Author: Eli

Thank you for an amazing 2012!

2012 closedDear Net Tuesday community,

Thank you for an amazing 2012. Here’s what we’ve done together:

  • 9 meet-ups with experts from Vancouver’s nonprofit tech community
  • 1 pub night (want to do another?)
  • 1 unconference (with another this spring)
  • 1 social media surgery (where we dressed up as ER staff)
  • Grew from 900 members to 1358. Vancouver is now one of the fastest growing Netsquared groups (and the second largest of the 50 groups!)

It has been great to meet so many new people and learn about the world-changing things you are doing. The volunteer organizing team is honoured to support you.

So, what’s next?

New venues

As you might have heard W2 Woodwards is facing eviction so Net Tuesday will be trying out some new homes this fall while we settle on a new permanent venue. The Network Hub and The HiVE have already offered to host us.

A huge thanks to Irwin, Lianne and the entire W2 Woodwards team for their support over the years.

2013 Teasers

Happy New Year and see you in 2013!

Eli and the Net Tuesday team

t: @NetTuesday
e: eli@nettuesday.ca

#Commbuild – Why your community needs to go offline

  1. Commbuild Larry King

    Elijah

    Mon, Dec 10 2012 16:00:00

  2. Join our Community of Practice group on NTEN.org
  3. NTEN Community | group directory

    The CommBuild Community of Practice is focused on building and sustaining online and offline communities for nonprofits, charities, and o…
    Nten
  4. There’s a tweetchat every Tuesday at 1:00pm EST using the hashtag #CommBuild
  5. CommBuild Chats (CommBuild) on Twitter

    Instantly connect to what’s most important to you. Follow your friends, experts, favorite celebrities, and breaking news.

    Twitter@Twitter

  6. Today’s participants

  7. ClaireSale
    #commbuild: I’m a community building consultant and organizer of commbuild group. Also *really* pregnant and about to go MIA for a bit!

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:03:45

  8. Historian
    Peeking in to #commbuild

    David DeWald@Historian

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:18:35

  9. ChristinaFBrown
    Hi everyone! Name’s Christina. Active Job Seeker. Passionate about communities and user experience. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:01:33

  10. askdebra
    @CommBuild Glad to be here with @lijah @LNorvig @ClaireSale @ChristinaFBrown. Nice to see new and old faces. #CommBuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:05:51

  11. elijah
    I’m @elijah I like to support communities to do fun things together. My title is often “volunteer manager” #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:06:11

  12. mbhahn
    Hi #commbuild people!!

    Michael Hahn@mbhahn

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:15:34

  13. Q1. What offline communities are you a part of? Which ones do you value the most?

  14. askdebra
    @CommBuild Easy! It’s the #501TechBOS – Boston’s 501 Tech Club, sponsored by @ntenorg. Also my pottery community, Mudflat 🙂 #commbuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:11:22

  15. Boston 501 Tech Club

    Nten
  16. elijah
    A.1. The offline community I’ve loved the most is the 2,000 volunteer crew of the @edmfolkfest #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:10:58

  17. Edmonton Folk Music Festival

    Dear Friends, The family of Don Snider would like to thank everyone who has sent expressions of sympathy over our overwhelming loss. Many…
    Edmontonfolkfest
  18. askdebra
    Q1 @CommBuild Oh yes, our minyan (Jewish) community, like a synagogue, and the kids’ school #commbuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:13:50

  19. Minyan – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Wikipedia
  20. ChristinaFBrown
    A1: @NYTM and @NYTechWomen when I can. I value the connections I make when I meet people face 2 face. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:11:44

  21. NY Tech Women

    New York, NY
    916 NYTechWomen

    Make Meaningful Connections
    It’s uncomfortable being the outsider. We’ve all been there: walking into a room where everybody else seems to know each other and nobody gives you…

    Check out this Meetup Group →

    NY Tech Women
    Meetup
  22. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild I’m part of #geekfestjed and my local compound in Saudi. Trying to help with online/offline organizing with both. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:13:29

  23. geekfestjed | Tumblr

    Tumblr
  24. askdebra
    Q1 Value for both is the personal collusion of friendships (new/old), knowledge-sharing, professional growth (2/2) #commbuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:12:24

