Tag Archives: society

What Creates a Revolution?

“A revolution doesn’t happen when a society adopts new tools, it happens when a society adopts new behaviors.”

–Us Now Movie Trailer Preview

Today, I was skimming through my RSS feeds and one of my favorites had an update: Mike Kujawski’s Public Sector 2.0 blog. Mike gets social marketing (the real kind), and he is also a savvy social media professional. On his site, he posted the Us Gov movie trailer, which I had seen before on Maxine Teller’s blog, but today, the last quote (located above) really stood out to me the most.

It stood out because in it I saw a profound statement being made on behavior change. It may be due to me coming away from my talk with a class of smart Yale students, where their *good* questions focused a lot on the why of social media (measurement, literacy, behavior change, clutter vs. content, society’s relationship to technology, etc.). But, I feel like this quote gest to the heart of the relationship between social media and social marketing, and why the relationship is important.

  1. It’s not about the tools (i.e. being cool or shiny)
  2. Change (i.e. revolution, small or big) is a result of adopting/influencing new behavior (whether it be that of a society, an organization or an individual).

Currently, at an increasing rate, society is experimenting and applying social media tools, both for the good and the bad. Thus, we as practitioners need to be aware of this and how it is affecting one’s behavior. For example, I tease that in 10 years, we will be doing public health campaigns for internet addiction…but how far away is that really? We already have them for TV addiction. Take a quick look here at the Us Now documentary preview, as it’ll provide some more juices to step back and do some introspection and reflection.  

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlqU1o3NmSw

If you find this interesting and what to dig beyond the tools and really get to “what does this all mean?” Then, I also highly recommend visiting the Digital Ethnography blog and getting introduced to Professor Michael Wesch, who was named Professor of the Year for 2008. He and his students have some interesting and compelling videos on what “more than the tools” have to mean and why it’s important to know.

If you want to continue discussion on “what government may/can look like,” then I also recommend following both the Government 2.0 Club and the Government 2.0 Camp conversations (if you can’t physically attend the gathering coming up soon at the end of MArch) on Twitter too.

…because after all, what creates a revolution? and what does a revolution look like?

flickr photo credit: Wesley Fryer

What's Your Anthem?

music

What’s your personal, social marketing, social change, change the world for the better, non-profit motivating, ignite the passion in people, representative of the times, light the fires anthem/song? or artist?

music2

Here is my playlist so far…though I’m terribly behind in the music scene. =)

  • John Lennon – Imagine
  • Bob Dylan – Blowin’ in the Wind
  • Sam Cooke – A Change is Gonna Come
  • What’s Goin’ On – (depending on your generation) Marvin Gaye or Justin Timberlake/Black Eyed Peas
  • Sly & The Family Stone – Everyday People
  • Respect – Aretha Franklin
  • Celine Dion – Call the Man
  • Brandon Heath – I’m Not Who I Was
  • R Kelly – I Believe I Can Fly
  • Finger Eleven – One Thing
  • Shania Twain – She’s Not Just a Pretty Face
  • India Arie’s version of – The Heart of the Matter
  • India Arie – Video
  • India Arie – I am not My Hair
  • Akon – Sorry, Blame it on Me
  • Alicia Keys – Superwoman
  • Michael Jackson – Man in the Mirror
  • Michael Jackson – Heal the World
  • John Mayer – Waiting on the World to Change
  • Tim McGraw – Live Like You Were Dying
  • Five for Fighting – 100 Years

I’m sure I left a ton out, so feel free to post your own in the comments. =)

***Update***

David Archuleta just sang the third verse of John Lennon’s Imagine on American Idol tonight.

Did You Know? 2 Must-See Videos to FLY Together

My dad sent me this great video today. It makes you think. It motivates you, like @garyvee, to get off your butt and get moving. You may think that doing nothing only affects you. Tuning out is a choice. So, that can be your opinion. But, standing, means not helping others to fly.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY

No matter your political leanings, you must admit this quote is poetic. On NPR, a man talked about getting ready to vote for a president for the first time was being asked who he was voting for and why. He recalled this text message he received from a friend:

“Rosa sat, so Martin could walk. Martin walked, so Obama could run. And, Obama is running so our children can fly.”

