We’ve stripped the beta out of the CommunityCentral URL and we’re up and running. What a buzz!
It was almost a year to the day since I started. At times progress seemed painfully slow. Wrestling with software development isn’t always easy, and not exactly fun. It consumed a lot of time. But we’ve got there. The first version of the website has a couple of features operating. Mostly importantly people can reigster as members.
Already there has been a steady flow of people joining. Equally importantly some early requests to use the e-newsletter distribution service have come in from community groups around the country.
A plan is almost in place for adding the next set of features, starting with workspaces. These are due early in 2009.
Behind the scenes we’re developing our practices and various protocols. Help with practical changes on the site is coming from Dominic Ballesteros who is volunteering as the website’s webmaster and user support person. He’s just arrived in Wellington from the Phillipines looking for a job. As he’s multi-talented I can see this happening very soon.
Anyway, take a look and let me know what you know think.
Take my word for it, don’t leave funding applications to the last moment. It can mean missing out.
When I got round to entering the details of a Lottery Community application into the online form it was already 4.30pm on Friday afternoon . Wellington ICT is looking for funding to keep the e-rider IT service going next year.
My plan was to enter the details online, which I have up until midnight on Monday 3 November, then submit the signatures and other supporting documents later in the week.
I was foiled.
The Grants Online system (CDGO) is not compatible with the version of Internet Explorer I was working on. As I couldn’t use the system with Firefox, nor on a Mac or Linux computer, it meant that filling in a paper application was the only option.
Even if I could write neatly - quite a struggle, believe me - trying to get two signatures by 5pm Monday when paper applications are due, is impossible. I’m busy all day at a forum.
Looking back, I could have checked the CDGO system was actually user friendly at the start of the week. Knowing this earlier, I would changed the order I worked on things last week.
Ranting and raving about the incompatibility of CDGO with modern browsers is so, so tempting. But really, it was my assumptions about technology that got in me in trouble meant I’ve missed the deadline this time. Every piece of software has its foibles so it’s really beholden on the user to work with this. Ideally, sooner rather than later.
The imminent closing date of a new round of the Digital Strategy Community Partnership Fund on 10 November has set off a stampede of creative thinking. There’s no shortage of good ideas, though the $5.8 million available probably won’t be enough to fund everything being dreamed up.
The criteria for funding means existing projects aren’t likely to get additional assistance, unless it’s about extending reach or linking with others doing similar stuff, and new projects are required to “support digitally disadvantaged New Zealanders”.
Services delivering IT advice and support specifically to community and voluntary groups want to link up. Each of our respective services will be strengthened through regular face-to-face interaction with peers. A proposal is being prepared to enable us to meet regularly to discuss issues and developments, learn from each other, start looking at standards for IT services to the community, strategic discussion to support advocacy for the sector and providing support to other regions starting a community IT service.
At the moment there are three regional organisations looking to join in a proposal, with the Wellington e-rider IT service writing things up. I’m wondering if there are other people around the country delivering IT advice and support primarily to community groups that would like to join in this proposal. Get in touch if you’re interested.
At this stage applicants are just required to submit a short EOI, with short-listed applications having almost three months to complete a full application early in 2009.
A project bubbling out the Cycle Action Network’s Digital Strategy Initiative (aka new website!) will provide a suite of online tools to support the work of advocacy groups. CiviCRM is a powerful tool to support relationships with members. This can be about promoting action, collecting membership fees, receving online donations, administering events, or much more. The CiviCRM back-end can be combined with a Drupal website front-end to create an attractive public entrance.
Andre Cymbalista, project manager of the new CAN website, wants any advocacy network to be able to benefit from this combination of online tools. With many groups being using the same tools, its possible to capitalise on shared training and build up local support.
In New Zealand there are only a small number of groups using CiviCRM but internationally organisations like Amnesty International, Wikipedia and a multitude of grassroots ones all use the software.
If this sounds like something your group would benefit from, contact Andre today.
