tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57358473865379856132024-03-06T01:57:17.090+01:00Communicating for developmentTrends, tricks and tools.Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-82418003346169829152014-12-29T18:46:00.004+01:002022-04-06T13:05:28.728+02:00Online security for activists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div><div>Political and social activists often need to protect their identities and to be able to talk without being overheard. The risks they face, and responses they must take, continue to evolve. News about the increasing use of monitoring and spying by security services is fair warning: dissenters are highly likely to be monitored.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Guardian (UK), which has had many scoops on Edward Snowden and national and international spying, has published an article with "<span face="'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;">21 tips, tricks and shortcuts</span><span face="'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;"> to help you stay anonymous online"</span></div><div><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/06/tips-tricks-anonymous-privacy">http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/06/tips-tricks-anonymous-privacy</a> "<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;">Avoiding being tracked online is nearly impossible, but here are a few ways to reduce the risk".</span></div>
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<div>
For LGBTI activists (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and others), revealing their gender identities can be deemed illegal in many countries. <a href="https://www.securityinabox.org/communities/02" target="_blank">This guide</a> for LGBTI activists in sub-Saharan Africa therefore provides clear warnings about the dangers faced. </div>
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"<b>Digital security tools and Tactics for the LGBTI community in Sub-Saharan Africa</b>" provides a free set of tools and guides which it dubs "<u>Security in a Box</u>". </div>
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While these methods are designed for a specific community, most can be used by activists for other causes and in other locations. </div>
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The areas covered are:</div>
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Part I – Context</div>
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Introduction</div>
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Digital attacks against the African LGBTI community</div>
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How to assess your digital security risk</div>
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Part II – How-to Booklet</div>
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Protect your computer from malware and hackers</div>
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Protect your information from physical threats</div>
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Create and maintain secure passwords</div>
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Protect the sensitive files on your computer</div>
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Recover from information loss</div>
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Remove hidden metadata from files</div>
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Destroy sensitive information</div>
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Keep your Internet communication private</div>
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Remain anonymous and bypass censorship on the internet</div>
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Protect yourself and your data when using social networking sites</div>
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Protect yourself and your data when using LGBTI dating sites</div>
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Use mobile phones as securely as possible</div>
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Use smartphones as securely as possible</div>
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Use Internet Cafés as securely as possible</div>
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Direct link: <a href="https://www.securityinabox.org/communities/02">https://www.securityinabox.org/communities/02</a> <br />
(via 76crimes.com).</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-27692343583278587492014-10-12T13:45:00.001+02:002014-10-16T11:58:45.417+02:00Reporting on Ebola, safely<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-w4TZ2boM2OC6xZvWXQdwO3ixktafZ0jRvwg6nSWbBu8sll7wpZbvUVEydXXPRo7-xWFCw766MgrLHGMZanHsSjP_pzAn7570t7ccNv65mc_RLIU1fQk5QVFGzy9iwdy3T43Mhk7SAU/s1600/ebola+suit.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-w4TZ2boM2OC6xZvWXQdwO3ixktafZ0jRvwg6nSWbBu8sll7wpZbvUVEydXXPRo7-xWFCw766MgrLHGMZanHsSjP_pzAn7570t7ccNv65mc_RLIU1fQk5QVFGzy9iwdy3T43Mhk7SAU/s1600/ebola+suit.tif" height="254" width="320" /></a></div>
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Doctors, nurses, family and friends are taking considerable risks to treat people infected by Ebola. As Professor Peter Piot, the head of the UN's Ebola response, said: "the smallest mistake can be fatal". <br />
Reporting a health crisis is possibly equally dangerous, but very different from reporting on a conflict or war zone. How do reporters and their crews cope?<br />
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A unique BBC report takes us behind the scenes, to look at the precautions that one team is taking to interview professionals and families and attend funerals. Notably, despite the breathing masks, full body suits and rubber gloves, the BBC crew are still not going into the 'Red Zone' where patients with confirmed Ebola infections are present. Sadly, it is often the poorly-equipped local staff, with limited training and poor compensation, who are doing the riskiest work in this crisis.<br />
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See the story and video here: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/health-29581414">http://www.bbc.com/news/health-29581414</a><br />
For a grim read about the realities of an Ebola clinic, read this report in the New York Times: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/world/africa/ebola-spreading-in-west-africa.html?_r=1" target="_blank">A Hospital From Hell, in a City Swamped by Ebola </a><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-13456323065531727872014-09-06T01:29:00.001+02:002014-09-06T01:32:36.086+02:00Ebola shows how (not) to communicate in a health crisis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4860242/484356075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4860242/484356075.jpg" height="219" width="320" /></a></div>
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IFRC - the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - has spoken plainly about communication problems during the Ebola outbreak in Eastern Africa.<br />
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Ebola is scary because there is currently no proven cure. This has led to panic and strict controls, including border closures. That has limited the options for agencies, like IFRC, that are trying to help solve the crisis and treat the victims.<br />
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Though this story is full of development sector jargon, the message is clear: get people involved at all levels and don't just issue commands, but also listen and get local people involved.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><i>"<span style="font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.480520248413086px;">the communication approach in these circumstances should be “less top-down and less giving orders,” and not just limited to the agencies and their volunteers on the ground. It should be a multi-stakeholder effort, involving the corporate sector, the media and community leaders, with the government in a lead role. </span></i></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19.480520248413086px;"><i>[Everyone] has a role to play here.</i></span></span><i style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.480520248413086px;">"</span></i><br />
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Read more on <a href="https://www.devex.com/news/the-problem-with-ebola-communication-84283?utm_source=twengagement&utm_medium=twtweet&utm_campaign=twdailypost" target="_blank">Devex.com</a><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-83342605453090468572014-04-30T13:03:00.001+02:002022-04-06T13:06:30.683+02:0040 ways to improve your social media posts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A simple but powerful list. What are your secret tips?</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Write with a consistent, natural and conversational tone of voice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Focus on your readers. Understand their interests, needs, desires and motivations. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Focus on timely topics but add your own voice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Add value to a post by encouraging discussion, asking a genuine question (advice or opinion).</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A post should be clear and easily understood.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Avoid simply promoting your own company or work. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Twitter </b>(follow me: <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_McQuade" target="_blank">@Scott_McQuade</a>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">7.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Post 4-10 times a day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">8.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Avoid repeating a tweet more than once a day. Don’t automate the same tweet.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">9.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Include 1-3 relevant hashtags in tweets to help people who search by key words.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">10.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Include links, to get 86% more engagement.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">11.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Use images for twice the engagement rate.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">12.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Shorter tweets get read and re-tweeted more (under 100 characters).</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">13.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Use no more than 130 characters, so people can retweet and add hashtags etc.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">14.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Live tweeting of events helps people follow along: nominate a clear, simple hashtag. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">15.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Post during working hours for 30% more engagement.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">16.