Archive for February, 2008

Article on making videos more accessible on blogs

Problogger guest writer Stephen Hopson helps to champion accessibility in making video posts accessible to the deaf community with a step by step guide to adding subtitles to a video post. Check out the insightful article and the interesting reader comments and conversation at Problogger - How to Make Your Video Posts More Accessible.
If interested in making all your media more inclusive to all, there are lots of useful resources and guides on

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Photo Dropper plugin - finds Flickr Creative Commons images within Wordpress

The new handy Photo Dropper plugin for Wordpress could save time when searching for images to brighten up blogs and websites. This plugin finds Creative Commons licensed images from Flickr for use within your blog.

Excerpt from the Photo Dropper website:

“When it comes to finding great quality images, you basically have 3 options: stealing, buying, or using Creative Commons-licensed photos.”
“With the Photo Dropper plugin, you can now search millions of Flickr photos and add them to your Wordpress posts with just 1 click, all without leaving your Wordpress dashboard. Attribution links are automatically added underneath the images to comply with the Creative Commons license rules. It’s the easiest way to add photos to your blog.”

The Photo Dropper blog also links to the great post by Skelliewag, A Complete Guide to Finding and Using Incredible Flickr Images which highlights the importance of checking the Creative Commons license on the original Flickr source page before posting any external images on your site. On Skelliewag’s post it lists all the types of licensing and what it means as an easy reference guide when using photo’s from Flickr on your site.

Back in January, I wrote another Flickr related post Get the Picture, on how nonprofit organisations can use online photosharing for a variety of uses, along with a collection of useful links to other excellent articles and resources.

To find out more about Photo Dropper and download the plugin, visit the site at www.photodropper.com.

I look forward to testing this plugin out.

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40 web based online tools for design

The Design Vitality site has a useful list of 40 helpful free web based tools to help you design anything from logo’s, create and edit webpages, includes collaborative online tools, and image editing and more. See the full list at Design Vitalitys’ 40 excellent web based tools.

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Politics 2.0 co.uk

Over on the NTEN website there is a great round up of how politicians here in the UK are using social media to reach new audiences. Check out the article at NTEN on politics 2.0 co.uk.

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Search engine optimisation for novice nonprofits

Deborah Elizabeth Finn, who blogs at Technology for the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector, has written a great article which I’d highly recommend organisations with websites to take a look at.

Her introduction to the article -

“This article is designed to introduce nonprofit professionals to the basics of search engine optimization, which is also known as SEO. The tactics involved range from the simple to the sophisticated, but no special technical expertise is needed to formulate an SEO strategy.

As a nonprofit professional, you are already an expert in your organization’s mission and programs. Moreover, you probably have already given thought to outreach, marketing, or public awareness for your nonprofit. Now you can bring your expertise and ideas to bear on your organization’s web strategy. This is not rocket science.”

The article is written in an easy to understand, non technical manner. Readers will learn ways which will not only increase those all important rankings but the tips given will also improve their website too.
Read the full article at - Search engine optimization for nervous nonprofit novices!

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Ideas and innovators for social change needed

NetSquared Mashup Challenge

Over on the other side of the pond, NetSquared is inviting you to take part in the Mashup Challenge. If you have an idea which can make a real difference to create social change with your unique mashup, you could also have an opportunity to win cash prizes and attend the NetSquared Conference (N2Y3). Submissions will be accepted until March 14, 2008.
Excerpt taken from the Netsquared Mashup Challenge page -

“This year’s NetSquared Conference will bring together a unique mix of people from the public and private sectors to develop and release Mashups designed to provide deeper insight into the social issues affecting communities around the globe.

Those “people” are you — members of the NetSquared universe working on behalf of communities everywhere and the technical experts who care about these issues.

If we’re successful, we’ll learn something about cross-sector collaboration, meet new and interesting people, and build a unique gallery of Mashups that citizens, schools, and community-based groups everywhere can learn from, replicate, and build upon.”

Submission of your ideas is via a form available on the site, and you can find out more about the challenge and see some great innovative examples too. Check out the Netsquared Mashup Challenge!

…and there’s more - over here in the UK…

Social Innovation Camp

A Social Innovation Camp is planned for April in London.

Excerpt from the Social Innovation Camp Website:

“What happens when you get a bunch of hackers and social innovators together, give them a set of social problems and only 48 hours to solve them? We’re going to find out.
In London between 4th-6th April 2008, Social Innovation Camp will bring together some of the best of the UK and Europe’s web developers
and designers with people at the sharp end of social problems. Our aim is find ways that easy-to-build web 2.0 tools can be used to develop solutions to social challenges.”

You can find out more about the Social Innovation Camp and how to submit your ideas over at www.sicamp.org.

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Join the pack! The Nonprofit Twitterpack

Twitter, my most used and favourite networking tool is finally (but still so slowly!) being used a little more with nonprofit techies here in the UK.
If you’re new to Twitter and want to find some like minded people to follow, Chris Brogan has created ‘Twitter Packs‘ which is a simple list of people who use twitter organised by interests or locations.
There is a Nonprofit Twitter Pack, perfect for finding like

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Women Who Tech - a TeleSummit for Women in Technology

Any woman with a telephone who works in technology at a non-profit, a political campaign or is interested in technology is invited to participate in this free, live event on March 31, 2008 from 11 am to 6.15 pm EST. (We’re five hours behind here in the UK, so equates to to 6 am - 1.15 pm GMT!)

Women Who Tech: A TeleSummit for Women in Technology in the non-profit and political world aims to bring together the most talented and renowned women breaking new ground in technology.
The telesummit aims to create a supportive network for the vibrant and thriving community of women in technology professions by giving them an open platform to share their talents, experiences and insights via virtual workshops and panel discussions. See their website at www.womenwhotech.com for further information on how to participate, join their mailing list or Facebook group, follow on Twitter.

Eight of the twelve panels have now been announced and has a fabulous line up with some of the top women in technology and organisations taking part.

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Social media workshop update

Back in January, I asked readers of this blog, and others on my many other social networks what we should include on the session on social media that myself, David Wilcox and Nick Booth (along with the participation of others too!) could present to Circuit Riders at the forthcoming UK Conference for Circuit Riders being held at the end of February in Birmingham. Do take a look at the previous post which created some thoughtful discussions and conversations. A big thank you to all who participated.

We’re now currently building together our presentation and session activities following on from those discussions. For those interested we’ve begun to set up a mini site to support what we aim to deliver on the day with materials, activities and links for Circuit Riders and other nonprofit technology advisors to be able to take away and use when supporting their local organisations with their needs. You can keep up to date, or contribute over on the new mini site at www.open2media.org.

A new website has been developed and set up to support the work of Circuit Riders here in the UK, and the site will be used during the conference to aggregate feeds from blogs, photo’s, bookmarks and more. See the new site at - www.ukriders.info.

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21 Days of Wiki Adoption

Stuart Mader who supports organisations, and other sectors to network, collaborate and create new communities with wikis is currently running a series of 21 daily posts with videos on wiki adoption. You can see all articles related to this series at www.ikiw.org/21days. There’s lots of useful tips and ideas to help your organisation get the best from working with wikis.

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