That’s not all by a long shot. Promoting open source software, developing an easy website builder, providing IT management training to community group managers, and building Drupal modules are just some of the other ideas I’ve heard about.
After I submitted my article for publication on social media to “Fundraising in NZ” there were a couple of areas I would have liked to cover in a lot of depth:
1. How much time does it take ?
2. Where do social networks fit beside more traditional online communication using websites and email?
I’ve since come across a couple of blog posts that attempt to answer these questions.
Beth Kanter has mashed up a useful table that simplifies the picture (see below). She suggests breaking your approach into stages: listening, participating, creating a buzz, sharing your story, and community building and social networking. To start with allow five hours to listen. If you want to run an online community, a minimum of 20 hours is required.
Diagram: How many hours per week does it take to use social media? Source: Beth's blog
Laura S. Quinn at Idealware says it’s important to for each organisation to think carefully about its unique audiences before diving into social networking.
The size and mission of the organization might come into play here - a larger organization that’s targeting internet-savvy audiences might find that it’s worthwhile to invest much more energy in online outreach, while just maintaining a website and email communications status quo. But a smaller organization might get better return on focusing first on creating a strong website and email infrastructure, before investing in finding new online friends (after all, it’s a good website and email strategy that will help keep your friends, after you find them).
With a $30,000 budget (oh, I wish) Laura would split it equally three ways:
1/3rd upgrading and maintaining your website
1/3rd crafting a solid email communications strategy and putting out solid communications
1/3rd online outreach, creating things like viral movies or petitions, social network sites, etc.
With AJ’s help on the other end of the phone from Deutschland, I’ve updated the software that runs this blog. I’ve been wanting to use the latest version of Wordpress since it came out earlier in the year.
As an open source project, hundreds, if not thousands of people have been working behind the scenes to improve the way the Wordpress blogging software works.
The most noticeable difference is a much nicer interface for me as an author, plus the integration for some little features that used to only be optional. One of these makes for very easy tagging. The way uploaded media is handled is much nicer too. Then deep within the code there are doubtless some security enhancements between the old and new version.
In the process of changing over I’ve lost two blog posts…. fortunately I’ve found one that was automatically downloaded in my RSS reader. The other is gone. Consigned to cyber-history. I’d say this is a small price to pay for the switch.
Community groups in the Taranaki region will soon have an independent source of IT advice and support. The ICT Gateway is being run by the Bishop’s Action Foundation, a community development organisation based in New Plymouth.
According to the Gateway’s recently appointed coordinator Patrick Edwards, they’re starting out by working with three groups to get a detailed lie of the land. Based on these case studies the details of how the service will be run will emerge.
The types of services on offer will include:
• improving strategic planning and management of ICT technologies
• access to both expertise, hardware and software resources
• collaboration with each other to maximise the benefits offered by changing ICT technologies.
In addition to these pretty familiar aims, which are closely aligned with what we’re trying to achieve with the Wellington e-rider IT service, the ICT Gateway has also got some employment outcomes to achieve over the next three years.’
To make all this happen Patrick is making a big push into the local IT industry. He’s approaching businesses to donate time, hardware and/or software, and to offer training support and cadetships.
So far so, good. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s a 45 second interview I recorded with Patrick when he was in Wellington.
PS The clip is pretty shaky as I recorded it using my phone. I’ve decided to use Vimeo to host the video rather than YouTube after reading an article in Macworld. Michael Gowan says its stylish design, ease of use and options for sharing videos privately makes it good for personal use (see “Share your videos online”, 28 May 2008).
On the CommunityCentral blog you’ll a find a sneak preview of the new homepage. After a demonstration at the NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisation’s AGM we’ve decided to let people see what the new web-based platform will look like.
Over the last few weeks we’ve been doing a fairly intensive amount of usability testing. This has included a series of formal tests by AccEase who draw on a pool of people using screen readers and other assistive devices. I’m doing some more informal usability testing with a small group of typical users. And finally, the reference group we set up as been probing the e-newsletter function.
