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NetSquared enables social benefit organizations to leverage the tools of the social web.
Committee To Protect Bloggers | Curt Hopkins, Director
What's *really* new on the Web, as opposed to buzzwords and soundbites?:
It is not simply the capacity (via comment fields on blogs) to conduct two-way conversations that is new, it is the expectation that it be allowed. Readers are demanding an active role in information exchange on the Web. That is what is new.
Which tools best embody the new opportunities from your point of view and why?:
Blogs top the list. They're easy to do for non-technical people and provide immediate payback. Wikis and other such things may be interesting for more primary actors on the Web but for the "commons" of the Internet, blogs are the most important. This is for readers, not just writers. The proliferation of information arranged by blogs is a big plus for non-blogging readers.
Who's doing the best work with the new tools (technically or in terms of social benefit or both)?:
I don't really know. I like Global Voices a lot, but that's mostly due to their international focus.
What's the bad news? What are the greatest barriers preventing web-based technology from producing social change?:
Well, everything starts with the wealthy first (individuals and populations) and the urban first. So the rural poor are not even in the mix. Until people go out and gather stories and appeal to the benefits that the rural populations want (not what smart ass college students think they should want), it will always be an elite activity.
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