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=Technology as a solution= | =Technology as a solution= | ||
Today's typical computer use is often as an advanced typewriter. Documents are edited, saved and printed with little use of features such as macros. Features such as inline comments are being used, but few organizations use document sharing portals or online document editing systems such as wikis. | |||
We think of the technology we use today as new, but in reality most of it has been around, in different forms, for a long time. [[wp:Hypertext]], for example – a way to create links between documents – was visualized in a microfiche based system in the 1940s (the [[wp:Memex]]). There are large cycles of introduction, reaction, revision. The entire Internet as a mass novelty, in the 1990s, resulted in the [[wp:Dot-com bubble Dot-com bubble]] shortly thereafter, as overexcited expectations were deflated. | We think of the technology we use today as new, but in reality most of it has been around, in different forms, for a long time. [[wp:Hypertext]], for example – a way to create links between documents – was visualized in a microfiche based system in the 1940s (the [[wp:Memex]]). There are large cycles of introduction, reaction, revision. The entire Internet as a mass novelty, in the 1990s, resulted in the [[wp:Dot-com bubble Dot-com bubble]] shortly thereafter, as overexcited expectations were deflated. | ||
The Internet does have to be considered one of the greatest, and most unexpected innovations of our | The Internet does have to be considered one of the greatest, and most unexpected innovations of our lifetimes. No company would have created a network where anyone can publish and access information with equal ease and virtually no cost, for nearly anyone, around the world (nor could they, due to the cooperation involved). Existing companies were left scrambling to react to this disruptive development. | ||
The internet is the product of generations of scientists, | The internet is the product of generations of scientists, visionaries, and implementers, now available for anyone to use, at the price of stepping into a limelight, encrypted or not, and taking on complexity. Using technology effectively has not been simplified. Tremendous effort can be spent putting up a web site, developing content or custom applications, training people, connecting with companies and dealing with problems, all to see minimal net benefits. This is another reason it is important to highlight the background reasons for technology to be developed and used. | ||
For example, Twitter, a current craze, represents the latest version of the [[wp:Echo chamber]], a metaphorical space where “information, ideas or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by transmission ” - but this time, with more identity. Twitter is presented in the media as a way to follow celebrities, or sent brief messages about the most mundane activities. But using Twitter as a "social search" - finding individuals currently available and interested in topics important to you (including activism, fundraising and sectoral issues) opens up a whole new dimension on this tool, which can enable and connect, as well as being a way to stay in touch with some constituents. | For example, Twitter, a current craze, represents the latest version of the [[wp:Echo chamber]], a metaphorical space where “information, ideas or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by transmission ” - but this time, with more identity. Twitter is presented in the media as a way to follow celebrities, or sent brief messages about the most mundane activities. But using Twitter as a "social search" - finding individuals currently available and interested in topics important to you (including activism, fundraising and sectoral issues) opens up a whole new dimension on this tool, which can enable and connect, as well as being a way to stay in touch with some constituents. Some organizations use Twitter (and other "social media" like the more popular Facebook) as a tool for advocacy and fundraising. [[todo:Example]] http://www.google.ca/search?q=using+twitter+as+a+fundraising+tool | ||
It's important to have a long term plan that matches the organization's mandate and constituents, day to day changes consistent with your staff, all the while keeping an eye out for 'disruptive' opportunities. Marshall McLuhan states “We shape our tools, and afterwards our tools shape us.” New systems must be considered for their most simple and practical benefits, as well as their impact. Expectations must be managed to not expect too much out of the hype, yet still "expect the unexpected." | |||
The internet went through several phases of “killer applications,” as the world population happened across its capabilities. Majorly are the ease and (no) cost sending of email and the richness of the World Wide Web, which was originally envisioned as an intimately linked, eminently re-usable “read-write” research web, where one web site's information can be linked with another, and information shared easily. Unfortunately, commercial and individual enthusiasm (and the unreadiness of the background technology) has resulted in many messes – email can be unusable due to “spam,” and most web sites today could be easier to use as a paper brochure, and they certainly don't encourage information re-use. Tragically, universal design has been thrown out the window in many cases in favour of glitzy presentations. | The internet went through several phases of “killer applications,” as the world population happened across its capabilities. Majorly are the ease and (no) cost sending of email and the richness of the World Wide Web, which was originally envisioned as an intimately linked, eminently re-usable “read-write” research web, where one web site's information can be linked with another, and information shared easily. Unfortunately, commercial and individual enthusiasm (and the unreadiness of the background technology) has resulted in many messes – email can be unusable due to “spam,” and most web sites today could be easier to use as a paper brochure, and they certainly don't encourage information re-use. Tragically, universal design has been thrown out the window in many cases in favour of glitzy presentations. | ||
For the past few years, there is a focus on what's called "Web 2.0" - making Web based systems more interactive, participatory. There is also a trend to move away from desktop and office solutions to hosted systems - email, word processing, and so on, are hosted on a "cloud" provided by very large providers such as Google and Amazon. | |||
The next trend ("Web 3.0") is anticipated to focus on the Semantic Web. This means richer exchange of information, leading to more re-use and better searching. | |||
Wikis promote one of the original ideas of the Web, easy participation, and newer developments promote easier exchange of information – for example, using another organization's data in your Web site using systems such as Freebase and Semantic Mediawiki. | |||
=Technology use in the non profit sector= | =Technology use in the non profit sector= | ||