TheIncubator: musings on the social sector

May I learn the hard way, so that you don't have to

Well, I'm trying to set up a wiki and a web page, and I'll be honest, It's going a little bit harder than I expected.  I refuse to believe that this is a total problem and a total disaster, because I want to pass on what I learn to you, and I (want to) believe that even as a non-techie you can use some of the on line tools out there. 

Wikis:
Ok, so wikis are websites that any user can log on to and add/edit content.  There are some powerful implications to this, but in order to tap into those possibilities, you've got to put a wiki out there.  The one that everyone knows about is Wikipedia, which is powered by MediaWiki.  Now, I think that Wikipedia has been done well, but any other site with it's layout, design and software are not faring as well.  Those sites seem a little more awkward.  But the most annoying thing, I've found, is navigation.  I think navigation, above all, has to be super-easy.  And the ones that look like Wikipedia  (using MediaWiki software) don't seem to have it down.  And if you're reading this, and you're not a pro, but want to set up a wiki, I suggest NOT going the root of looking like Wikipedia. 

Another wiki software is Stikipad.  This is the one that I've started my trial wiki on, but may switch.  Stikipad has different versions--free, and then different paid levels.   I'm on the free  version  right now, mainly because I'm tinkering around with it.  My tinkering is not as great as I would hope.  First, the address is cumbersome--you need to include ".stikipad.com/notes" in order to access the wiki.  Secondly, the free version does not have much to make it look "spiffy".  I don't know how many people need it to look fancy in order to use it, but it definitely looks amateurish.  But.  There are several other wikis out there, being used, and are successful, and look very amateurish.  Do looks matter?

If you want to have an easy name for people to access your wiki (which I would highly recommend), you will need to get a domain name.  Now, I am figuring this out, and have not quite got it, and that is another source of my frustration.

Websites and Domain Names:
It is possible to get just a domain name, without the whole hosted website.  Essentially you can register a name that you like with someone like GoDaddy, and  then have your name  point to the  wiki address (I believe with Stikipad, you will need to upgrade in order to allow this to happen). 

Why this may good for you:   you don't need to deal with a website and hosting it, you just pick out your name (if it's not taken--they figure that out for you) and point it to your wiki.  Then people can access the wiki through an easier URL address.

Or, you can buy a domain name and web-hosting service through a company and create a website.  This will allow you to build a site, should you like, which can have a whole host of other services (include your blog, some website builders have wikis that can be installed, have forums, sell stuff).  I thought I might want a website, and that is why I went that route.

My Website Experience:
Has not been going well, but I haven't given up yet!  I went with a web hosting service called LunarPages.   If you have a  Mac (which is what I have) this is not the way to go.  Their site-building feature only works on Windows.  Somehow I missed that, but at least they have a money-back guarantee for the 1st 30 days.  If you have Windows, the site seems ok.  It'll take some trial and error and figuring out, but you might do alright.  Their customer service is not great though.  They don't have a "live chat" function, so you need to email your question, and the last several (urgent) messages that I emailed have not been answered yet (it's been 3 hours).  Host Gator has a live chat function, which you can use to walk through the process of getting started--how do you even create the 1st page? 

I still don't have a website, yet.  But I'm working on it.  Just thought I'd share these frustrating few hours that I've had....

Blogs, Discussion, and Charity

In the December 7th issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, there is an article by Peter Panepento titled Blogs on the Rise: Online forums about charity offer advice and discuss controversies.

The article explores some bloggers in the social sector who are currently using the vehicle of the blog to create discussion about philanthropy and non-profits.  The use of these blogs range from one person's opinions about the sector (independent from his/her employer), to blogs that articulate a voice of the company, to advice-giving.  All have a purpose that's important to contributing to the social sector by initiating various forms of discussion and idea-sharing.

