Next week, TechSoup is hosting a week-long discussion of the Impact of Web 2.0 on Nonprofits. Now, I must admit that the buzz around this “2.0” idea is getting out of hand, and of course the obvious backlash has already started.
For the non-geeks out there, web 2.0 is a shorthand term to explain the new era of more interactive and individualistic things you can do online. Some of the most commonly cited examples are tagging (del.icio.us), social networks (Friendster), collaboration (wikipedia), syndication (bloglines), and that whole blogging thing. These applications aren’t new, but recently they have become much simpler to use, more accessible, and consequently much more widespread.
The reason I think this is important is that the result of applying Web 2.0 to activism is network-centric advocacy – something I get very excited about. Maybe we should also call it Advocacy 2.0…
So please join us at TechSoup next week. I’ll be co-hosting all-day on Monday. Try the veal…
It’s happening in TechSoup, a five-day online event:
The Impact of Web 2.0 on the Nonprofit Community
Join CompuMentor’s community engagement program director John Lorance and a host of leading Web technology advocates as they demystify Web 2.0 technologies and illustrate how using new socially oriented technological innovations can help the nonprofit community. Web 2.0 technologies such as tagging, social bookmarking and online social networks, blogging, content sharing through Wikis and RSS, and new Web widgets need not only be in the hands of well-funded developers; but also can be used by organizations to further their missions.
Co-hosts include:• Marnie Webb of CompuMentor
• Ruby Sinreich two-time winner of “Best Blog” from The Independent Weekly
• Chris Messina of Flock and SpreadFireFox fame
• Marshall Kirkpatrick, trainer and educator on Web 2.0 technologies
• Phil Klein , nonprofit technologist of Pen and Pixel
• Alexandra Samuel, online community consultant with Social Signal
• Michael Stein, nonprofit technology blogger
• Yann Toledano, nonprofit technology consultant and TechSoup forum co-host.
• Eddie Codel, social networking technology advocate and Webzine conference organizer.These leading voices of Web 2.0 technology will help you bring the ever-changing field of the second wave of Web applications and tools into practical focus. Event hosts will share their real-world stories, demystify the buzzwords, and provide resources. Discussion will focus on exploring the latest trends in Web publishing for all, effective online communications, emerging research and discovery methods, and collaboration tools.
This event will eliminate the buzz and bring into focus how nonprofits can use these tools to learn from other organizations’ Web travels. You will come away with practical tips, models, resources, and tools for bringing collaborative technologies and processes to your own organization.
Save the dates: October 24-October 28
Join us the week of October 24, for a free, five-day online event, in the TechSoup Emerging Technology forum www.techsoup.org/web2event as we discuss issues such as:
- What do we mean by Web 2.0?
- How can you use an RSS feed to get pushed information as well as to push your content to others?
- What on earth is a Wiki? How is it better than the old-fashioned Web site?
- What is tagging and how is it relevant? How can you learn from others’ Web searches?
- What are widgets and how can these new tools help you solve age-old problems?
- How can an online social network help your organization find volunteers?