Tag Archive for 'digitalinclusion'

Community Voices at Digital Engagement Event: Reflections on the Conversation

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At the Digital Engagement Event, back on 6th October, David Wilcox and I helped the Community Voices team facilitate two sessions that focused on the three things more important to digital engagement than the technology. You can check out the Community Voices group on the Social by Social community for videos, notes and other reflections from the event.

We split participants up by topic areas for discussions and Community Voices team members lead the small group conversations, while others used various tools to capture what was said (audio, video, tweets and blogging). After the small group discussions, we had volunteers from each group provide a short report back to the full room of some of the highlights or lingering questions that came out of the conversation. During these report backs I captured a word cloud on a flip chart of key words. Here’s what came out of each session:

Session #1 Word Cloud:

COMMUNITY
What’s of interest?
PEOPLE
Existing Communities
Stereotypes
Individual Level
Lead
Participate
FUN
Creative Approach
Visible Benefits
Relevance
TRUST

Session #2 Word Cloud:

Relevant Content
Community of Interest
Individuals
No Jargon
Partnerships
TRUST
What’s Success?
User Generated
Access to People
COMMUNITIES
Offline vs Online
HUMAN

The words in all caps represent the words that were repeated in each report out. If you look at the two sessions, you’ll see very similar key words and phrases. Even more important to the topic of the sessions and, I think, in Community Voices’ work in general, the words that every group used that appear in all caps are pretty much the same in both. The biggest focus: trust and communities.

Digital inclusion is not about cool social media tools, or even fancy hardware. It starts with people and stays with people.

What do you think?

Were you there, and have ideas to add to this reflection? If you weren’t there, what ideas do you have about the things most important to digital inclusion other than technology? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Remember to visit the Community Voices group to connect with the rest of the conversations going on there.

Published on October 30, 2009 by Amy Sample Ward. 0 Comments

Celebrate Today: One Web. For All.

Published in issues and socialchange. 3 Comments Tags: , , , .

Today is OneWebDay! A day of on and offline events spanning the globe celebrating the Web.  This year’s theme is One Web. For All. bringing attention to issues and work on digital inclusion.

One Web. For All.

OneWebDay opens up techie conversations to everyone.  The theme this year of digital inclusion is especially important now as the speed of iteration and advancement is faster than ever and yet there are huge numbers of people without access at all.  Those who are excluded and unconnected are getting online at such a slow pace compared to the break-neck speed the “rest of us” are plowing ahead.  The only way, in my view, to bring those you aren’t connected or participating online into the conversations, especially those on digital inclusion, to help shape policies and changes for creating one web that really does serve everyone.  So, for OneWebDay today I wanted to share a few ways that I think we can all help others join the conversation about creating a Web that includes everyone.

Creating for All

There are many ways to get involved in OneWebDay (see below) but some of the actions that can be most powerful in light of this year’s focus on digital inclusion include:

  • Join in and contribute to the conversations, networks, organizations and conferences/events specifically focused on digital inclusion (here in the UK that includes Digital Britain, Digital Inclusion Conference, and many others)
  • Share your story (about how you got online, what your first online engagement or activity was, etc.) with local networks working to create online spaces to bring more people online
  • Ask your partner, parent, or friend who isn’t online, why? what or how would need to change to get them there? (Don’t assume you know the answer!)
  • Are you having a OneWebDay event today? Invite people who would not have seen your online promotions to join you at the ballroom, office or pub to be part of your celebrations and conversations.
  • Are you developing tools, applications, or platforms for the web? Invite your friends, neighbors, parents, and others to give you feedback (even if they don’t know what the words you use mean) about what they would benefit from that maybe you and your network hasn’t considered yet.

OneWebDay is more than September 22nd.  The ways above to contribute to this movement are available for you every day.

Every time you host an event, convene a conversation, design a workshop, or anything else, invite those who weren’t on the email list, or at the last event, or part of your local community’s “social media club” to come participate, contribute, and learn.

Continue to share your story and help others share theirs so we can identfy factors and opportunities contributing to a web for all.

Regardless of next year’s topic for the September 22nd celebrations, digital inclusion remains a core barrier to truly celebrating the web globally.

Get Involved

There are many ways you can participate in OWD09 and help celebrate the web.  Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

About OneWebDay

For the last four years, OneWebDay has attracted a global network of partner organizations and individual activists committed to broadening the public’s awareness of Internet and Web issues while deepening a culture of participation in building a Web that works for everyone. In 2008, OneWebDay organizers documented volunteer-driven events in 34 different cities across the world. In 2009, we’re geared for events in over 50 cities in 20 countries! OneWebDay is all about your passion for the Web and your creativity.

Learn more about OneWebDay.

Published on September 22, 2009 by Amy Sample Ward. 3 Comments

OneWebDay: It’s Almost Here!

Published in events and issues. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

onewebday 2009This September 22nd, contribute to the celebrations of the web for OneWebDay! All over the world, people who care about the future of the Web are joining together to organize events and activities in their towns, growing the OWD network from the grassroots up.  There’s just 6 days until OWD09; learn how you can join the celebrations!

What’s OneWebDay

For the last four years, OneWebDay has attracted a global network of partner organizations and individual activists committed to broadening the public’s awareness of Internet and Web issues while deepening a culture of participation in building a Web that works for everyone. In 2008, OneWebDay organizers documented volunteer-driven events in 34 different cities across the world. In 2009, we’re geared for events in over 50 cities in 20 countries! OneWebDay is all about your passion for the Web and your creativity.

Get Involved
There are many ways you can participate in OWD09 and help celebrate the web.  Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Share Your Story
Tell your story about what you do to celebrate OneWebDay or your story about this year’s topic, “one web for everyone.”  You can also read the stories from others participating this year.  Go ahead, share!

Published on September 16, 2009 by Amy Sample Ward. 0 Comments