(A version of this item, with live links, is available at
<http://blog.deborah.elizabeth.finn.com/blog/_archives/2005/7/7/1005407.html>)
Dear Colleagues,
First, an apology...it's one of those predictable passages in a
blogger's life...one starts blogging about blogging. Sorry about
that.
I'd been asked by the bloggers' group that meets on Thursday evenings
at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society to put together a little
session about blogging for nonprofits.
Fortunately, I was able to recruit two highly respected colleagues
from the nonprofit sector, Beth Kanter and Brian Reich, to share their
ideas on the topic. This is a Good Thing(tm), because my own opinion
is that if you've read my blog or heard me chatting with fellow
members of the Berkman bloggers' group then you're already familiar
with the few insights that I have on this topic.
At this point, there isn't much data from which I can draw
conclusions. In fact, in my efforts to recruit presenters for this
session, I haven't been able to find very many nonprofits in
Massachusetts that maintain blogs, and I note that (in the blogosphere
as a whole) the few nonprofit professionals who are active bloggers
are also technology assistance providers. There just aren't a lot of
nonprofit executive directors, field organizers, fundraisers, or
direct service service providers who blog, unless they are already
geeks.
However, in the absence of empirical data, I can always resort to
another research method - staring off into space for 20 or 30 minutes.
On the basis of my findings, I will venture to make a prediction:
The future will favor well-designed web sites that
feature clusters of blogs by diverse authors who
are focused on a coherent mission.
Here are some examples of mission-based web sites that serve up a
range of blogs to readers:
-The Digital Divide Network: "Knowledge to help everyone succeed
in the digital age."
-Global Voices Online: "The world is talking. Are you listening?"
-Omidyar Network: "We believe every individual has the power to
make a difference. We exist for one single purpose: So that more and
more people discover their own power to make good things happen."
-WorldChanging: "Models, Tools, and Ideas for Building a Bright
Green Future"
Although real simple syndication (also known as "RSS") makes it
possible for all of us to read blog content without surfing from one
web site to another, I'm convinced that a web site with a strong focus
that offers rich visual and verbal content will continue to draw web
users. A cluster of blogs that offer compelling insights and new
points of view can be a part of that strategy.
Best regards from Deborah
Deborah Elizabeth Finn
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://blog.deborah.elizabeth.finn.com/blog
http://public.xdi.org/=deborah.elizabeth.finn
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