is an interview by David Collin with Dave Sanford, Product and Business Strategist of LinkedIn. Sanford explains how non-profit organizations can use LinkedIn to bring attention to their cause.

Photo by Leo Romero

Net Tuesday: Interview with Dave Sanford of LinkedIn

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 04:52:00 +0000

Net Tuesday: Presentation by Oz Basarir of WiserEarth

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 04:48:00 +0000

This podcast is a presentation by Oz Basarir, Chief Technology Officer of the Natural Capital Institute, sponsor of the environmental activism social networking site WiserEarth. WiserEarth promotes positive social change by empowering the largest and fastest growing movement in the world â�� the hundreds of thousands of organizations within civil society that address social justice, poverty, and the environment. WiserEarth provides tools to help these organizations find each other, collaborate, share resources and build alliances.

Photo by Leo Romero