Online community management: secrets of the trade
Net Tuesday June 12 2012
Category: Uncategorized
Spring has spring and it’s time for a change.
I left the David Suzuki Foundation (after five years!) on May 10, 2012.
I have taken on a couple of short-term contracts while I decide what’s next. You can now find me consulting for:
- NetSquared, as a community curator supporting the Localproject.
- Rainforest Solutions Project, doing social media for the Take it Taller campaign
- David Suzuki Foundation, helping orient my replacement.
So much for my dreams of summer underemployment!
I joined the NetSquared Global Leadership Council at the 2012 Nonprofit Technology Conference. Good times!
But I was ambushed by Vanessa Rhinesmith, who interviewed me and fellow meetup leader April Kyle.
This is what we are about: We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capability.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.
I went to the Web of Change conference in 2007 and it was a life-changing event (for the good!)
Along with Anna and Gregory, I have schemed up WOCxNTC. If you’re a Web of Change alumni going to the NTC conference this April (or if you call San Francisco home) we’d love to have you join us.
We’ll gossip, have a snack, grab a drink and perhaps wander off afterwards to join one of the Progressive Parties.
In summary: we’ll have some fun!
Please RSVP to confirm your attendance. Seating is limited to 12.
Date: Wednesday, April 4. 7pm.
Location:
Urban Tavern
333 O’Farrell St. San Francisco, CA 94102
Cross Street: Mason St.
(415) 923-4400
Vancouver ChangeCamp 2010, a set by Jenny Lee Silver on Flickr.
Photos from Vancouver ChangeCamp 2010.
Gosh it looks like fun. You should get a ticket to the 2011 event!
I’m a big supporter of the work of OpenMedia.ca. You may know them from their very successful Stop the Meter campaign earlier this year, or the most recent Stop Spying project. They’re part of a film screening this Thursday, and while I’ll be out of town, I encourage you to attend if you’re in Vancouver.
Monthly donors to OpenMedia (like me!) get in free. Hint hint!
-Eli
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Is our Digital Future In Jeopardy?
Check out the Vancouver premiere screening of “Article 12: Waking Up in a Surveillance Society”
As you probably know, the government is about to ram through legislation that will force every phone and Internet provider to surrender our personal information to “authorities” without a warrant. (details of this situation can be found at:http://stopspying.ca/). Join us in watching this new documentary about the state of invasive and expensive digital surveillance and stick around to talk about the pressing Canadian context with a panel of experts.
MORE DETAILS: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=127118750720442
DISCOUNTED ONLINE TICKETS: http://mddarticle12screening.eventbrite.com/
*Entry is FREE for OpenMedia.ca monthly donors. If you haven’t joined yet you can do so here: http://openmedia.ca/sustainer
//Q&A PANEL EXPERTS//
- Micheal VonnBC Civil Liberties Association
- Vincent GogolekExecutive Director, BC Freedom of information and Privacy
- Kate Milberryfounder of Geeks and Global Justice (geeksandglobaljustice.com/)
- Dr. Michael MarkwickSchool of Communication, SFU
*Stop online spying in Canada by signing the petition at http://stopspying.ca/
//SPONSORS + Partners//
- OPENMEDIA.CA
- W2 Community Media Arts Society
- MEDIA Democracy Day Vancouver
- GEN WHY
- rabble.ca
- OpenFile Vancouver
- The Tyee
- JUNCO Films DOXA International Film Fest
The blog’s been dead recently, but I’m not dead yet.
Here’s a quick summary of my work life over the last six months:
The day gig
I’m the Creative Services lead at the David Suzuki Foundation. Shockingly (to me) I’ve been at the Foundation for over 4 years now. Who knew that I’d settle down? I guess I’m not immune to being in my 30s.
Events
I’ve been working as a consultant to Constructive Public Engagement. We’ve done two events:
It’s great to organize events and run around with an army of volunteers again. It makes me nostalgic for my years at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival.
Public speaking
Now that I’m old and wise and have done some stuff I’m being asked to do some public speaking. Some recent gigs include:
- Social Media Marketing Unplugged in Vancouver and Calgary
- guest lecturing for BCIT’s Essentials of Fundraising
I’ll also be leading a workshop on word-of-mouth marketing using social media at the IMPACT! Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership (a mouthful!) in Guelph this September.
Volunteering
I’ve been the organizer of Vancouver’s Net Tuesday for the last two years. Yowza! This monthly meetup connects nonprofits with their allies in technology and marketing.
I’m also exercising my Salesforce and fundraising muscles by volunteering with OpenMedia.ca and recently helped the Vancouver AFP chapter by facilitating a session to help focus their social media strategy.
In summary: fun!
I’ll be on the prairies this weekend. Whoop!
First to Calgary to speak at Social Media Marketing Unplugged on May 7. Then off to Edmonton just in time for Mother’s Day (ain’t I sweet?)
See you soon, prairie crew.
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Fresher than ever.
Crunchy numbers
A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,300 times in 2010. That’s about 3 full 747s.
In 2010, there were 29 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 25 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 2mb. That’s about 2 pictures per month.
The busiest day of the year was April 12th with 147 views. The most popular post that day was Net Tuesday May 4: Event-based fundraising.
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, twitter.com, meetup.com, netsquared.org, and nettuesday.ca.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for facebook causes canada, facebook causes, netsquared, free friends asking friends fundraising platform, and facebook causes in canada.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
1
Net Tuesday May 4: Event-based fundraising April 2010
3 comments
2
Facebook Causes donations no longer accepted in Canada May 2010
2 comments
3
Net Tuesday June: How to turn your party into an EVENT May 2010
4
About April 2010
5
Elijah van der Giessen 