We want to build an online portal that will bring people together through collective imagination about what they wish, in their highest dreams, to be a picture of future cities, future governmental systems, technology, educational systems, economic systems, future visual spaces, architecture, environmental solutions, anything possible. It is in the belief that by undue focus on negative scenarios and individualistic commercialism, we are inevitably and unwittingly likely to hamper positive future development as a collective.

FutureLab ("An Online Challenge for the NonProfit Community to Chart a Vibrant 2020") has just been launched by Independent Sector, and it provides an exciting new opportunity to share thoughts about the challenges and opportunities facing the nonprofit and foundation community now and in the future.  This site is essentially a nation-wide conversation about important nonprofit and philanthropic issues where you can share ideas and get feedback from others working in similar fields. 

FutureLab is open to anyone who has opinions and wants to contribute to the discussion - no official position necessary. 

This 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.  The 30-day countdown has already begun leading up to OWD09; learn how you can join the celebrations!

"I would like to see a mashup that can create a value index that people can use to understand how their identity is negotiated, traded, and assigned across multiple web spaces."

Joaquin Alvarado is a NetSquared Advocate, and the Founding Director of the Institute for Next Generation Internet at San Francisco State University. In this e-interview, he talks about the Institute's work, Web 2.0 and the "digital divide", and the kind of mashup he'd like to see developed for the NetSquared Mashup Challenge.

BB: The Institute for Next Generation Internet provides leadership in the evolution of Next Generation Internet focusing on issues of public policy, industry collaboration, research and development, and community engagement. What project is the Institute working on right now that involves the social web?

JA: INGI is focused on developing semantic web tools for creating persistent user experiences across the network. The amount of data on the web in an overwhelming number of sites and services is marginalizing people. We want people to be the creative core of the network.

BB: One of the Institute's goals is to break down barriers to digital literacy for underserved communities. How do social web tools enforce the "digital divide," and how do they bridge it?

Location

Location

We've been taking a break. Sure, there have been postings. And we've been hustling on the inside to make sure that the wrap ups -- the things that need to immediately follow from the conference -- get done. But we've been taking a break from the late nights and weekends. Billy's been in Belize. Daniel is winging his way to Costa Rica. Mark spent time on the east coast. I haven't tripped off anywhere but I've been catching the late ferry to work and the early ferry home. Gina's pushing the Net Tuesdays and, like me, dreaming of a vacation a little later in the year.

But enough's enough. Time to get back to it. Some of what I'm about to write is news; some isn't. In no particular order, here's what I'm thinking: