The Bamboo Project Blog

I'm Moving to a New URL, So Update Your RSS and Bookmarks!

I'm moving to a new Typepad account, so I'm hoping you'll come over with me. I plan to leave what I've written so far at this URL, so no previous links will be broken, but all new posts will be at the new place.

So update your bookmarks and come on over. If you use RSS, just make sure you get the new feed. Looking forward to seeing you . . .

Wiki-olio Anyone?

Beth Kanter is musing on her increased use of wikitations--wikis as presentation tools that either replace or build upon a PowerPoint presentation--and suggests that a wiki might also be a great place for her to keep an online portfolio. (I'm suggesting we call it a "wiki-olio" but I'm open to other suggestions).

Personally I think that a Wiki-based portfolio is a fabulous idea, particularly as I've been doing a lot of thinking about a professional development project I'm working on for one of my clients. (I also see this idea building off of some of my earlier thinking about building nonprofit skill networks.)

From an organizational perspective, having staff maintain an online portfolio with links to their work and presentations, resume information, etc. would be an outstanding resource. And for individuals, it would be a great way to keep an ongoing library of their work and skill development to be used throughout their careers. I don't know about you, but I've often forgot about projects I've worked on, trainings and presentations I've developed. If I got into the habit of maintaining a wiki-based portfolio, I'd have all of my work in one place.

For such a thing to work for organizations, I think that there would have to be an agreed-upon format and tagging taxonomy that all participants would use. The tags could cover skills, job functions, presentations/conferences, interests, work experiences, etc. It would make it much easier to find people who had a certain background or skill, particularly in larger organizations.

Definitely something I want to ponder further. I'd be curious to hear if anyone has created their own "wiki-olio" and what suggestions they have for organizing the materials, showcasing talents, etc.

From Blog to Blidget

So Widgetbox continues to make good on their promise to "widgetize the web," with their latest Typepad Bling, which allows you to turn your blog into a widget--or "blidget." Get it?

Pretty simple to do. I cut and pasted my blog URL and was given a few options to customize the appearance of my widget. Then I was told to log into my Widgetbox account or create a new one and Widgetbox created my widget. Once that was done, I was then given the option to promote it by installing the button above. (Go ahead and click on it--you can "blidget" me to your blog if you want).

I wanted to see how the installation process worked, so I actually installed my own blidget on my site, which you can see if you scroll down and look at the left sidebar. Kind of weird to promote myself on my site, I know, but since I only had my own widget, that was the only way to test it. (If someone else creates a blidget, let me know so I can install yours as an example so I don't seem so self-absorbed).

The installation process was actually even easier than creating the blidget.  I just had to select the interface for where I wanted to install the blidget (i.e., Typepad, Blogger, MySpace, Friendster, etc.) and then select the blog. Really a one-click process.

Now while this is a pretty cool little thing, I must admit that I'm trying to decide how a nonprofit might want to use it. Usually I'm decent at coming up with options, but today it's just not happening. So any ideas on how this could be useful? Or is it just a nice little gadget?

When E-Mail Is a Bad Idea

Dave Pollard gets specific about 10 scenarios where you should NOT use e-mail to communicate:

1. To communicate bad news, complaints or criticism
2. When you are seeking information that is not simple and straight-forward
3. When you are seeking approval on something that is involved or controversial
4. When you're sending a few people complicated instructions
5. When you are asking for comments on a long document
6. To request information from a group on a recurring basis
7. To convey instructions to a large number of people
8. To convey instructions to a large number of people
9. To explore a subject or idea
10. To send news, interesting documents, links, policies, directory updates and other 'FYI' stuff

I particularly subscribe to Dave's last item. I'm in the process of managing a few projects right now and I'm trying to get people to shift from the e-mail approach to using wikis and blogs to share this kind of information so that it's readily available to everyone in the group. It's a slow, painful process, though.

Thanks, Dave, for making things clearer.

Nonprofit Web Design Tips from Vince Flanders

Vince Flanders of "Web Pages that Suck" fame has a site devoted entirely to making sure that nonprofit web pages and other electronic communications don't suck. Check out his four-part series, "Is My Website Ineffective?," which includes some nice checklists to guide you through the process of analyzing your site and diagnosing problem areas.

You may also want to check out Designing Inward Out, a public diary of a nonprofit's work on redesigning their site. (Thanks to Allen for the tip).

IRS Training Modules Online

The IRS has put several interactive training modules online for nonprofit organizations. Topics include:

• Maintaining tax exempt status
• Unrelated business income
• Employment issues
• Form 990
• Required disclosures

269 Places to Start Creating a Better World

Idealist.org is using this week (Feb. 5-11) to launch a global network of meetings designed to bring together people, resources and ideas to create a better world. You can sign up to host or attend a meeting here. You can also read what other people are saying about the idea.
 