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ask for re-tweets of important posts: it drives 12x more re-tweets. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Facebook </b>(like my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scott-McQuade/633556646730800" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>) </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">17.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Consistent quality matters more than quantity. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">18.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>No more than 4 posts a day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Short messages work best. Long messages are okay if they’re compelling. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">20.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Timing matters, but your audience is international. Spread posts throughout the day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">21.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t forget weekends! Readers are more engaged when they have more time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">22.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Photos attract readers, responses and re-shares. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">23.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Emoticons receive a 59% higher engagement rate, but use sparingly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">24.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Explicitly ask readers to like/comment: it drives higher engagement.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Google+ </b>(put me in your <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ScottMcQuade1/" target="_blank">Google+</a> circle)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">25.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Include an image to grab attention.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">26.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Include links or post web articles (web links usually include images).</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">27.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Pose a comment or question to encourage discussion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">28.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Monitor discussions and return to the post to interact with readers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">29.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hashtags are automated, but make sure they are appropriate and delete if needed. Include 1-3 hashtags at the end of your post, but only if needed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">30.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Keep it short: 1-3 paragraphs. Only a few lines are immediately visible, so get to the point.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">31.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Share with specific circles as well as making posts public. Include usernames in the post or comments to draw their attention or give thanks, but do it sparingly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>LinkedIn </b>(if I know you, let's <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmcquade/" target="_blank">get LinkedIn</a>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">32.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Only share high quality content. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">33.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Share new, informative material. Readers are happy to learn. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">34.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Be a thought-leader by only talking about your area of expertise. Join relevant communities.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">35.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Only discuss professionally relevant topics. LinkedIn is not a general discussion forum.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">36.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Start conversations with a thought-provoking statement or question. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">37.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Avoid simply promoting a corporate initiative or service or posting a news story. Instead, put it in context, pose a question and invite comments.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">38.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Prepare to engage with discussants: don’t post and run. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">39.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t simply post a link to a website. Put the content on LinkedIn for better engagement.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">40. Share your expertise: add your own tips below!</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of these commonsense principles also apply at <a href="http://scott-mcquade.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/scooterjpde/" target="_blank">YouTube</a> and other social media sites.</span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-45119925374908315252014-03-27T08:58:00.000+01:002014-03-27T09:08:58.920+01:00Plan well for maps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5xcvyxXFepRJkzrnURVl6aHkqzzuL4_O1xN8waZiz9LsAEfCooSMm5GG0W1blhcGhK9Ys0_xzH1QFGrvsFR-drdI0Gfb_jMVTXLBwFOND5aCba-V5b2oYvUnYpMTjWMyurUKLV7c47w/s1600/violence.map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5xcvyxXFepRJkzrnURVl6aHkqzzuL4_O1xN8waZiz9LsAEfCooSMm5GG0W1blhcGhK9Ys0_xzH1QFGrvsFR-drdI0Gfb_jMVTXLBwFOND5aCba-V5b2oYvUnYpMTjWMyurUKLV7c47w/s1600/violence.map.JPG" height="320" width="311" /></a></div>
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Maps are a great way to illustrate an issue, yet they can be fraught with challenges.<br />
Many advocacy and information campaigns use maps to get collaborators involved - reporting on stockouts of medicines, or incidents of violence, for example. Maps are very helpful for outbreaks of disease, or in cases of disaster. Animated maps might help you explore geo-specific trends.<br />
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But there are some key questions to consider before you start - like getting access to an accurate map and how much it will cost. There are plenty of disputed borders in the world and tracking those takes time and money, so map owners typically want to be paid. Free maps might carry branding or other limitations, though there are a bunch of useful free options available.<br />
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Once you have a map, you need to consider how to get reliable data and how you will keep the map going. Fundamentally, how does the map fit into your communication? <br />
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In a <a href="http://www.fabriders.net/mapping-violence/?utm_content=buffer0826a&utm_medium=social" target="_blank">blog</a> about mapping violence against women, advocacy specialist Dirk Slater of Fabriders explores options including the mapping tools Ushahidi and Crowdmap. Dirk also discusses some key issues that you should consider before spending time and money on your project:<br />
<ul>
<li>How can mapping support your campaigns and missions - how will you use it, how will it be maintained?</li>
<li>Take security very seriously: consider how to get quality data but avoid identifying people where information is sensitive. This inclues verifying the people who provide information.</li>
<li>Consider the cultural relevance of maps: do your audiences use maps, and how do they read them? Do they expect street map view, or satellite view? Topographical or political?</li>
<li>Consider how the map will be used. Will it show off your data to good effect? Will it influence people? How does the map connect with your strategy? </li>
</ul>
Dirk also provides links to some further resources: questions to ask yourself before deploying Ushahidi, cleaning data, how to use icons, and how to verify users.<br />
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See: <a href="http://www.fabriders.net/mapping-violence/?utm_content=buffer0826a&utm_medium=social" target="_blank">What I’ve learned about mapping violence</a><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-85984674934258302792014-03-26T09:15:00.001+01:002014-03-26T09:20:20.683+01:00How to write a good advertisement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VNJW5CYBL._SY344_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VNJW5CYBL._SY344_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many people hate advertising because it is irrelevant, shrill or poorly thought-through. Writing ads that attract, inform and motivate our audiences is an important skill, but it is nothing new. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The TV series "Mad Men" celebrates the heady days of advertising in the 1960s, but modern advertising came of age much earlier. Vance Packard's book, "The Hidden Persuaders" (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hidden-Persuaders-Vance-Packard/dp/097884310X" target="_blank">Amazon</a>) explored how advertisers tap into human motivations and weaknesses. It was first published in 1957.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even earlier, in 1942, Victor O. Schwab wrote the seminal work "How to write a good advertisement" (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Write-Good-Advertisement-Victor-Schwab/dp/0879803975" target="_blank">Amazon</a>). Republished many times, the work is a classic of logic and commonsense. Fundamental lessons include focusing on the benefits to the buyer, not on the strengths of the company or even the features of the product or service.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Schwab was a very creative writer, as illustrated by this poem his book:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
I see that you’ve spent quite a big wad of dough</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To tell me the things you think I should know.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How your plant is so big, so fine, and so strong;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And your founder had whiskers so handsomely long.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So he started the business in old ’92!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How tremendously interesting that is… to you.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He built up the thing with the blood of his life?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(I’ll run home like mad, tell that to my wife!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Your machinery’s modern and oh so complete;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Your “rep” is so flawless; your workers so neat.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Your motto is “Quality”… capital “Q” –</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
