wrythings

Join Us as Community Advocates & Web Innovators

Join us, so Chicago can grow more technology savvy social change organizations that benefit our local communities.

Staff and volunteers of non-profits, web innovators, and any individuals pushing for change are encouraged to attend. Come tell us about your effort, your concerns, and what you need and want from a collective of like-minded individuals and organizations.

“Net Tuesday” meetings are a program of NetSquared whose mission is to spur responsible adoption of social web tools by social benefit organizations.

NetSquared is a project of TechSoup (http://www.techsoup.org) the technology place for nonprofits.

RSVP to Aaron With at The Point, please, so we can be sure to have adequate refreshments for your enjoyment: aaron@thepoint.com or call 312.676.4535.

Public Transportation: 600 W. Chicago is a 4 block walk west from the Chicago stop on the Brown Line. The Chicago Avenue (#66) bus drops you off directly in front of the building at Larabee.

Parking Information: There is some limited free parking 1-2 blocks North on Larabee. Metered parking on Chicago 1-3 blocks East, though this is often taken. Paid parking across the street from our building costs $6 for under 2 hours and $8 for 2-4 hours..

Call Aaron at 312.676.4535, if you need information about getting to The Point.

Our first meeting will be hosted and sponsored by The Point, a new group action network that helps people congregate around the issues they care about and combine forces to make things happen.

Organizers:

Demetrio Maguigad, New Media Manager with Community Media Workshop at Columbia College, manages online new media projects, and also conducts community-based popular education workshops.

Michael Maranda - promoting digital excellence, media & social justice through purposive community.

David Marques is an IT Coordinator with the Southwest Youth Collaborative, a community-based youth services and activist agency.

Justin Massa is executive director of MoveSmart.org, a startup non-profit organization that promotes racial and economic integration through technology.

Jean Russell nurtures nonprofit leaders and weaves networks for social change (nurture.biz).

Aaron With is a Community Organizer for The Point and has a background working with Chicago non-profits.

Date: Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

Time: 6pm-7:30pm

Location: The Point

600 W. Chicago Ave, Suite 830

(entrance is North on Larabee)

Chicago, IL 60610

Co-convene with us.

UPDATE: We have a Meetup group (and a Facebook group)!

Sascha Meinrath has an interesting account of the Voter experience in Maryland. He asks a very important question: since when do databases trump official documents?

Here are two of them:

Jon citing David on simplifying the Net Neutrality cause under the more general framework of Structural Separation.

And I certainly concur: Structural Separation is the way to go. There’s a lot to be learned from the folks that convene around David Isenberg at Freedom-to-Connect. Don’t think I can make it there this year - but I would if I could! (Or I will if I can? We’ll see.)

Billy & Marnie explain the MashUp Challenge concept. Challenge Deadline: March 14, 5 PM - Pacific.

I was following a thread on Handmeon where the idea of a Gift National Product came up. A friend offered an interesting statement:

A Gift National Product would indeed be a more inspiring fiction than the conventional GNP that increases with every broken window and devastated nation.

Joshua Breitbart has been developing and promoting a vision of Digital Expansion. I have had some trepidation with regard to this phrasing since he first shared it with me. I engaged a little on the matter in some of his blog entries on the topic, and I planned to do a longer piece in reaction to the concept. Most of my criticism comes down to whether the name suits what is being described and whether the name advances the cause or what will best serve the cause. But all that is perhaps minor and unnecessary, especially in light of the recent statement by Josh under the title: These are difficult conversations.

This recent presentation of the concept and the vision resonates deeply for me. The Digital Expansion Initiative speaks most strongly when the social justice aspects of Digital Access are made explicit.

The recognition that these issues we regularly broach in public fora lead us quickly to difficult (sensitive) conversations is important. I affirm the timeliness of that recognition. Now is indeed the time for such conversation. Be undaunted.

Lars found this excellent statement by Marvin Minsky (The Society of Mind).

Common sense is not a simple thing. Instead, it is an immense society of hard-earned practical ideas - of multitudes of life-learned rules and exceptions, dispositions and tendencies, balances and checks.