  25. Q2. WHY did you join your offline community? Why do you think others joined?

  26. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild I think ppl join offline comms for belonging, sharing interests/learnings, and to move forward on particular projects. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:17:51

  27. elijah
    A2. I am attracted to joining offline communities because of THE PEOPLE. The purpose of the group quickly becomes secondary. #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:18:24

  28. aiga_sept_comm_mtg 2

    AIGA RALEIGH DESIGN COMMUNITY

    Tue, Sep 04 2012 17:00:00

  29. askdebra
    Q2. I’m a bit on the cynical side: they join for personal gain. Larger time commitment to offline events = tough decisions #commbuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:19:23

  30. ChristinaFBrown
    A2: Hi @mbhahn! I think I joined my offline comms b/c I wanted (& still do) to get my foot in the NY tech scene. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:21:50

  31. Q3. Do you lead an offline community right now? What is the group?

  32. elijah
    A3. I’ve been leading Vancouver’s Net Tuesday @NetSquared group for 3.5 years. The most fun volunteer gig I’ve ever had. #Commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:25:52

  33. Net Tuesday Vancouver – Remixing the web for social change

    What types of stories best engage your audience? How can you best move your supporters to action? Why do people give to your organization…
    Elijah
  34. CommBuild
    @askdebra What’s your role in the Minyan group? #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:29:45

  35. askdebra
    @CommBuild Just as a member, but I feel part of the community, since it is lay-lead, and we all take on roles each quarter #commbuild

    Debra Askanase@askdebra

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:30:29

  36. ClaireSale
    @elijah You’ve been such a rockstar leading Vancouver @Netsquared. When I lived in #Cambridge I had a great time leading Net2. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:27:32

  37. What is NetSquared Local? | NetSquared

    NetSquared Local groups hold monthly offline events for anyone interested in the connection of technology and social impact. These gather…
    Netsquared

  38. Q4. Are your offline and online communities connected? How?

  39. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild It’s funny… there often seems to be a disconnect. Offline people don’t always transfer online and vice versa. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:33:30

  40. ChristinaFBrown
    A4: They are connected. Their social media pages post the latest monthly meetups and ways people can get involved. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:33:48

  41. ClaireSale
    @ChristinaFBrown Yes! This is an awesome way to connect the two. ^discoverability and ^information sharing #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:35:06

  42. ClaireSale
    @ChristinaFBrown are there other ways you’re connecting the two (online/offline)? #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:35:52

  43. ChristinaFBrown
    @ClaireSale Every month, there is pre @NYTechWomen meetup and then we head across the street to the @NYTM. Instant connections. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:37:48

  44. Here at @Gravy for #NYtechwomen meetup
    chelawhita

    Sun, May 20 2012 09:29:09

  45. elijah
    A4. @NetTuesday ‘s online and offline presences are largely connected one-way. Online recruits for offline meetings. #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:34:18

  46. Q5. What online tools do you use to manage and support your offline community?

  47. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild I’ve used tons! meetup, eventbrite, trello, facebook groups/pages/events, linkedin events, twitter….. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:38:18

  48. Claire’s favorite online tools for community building
  49. Do something, Learn something, Share something, Change something – Meetup

    Helps groups of people with shared interests plan meetings and form offline clubs in local communities around the world
    Meetup
  50. Online Event Registration – Sell Tickets Online with Eventbrite

    Eventbrite gives you all the online tools you need to bring people together for an event and sell tickets.
    Eventbrite
  51. Facebook Groups | Facebook

    Have things you only want to share with a small group of people? Just create a group, add friends, and start sharing. Once you have you…

    Facebook
  52. Trello

    Organize anything, together. Trello is a collaboration tool that organizes your projects into boards. In one glance, know what’s being wo…
    Trello
  53. Email is still a go-to tool
  54. CommBuild
    Q5b. What tools are most effective in building community? Personally I still find an email listserv or google group to work best. #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:40:05

  55. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild 1 to google groups and listserves, I’m also finding closed facebook groups to be amazingly active. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:41:28

  56. Meetup vs Eventbrite
  57. elijah
    A5. @meetup is an amazingly powerful recruitment tool to find people who are interested in face-to-face gatherings. #Commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:37:52

  58. ClaireSale
    @elijah I like meetup too, but I wish it had functionality for online-only events (like tweetchats!) #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:40:21