What if that could be you? What if your actions could empower others to succeed. Think about the power that ripple effect could have. Whether it’s for Obama or McCain, Vote. Act. Do. No matter what, after the election, we will all need to keep moving, if not faster. Let’s get busy, and let’s FLY together. Just ask these guys:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX40RsSLwF4

*Don’t quote me on the stats, as I’m still trying to find this video’s source. But, it is powerful.

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What’s Your Social Media Ritual? Sharing My Own 15-Steps

fireworks

At work, we’ve been talking a lot about the information scans we all do on our own…who we refer to, which sites are the best, the most useful feeds, etc. So, now, out of curiosity and from inspiration gained from Chris Brogan’s recent post: “Where I Learn More,” I’m asking: Where do you go to learn?

Brogan’s article is great, as in it, he talks about the role of influence and asks us to reflect on what influences what we learn, think, behave and believe….so close to a social marketing (the real social marketing) question my buttons were popping with techy-excitement.

Here is my average, daily, social media ritual.

Please share me yours, and perhaps we can both expand our horizons a little. =)

  1. Check my work e-mail account. Its true fellow co-workers.
  2. Check my regular Gmail account. I get various e-newsletters and feeds here such as the Ad Council Creative E-newsletter, emails from the Social Marketing listserv, Chris Brogan’s new e-newsletter and others.
  3. Check my blog email account. I get various e-newsletter and feeds here that help me stay up to date on the social media, nonprofit, and social marketing arena. Some of my favorite includes Nedra Weinreich’s Spare Change Blog, Beth Kanter’s blog/wiki, and Ogilvy PR’s 360 Digital Influence blog.
  4. Check my Bloglines feeds, to see what good posts are up and published.
  5. Check out both the nonprofit and the social media categories on Alltop.com
  6. Do a scan of: TechCrunch, Trendspotting, Read Write Web, Osocio, Non-Profit Times, NextGov, BrazenCareerist, Social Times, and others. This can depend on the day and the topic I’m currently investigating.
  7. Check old Twitter feeds I may have missed. Especially key feeds from @GeoffLiving, @Nedra, @chrisbrogan, @scobleizer, @rww, @abfdc, @allllll the others I follow on Twitter. Really, it’s a community working together and sharing. It. is. awesome.
  8. If it’s a Monday, I check out the Carnival for Non-Profit Consultants.
  9. Check in on Linkedin to see if anyone new I know has joined or connected. The homepage on Linkedin is becoming increasingly fun.
  10. Surf around the NonProfit Blog Exchange if Emily has posted some great new posts.
  11. Then, it’s on to the social bookmarks. I check my delicious, both my networks and my subscriptions. Oftentimes, those I am connected to are in a similar field or have similar interests, so thank you everyone on del.icio.us.
  12. Then, I spend a little time on Digg, and may occasionally check in on StumbleUpon. I’m really liking Mixx more and more too, though, there doesn’t seem to be as many people on it.
  13. I check up on the scoop of my work’s internal wiki.
  14. Check meetup.com for upcoming events and opportunities to take online connecting –> offline.
  15. More scooping that I probably, and I apologize, didn’t list. Though, if I remember more, I will place in the comments. There’s always MORE to learn and MORE resources to discover. =)

Important note to make: This is just the listening phase.

About the listening phase. I might do some or all of this ritual depending on the day and the time. The point is though, that my ritual is…I am always listening. Always checking in. Always asking questions. Always working to seek answers.

The FUN part, is taking it all in, reflecting, and creatively organizing the content and information in your head to implement innovative, effective communications. And, when I really want to *get wild,* I reflect further, beyond the field of communications, social media or marketing…but more to what Chris mentions, about influence. About change. About society. About trends. About what it all means.

Photo Credit: Flickr, Elias Pirasteh


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Host of the Carnival for Change, this Blogger Neighbor asks, “So What Can I Do?”

Many of us are familiar with the Carnival for Non-Profit Consultants, but has everyone taken notice of the Carnival for Change? It’s a current carnival started by this week’s Blogger Neighbor Karama Neal @ the blog, So What Can I do?

In the Carnival for Change, Karama “explore the web for interesting items relating to social justice, health, education, and opportunity.” To submit posts or to see past carnivals, click here. In the meantime, enjoy learning more about another great addition to the neighborhood!