No wonder I’m tired of “Your” and of “You”!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So tell me quick and tell me true</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Or else, my love, to hell with you!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Less – “how this product came to be”;</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>More – what the damn thing does for me!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Will it save me money or time or work;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Or hike up my pay with a welcome jerk?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What drudgery, worry, or loss will it cut?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Can it yank me out of a personal rut?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Perhaps it can make my appearance so swell</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
That my telephone calls will wear out the bell;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And thus it might win me a lot of fine friends –</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(And one never knows where such a thing ends!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
I wonder how much it could do for my health?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Could it show me a way to acquire some wealth –</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Better things for myself, for the kids and the wife,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Or how to quit work somewhat early in life?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
So tell me quick and tell me true</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Or else, my love, to hell with you!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Less – “how this product came to be”;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
More – what the damn thing does for me!</div>
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<span lang="EN-IE" style="font-family: inherit;">Too much to read? Here's Jeff Waite reading out the passage:</span></div>
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Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-92060433735573515852014-03-18T15:33:00.000+01:002014-03-18T15:40:52.215+01:00Books for development - Conference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhjdGZXwkWECj1eEhSUgslDT3TTbvadGvizeiA8g7Xn6170dPtkDZwOiK_p2rLmHl4_KdLNiq5gEih7SmZ4EubW47zdsVLavK4HY5K3FJKNkSrDApmvY4wZZSK61CHSBM0PORwcQU8uxL27H-pKOUCcn-5hgFkN3KxEAVdYxtGZ6sehWXVZ=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="size-full wp-image-325 alignnone" src="http://www.books4development.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/group.jpg" height="191" style="background-color: #e2e2e2; padding: 5px;" width="417" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 0px;">WHEN: June 2nd - 4th 2014</span></span>
<span style="line-height: 30px;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 30px;">WHERE: Jack Morton Auditorium, George Washington University, </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 30px;">805 21st Street, N.W., Washington, D. C. 20052</span></span>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.books4development.org/" target="_blank">Books for Development Conference</a> is an international forum for all those interested in the role of books, both print and e-formats, in promoting economic and social development.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The conference will address intertwined challenges of publishing for underserved populations: content delivery and business models.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It will bring together leaders in publishing, technology, distribution, library science and economics to answer questions such as:</span>
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<ul style="border: 0px; line-height: 18px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can we develop sustainable business models for publishers, booksellers and distributors serving the developing world?</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can we exploit the cost advantages of production and distribution of e-publications in geographic areas with limited electronic infrastructure?</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is the current role of government policy and regulation in promoting or inhibiting availability of books?</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can advances in technology and funding enhance the value of library services for underserved populations?</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can we support indigenous publishers?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Learn more and register at the official website: </span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.books4development.org/">http://www.books4development.org/</a></span></span><br />
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Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-34387611572457634542014-02-19T17:12:00.006+01:002014-02-19T17:17:48.096+01:00Inspire people with your stories<iframe width="540" height="330" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-YTQ7oQlo7g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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UNDP Administrator Helen Clark is the <a href="http://twiplomacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/How_Heads_tweet.png" target="_blank">most active head</a> of an international organization on Twitter, according to Twiplomacy. Here, she sums up her commitment to social media, telling stories about international development and sharing tales of success.<br />
"Development is about about stories. it is about stories of achievement, of progress, of people's lives being better than they were," she says. "People want to hear about this. They don't want to hear about all the failures, they want to hear about what difference are you making.<br />
Development is about a lot more than the money you invest in it. It is about inspiring people to take action themselves."<div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-55041506560078306912014-02-12T18:40:00.003+01:002014-02-12T18:42:26.763+01:00More women needed in the news media<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A passionate call for greater representation, and protection, for women in the news media around the world, from Christiane Amanpour, CNN correspondent and presenter. Hopefully this will encourage more women to follow in her footsteps and others to hire, train and promote qualified women in equal numbers to men so that we get balanced news and media in future.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-78005490515260833942014-02-11T08:53:00.001+01:002014-02-12T18:41:38.655+01:00Youtube video: quantity or quality?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many communicators are turning to video to make their work more engaging. Audiences are certainly lapping it up, via PCs and mobile devices. But what makes for a good video?<br />
In this video, science blogger Derek Muller reflects on the pros and cons - some of the them specific to YouTube - of producing lots of videos or investing time, effort and money in producing higher quality but fewer videos.<br />
Muller has opted for quality, and it shows. It is the reason this video appears here, and it helps to explain Muller's success, even when he strays from his core science topics...<br />
For more like this, see Muller's YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/2veritasium" target="_blank">Veritasium</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-26132794924455035242013-11-04T16:55:00.003+01:002013-11-04T16:56:44.049+01:00How to be an investigative journalist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://journalismcentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/investigative-reporting-magnifying-glass-300x225.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://journalismcentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/investigative-reporting-magnifying-glass-300x225.png" /></a></div>
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How can a journalist get attention these days? Bloggers and the general public are swamping the breaking news cycle with tweets and photos from their mobile phones; companies are developing their own media content; and public relations practitioners outnumber reporters. It can be hard for a news reporter to get their head above the hype.<br />
For the lucky few with the time, money and requisite skills, investigative journalism promises not only headlines but also infamy. But even if you have the time and inclination, how can you become an investigative journalist? UK newspaper <i>The </i>Guardian has put together a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/introduction-to-investigative-journalism-paul-lewis-journalism-course?INTCMP=mic_231372" target="_blank">masterclass seminar</a> with award-winning writers and professional snoops. They will explain how to find information and outfox the powers that want it hidden. This event occurs on November 30 in London and will cost £139, or £109 if you book early.<br />
<br />
<i>The</i> Guardian hosts a series of other learning opportunities through the year. If you cannot make the introduction to investigative journalism, how about the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/digital-journalism-bootcamp-journalism-course?INTCMP=mic_949" target="_blank">digital journalism bootcamp</a>? This costs a bit more, at £299, but is being held after work over four weeks in November (5, 12, 19 and 26 Nov.).<br />
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You can keep in touch with forthcoming learning opportunities by email, or follow <a href="https://twitter.com/guardianclasses" target="_blank">@guardianclasses</a> on Twitter.<br />
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The image above is from the <a href="http://journalismcentre.co.uk/courses/" target="_blank">London Journalism Centre</a>, which offers a number of courses including politics, fashion and travel writing, among others.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-18754002742928450522013-10-27T15:42:00.000+01:002013-10-31T08:35:57.129+01:008 things every journalist should learn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.theatlantic.com/newsroom/img/posts/reporterfedora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://cdn.theatlantic.com/newsroom/img/posts/reporterfedora.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
There are so many different types of journalists that defining the curricula for journalism students can be a hot topic. Journalism includes small-town, all-purpose reporters; multi-purpose, multi-media workers; interactive data journalists and researchers; and specialists in many subjects.<br />
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Olga Khazan, writing in <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/what-should-reporters-learn-in-journalism-school/280855/">The Atlantic</a>, proposes several common-sense core topics that should be in the toolbox of any journalist. Here are the headlines, with some thoughts of my own<br />
<ol>
<li>Statistics</li>
<li>Data</li>
<li>Experiments and sampling (i.e. how to interpret studies)</li>
