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NetSquared enables social benefit organizations to leverage the tools of the social web.
Headware | Simon Pavitt | (UK)
What's *really* new on the Web, as opposed to buzzwords and soundbites?:
small things.
like the fact that I can get an email asking 'is there anybody doing nonprofit technology in blah?', set-up a map allowing people to plot themsleves and create a copy of it on my website, all in one evening while watching something on TV.
Which tools best embody the new opportunities from your point of view and why?:
from a purely technical point of view, I still think RSS news feeds have a huge potential to change the way organisations work, particularly as the purpose/existance of so many nonprofits depends upon their ability to source, select, prioritise and provide information.
Who's doing the best work with the new tools (technically or in terms of social benefit or both)?:
i've got to say i'm another of those who is excited by drupal and the overlapping of the work of civicspace, civicrm, civicactions, bryght, etc, etc and the whole way they compliment and enhance one another - they offer the potential for a truely integrated online nonprofit without having to depend on heavy-duty tech support.
or is that just wishful thinking?
What's the bad news? What are the greatest barriers preventing web-based technology from producing social change?:
it ok techies like us getting excited by new tools and opportunities but most nonprofits that are actually doing socially useful stuff locally are not big users of IT - they use what they know (email) but haven't got the time and motivation to put new things into effect.
there's a whole gap in awareness, examples, confidence and support required if they are to really take advantage of all these new ways of working (which the netsquared project obviously makes a start in providing). but there's lots more work to do and i'm not sure who is going to do it. especially in the UK.
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