  59. CommBuild
    @ClaireSale I’ve found @Eventbrite to be a fabulous replacement for @meetup for virtual events. But less good at recruiting. #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:43:57

  60. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild Truth. Problem with eventbrite is it serves the event not so much building the community #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:45:01

  61. ChristinaFBrown
    @CommBuild @Eventbrite is great to find offline events in ur niche but there isn’t a “community building” component like @meetup. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:45:36

  62. CommBuild
    @ChristinaFBrown @ClaireSale – so right… I’m a “meetup member” but not an “eventbrite member”. #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:47:06

  63. Q6. Who is doing online -> offline community building right? What’s a model organization?

  64. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild US-based politicians! They’ve got the online->offline organizing down pretty well. #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:50:07

  65. CommBuild
    @ClaireSale – SMART! The Obama get-out-the-vote team are masters at engaging online and getting to offline action. #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:51:45

  66. ChristinaFBrown
    @ClaireSale Agreed. I think the Obama for America (biased lol) was an excellent online & offline political grassroots network. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:52:03

  67. ChristinaFBrown
    @ClaireSale If you think about it, @barackobama is continuing the @OFA framework by bringing his ideas to real Americans now. #commbuild

    Christina Brown@ChristinaFBrown

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:58:37

  68. November 2, 2012

    osseous

    Thu, Nov 01 2012 17:00:00

  69. I Voted

    darinrmcclure

    Mon, Nov 05 2012 16:00:00

  70. elijah
    A6. @350 and @engagejoe are doing the online to offline transition beautifully. A vibrant online community that SHOWS UP #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:50:20

  71. 350.org

    350.org is building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis. Our online campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass publi…
    350
  72. Other groups holding regular offline meetings
  73. CommBuild
    Q6b. But the politicians are doing a one-off transaction (vote). Who is getting people to move online to offline consistently? #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:53:28

  74. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild 1 on 350. Also: NTEN 501 tech clubs, NetSquared groups, WiserEarth, Yes!, and Social Media Surgery… #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:53:55

  75. Wiser.org: The Social Network for Sustainability

    Wiser helps the global movement of people and organizations working toward social justice, indigenous rights, and environmental … Wit…
    Wiser
  76. Join an NTEN 501 Tech Club | NTEN

    NTEN 501 Tech Clubs are informal local groups that meet regularly to get to know their colleagues, develop a professional support netwo…
    Nten
  77. CommBuild
    Churches get people to show up on a weekly basis! Who can top that? #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:53:58

  78. CommBuild
    A6. Other non-#nptech examples are weekly running/jogging groups, book clubs and knitting circles. #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:57:45

  79. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild oh the knitters. Always the knitters! #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:58:46

  80. I’m a little late for #tbt but I’ll post these anyways @sabrinaserani #knittingcircle
    Danni Siminerio

    Thu, Sep 27 2012 22:12:39

  81. CommBuild
    @ClaireSale and our knitter friends also create soft snuggly things to wear. Not just ideas. THEY ARE THE BEST! #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 11:00:14

  82. Q7. What’s your #1 tip for a community organizer that wants to organize a lasting online?

  83. elijah
    PERSISTENCE! “Q7. What’s your #1 tip for a community organizer that wants to organize a lasting online gathering?” #commbuild

    Eli van der Giessen@elijah

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 11:02:29

  84. CommBuild
    @stevieflow talks about “zero expectations organizing” as the key to success. bit.ly/IVITdq #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 11:04:48

  85. The Zero Expectations Thing
    Steven Flower

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 12:02:31

  86. ClaireSale
    @CommBuild My tip: keep the barrier to entry low and the quality of content high #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 11:05:03

  87. UP NEXT: Tuesday, December 18.

  88. CommBuild
    Next week: join @askdebra for “The benefit of Twitter chats, & how they build community.” bit.ly/Uxy53S #commbuild

    CommBuild Chats@CommBuild

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 11:09:14

  89. A topic idea for the future….

  90. ClaireSale
    @ChristinaFBrown ah… totally a topic for another day! “Cross-pollination across local or related groups” #commbuild

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:46:16

  91. Get involved

  92. Want to lead a #CommBuild chat? Want to help manage the community? Reach out to @ClaireSale
  93. ClaireSale
    #commbuild: Just want to quickly announce we’re looking for vols to take leadership roles with the #commbuild group. bit.ly/S5fjqg

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:02:11

  94. ClaireSale
    #commbuild: I’m a community building consultant and organizer of commbuild group. Also *really* pregnant and about to go MIA for a bit!

