LynnAllen.net > Webdreams
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| Webdreams: High Use of Web Technology for Sustainable Bellingham TOPIC: How the Internet can help team members create, organize, track, and follow up on projects and events, and how the Internet can support participants in getting into action and connecting locally. Also: how to leverage web 2.0 technology to help projects happen and get people into action. -------------------------------------- If I could have it all (smile) here is what I’d like to see implemented: Have a space for blogs, etc. organized by team or project or event -- opportunity of connecting after events. People would meet face to face. Each project/event could have its own blog space Daily tips, monthly information sheets. Develop a solid event posting page on our website that is then easily archived by just adding the new event and keeping all the others which pile up in order as Past Events--see http://bions.net/Events Have a place to just talk about issues -- problems with composting, recycling plastic, how to stay awake etc. Community co-sponsors -- central place to keep and maintain lists of contacts of organizations and people who want to support Have a well documented privacy policy that is conservative (feels safer to participate). On the website: have an easier-to-use master calendar of events. Have a way to check other local events and find a time for an event that is not competing with another event. Have a single place for all this information, systematic gathering of data. Have a place where we can put *local* resources, organizations, articles, etc (perhaps take a look at using WiserEarth). Anyone can post (have checks & balances for flagging inappropriate content). Have something that automatically messages me regarding new projects/events, etc. Allows me to identify what kinds of messages I want to be included on (e.g. tell me about events, but don't send me discussion emails, etc.) See what social network technologies are out there (You Tube, Tribe, Facebook, MySpace, Second Life), which ones work. Ability to analyze activity of participants, to "map" the social network. Track team/participant activities. Award them for effort, use to motivate. Of the wiki
sites I looked at which included www.wetpaint.com and www.pbwiki.com -- both seem
pretty good, and are used by organizations large and small. I believe wetpaint
would work for us. Please take a look, and let me know what you think. Most of the following is getting more technically sophisticated and some of it probably way out in the future someplace, but I’ll include it just for the record: Participants: have place where I can put name of someone I meet who is interested in list/project/event, and automatically notifies them when something comes up about their interest/event. Have system automatically send emails: before meeting/event, after event, ongoing. Automatically create follow up emails, surveys, send messages to no-shows, encouraging them to sign up again, etc. Track and have automated follow up on "pathways to participation" cards. Have directions available on screen, have connection to public transit systems when possible. Have
interest areas participants can sign up for (simplicity circles, post-carbon efforts,
etc.). (Take a look at Wiserearth—categories already identified) For team members only: have online list of team, including name, direction, email, phone, confirmation status, town, ridesharing preferences. Automatic email reminders, with responses required in email (click here to verify). Easily sorted, printed, useable by person Northing. Sort by name, Print out registration list for day of event, if pre-registration required (with spaces for walk-ins), print out name badges. Very important: Simple, make it very easy to use, zero training required. Shouldn't require yahoo account. Include
those, who by choice or circumstance, do not have email or internet access. poorer
communities, voluntary simplicity adherents. Don't necessarily expect them to
find a way. Can we use cell phone technology (more ubiquitous than computers?).
Have counters, track metrics of who's active and who isn't. So we know who's been to what part of website PS - Also I remember Van Jones' thought: we're not going to do this by clicking a mouse. Website needs to help people meet face to face, to get into action. Lynnette Allen
Lynnette Allen, MA Bellingham IONS Team |