<li>Marketing (not only pitching stories and understanding public interest and e.g. viral media, but also handling pushy PR people and separating story angles from spin)</li>
<li>Civic issues (human and civil rights and media law should also be part of this)</li>
<li>Online writing (add broadcasting, video, audio and photography) </li>
<li>The internet - how it works and why (include privacy and research techniques)</li>
<li>Plus: how about some basics, like story construction (5Ws+H, story pyramid, human interest), note-taking, writing techniques, hygiene (spelling, grammar, house style) and maybe even basic computer skills (keyboard, software etc.); plus some broader issues such as how to build rapport with readers, an understanding of human rights and journalistic rights, and a sense of ethics and obligation to match with your potential impact as an authority figure, commentator, critic and - perhaps - advocate (for a recent debate on the difference and merits of each, read <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/oct/29/new-york-times-newspapers?CMP=ema_546&et_cid=54317&et_rid=mcquades@unaids.org&Linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.theguardian.com%2fmedia%2fgreenslade%2f2013%2foct%2f29%2fnew-york-times-newspapers" target="_blank">this</a> piece in The Guardian).</li>
</ol>
What do you think should be in every journalist's toolkit?<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-54156993077534454102013-06-07T12:23:00.000+02:002013-06-11T08:58:04.731+02:00Advocating with mobile apps<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/64057690?color=ff9933" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe>
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Apps are highly popular with users of mobile phones and tablets, especially when they are free, entertaining and informative. Many companies and non-profit institutions attempt to tap into this. Few capture the popular imagination by developing something that is both fun and meaningful.<br />
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Environmental advocacy group WWF has struck on a clever formula of charging a small sum for a game that has clear entertainment value, while informing users and raising funds for the cause that it is talking about.<br />
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As a measure of success, 500,000 people have already downloaded <a href="http://bit.ly/10VdFuZ" target="_blank">Rhino Raid</a>. The game puts players in the shoes of an angry black rhinoceros in southern Africa, chasing poachers and avoiding traps. Proceeds from the $1.99 game support WWF rhino projects and the game also educates players about illegal poaching and the myths surrounding the use of rhino horn.<br />
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The app is available on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wwf-rhino-raid/id603031304?ls=1&mt=8" target="_blank">Apple</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=za.co.flintsky.rhinoraid&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsInphLmNvLmZsaW50c2t5LnJoaW5vcmFpZCJd" target="_blank">Android</a>.<br />
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<b>WEB-BASED</b><br />
Taking a very different approach to a very different issue, UN Women, UNICEF and UN-Habitat have launched a <a href="http://216.119.149.140:8080/swomen" target="_blank">website</a> that also works as a smartphone app. This is designed to provide information on support services for women and girls who are survivors of violence in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.<br />
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The needs, benefits and inspiration behind the service are described on the <a href="http://www.unwomen.org/2013/06/in-rio-de-janeiros-favelas-a-new-online-tool-tackles-violence-against-women-and-girls/" target="_blank">UN Women website</a>.<br />
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Creating a website in a mobile-friendly format helps to make the information as widely available as possible with minimal complications. The women and girls using the site are highly likely to be stressed and impatient. They could be using one of hundreds of different models of phones or accessing the site from a computer or other device. There is no need to visit an app store to download anything, which makes it faster and less of a burden on users who might have limited data allowances or minimal storage space available on their device. It also helps the developers by overcoming the guessing game of which mobile devices or operating systems to cater to: Apple, Android, Blackberry, Windows or even Firefox.<br />
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These recent examples provide a good indication of the diverse options for making information available on mobile devices.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-27152843569041312692013-04-22T13:42:00.001+02:002013-05-30T19:16:59.766+02:00Learn more, spend less<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U6FvJ6jMGHU?feature=player_detailpage" width="600"></iframe>
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Free online education is a tempting offer, especially when it can earn you real credit towards a university degree. For anybody motivated and curious - with time available - there are now many options for free courses from top universities. Some attract thousands of students and cover a wide spectrum of subjects.<br />
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Students enrol in these courses from all parts of the world. The fact that they can easily share their experiences and thoughts online, adds depth and enriches these courses in a way I have not seen before. It has been a long time since I studied on campus and many years since I studied for my masters degree by distance learning, using printed books and study notes delivered by post. These Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, are a very different experience, with tools and features that make great use of modern web browsers, video, digital publications and discussion forums.<br />
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But be warned: these courses demand as much effort as a regular campus course. Anyone studying online also needs an extra helping of motivation and they need to be sure they have the time available to study, think, research and write. Watching videos and clicking a quiz sounds easy, but composing a quality essay and scoring the work of your peers can take many hours.<br />
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They are also not for everyone. Some students struggle with the language requirements (many courses are in English) and some complain about having limited internet access - not surprising, when students enrol from the remotest parts of Africa. Others express concerns about the focus of the courses (many of them are provided by universities in the USA, and the data and examples used can betray a lack of global focus).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RD1rB6Rxzn76MQkSNJuoiMybyn3rPZvCcVKkARAKwnGhaYwehhcysccIl_vITLOV25zjldHwPPnXh0UxCPkJxmF71fctohGSJy0ox5iyu2muDlsGpZsdvaMSM2VLgIEZjakt6xLmjkk/s1600/Coursera.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RD1rB6Rxzn76MQkSNJuoiMybyn3rPZvCcVKkARAKwnGhaYwehhcysccIl_vITLOV25zjldHwPPnXh0UxCPkJxmF71fctohGSJy0ox5iyu2muDlsGpZsdvaMSM2VLgIEZjakt6xLmjkk/s320/Coursera.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Yet, if you have the energy and determination, these courses might be just what you need to keep your mind ticking over, follow your passion or develop your knowledge for a career move.<br />
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I recently completed a course on public health provided by the University of California, Irvine through the online platform Coursera.com. Among my fellow students was Larry Gordon, a journalist who recorded his experiences in <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/columnone/la-me-online-class-20130419-dto,0,6145509.htmlstory" target="_blank">this LA Times article</a>. As many as 15,000 people enrolled in the course initially - it takes only a click - but fewer than 2000 got a passing grade, with many dropping out on the way. But that is no cause for shame: there was no penalty for failure and everyone is welcome to repeat the course... perhaps when they have more time available.<br />
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Coursera has already come a long way since the TED video above by the co-founder Daphne Koller in August 2012. For many of the reasons she lays out, online education has a lot of potential but also a long way yet to go. </div>
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<b>Take a course today!</b></div>
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These platforms offer many options:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Coursera: <a href="https://www.coursera.org/courses">https://www.coursera.org/courses</a>
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EdX: <a href="https://www.edx.org/courses">https://www.edx.org/courses</a><span style="color: #1f497d;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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UK Futurelearn: <span style="color: #1f497d;"><a href="http://futurelearn.com/">http://futurelearn.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Udacity: <a href="https://www.udacity.com/">https://www.udacity.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Khan Academy: <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/">https://www.khanacademy.org/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Stanford Class2go: <a href="http://class.stanford.edu/">http://class.stanford.edu/</a><span style="color: #1f497d;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Standford venture lab: <span style="color: #1f497d;"><a href="http://venture-lab.org/">http://venture-lab.org/</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
MIT OpenCourseware <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm">http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm</a><br />
Open University OpenLearn <a href="http://www.open.edu/openlearn/">http://www.open.edu/openlearn/</a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-82306342669579686302013-03-15T23:41:00.001+01:002013-03-16T11:29:17.145+01:00Apply soon for UN journalism fellowships<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hd.se/familj/slaktforskning/wp-content/uploads/2005/05/Dag-Hammarskj%C3%B6ld-FN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://hd.se/familj/slaktforskning/wp-content/uploads/2005/05/Dag-Hammarskj%C3%B6ld-FN.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The Dag Hammarskjöld Fund for Journalists is inviting applications for fellowships in 2013, from professional journalists in developing countries. The successful fellows get to join the reporters covering United Nations affairs. They will be flown to New York to report on the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September. This will include the High Level Meeting on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, which should be a particular interest to audiences back home.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Applicants should be quick: <b>the deadline is April 5</b>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Rread more here: </span><a class="ot-anchor" href="http://bit.ly/ADuXHZ" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3366cc; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: initial;">http://bit.ly/ADuXHZ</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-31008958155142479362013-02-26T10:17:00.001+01:002014-02-03T10:48:07.395+01:00Simple data journalism tools<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5uF0q6g6mz1xErRdxgZ4AoZtXjpgt6lEhwIljcbazvnb4E4RIoJsYK8oxP2j3_wd3f4Vu93luYgCqmfV0JS3liqt1Y9kH_JBte68mdfHmgpt1sNI13ELBUTDUR3qkjR5Dg6CaOFicIA/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5uF0q6g6mz1xErRdxgZ4AoZtXjpgt6lEhwIljcbazvnb4E4RIoJsYK8oxP2j3_wd3f4Vu93luYgCqmfV0JS3liqt1Y9kH_JBte68mdfHmgpt1sNI13ELBUTDUR3qkjR5Dg6CaOFicIA/s1600/Capture.JPG" height="115" width="200" /></a></div>