    Claire Sale@ClaireSale

    Tue, Dec 11 2012 10:03:45

Tablets, Smartphones, iPads, iPhones: Gadgets for Good?

RSVP on Meetup.com

Coffee appNet Tuesday is thrilled to have Mel Findlater from NetSquared Cambridge present on mobile technology for good this month.

===========

About the event:

Ever wondered what the big deal is about these new tablets, such as the iPad?

Curious as to how smartphones like the iPhone or Android phone can change the way we live?

How are they really different? Come hear one persons account of how tablets and smartphones such as the iPad and iphone really can create social change in education, for people with disabilities, older people, and in your everyday productivity.

Hear stories, see apps, be inspired… and if you have a smart phone or a tablet do bring it along and feel free to tweet, hunt for apps and so on.

The twitter hashtag for Net Tuesday is #ntvan.

RSVP on Meetup.com

When: Tuesday, January 8, 2012, 5:30 PM To 7:30 PM
Where: W2 Woodwards, 111 W Hastings, Vancouver, BC

RSVP on Meetup.com

Agenda

  • 5:30 – 6:00 pm: schmoozing
  • 6:00 – 7:00 pm: Mel Findlater shares her wisdom
  • 7:00 – 7:30 pm: Q&A

Mel Findlater

Mel Findlater is a Cambridge-based geek for social good (but she grew up near Vancouver!) She gets ridiculously excited about the possibilities of how technology can create social change. She has a background in working with young people, people with disabilities, older people and in the voluntary sector.

Most of her days are spent volunteering and working for The You Can Hub, enthusiastically raising awareness and developing projects to do with ipads, tablets, and technology to promote independence and learning. She’s keen to share her knowledge, skills and passion with others, especially those who are on their own mission for social good.

Follow Mel and the You Can Hub on Twitter

  • @melfindlater
  • @youcanhub

Mel is really looking forward to the event.

“This evening really focuses on the work that I have been doing and will be doing, exploring and talking to people about how to make it a reality and spread the word. It’s all about the social good…which I think fits perfectly with Net Tuesday Vancouver”

Our sponsor

Net Tuesday is thrilled to have the W2 Woodwards as our venue sponsor for the 2012-2013 season. They do cool things. Check them out!

NetSquared December update

Here’s what I’ve been up to over the last month in my gig as NetSquared Local Community Curator.

NetSquared snowglobe
It’s December, which means we’re on the last page of our calendar. Team NetSquared is working hard to wrap-up some this year’s projects. We’ve now completed all seven of our NetSquared Camps and have just one more Global Leadership Council meeting left. But just because some things are coming to an end there’s no reason for tears – rather let’s reflect back on what we’ve learned over the year and share the gift of knowledge on the Washington DC group’s quora page.

The future of NetSquared

The recent reorganization of NetSquared sees the emergence of a unified content and community team for both the NetSquared and TechSoup brands. Sheetal Singh is our new TechSoup champion, taking over from Billy Bicket who is going to take on platform work.

What does that all mean to NetSquared organizers? I’ll be able to share more by mid-December when Sheetal sends her community update, but in the short-term you’ll start to see a regular stream of new content on the NetSquared community blog.

NetSquared Camps

This fall’s major initiative was the NetSquared Camps, which were seven regional unconferences and workshops produced by our local organizer network. The camps were an amazing opportunity to expand the NetSquared local experience from a brief daytime or evening event into an all-day extravaganza. It was also a great excuse for us to get local organizers together for face-to-face meetings, since the big lesson from the Global Leadership Council experiment this year was that we can kickstart inter-organizer relationships by getting people together in the same room. Which, honestly, shouldn’t have been too much of a shock since that’s the key insight that keeps all of us local organizers doing our meetups from month to month.

Each of the camp organizers has written a blog post sharing their insights, photos and video. There are lots of great ideas to steal for your own events!

Platform

The tenth release of the NetSquared platform is now live. Many of the changes were beneath the hood, but you’ll definitely notice the improvements to the community blog. We’re now randomly featuring bloggers from the local network. You may see your face next time you go to http://www.NetSquared.org/blog!