All this testing is generating a lot of feedback - some of which will involve relatively minor cosmetic changes, including wording, but there could be some more substantive problems. As we want to start engaging with users, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to address everything raised in the testing before the website goes live.
After ten months of planning, discussion, scoping, and behind the scenes work, the launch seems to be coming up so quickly. There are endless details to sort out and fiddly refinements. At times I wonder how I will get through everything.
What keeps me going? It’s actually because now that we’ve got a working website I can see how CommunityCentral will make a meaningful contribution to supporting people working in tangata whenua, community and voluntary organisations. It’ll take time, but I can see how the vision of the founders and initiators can be realised.
Anyway, I’d welcome any feedback if you visit the sneak preview.
PS We’re looking for a dynamic person who enjoys setting up systems and giving people really good support to act as webmaster/ site manager. Our ideal scenario is finding an intern or volunteer who will take on the role of webmaster and support person – for something like four or six months. Please get in touch if you’re interested or know someone who might be suitable. I’d be happy to send details.
To learn all you want to know about Drupal, and probably more, head along to DrupalSouth. The two day event is aimed mainly at developers but there’ll be lots to learn for anyone using the open source content management platform.
I’m wondering if it might be too technical for me, but as I’m currently working on three Drupal powered websites as a project manager or webmaster, I’m bound to pick up some useful knowledge. With CivicActions a sponsor, they’ll be sharing some of their work using Drupal websites for social change no doubt. It might be a situation of learning about things that might be useful in the future, but you don’t know you need to know about something just yet. If that makes sense.
Hats off to Jonathan Hunt from egressive for setting up this event.
Closer to home the programme for webstock 2009 was just released. Next February the 3rd webstock event will be held in Wellington.
The mix of speakers is very broad: sci-fi novelists, an online performance artist, web gurus and online community builders. Derek Powazek, author of the seminal “Design for Community: The Art of Connecting Real People in Virtual Places” (New Riders, 2001) is running a full day workshop on community building on the social web. I read this book a while back and reckon Derek will shed some light on how to engage people online.
Having attended webstock 08 I know next years event will be a buzz: full immersion in web trends, techniques and philosophy with great coffee and a chic conference bag thrown in. Time to start saving for the $895 entry fee.
I’m glad I wasn’t running a session on Slideshare at the Engage Your Community conference. When I went to upload the presentation I made at the conference it didn’t load first time. I tried an hour later, then the next and a day later.
There was no explanation from the folk at Slideshare about any problems with the server, or a personal message saying I’d blown my storage quota. Just a frozen file upload.
Fortunately, at the conference I didn’t hear of any presenters having any technical problems. A big relief when you’re running live training sessions on web-based applications.
During the breaks I heard about three organisations using blogger for e-newsletters or a website. The free blogging platform is being bent, twisted and turned to meet different needs, at times experimentally.
From SeniorNet Wellington’s homepage on blogger you’ll find everything you need to know about their organisation and courses. Alan has been very inventive working with the limitations of the platform to convey all the necessary information. I particularly like the custom Google Map showing nearby parking buildings and bus stops.
We’ve started quietly talking about follow-up workshops and another conference next year. I’m already looking forward to further learning and sharing.
The creche our daughter attends is organising a novel fundraising event. Mix wind, exercise and play to create the inaugural Wellington Windwalk.
It’s quite a walk from the Brooklyn village up to the lone turbine which frames the suburb. About 7kms return. But there are buses back to the start, for those struggling with the hills. Plus prizes, a quiz and kite flying to help distract people during the climb.
The organisers from the committee have set up a pretty nifty website (using Wordpress nonetheless) with the catchy graphic above. You’ll find instructions for making your own kite or windwill, which will doubtless always come in handy. Print them off and save them for a rainy day.
Register now for a family or group (bring your friends) - of all ages! Rain or shine. Oh, the date: Saturday 27 September. 8.40am start.
I'm writing here about my work, ICT use by not-for-profit organisations, nature, eDemocracy and what I did on my holidays. All from Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.
The creche our daughter attends is organising a novel fundraising event. Mix wind, exercise and play to create the inaugural 