Independent Opinion Blogs
One such blog, which was coverd in the article, is Albert Ruesga's White Courtesy Telephone.  White Courtesy Telephone is independent of Ruesga's employing office, the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, and as such is investigative and probing.  Interested in challenging field assumptions and digging for (perhaps) better ways to do things, Ruesga wonders if such blogging efforts would "be able to decentralize and democratize intellectual and moral authority in philanthropy and thereby enrich the conversation of the field?"  I would like to chime into his musings.  Every field, every business, in fact, needs to take time to objectively look at how things are done, what needs to be done, and challenge themselves to take one more step forward.  The field of philanthropy is particularly interesting in its need to do this considering the driving force behind the field is helping others.  By not striving to push the field to new heights and possibilities, who is  really feeling the negative effects?  The poor, the needy, the disease-inflicted--those who REALLY need such innovations and compassion.

Voice of the Organization Blogs
Blogs don't have to be envelope-pushers to have an impact, though.  They can also serve a very practical purpose in serving the members of the organization, as well as its clients.  James Fruchterman's blog, Beneblog, gives another voice to the company that he leads, Benetech.  It started out as a way to talk to employees about what was going on within the company's walls and has since evolved to include a grander scale of scope.  Fruchterman now includes his ideas, advice, and opinions on business practices and issues within society.  I think what's interesting about such blogs is that they are about engagement--engaging with those who work with you, engaging with your clients.  It can be very easy to wrap yourself up in the world of your private office and assume you know what your employees and clients think, need, and want.  Even if you conduct surveys and read research articles about all of that, what is actually better than engaging in dialogue with those that actually matter?  And that can happen with a blog--you can elicit closer-to-home responses through such engagement.

Advice-Giving Blogs
Other blogs, that are very worthwhile looking at, are those that offer advice.  Some authors are in the field and describe their best and worst practices, others are consultant or financial gurus who are sharing their expertise through their blogs.  The Agitator, authored by Roger Craver and Tom Belford, offers insight on direct marketing for non-profits. 

The point is that any of these blogs create the kind of engagement that is possible and should be taken advantage of.  The way that technology and culture is moving necessitates that those interested in not being left behind contribute and interact with the world beyond their singular perspective.  The great thing about blogs is that they have a more informal, accessible tone, which stimulates conversation and connection to others.  The great thing about blogs is that they encourage active participation with readers.  This opens the dialogue up, allows you to gain other perspectives than your own, and breaks down some of the hierarchy of "professionalism" that can interfere with innovative thinking and reaching your clients.  Sartre talks about amateurs vs. professionals, favoring amateurs who have the ability to remain outside the bureaucracy that can poison thought.  Including "amateurs" in your discussion can yield incredibly fruitful discussions with surprising results. 

One of the difficulties with blogs is that in order to be used to their full potential, users would ideally post comments in them.  The article mentions several of bloggers lamenting the fact that not as many readers actually post, which is a little disappointing.  In order for a blog to increase its reach and fulfill it possibilities, those types of interactions will be necessary.  Perhaps with time, as people grow more comfortable with blogs, this will happen

Listed in the article, which I too will post, are a bunch of blogs that may be interesting for you to peruse:
The Agitator
Beneblog
The Charity Governance Blog
Donor In Site
Donor Power Blog
Don't Tell the Donor
Gift Hub
Redeeming Hope
Trent Stamp's Take
White Courtesy Telephone

What is a Blog, and How Can YOU Use One in Your Organization?

There are still a lot of people out there who don't know what a blog is. And even if they know what a blog is, they don't know how it can be of use to them within their organization.

What is a blog? A blog is a website consisting of a collection of posts, written in a journal style, and is viewed in reverse chronological order. One of the powerful aspects of the blog is the ability to share it with an enormous audience base over the internet.

Possible uses for your Organization's Blog:
To Give a Voice to People in Your Organization: Having your employees post blogs creates a more democratic culture, disseminates information, allows people to get creatively engaged in driving your mission, spurs on innovation, spreads news throughout....

Bottom-Up Shift in Power: This can mean feedback from your customers/audience. You're working for them, why not find out what they REALLY need/want? A Bottom-up shift can also mean feedback from your employees. Again, speaking to a democratic structure, it allows your employees to actively engage in driving your mission and can play a role in improving low morale, giving ownership to all in the group, and addressing issues right as they come up as opposed to when they blow up.