NetSquared organizers as bloggers

Windows 8 Apps for Social Good Contest

The Windows 8 Apps for Social Good Contest invites both new and seasoned developers to create an app for “social good” – and you could win cash prizes to help fuel your dream and keep it going!

There are already five entries in the contest. Check out their project pages and use the social share buttons on the one you think is coolest.

Note: the contest is only open to residents of the USA. But anyone can vote and share!

December events

A quick scan shows ten events happening across the NetSquared local network. That’s a big drop from the 21 in November… Curse those holidays! 🙂

Community Building tweet chat: Why your community needs to go offline

I’m gonna host a #commbuild chat on December 11. You should join us!

Belt AND suspenders

TOPIC: Why your community needs to go offline

DATE: Tuesday, December 11.
TIME: 1-2 PM EST/ 10-11 AM PST

Are you really trying to create a community? Then you’d better seriously consider starting up regular face-to-face meetings for your members. Join the #commbuild community for a discussion about the value of recurring offline group meetings, and share your stories of how offline community has inspired change. When and how should you create a meetup group? How are offline and online communities connected? And what’s in it for the organizer?

You should come. You wouldn’t want me to quote Margaret Mead at you, would you?

Follow the magic hashtag #commbuild

YOUR FACILITATOR
Elijah van der Giessen must be 100 years old, because he started doing Community Building back when “online social networks” consisted of email. Currently he’s the NetSquared Local Community Curator supporting a global volunteer network of 50 groups that each year hold over 450 events for the nonprofit technology sector. He’s also been the volunteer coordinator for outdoor festivals, environmental NGOs and Canadian Idol.

And yes, he wears a belt AND suspenders. That’s what old men do.

ABOUT #COMMBUILD
These conversations are focused on issues and topics relevant to those working on community building or in community management roles. They are open to anyone interested in learning and sharing about building community, on and offline, with the use of social media or other technology tools.

Anyone interested in community building, whether you are formally in a Community Management job or not, is welcome to join the group and participate in the weekly chats. You do not need to be a member of NTEN to participate, but you can join us online at http://my.nten.org/group/commbuild

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Go to http://tweetchat.com/room/commbuild (or use your preferred twitter chat client), login to your twitter account, and join the conversation! Just be sure to tag your tweets with #commbuild so your tweets are threaded into the conversation.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

  • What offline communities are you a part of? Which ones do you value the most?
  • WHY did you join your offline community? Why do you think others join?
  • Do you lead an offline community right now?
    If you have peer offline organizers elsewhere do you interact with them? How is the * network managed and sustained?
  • Are your offline and online communities connected? How?
  • What online tools do you use to manage your offline community?
  • What’s your #1 tip for a community organizer that wants to organize an offline meeting?
  • How do you recruit offline community members? Online? Offline?
  • If you have both online and offline communities how are they different? Demographics. Engagement. Activation. What’s the crossover?
  • What’s in it for the community organizer?
  • What’s your favorite online community right now?
  • People can be shy face-to-face. What’s a good icebreaker?
  • What’s your most transformative community experience? Was it online or offline?

Are you competitive?

A blog post from NetSquared.org encouraging local organizers to host events on a monthly basis. It’s the key to growth!

Black Lab Mother & pupLocal organizers:

Are you curious about how big your local group is compared to everyone else? Well, wonder no more because you can see the leaderboard on meetup.
The top five
  1. San Francisco: 1962
  2. Wasington, DC: 1335
  3. Vancouver, BC: 1329
  4. Toronto, ON: 1194
  5. New Orleans, LA: 1019
You may have heard the saying “it’s not big it is, but how you use it”. I think they were talking about meetup groups. But most of us are in this to make a big impact in our communities, and having a bigger meetup helps. 🙂
Factors of group growth
I’m sure there’s lots of patterns we could find in this data, but to me there are two key factors. One we control and the other we don’t.
  1. Big groups are usually in big cities (naturally!)
  2. Big groups hold events consistently every month.
Consistency is the biggest factor in group growth. It’s as important as event quality!
Need help coming up with event ideas? Check out this list of event formats and topics. I can also help you find a co-organizer, which makes it much easier to hold events every month.
==
Photo by blogdnd. Creative Commons-licensed on flickr.