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Blog Name: So What Can I Do? – The public service weblog promoting ethics in action.

Blog Topics: Posts focus on actions readers can take that make a positive difference in our world. My goal is for readers to recognize that we all are able to contribute to a better society, and be inspired to do so. Mahatma Ghandi’s quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” is our mantra.

About the Author: Karama Neal is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and am a proud Southerner. I live with my husband and daughter in the Atlanta area.

If you could live on any street, what would that street be named and why?

I’d live at the corner of Justice Drive and Peace Way.

Who would be your dream real-life neighbor?

Octavia Butler. She’s my favorite writer, as her characters remind me that vastly more is possible than most of us believe.

What first prompted you to blog?

The conversations at my dinner parties always turned to the problems in society. My friends and I could go on for hours about what was wrong with the world, but after a while I wanted to focus more on solutions. I decided to create a forum for collecting, disseminating, and discussing all the ways we can make a positive difference in the world. Blogging is the perfect medium for my idea, and in October 2004, I launched So What Can I Do.

If you customized your own license plate, what would it say and why?

“NO XQS” It’s so easy to find reasons not to do what we know is right or good. I try not to let myself do that. Likewise, I encourage my readers (and myself) to act for a better future rather than rationalize the status quo.

What’s your favorite blog post and why?

Sometimes folks think the only way they can contribute to solving the world’s problems is by donating money. Of course, that is not true, and my favorite posts tend to focus on ways almost everyone can give, regardless of how much money they have. Examples include donating blood, tissues, and related items, using cloth napkins, and gaming for change.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned from blogging?

Because the blogosphere is so accessible, the act of blogging makes one particularly accountable for what one writes. I’ve transferred that idea to my professional life, where I’ve become an advocate for open access publishing. Most academic research is published in expensive, hard-to-find journals. Open access publishing puts research papers on the web, where the public (who often funds research) can read, critique, and use it. It’s like blogging for tenure.

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Past Blogger Neighbors Include:

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This continuous weekly series highlights different blogs and their respective bloggers in the blogosphere neighborhood. Following the great Mr. Rogers, who tells us to ‘Get to know your neighbor,’ this series introduces us to our blogger neighbors, making for a more unified, collaborative voice for the social sector. Like to nominate someone or be featured yourself? Contact me @ socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.


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Web 3.0: In Response to an 'Official'

This is a response-post to a different blog titled, “Web 3.0: An Official Definition.’

“Give me liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely
according to conscience, above all liberties.” -John Milton

This post is not to criticize any points, but to bring up a point for discussion. According to Calacanis.com, the official Web 3.0 definition is as such:

  • Web 3.0 is defined as the creation of high-quality content and services produced by gifted individuals using Web 2.0 technology as an enabling platform.

My concern is with the term ‘gifted individuals.’ Web 2.0 is technology that has given a voice to many individuals, who previously, were left unheard. I think that our forefathers, John Milton and John Stuart Mills would be beaming at the bursting free marketplace of ideas. Indeed, some believe that the web allows us a real chance at really discussing issues and revealing new truths. I wonder what Milton and Mills would think of technology designed to hand that freedom over to select ‘gifted individuals.’ This post is not to argue against the technology. I am all about it. Instead, this post is to ask a question on how that technology will be used, especially when dangerous gray areas lead away from information of many, to the information of the select few.

In the post, the author also states:

“Web 3.0 throttles the “wisdom of the crowds” from turning into the “madness of the mobs” we’ve seen all to often, by balancing it with a respect of experts.’ Web 3.0 is a return to what was great about media and technology before Web 2.0: recognizing talent and expertise, the ownership of ones words, and fairness. It’s time to evolve, shall we?”

I think the author makes some great points, and I understand his general idea. However, I am cautious to say that the new Web 3.0 technology is only for experts and gifted individuals….and will be saving us from any mobs. With this technology, who will decide what is talent, and what is expertise? Where will the power be left? For myself, I welcome the new technology, yet at the same time, I like being able to read the spectrum of opinions and decide for myself where the truth lies.

My view on this other blog’s post was also formed when I saw that he censored the comments towards his post. Though I understand his point of wanting constructive dialogue, I’m glad he could outline his expertise on what a free discussion should entail. =)