I was so pleased with the unconference this weekend. I had hoped to do some live blogging and add video – but it turns out when you have a room full of video cameras that it can take hours to upload video. So I’m bringing you everything a day after the fact.
Below are videos from the day. Mostly we went through topics suggested by attendees – assigned table to topics and folks went where they wanted. Then we’ve convene and report back.
I tried to take notes during the first session, so I’ll inlcude that too – just to give you a quick idea of the conversations that were happening.
Notes from First Session:
Table 1: E-Democracy Group Server – folks got a great demo on how the E-Democracy Group Server facilitates local issues forms. It combines email and web-based discussions – or rather offers multiple ways of participating in the discussion.
Table 2: Facebook – a fun hands on session on Facebook.
Table 3: Strategic Use of Tools for Nonprofits Organizations – a discussion of people who use and/or want to use online tools. I heard people ask about a checklist or recipe for success. Does it help to have multiple people involved? It’s important to have a real person with a real voice at the helm.
Table 4: Podcasting – a discussion of how to use tools to facilitate remote meetings and record them. Dim Dim is a tool I heard come up.
Table 5: Creating community web sites – using tools that will help your audience help you with content, such as Google Calendar – but you still have to moderate.
Table 6: Twitter – a good hands-on session on how to add hash tags
Saturday Second Session Topics:
Saturday Second Sessions Summaries:
Saturday Third Session Topics:
Third Session Summaries
Fourth Session Topics:
Plans for continuing the Momentum
End of Day Notes from Bernadine Joselyn
For rural communities in my area the public library has been and continues to be a major way to access the online resources. The libraries only agenda is to assist people in using the libraries materials both physical and virtually.
The web is making it easier to setup sites and collaborate. Google.com and Ning.com are a couple of free site with plenty of power.
As a former reference librarian, I couldn’t agree with you more. The libraries are essential for providing access to people who don’t have access at home. That being said, I’m also a big advocate of making sure that people who want to have access at home can get it. As much as I love libraries, life is easier when you can get online at home.
Ann,
I agree that broadband access should be considered like a utility such as electricity.
The same discussion occurred about getting electricity to the rural areas early in the last century.
I am hopeful to see true broadband coming at a reasonable price. It cannot happen soon enough.
I thought this article was interesting.
http://wifinetnews.com/archives/2009/04/verizon_plans_rural_wireless_broadband.html
I think that the issue of broadband being utility will be an interesting debate – especially for the MN Broadband Task Force.
I enjoyed the article. I don’t a ton about LTE, but I’ve heard good things.
Thanks! Ann