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The Guardian's Datablog continues to serve as a beacon to data-focused journalists and others trying to use numbers to help tell stories.<br />
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This interview by O'Reilly's Strata blog includes reference to several of the key tools that the Datablog uses; some of them disarmingly simple: <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #237cc0; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">Excel</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2523" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #237cc0; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">TextEdit</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://www.google.com/fusiontables/Home?pli=1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #237cc0; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">Google Fusion Tables</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://www.google.com/google-d-s/spreadsheets/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #237cc0; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">Google Spreadsheets</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">,</span><a href="http://timetric.com/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #237cc0; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">Timetric</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://www-958.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #237cc0; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">Many Eyes</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #237cc0; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">Adobe Illustrator</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, and </span><a href="http://www.tableausoftware.com/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #237cc0; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">Tableau</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">.</span><br />
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<a href="http://strata.oreilly.com/2011/09/data-journalism-process-guardian.html">Link</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-5337008667711719932012-07-25T14:16:00.004+02:002014-02-03T10:50:45.272+01:00Training for rock stars<br />
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<a href="http://acdc.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/logo1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://acdc.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/logo1.png" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Want to be trained by ACDC?</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">No, not the Australian rock band, but the African Centre for Development Communication.</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">ACDC provides a range of <a href="http://acdc.co.ke/services/strategic-communications-the-executives-and-managers-program.html">communications training courses</a> for </span><span style="background-color: white;">non-profit executive managers of communication functions and others. The aim is to hone managerial and communication skills and learn new strategies for using communications more effectively. Networking with local and international Communicators is a bonus. "Participants not only become stronger strategic communicators, they also learn to build the capacity of their organizations to use communications to reach their social change goals."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Course participants and trainers explore communications building blocks including planning and tactics, evaluation and fundraising. Of course social media is covered, as well as evergreen topics such as presentation delivery, media interviews and storytelling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">ACDC recommends the course for c</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">ommunication and PR managers and others responsible for strategic communication in non-profit organizations including governments, civil society organizations,training and research institutions, faith-based organizations and donor organizations. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">Courses are held in Nairobi, Kenya. Learn more here: </span><span style="line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://goo.gl/yyQPBo">http://goo.gl/yyQPBo</a></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-10261570078319130612012-06-04T17:25:00.000+02:002012-06-08T14:49:29.965+02:00Social media research<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://en.rian.ru/images/16279/23/162792383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://en.rian.ru/images/16279/23/162792383.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Update 30 May 2012: Internet Trends published by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers for the D10 Conference. Slides by Mary Meeker <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/kpcb-internet-trends-2012">here</a>. Scribd document <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/95259089/KPCB-Internet-Trends-2012">here</a>. Notable: continued rapid growth in users, with mobile internet set to grow strongly. Largest user populations are China, USA and India, but USA is now mature, ranking only 8th in terms of growth behind late-comers such as Indonesia, Philippines, Nigeria and Mexico.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The internet: the 'quiet engine' of Africa.</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U233f0Cr278" width="420"></iframe>
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<u style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Previously</u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Facebook and Twitter are only part of the puzzle, and their penetration is much lower outside the USA and Western Europe. If you want to understand the social media environment, you need to consider the role of </span><a href="http://orkut.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Orkut</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"> in India and Brazil, </span><a href="http://vk.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">vKontakt</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"> in Russia, and </span><a href="http://qzone.qq.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Qzone</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">, </span><a href="http://www.renren.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Renren</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"> and </span><a href="http://www.weibo.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Weibo</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"> in China. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><br />Don't forget the newcomers such as Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Reddit, Imgur, etc. etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />To learn about social media trends around the world, the following research is a good place to start. Other research is available online but is locked behind paywalls.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some highlights:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">65% of online adults use social networking sites (August 2011). Social media users are getting older, as usage widens, says a </span><a href="http://goo.gl/un3it" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pew Internet survey</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Almost all US companies will be increasing their investments in social media in 2012, according to a </span><a href="http://goo.gl/IUHDQ" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">study</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> by consultancy Booz & Company and Buddy Media. Advertising, public relations and customer services would mostly benefit as will market research and recruitment. </span></li>
</ul>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Worldwide trends </b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- research papers (PDFs):</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twitter use in Africa (Q4 2011): </span><a href="http://goo.gl/fHlv3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/fHlv3</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Social media in Latin America (Q1 2011): </span><a href="http://goo.gl/dOaHT" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/dOaHT</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emerging Media, Emerging Economies, Emerging Democracies (Q3 2011): </span><a href="http://goo.gl/d960k" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/d960k</a></li>
<li><a href="http://goo.gl/5ucah" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/5ucah</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2010–2011: Enabling Tomorrow’s Digital World (ITU. Q1 2011): </span><a href="http://goo.gl/lA73G" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/lA73G</a><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Summary: </span><a href="http://goo.gl/YqH8d" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/YqH8d</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Building Engagement in Online Communities BRIC by </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BRIC (2011): </span><a href="http://goo.gl/A84l1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/A84l1</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Global Social Media Check-up, Burson-Marsteller (Q1 2010): </span><a href="http://goo.gl/E9sGq" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/E9sGq</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overview of ICT & Digital Content in 20 Countries (Q2 2009): </span><a href="http://goo.gl/wx48Y" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/wx48Y</a></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Usage patterns</b></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trends in Social Media: Persistence and Decay. HP Social Computing Lab (2011?). Undated empirical study finds that if a topic resonates with Twitter users it is more likely to become a trending topic. The level of user activity and the number of followers is not so relevant. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New tools displace blogging in fast-growing US companies. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 2011 Inc. 500 Social Media Update </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">finds blogging,
