community technology advocate

The positive side of living with information overload is that we have all become accustomed to making informed decisions (or at least having the option to make an informed decision).   We also have the option to use a variety of tools to help us make informed decisions.  “The right tool for the right job” applies to information management just as it does to construction projects.  The needs of the job influence which tool is appropriate and the needs of the person using the tool influence which tool is appropriate.

On WorkLiteracy.com, Michelle Martin states, “I believe that we have to start with making people conscious of the fact that they own the most precious resource in just about any organization today–the power of their ideas, social connections and thought processes.”

Folks who collaborate online are more likely to recognize these issues because they confront them withint he process of online collaboration.  They confront the issues of:

Today I told my kids and their friends that they had to
go outside to play. That it was too nice to stay inside. They were not
happy with me as they had been having a grand time all playing on their
Nintendo DS handhelds. Granted, they were talking to each other while
playing them but I wanted them to be more active. I was quite surprised
to see a traditonal game of hide and seek transform itself to a game of
logic due to the availability of texting on the DS.

In a traditional game when the child hiding had hidden so well that the
seeker could not find the hidden child, the seeker would simply give
up. In this new tech assisted version, the seeker asks for a clue via
the DS. The hidden child replies with a clue like "window" or "closet"
either by typing in the word or by drawing it. I'm told they used
Pictochat. I sometimes overheard discussions regarding what the clue
could mean. Especially if multiple clues were given. "Window" and
"flowers". Does that mean the person hiding is outside? (No, actually
she was inside near a window where she could see flowers, tricky, eh?)

Thanks to .ORG, the Public Interest Registry, I attended the Webby's June 9 and 10. They were a sponsor of this year's Webby's and I am an Advisory Council Member for .ORG. It was, of course, very inspiring to see all the amazing videos and websites. The hosts were fabulous (Judah Friedlander and Seth Meyes). The June 9 After Party was interactive. It included Rhoda Grossman drawing digitally (yep, that's my digital caricature on the left) and Adobe's Digital PhotoBooth (pic on the right). I got to get all dressed up two days in a row and hang out with people I like and admire. Not a bad gig.

There was a definite feel to the event of young, hip, creative, nontraditional. I wouldn't go so far as to say anti-corporate because some of the winners were coprorations. It was more a vibe of "we do things our way". No shortage of creativity as evidenced by the pix that came out of the Digital PhotoBooth. What struck me as a bit disturbing was the apparant need to be "elite". On one hand the attendees want to show that anyone with a computer, creativity and some luck can make a huge splash online. At the same time, there appeared to be a 'cool kids only hang out with cool kids' kind of syndrome being developed.

The International Summit for Community Wireless Networks ended with a passionate speech from Harold Feld of the Media Access Project. Harold believes now is the time for real systemic global change. The right people at the right time. First time Harold spoke at an International Summit on Community Wifi, he focused on why the conference attendees should care about what happens in DC. The second time Harold spoke he focused on reclaiming the idea that public policy is about bringing the best in human nature forward. The term Policy Hacker was coined by one of the attendees last year, a superb term for those working toward community focused tech policy.

Harold got us started thinking about the strength of the community with the statement: The difference between a movement and a mob is coordination and intent. Individuals come together to learn from each other, to make their own projects better. They quickly determine that what they do is part of a larger movement.