3. Technology and Communications Resources: Getting Started
<< Back to Resources for Network Effectiveness
For those unfamiliar with social media technologies (e.g., blogs, wikis, podcasts), this page provides some resources with the basics. Easy to understand, these resources are targeted towards beginners. They’re great for starting to understand what’s available in the social media world, and how those tools can be leveraged for increased impact. (See Social Media Tools for a closer look at the technologies and how to implement them.)
The resources answer a range of questions:
- What are the most commonly used social media tools? What can they be used for?
- What’s a blog? What’s a wiki?
- How should I begin to think about what types of tools to implement?
Note: Recommended resources are denoted with an asterisk.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Advocacy 2.0: Power of the Internet | For the slightly advanced beginner. A wiki-style overview of common social media tools (e.g., blogs, online training) and how to implement them. Includes advice on avoiding common pitfalls. |
| How to Save the World: Social Networking in Business (by Dave Pollard) | An overview of Social Networking Applications (e.g., wikis, blogs) and what they can be used for. |
| * Netcentric Campaigns: Training Center | A very helpful and quick overview of key technologies (e.g., blogs, podcasts). Tips on why, when, and how to use common online tools. |
| Social Media Starter Pack (by Chris Brogan) | For the advanced beginner. Provides an overview of specific tools and platforms available for meeting specific needs (i.e., listening, speaking, leveraging community, and creating rich media). |
| * The CommonCraft Show | Short, understandable, and fun videos explaining basic and common social media tools (e.g., blogs, wikis, Twitter). |
| * Here Comes Everybody, Ch. 11 – Promise, Tool, Bargain (by Clay Shirky) | A well-written and engaging chapter explaining three simple but critical rules for networks: the promise, the tool, and the bargain. |
| Cyberspace Innkeeping: Building Online Community (by John Coate) | A paper examining the building and development of online communitites, focusing on examples from the WELL and The Gate in SF. Highlights important considerations to remember and key lessons learned. |
Leave a comment, question, or resource
Network tools and approaches are creating new opportunities for powerful social impact. Social innovators are pioneering the art of working wikily, embracing openness, transparency, and decentralization.
