Tag: New Media

Masood heads for The Hague – a new podcast on the Grassroots Channel

Masood Yasin travels from Washwood Heath in Birmingham to The Hague (Den Haag) in the Netherlands to meet active citizens in Holland. Find out what his thoughts are on new approaches to jobs and education to young people plus why he wants to bring a Dutch idea to Birmingham.

Masood made his first appearance on the channel a year ago telling his story in Become a Decision Maker.

The Grassroots Channel is supported by the Birmingham Community Empowerment Network and produced by podnosh.com.

Also we mention listeners who’ve been in touch including Rob Annable in Birmingham.

Links:

R4R Europe (dead link)

Mood Mapping – the highs and lows of street life.

A few evenings ago I was chewing over some ideas which might make a good punt for the 21st Century News Challenge. As you do with these things I was getting a little giddy.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic, I thought, if you could map a neighbourhood by how people feel? It would not only give people living there a sense of how their neighbours are, it would also give public services valuable information on what lifts people’s moods and boosts security, and what provokes fear or anxiety.
I was toying with with technology involving mobile phones – perhaps a neighbourhood text line, where you could send a smiley (or the opposite), which knows the location of the phone? Extra text could be added as tags.

So a quick Google found Christian Nold’s work on Bio-Mapping. (hat tip to architect Rob Annable.) Christian is an artist who combines skin sensors which detect mood with global positioning kit and mapping software. Anyone wearing his kit can walk through their neighbourhood leaving a trail of emotion which can later be viewed on Google Earth. They can also add information about specific places – which may help identify why they felt what they did. Those taking part are in my mind a new form of citizen journalist – the ultimate mood blogger.
The potential for this as a means to get under the skin of a community is enormous. Refine or revise the technology and you can offer an almost instant mood exchange among people.

Would this be insanity – a more insidious version of cctv – or a new way to measure and influence social cohesion and or capital?

Buzz Director – beyond infinity.

First apologies to Steve Bridger for my inability to avoid the obvious pun on his latest and very fine post.
Last month when we met at an NVCO ICT Foresight group meeting Steve mentioned the idea of a “Buzz Director” for non profits.

It’s a particular crusade of mine to encourage not-for-profits to identify an internal champion (or recruit a virtual volunteer) to take on this role. Call it what you will. I like Beth Kanter’s “Social Media Coach”. But how about “Cause Evangelist”? Anyway, you get the idea.

Steve is essentialy looking for someone who understands how the internet can be used to broaden relationships and widen support. It is a job for someone with a clear appreciation of the point of your organisation combined with a talent for looking (and indeed living) over the horizon – perhaps you could say beyond infinity?

One of the qualities he identifies is the ability to… Read more

Win Win – Nike +, iPod and you. (Oh and win again)

Josh Hart at mademedia (a Birmingham based web agency) alerted me to a potent combination of community, marketing and technology.

Josh is exercising more because of a heady cocktail of connections. Two brands – Nike and Apple; two desirable products – the right running shoes and the right mp3 player; the internet and music al tastes; personal achievement and support for celebrity sponsored charities.

Here’s how it works…

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