Random Hacks of Kindness Vancouver

Net Tuesday pals PeaceGeeks are organizing a Random Hacks of Kindness hackathon this fall. If you’re a developer or a nonprofit with a project idea you should go. RSVP with PeaceGeeks.

RANDOM HACKS OF KINDNESS VANCOUVER, PRESENTED BY EMC

November 30, 2012 – 5:00pm to December 2, 2012 – 5:00pm
116 West Hastings, 2nd floor
Vancouver  British Columbia  V6B 1G8

Canada

   

What is Random Hacks of Kindness?

Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK) is a global movement that connects developers from around the world with local non-profit organizations to help solve technological challenges. This year, PeaceGeeks is excited to host the first RHoK event in Vancouver, presented by EMC.

The Vancouver event will open the evning of November 30th with a reception and project presentation. This will be followed by a two-day hackathon on Saturday December 1 and Sunday December 2. We expect to have between 80 and 100 developers, designers and project participants helping on up to 10 different projects that help to solve technology and communciations challenges for non-profit organization both in Vancouver and around the world.

What is a Global Event?

The Vancouver event will occur in tandem with events in over 20 cities around the world with more than 1000 participants working on different projects.

Who should participate in RHoK?

You should participate in RHoK Vancouver if you are passionate about using technology to help solve real world problems and if you have the following skills:

  • developer/ programmer (games, websites, software, mobile apps, etc.)
  • designer (web, games, apps, user interface, user experience expert, etc.)
  • project analysts (project managers, quality assurance testers, process mappers, etc.)
  • communications experts (copy writers, social media gurus, etc.)
  • other skills that might help to create awesome projects

 

How it will work

  • Project submissions: Starting in November, the RHoK Vancouver team will be recruiting potential projects for the event on December. A projects team will work with partners to clearly defining and refining both the problem and potential solution.
  • Project presentations: On Friday November 30, participants will be invited to the opening event reception. During the reception, representatives from up to 10 non-profit organizations will present their organization, problem and proposed project to participants. Following the presentations, participants will decide which project they will work on over the course of the weekend.
  • Project execution: On Saturday and Sunday (December 1st and 2nd), participants will work on the project they have chosen until 5pm on Sunday evening. We will then give each team 5 minutes to present their project to the group. A panel of judges will award prizes to the top 3 teams.

 

Who are our event sponsors (so far)?

We are very grateful to the following sponsors for helping us to make this event possible:

Global RHoKstar — Title Sponsor: EMC

RHoKstar Extraordinaire: Informatica

RHoK & Roller: GrowLab (Venue Sponsor)

Little RHoKers:

     

NetSquared September update

fall leafHere’s what I did as the NetSquared Local Community Curator in September 2012.

 

September is here, and even ‘tho the new year doesn’t come for another four months I still think of September as a time of rebirth and renewal (I’ll always think like a student, I guess.)

Check out all this rebirth and renewal:
Camps

We’re already had two NetSquared Camp events (Honolulu and Cameroon/Nigeria) and there’s another six  coming between now and November.

Platform
We released the latest release of the NetSquared platform this week and the old blog posts are back!
September events
The NetSquared local organizers are going to keep you busy this summer. Here’s a taste of some of the events planned so far.

NetSquared update October 2012

My Geek-o-Lantern.

What I did at NetSquared in October 2012

October is here! This is going to be a big month for NetSquared. Not only are we going to be holding three regional camps, but there’s also 18 local meetups scheduled and a major local organizer-focused update to the NetSquared platform.

Camps

There are three NetSquared camps scheduled for October:

And in November there will be two more:

Platform
Notification feed

The seventh release of the NetSquared platform is now live. It includes several new features including notification feeds (Facebook-style!) and NetSquared camp pages which appear as green dots on the local map.

What comes next? A major revision of the local organizer pages, to be rolled out October 23, 2012. Hopefully that will solve some of the ongoing bugs y’all have been struggling with, including an unpredictable meetup integration and hunt ‘n peck map icons. 🙂

October events

A quick scan shows 18 events happening across the NetSquared local network. Did I miss any? I think our local organizers have put together an impressive lineup. 🙂

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Photo: My Geek-o-Lantern. Creative Commons licensed by Neal Gillis