message boards, video blogging, podcasting and MySpace are declining for the first time since 2007 in favour of new platforms and tools including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, texting, downloadable mobile apps and Foursquare: </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/M3I98">http://goo.gl/M3I98</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. Social Media Examiner. Single survey shows growth overall, marketers keen for returns on investment, and growth in video content, Google+: <a href="http://goo.gl/OjYNc">http://goo.gl/OjYNc</a></span>
</li>
</ul>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/39233320?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br />Websites of interest</b>:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SearchEngineWatch - Trends in 2012:<br /><a href="http://goo.gl/6oIRu">http://goo.gl/6oIRu</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">European Travel Commission - New media trend watch: </span><a href="http://goo.gl/ZszZj" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/ZszZj</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wikipedia list of social networking sites:</span><a href="http://goo.gl/5OZaF" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/5OZaF</a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><b>US accountants not counting the benefits</b><br />Accounting professionals are accustomed to measurable results, which might be why - in the absence of strong measures of the return on investment - a late 2011 <a href="http://bizdevresults.net/2012/03/7-alarming-social-media-trends/">survey</a> found a lack of commitment to social media.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-70541341310150152022012-05-14T13:08:00.002+02:002012-05-14T13:12:32.406+02:00Africans launch digital news contest<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtbex1C-1ecSmgYzFHf1KCBvjdbzYnexy_FcdXPubN5oa8fMQ1r4SY4P9yWdySmzwepgsrAAFnDNol1XGxP3wkCPSfa00sOQitFogSFNAJUk-Yfy0YwxTcnf8c6haugC-vGhXdm5qm2U/s1600/newsmachine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtbex1C-1ecSmgYzFHf1KCBvjdbzYnexy_FcdXPubN5oa8fMQ1r4SY4P9yWdySmzwepgsrAAFnDNol1XGxP3wkCPSfa00sOQitFogSFNAJUk-Yfy0YwxTcnf8c6haugC-vGhXdm5qm2U/s400/newsmachine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The first <a href="http://africannewschallenge.org/">competition</a> for digital news innovation in Africa
has just been launched and closes in July. Winners will be announced on 10 November 2012.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Winners get cash prizes of up to $100,000 plus business,
technical and marketing support. Finalists will be invited to a camp in Tanzania
in August for workshops with mentors and industry experts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Proposals can be submitted by news pioneers anywhere in the
world, though they must have an African media partner to help develop and test
the innovation. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This innovation challenge focuses on journalism and the news
media. The organizers are looking for disruptive digital ideas for improving
the way that news is collected and disseminated. This includes tools or
strategies that use the Internet, mobile platforms, data driven journalism,
computer assisted reporting, digitally augmented reality, or other electronic
means to improve the relevance and impact of news media. </div>
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Winning ideas should
be focused on providing pragmatic solutions to real challenges facing African
media. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Innovations are being sought in four broad categories: news
gathering; story telling; audience engagement; or the business of news. Within
these categories, the judges will look for ideas with the following goals: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<ol>
<li>Strengthen existing media platforms, or harness new
digital platforms for engaging audiences and transmitting news other
journalistic content.</li>
<li>Improve the way news reaches audiences, from traditional
circulation / airtime management to newer disruptive ‘cross platform’ channels.</li>
<li>Amplify the relevance and usefulness of news by improving
the immediacy, depth and accuracy of journalistic content.</li>
<li>Enhance the impact and ‘shelf life’ of news by extending
its influence and intrinsic value for both audiences and content services.</li>
<li>Deepen media’s understanding of its audiences and markets
by improving user analytics, audience profiling and market segmentation.</li>
<li>Boost the media’s resource base by diversifying business
models, developing new revenue streams or improving operational efficiencies.</li>
</ol>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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Finalists will be invited to the OpenNews Camp in Zanzibar,
Tanzania, in August for one-on-one workshop sessions with business development
mentors and other industry experts. Finalists will use these sessions to refine
and strengthen their proposals, as well as develop implementation plans and
budgets ahead of final judging.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Winners will receive cash grants of between $12,000 and
$100,000, plus additional business development support, technical mentorship,
and marketing support. Winners may also be offered opportunities to pilot their
projects in AMI member newsrooms and showcase the results at international
conferences or to venture capital funds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All entries have to be made on the competition website: <a href="http://africannewschallenge.org/">http://africannewschallenge.org</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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The African News Innovation Challenge (ANIC), is a
pan-African contest designed to support digital innovation and experimentation
that improves the quality and impact of African journalism. It that aims to
accelerate innovation in news organisations by funding transformational ideas
and then continuing to support them through a network of peers and advisors. It
encourages new digital tools and techniques for ‘making’ news, new ways for
audiences to engage with news, and new models for media organisations to
sustain themselves. The idea is that the contest will support new media
experiments and digital news startups in data driven journalism and
investigative reporting, newsroom management, audience engagement, digital
convergence and media business models. <o:p></o:p></div>
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ANIC is modelled on the <a href="http://newschallenge.tumblr.com/">Knight News Challenge</a> in the USA,
customised to address the challenges facing African media.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ANIC is run by <a href="http://africanmediainitiative.org/">The African Media Initiative</a> (AMI), the
industry association that is Africa’s largest umbrella body of media owners and
executives. AMI’s mandate is to serve as
a catalyst for strengthening African media by building the tools, knowledge,
and technical capacity for the media to play an effective ‘public interest’ role in African society.
This includes assisting with the development of professional standards,
financial sustainability, technological adaptability, and civic
engagement. AMI believes that democracy
thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. <o:p></o:p></div>
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ANIC funds news experiments and digital media startups in
order to help cover the costs of developing, testing and scaling a new digital
news venture or product.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Good luck!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-25604603664927631242012-05-11T00:40:00.000+02:002012-05-11T17:20:14.050+02:00Best Free Tools To Make Infographics<br />
<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPsTDjzUgOpG1aODCY89AETn5H6MDlCCCz8hX9Z87Gz1iGhkWCH4oS0e3eavW3HHQDTwyEWz_1r4dXHq6BkQUHlv9ur8AV-m2iSjSHoaCOVbCWt7QBZWirM_usfUCvo8oGPIaTlWtrTM/s1600/infographics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPsTDjzUgOpG1aODCY89AETn5H6MDlCCCz8hX9Z87Gz1iGhkWCH4oS0e3eavW3HHQDTwyEWz_1r4dXHq6BkQUHlv9ur8AV-m2iSjSHoaCOVbCWt7QBZWirM_usfUCvo8oGPIaTlWtrTM/s320/infographics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is a great selection of tools for presenting data in visually compelling ways. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As Fast Company notes, "i<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">t's not enough to simply write about data any longer; the world wants visuals."</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A set recommended by Fast Company:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www-958.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/">Many Eyes</a>, by IBM;</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.google.com/publicdata/home">Google Public Data Explorer</a>;</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://charts.hohli.com/">Hohli</a> for venn diagrams and scatter plots etc.;</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.wordle.net/">Wordle</a>, for word clouds; and</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://visual.ly/">Visual.ly</a> for not only creating, but also sharing infographics.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Link to post: </span><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1749649/5-infographics-tools-for-business?partner=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company+Headlines%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The 5 Best Free Tools For Making Slick Infographics | Fast Company</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another great set of tools can be found </span><a href="http://selection.datavisualization.ch/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 25px;"><br />"Datavisualization.ch Selected Tools is a collection of tools that we...</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 25px;"> work with on a daily basis and recommend warmly... (and) will make your life easier, creating meaningful and beautiful data visualizations."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">This list includes Web apps such as Stanford University's </span><a href="http://vis.stanford.edu/wrangler/">DataWrangler</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">, for data cleaning and transformation, </span><a href="http://geocommons.com/">GeoCommons</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">, a public community and set of tools to access, visualize and analyze data with maps, and </span><a href="http://www.quadrigram.com/">Impure/Quadrigram</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">, a visual programming language to gather, process and visualize information.</span></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Read more about this collection at <a href="http://thenextweb.com/dd/2012/05/10/want-to-make-your-own-data-visualizations-check-out-this-awesome-set-of-tools/">The Next Web</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See also:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://developmentworks.blogspot.fr/2011/10/10-ways-to-report-data-better.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10 ways to report data better</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://developmentworks.blogspot.fr/2011/10/infographic-insights.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Infographic insights</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://developmentworks.blogspot.fr/2012/03/infographics-need-stories.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Infographics need stories</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://developmentworks.blogspot.fr/2012/01/big-data-for-development.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Big data for development </span></a></li>