Fundraising: Blogging about your fundraising needs could get a lot more people intrested in the passion that you are trying to promote and, consequently, YOUR needs in addressing that issue. Due to a certain personal nature of blogs, your issues may have a greater resonance with the readers, thus expanding your network, your cause, and perhaps your funds to advance your mission.

Advocacy: Since you have the possibility of a greater audience through the internet, just imagine how many more people can learn about your cause. Seriously, try to imagine it. Yeah.

You don't even have to take my word for it. Here are some other people advocating for the use of blogs within (all types) of organizations: Zafar S. Shah in the Nonprofit Quarterly, some of the big guys are doing it, Britt Bravo from NetSquared gives a few reasons for nonprofits, a BusinessWeek article, and this blog post from the blog Creating Passionate Users just caught my eye, take it or leave it.

The thing about blogs is that they can be a bit intimidating. They were intimidating to me. But have no fear. I am seriously technologically challenged, but I've managed to set up a blog and I've waded through a little bit of information on what it takes (or doesn't take) to integrate technolgoy into your life. Even when you have no idea how technology works.

So here's a Non-Techie Resource on starting a blog: Some blogs require you to know HTML code. Some also require you to obtain a server.

I don't know HTML code, so I'm sticking to the ones that don't require me to use it. As for the server, I'm thinking about getting one for some future projects that I will delve into, but you don't need to set up server capabilities for a blog.

Also, remember, some blogs are fee-based, some are free. If you're using your blog for within an organization, you may want to use a service that IS fee-based as they tend to have a few more options as to design, number of authors, and may look a little more professional.

A free, no-need-to-know-HTML blog service is Blogger

A free + fee-based options blog service is TypePad from the folks over at Six Apart. For techies they also have MovableType. Another option for those who have tech-knowledge is WordPress, which is free, but is more complicated (for me).

I chose TypePad. I currently use the Plus Level. I do not know (yet) how to create my own templates, but they have enough to satisfy my needs for now. If you use this platform, be sure to check out the widgets section. Widgets are elements (things) that users interact with on your webpage. Over in the Left Hand column there, you will see a variety of widgets that I am playing with such as the blog search, and the Swicki tags. Widgets allow for more interactivity and usability in your blog. Your readers can search your blog for a term without having to page through each entry, for example. Or they can find other blogs that cover the same issues. Or they can listen to the music you are promoting. Or, you could find a widget that allows people to donate to your cause. I HIGHLY recommend that you use them.

Also, with a blog, think about keeping it simple. Again, we're not master techies, so make it easy to read. One good way to do this is to utilize categories. These act as a table of contents so that others can quickly find information that they need to find.

TypePad will guide you through using their service to create a simple blog. And that's all you need in the beginning. Seriously. I think it's easy to get caught up in all the technology that even just a blog can offer. And I think it's great, but for those of us who are not techies, I do not think we need to suddenly become one. You need to focus on your mission of saving the world; and my point is that you don't need to be a techie in order to do that. Know what your options are, but don't get bogged down in the massive details--let an expert deal with that. But, now, you've got a tool that can really get you going--doing the work that you love and want to tell the world about.

Amazing Resources You MUST Know About

So, part of this blog is to provide a listing of the useful resources that I come across. I've decided to break them into 2 categories: Non-Techie Resources and Resources for Anyone. These category headings are probably fairly self-explanatory, but I'll explain them anyway.

Non-Techie Resources: Resources for those that are technology-illiterate (like me). As I mentioned in my bio, I'm not a techie by any stretch of the imagination. But I don't think that this has be a limitation. I would like to use the internet as a resource, but remain in my passion for social change. So, as I come across definitions, how-to's, tips, and tools I'll put them in this category.

Resources for Anyone: Resources that anyone--techie or non-techie--would find relevant as it relates to the social sector/social benefit.

Feel free to alert me to any resources you've found helpful as well!