Where will you be this week?

Web 2.0--The Separation of Form and Content and What that Means for Us

Kansas State University cultural anthropologist Michael Wesch has developed a nice video introduction to Web 2.0 in terms of how it's fundamentally changed our relationship to online information, forcing us to re-examine a few things:

• we’ll need to rethink copyright
• we’ll need to rethink authorship
• we’ll need to rethink identity
• we’ll need to rethink ethics
• we’ll need to rethink aesthetics
• we’ll need to rethink rhetoric
• we’ll need to rethink governance
• we’ll need to rethink privacy
• we’ll need to rethink commerce
• we’ll need to rethink love
• we’ll need to rethink family
• we’ll need to rethink ourselves

You have to watch the video to see how its form better explains the Web 2.0 phenomenon. Hypnotic and fascinating. (Via Idea City ).

Also check out Beth Kanter's recent post on Dion Hinchcliffe's views of the differences between traditional and social media. Dion's ground rules dovetail nicely with Michael's video.

It's Not Just About "Good Enough," It's About Empowerment

My post earlier this week on disruptive innovations and "good enough" solutions sparked an interesting response from Niels Unis:

"Bamboo gives the example of micro-lending which has changed many people’s lives. What is so effective about micro-lending, among other things, is that it empowers people to change their own lives finding solutions in situations that they know and understand. This empowerment, however, is a radical idea, and much more than a “good enough” solution. Mother of Peace has built a self sustaining farm. They make their own bread. . .

What I think is at stake is that in wanting to provide the ultimate solution, we want to feed our ego, increase our power over the world. The shift in thinking is not from “perfect” to “good enough.” The shift is one that recognizes that creating more power for the powerless, ultimately empowers everybody."

I think that Niels is right on with this insight. While the original intention of my post was to share the concept of catalytic innovations and "good enough solutions," , Niels accurately points out that the power of many of these innovations may lie in their capacity to empower the powerless.

"Good enough" solutions by their very nature will not be able to breed the same level of dependence found in more comprehensive programs. They are meant to be less fully-featured, easier to use, more simplistic. They are meant to get a specific job done and in the process, they empower the recipients to be the ones to do that.

I think Niels is also right that there's a touch of ego in wanting to provide more "comprehensive" solutions. On many occasions I've worked on designing education and training programs for TANF recipients and disadvantaged youth. Time and again I've been told that these people aren't "capable" of learning like other people--that we need to set up a system that basically does everything for them because they aren't able to do it for themselves. When I've been able to successfully fight this mentality and create a more empowering, more loosely-structured program, the naysayers have always been astounded by the results. Not that it doesn't mean I don't often have a fight on my hands again the next time I push for more customer control.

So another reason for us to pursue more catalytic innovations--because they empower the people with whom we are working.

Michele

You're Going to have to Participate in the Conversation Whether You Want to or Not

Seems like conversations are going to happen whether we like it or not . . .

Earlier this week, I mentioned the New Zealand CYFSWatch blog that's raised an international ruckus because of its "name and shame" tactics, taking transparency and accountability to new levels. Since I made that post my traffic from searches fort that blog has increased significantly, adding further fuel to the fires of concern that the online community WILL get the word out, whether you want to participate in the conversation or not.

On a related note, Deborah Finn points out that there are an increasing number of blogs "taking aim" at the nonproft sector, particularly the technology practitioners. While she values the transparency and accountability encouraged by the new breed of blogs, she also pleads for a civil dialogue.

Finally, the Berkley GovBlog reports on a Booz Allen study published in a recent issue of CIO:

• Web 2.0 relevance cuts across gender and age. Forty-one percent of U.S. MySpace users are older than 35. That number was 35 percent for the United Kingdom and 29 percent for Germany.
• Web 2.0 users have few privacy concerns. Sixty-four percent of U.S. messages are freely available to the public. U.K. respondents reported that number as 61 percent, while Germany reported 73 percent.
• Web 2.0 capitalizes on ubiquitous connectivity. Approximately one-quarter of surveyed MySpace users are accessing MySpace from a laptop, a school or office computer, an Internet-enabled cafe or a BlackBerry.
• Web 2.0 communities influence opinions and purchasing decisions. Thirty-nine percent of surveyed MySpace users receive product picks from virtual peers.

The study concludes that Web 2.0 is profoundly shaping consumer behaviors and expectations and that it has reached "critical mass. Businesses that don't respond may be placing themselves at risk. "

It's going to be interesting to see where this all lands for nonprofits . . .