</ul>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-13640587247032654932012-05-06T17:34:00.002+02:002012-05-06T20:42:18.606+02:00Understanding the publishing process<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1-DB7r4RH_4" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Publishing a document can be harder than it looks. If you have ever had to help a colleague, boss or client get a document published in a ridiculously short amount of time, you will know how helpful it would be if they understood all the steps involved, what could go wrong, and how much time is required.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If only all clients could be well informed. At least you can educate yourself, and a good place to start is this promotional video by the company Inís Communication, which focuses on the development sector. Since Inís offers a wide range of publishing services, the video provides a useful overview of the types of issues involved in developing a corporate document.</span><br />
<br />
This information could be helpful for anybody who asks the question 'why does production take so long?'. After all, they probably just ran over time on developing and agreeing on the text and want to see the finished product already! A quick look at this video should clarify that a professional document requires some important decisions and involves a series of steps that take time. While some of these steps can be compressed, run in parallel or even skipped, you risk having a poor result. And if you are planning a major document for your institution, it is likely that you cannot afford to take those sorts of risks.<br />
<br />
<b>Publication steps</b> <br />
Procedures covered in the video include:.<br />
<ul>
<li>Client consultation (getting a clear brief from the person or team that wants the publication). What is the expected outcome? What is the overall scope of the project?</li>
<li>Target audience and format. Messaging and tone, print vs electronic, overall nature of the result and how it will be used (what do you want to achieve as a result?).</li>
<li>Filling the blanks: research and re-writing to get the contents to reflect the intended result. This addresses tone and length, structure and content, and overall messages and impact.</li>
<li>Editing (language appropriate to the audience, accuracy, grammar and ease of reading). Note that this is a crucial stage and cannot be easily truncated. If your document was written by a member of your staff, or had inputs from a whole range of people, there is a strong possibility that the text simply does not match the needs of your target audience. Many institutional texts need substantial editing and even re-writing before they become truly accessible to diverse audiences. </li>
<li>Design (layout concept, visual identity, style and impact). The same as your prior documents? Or something new: modern or traditional, serious or fun?</li>
<li>Layout (illustrations, photos, use of colours and space). This is also the stage for the final proofing of text. It is your last chance to correct errors (but the text should already be edited! This is also not a time for re-writing, so plan accordingly). </li>
<li>Adaptation to other outputs e.g. web, ebooks etc. (these should have been planned in advance).</li>
<li>Production - printing, XML and web, loading into ebookstores etc.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Marketing</b><br />
Don't forget the final important steps in promoting your publication! Consider how it will be released to the news media and other defined audiences. Will it be online in time for your public announcement? Are the files big enough to download or send by email? Should you put them on digital platforms like <a href="http://issuu.com/">Issuu</a> or <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">Slideshare</a>? Will it be sold or released through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/books-used-books-textbooks/b?ie=UTF8&node=283155">Amazon</a> or the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/genre/books/id38">iTunes store</a>? </div>
<div>
<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-77770290941107067382012-04-30T17:02:00.001+02:002014-02-03T11:02:25.741+01:00How to write a good blog post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="color: #999999; font-size: xx-small;">Updated June 2013</span></i><br />
Blogging regularly is generally agreed to be good practice: posting every day or every week can help you build a regular cadre of readers, since they know when to come back for more (or check your RSS feed).<br />
<br />
Some people also blog because they want to be visible and demonstrate leadership. Creative types, entrepreneurs and freelance professionals typically need to promote their work and ideas, or to foster a community of interest. Their work provides a source of content, but they still need to craft a good story and do that repeatedly.<br />
<br />
Others just blog for fun, so there should be no pressure. For example, I tend to blog about things that I find interesting and useful - and only when I get some spare time - so my posts are sporadic, but I don't feel stressed about trying to maintain my blog. However, even casual bloggers might want to keep their blog up to date, but find themselves distracted or simply running out of inspiration.<br />
<br />
So there may be times when you are stumped for something to say. I found a couple of useful articles discussing what to do about this.<br />
<br />
Art business coach <a href="http://www.artbizcoach.com/about/" target="_blank">Alyson Stanfield</a> proposes a <a href="http://www.artbizblog.com/2012/04/blog-formula.html" target="_blank">formula</a> that might help aspiring bloggers or anyone else wanting to communicate, but unsure where to start. These are her basic tips for creating a post with images:<br />
<ul>
<li>Title: before or after the blog is written.</li>
<li>Introduction (how to 'hook' readers and draw them in).</li>
<li>Main body text (stay on message).</li>
<li>An image for visual appeal (or as a centerpiece of discussion).</li>
<li>Conclusion (what happens now?).</li>
</ul>
If you are a creative type, Alyson is also running a blogging class for artists, called <a href="http://artbizcoach.com/bt.html">Blog Triage</a>.<br />
<br />
Social media trend-spotter <a href="http://jennstrends.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Jenn Herman</a> has posted a series of tips for overcoming bloggers' block ("<a href="http://jennstrends.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/when-you-just-dont-want-to-write/" target="_blank">When You Just Don't Want To Write</a>"). She recommends:<br />
<ol>
<li>Eliminate Distractions</li>
<li>Get Comfortable</li>
<li>Find Your Zone</li>
<li>Just Start Writing</li>
<li>Use Your Emotions</li>
<li>Don’t Procrastinate</li>
</ol>
<div>
If you need more, perhaps you would benefit from a training course on how to write and get inspired. There are plenty of options, many of them free online. For example:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.creative-writing-now.com/free-online-writing-courses.html" target="_blank">Creative Writing Now</a></li>
<li><a href="http://creative-writing-course.thecraftywriter.com/" target="_blank">Crafty Writer's creative writing course</a></li>
<li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/creative-writing-master-class/id550002605" target="_blank">Creative Writing: A Master Class eCourse (iTunes)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/culture/literature-and-creative-writing/what-good-writing/content-section-0" target="_blank">Open University courses</a> (many options available)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.coursera.org/course/sciwrite" target="_blank">Writing in the sciences</a> (Stanford University, via Coursera)</li>
<li><a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/writing-and-humanistic-studies/21w-730-2-the-creative-spark-fall-2004/" target="_blank">The Creative Spark</a> (MIT OpenCourseware)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
Good luck!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-70166123032499041892012-04-27T14:12:00.001+02:002012-05-06T20:39:01.140+02:00Measuring your influence<span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 10px;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlOEZFbmtC4MEdGzkJvydAWty2RSuPox_n8njT3a2QVysHS7KNDJcdrvcBbRw9_lKElvKAH8NVFZnRb4HkjN_DtF_N1Edn6offnhWtABsY-OuH2s1mS1AqTv3LXuL0TYStxmiUagy6c4/s1600/empireave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlOEZFbmtC4MEdGzkJvydAWty2RSuPox_n8njT3a2QVysHS7KNDJcdrvcBbRw9_lKElvKAH8NVFZnRb4HkjN_DtF_N1Edn6offnhWtABsY-OuH2s1mS1AqTv3LXuL0TYStxmiUagy6c4/s320/empireave.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can social media work as a for-profit game? The game Empire Avenue may be just the beginning of new ways to monetize social media activity and influence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Social media indices such as <a href="http://kred.com/Scott_McQuade/">Kred</a>, <a href="http://klout.com/#/Scott_McQuade">Klout</a> and <a href="http://www.peerindex.com/scott_mcquade">PeerIndex</a> have illustrated the almost universal human need for peer support and influence. Sites like <a href="http://scottmcquade.brandyourself.com/">BrandYourself</a> are making a business out of the the desire for people to improve their online profile and search rankings. Humorists are even <a href="http://klouchebag.com/#scott_mcquade">striking back</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Using a range of algorithms, these tools track your usage of networks such as Twitter, Facebook and, in the case of Klout at least, Google+. Add Flickr, YouTube and a myriad of other networks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The general assumption seems to be, the more people give you a 'like' or a '+1', re-tweet, comment or recommendation, the more influential you are. And your activity in respect of other people adds to their influence on you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It seems to be early days for these systems, but some high-ranking people have found that there are tangible benefits, including free car hire, theatre tickets and the like. The added fame and fortune brings its own rewards. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sadly, many people have been so engrossed with the need to increase their scores, they are focusing on 'gaming the system' and largely ignoring the reasons they joined these networks in the first place and which might have more bearing on their actual influence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A recent <a href="http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/04/ff_klout/all/1">story</a> in WIRED magazine profiles Klout and the angst of trying to get a better score. I particularly like the final paragraph:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>Over time, I found my eyes drifting to tweets from folks with the lowest Klout scores. They talked about things nobody else was talking about. Sitcoms in Haiti. Quirky museum exhibits. Strange movie-theater lobby cards from the 1970s. The un-Kloutiest’s thoughts, jokes, and bubbles of honest emotion felt rawer, more authentic, and blissfully oblivious to the herd. Like unloved TV shows, these people had low Nielsen ratings—no brand would ever bother to advertise on their channels. And yet, these were the people I paid the most attention to. They were unique and genuine. That may not matter to marketers, and it may not win them much Klout. But it makes them a lot more interesting.</i></span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To illustrate how engrossing and addictive this trend has become, <a href="http://www.empireavenue.com/">Empire Avenue</a> is turning social media indexing into a virtual stock market. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The site gives members points, or virtual currency, for their social media activity, including their blogs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Members can invest their points buying 'shares' in other members. Earn money on your portfolio of social media stock and you can pay a dividend to your shareholders. If you are not earning fast enough you can buy more points for real world money - and that is where it gets very interesting. This is described by many members as a 'game', which doubtless gets around securities laws. But it is clear that the mix of egos, popularity and real cash is drawing lots of attention and could prove seriously addictive!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Empire Avenue is obviously trying to hit the hot buttons that draw people in the biggest numbers. Their forums have a visual style that reminds me of Pinterest and similar fashionable sites. Mashable previously <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/06/04/empire-avenue/">described</a> it as seriously addictive. You don't have to look far to find a day-trader mindset and people who might have previously been kept busy selling multi-level marketing schemes (among the many others who are clearly in it for fun). Whether the Empire Avenue model is sustainable remains to be seen, but we have not seen the last of social media rankings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-46415647081537562002012-04-20T13:12:00.000+02:002012-04-22T10:23:58.623+02:0010 ways to influence with social media<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Want to increase your influence online using social media? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Forbes writer Haydn Shaughnessey says your social media profile can help your career and add to the value of information found online. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />That's why he put together a <a href="http://goo.gl/gX7aY">guide</a> to the basics of developing influence online, which covers the following issues (with some thoughts of my own): </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Planning:</b><br />Think about your topics. Do your research and add value to the raw information. Maybe do a short series of posts about an issue. Pace yourself so that your posts are regular but do not overwhelm readers or make you invisible during lengthy downtime.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Where to contribute:</b><br />Do you think different? Know yourself and what you want to say, then find the right platform. You might find it hard being a liberal in a conservative forum, but then you might also attract more interest (please don't be a miserable troll!).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Growing your influence:</b><br />Know where the audiences are and be visibile. For your topic that could be LinkedIn or Pinterest, Reddit or 4Chan. Write with your audience in mind and follow others doing the same. Be useful to others and you will likely become more important to them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Writing for the web:</b><br />What is your 'voice'? A<span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; text-align: left;">uthoritative, conversational, detailed, descriptive, poetic? Use snappy titles. Intrigue and excite readers, but please don't infuriate them!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Feedback and eliminating errors:</b><br />Try to check your work and don't bite if people correct your grammar and spelling. Ask friends to tell you - truthfully - how clear and engaging is your writing?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Distribution channels:</b><br />Blog and re-post your items on Google+ and Facebook. Tweet your blogs, or blog in an established location (Huffington Post got lots of free help as bloggers sought a more popular platform than their isolated blogs).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Comments and tweets</b>:<br />Does your blog needs comments, or is it enough that you have readers who re-share your ideas? Do you want to stir debate or share information? Do you comment on others' posts, re-share, or both?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Search engine optimization and titles</b> (headlines): <br /><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; text-align: left;">Use hashtags, labels and keywords. </span>"<span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; text-align: left;">Google 'how to create good titles'," Shaughnessey says. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Audience size</b>: <br />How many is enough? To earn money from advertising? To fill a petition?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Metrics and benchmarks</b>: <br />Who are your peers and competitors? How should you measure success?</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>In the spirit of developing knowledge, why not contribute your own ideas in the comments below, or on Haydn's blog.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See also: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://developmentworks.blogspot.fr/2012/04/using-google-effectively.html">How best to use Google+</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://developmentworks.blogspot.fr/2012/04/social-media-research.html">Social media research</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735847386537985613.post-83481005923890810942012-04-19T08:48:00.001+02:002014-02-03T10:46:31.775+01:00How to best use Google+<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/">Google+</a> is fast shaping up as meaningful forum to discuss current affairs and explore science and culture. After one year it hasn't yet been flooded with provocateurs and spammers. But with an estimated 100+ million users, G+ seems to be a hive of intellectual activity that goes beyond early adopters and the intellectual elite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A significant number of journalists, politicians, educators and community leaders are using it and some are declaring Google+ to be their primary social network. G+ is both a useful source of information and an opportunity to raise awareness and engage with audiences.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To demonstrate this, G+ user <a href="http://goo.gl/3m0Sh">Ole Ole Olson</a> has developed a very helpful guide for activists and non-profit organizations to use Google+ effectively. His <a href="http://goo.gl/jRFdH">Progressives Guide to Social Media</a> also covers Facebook, Twitter and sites such as Reddit and Digg. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The G+ guide includes tips on using circles for selectively finding and sharing information, and he links to some existing circles of key influencers, ranging from journalists, activists and scientists through to specific interest groups such as vegetarians. He also provides links to the institutional pages of major institutions and campaigns, from Mother Jones, Wired and Wikileaks, to Amnesty International and Change.org.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“A good tactic is to write a thoughtful short paragraph about a news article, then paste that comment on every social media site. If you are reposting something shared with you, always make sure you follow etiquette by attributing where you found the information.” Since circles allow you to share information selectively, I also recommend you also ensure that what you post is relevant to each of your audiences.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As Olson notes, there is a lot of functionality in Google+. Search is a given, and there is also on-demand video conferencing (hangouts), chat and photo and video storage. Since YouTube is owned by Google, YouTube videos are better integrated and play within the G+ site. Others, such as Vimeo, take users to a new web page. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of the basics are also covered in this guide, like the requirement for a Gmail account and the need to use your real name: a potential sticking point for repressed activists needing anonymity (tip: a feasible alias can be used). </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Google has also streamlined its privacy policies and integrated its accounts more, so you can link your YouTube account to your Google+ account, if you wish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To make best use of the site, Olsen suggests a clear profile and photo, plus external links. Adding pre-made circles can quickly create an audience as members follow you in return. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Posting original or useful content can raise your profile, and some users develop community by prompting discussion around specific issues. While that can be an opening for spammers and others to add provocative or irrelevant comments, G+ allows you to block malcontents. On the other hand, you can also see who is voting for you (+1) and re-sharing your posts. Ways to share your G+ posts with your Facebook and Twitter accounts are also discussed.</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Find Scott McQuade on Google+ here: <a href="http://goo.gl/vLIjk">http://goo.gl/vLIjk</a></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See also: <a href="http://developmentworks.blogspot.fr/2012/04/10-ways-to-influence-with-social-media.html">10 ways to influence with social media</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Interested in communicating for development? Speak up!
Leave a comment or contribution at developmentworks.blogspot.com</div>Scott McQuadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01026639474444824982noreply@blogger.com0