#ADVOCACY: Google Does Harm To Privacy & Suffers An Hour’s Income For Infractions
Google as a gateway spying agency?
What you think about Google’s (and Facebook’s. And Twitter’s…) efforts to collect personal information of its users probably says quite a bit about what you think about human nature: If you don’t mind a database of your online activities being used by social networks and search engines, then you are likely comfortable with the fact that Google might know quite a bit about you but will not use that information to do any one harm. If you wonder if that flatscreen TV is looking back at you, then you might see in Google’s inadvertent collection of personal data while collecting its street maps over the last few years as the foundation of our Orwellian fate.
Google was recent fined for its ‘accidental’ collection of information across open Wi-Fi networks while filming its Street Views for Google Maps (And by ‘accidental’, I do not mean to use the term ironically. Google executives, once called on it by the federal government, immediately apologized and said it would accept the fine.). The fine was for $7 million − about what Google Inc. collects per hour from its various advertising and business interests. How might we understand these latest infractions into our privacy?
| Category Advocacy, Case Study, Civics, Communications, Community, Cross-Post, Education: General, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Opinion, Politics, Public Media, Site Administration, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Video, Video Interview, Web and Print | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#FUNDRAISING: Crowdfunding Response To Boston Bombing Raises Hope & Caution
One of the wonderful qualities of Americans is the way we respond with our time and our money when a terrible shock or natural disaster hits our fellow countrypeople. The bombings in Boston on the 15th were certainly ‘terrible shocks’ and as homemade and smartphone videos make clear, volunteers and fellow marathon watchers ran in to help before the smoke cleared. And since then Americans all over the country have been raising money online and via a sprouting group of crowdfunding sites. But along with over $2 million being raised to help survivors recover, warnings are also being raised about cases of fraud. How do legitimate crowdfunding organizations separate themselves from the occasional fraudsters?
| Category Civics, Communications, Community, Cross-Post, Crowdfunding, Events, Fundraising, Low-Income, Mobile, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Newspaper Article, Nonprofit, Opinion, Politics, Social Networks | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#PHILANTHROPY: Zuckerberg’s Millions Suggest New Style Of Giving By Young
Mark gives big again
Mark Zuckerberg always makes headlines, and few were as stunning as the ones he made in the fall of 2010 when he donated $100 million to the Newark, NJ school system − a system with which he has no personal connections whatsoever. His generosity was intended to help right the ship of one of the statistically worst school districts in the nation. But the shock of such a huge gift was met with as much skepticism as thanks, and within a year parents groups and the ACLU sued the city of Newark to open up its correspondence with the founder of Facebook so they could trace what launched the donation and what the city had been doing with the money.
Mayor Cory Booker and state officials continue to state that no email trail exists (a dangerous defense to mount in this day-and-age if untrue), and the money is being plowed back into the schools. Zuckerberg, though, has felt no qualms about giving other big gifts. Last fall he gave a stunning $500 million to the Silicon Valley Foundation. Two such gifts suggests a pattern, but what kind?
| Category Civics, Community, Cross-Post, Facebook, Facebook, Fundraising, Health, Major Gifts, News and Current Affairs, Newspaper Article, Nonprofit, Social Media, Social Networks | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#VIDEO: Ken Sterns’s Book Offers Tough Love To Nonprofit Economy
Ken Sterns, former CEO of NPR, challenges the nonprofit sector
Ken Sterns has served as CEO of National Public Radio, arguably one of the best-known nonprofits in the country. He supports The American Red Cross, and has served on the boards of a number of charities. So when his book, And Charity for All argues that the nonprofit sector is a huge part of the American economy, yet the least productive sector as well, people listen. And they should.
Mr. Sterns was recently interviewed at The Huffington Post, as he joined a roundtable (‘multiscreen’) discussion that included Alexander Berger at GiveWell; Dr. John Brothers, founder of Quidoo Consulting; and Rigo Sabarino, President and CEO of St. Barnabas Senior Services. The interview begins with him throwing down the gauntlet, wondering if the nonprofit community is even worth preserving.
| Category Advice, Advocacy, Book, Book Review, Civics, Community, Cross-Post, Development, Fundraising, Interview, Marketing, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Opinion, Politics, Public Media, Public Relations, Publications, Reviews, Storytelling, Strategic Marketing, Video Interview | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#FUNDRAISING: Register for Maryland Governor’s Grants Conference
As the calendar year unfolds and the fiscal year 2013-2014 appears over the horizon, so too does registration begin for the Maryland Governor’s Grants Conference. This year’s conference will be held at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus on Thursday, February 21st. The one-day conference − sponsored by such organizations as the National Grant Management Association, the Grant Professionals Association, and Deloitte − offers plenary talks by leaders in the grant-providing and grant-winning fields, as well as breakout sessions allowing networking and specific assistance for your organization’s needs.
| Category Advocacy, Civics, Conference/Congress, Cross-Post, Event, Events, Fundraising, Grants, Grants and Funding, Local/Maryland, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Politics, Public Relations, Resource | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#COMMUNICATIONS: Postal Service Rates To Rise on 27 January
Forever stamps still good after the 27th.
We have managed to put off the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ for a couple of months, but we can’t avoid the changes in postal rates coming in a couple of weeks. Thanks to our fine business partners at Ecoprint in Silver Spring, Maryland, for the heads-up! The US Postal Service (USPS) has been on hard times over the last 5-7 years due to the overwhelming presence of email, social networks, and e-fax services. Moreover, the semi-private/ public service is carrying a striking burden of compensation packages for its executives that, frankly, seem to outweigh the performance of the venerable institution. Be that as it may, be prepared for upticks to many of the services. What’s coming at the end of the month?
| Category Advice, Campaigns, Civics, Communications, Cross-Post, Direct Mail, Education: General, Marketing, Marketing Budget, News and Current Affairs, Newsletter, Newspaper Article, Nonprofit, Politics, Publications, Resource, Web and Print | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALNETWORKS: 4th-Annual Social Media Week Will Educate & Inspire Worldwide
Attendance is just a few clicks away.
The first Social Media Week went live in 2008, as Twitter was just hitting the mainstream and Lehman Brothers announced it was going bankrupt and would take down the economy with it. For better and worse, much has change. And Social Media Week continues to expand. It started to stress connectivity across continents last year, and this year the list of host cities already includes Barcelona, Bogotá, Doha, Hong Kong, Jeddah, LA, Shanghai, and Turin (among others). Individuals can register at any point for this year’s program, and organizations can prepare submissions to offer sessions for next year. What will the 2012 week bring?
| Category Advice, Advocacy, Campaigns, Case Study, Cause Marketing, Civics, Communications, Community, Education: General, Event, Events, Fundraising, How-to, Marketing, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Permission Marketing, Public Media, Public Relations, Publications, Resource, Seminar, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Webinar | | 1 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALMEDIA: Politicians & NonProfits Need Agility With Online Outreach
As the Democratic ‘nominee’ Barack Obama delivered his acceptance speech last night in Charlotte, NC, a record number of tweets on politics were sent out − some 52,756 tweets-per-minute (tpm) being posted as he wound up. By contrast, Mitt Romney inspired 14,289 tpm, which was about half as many as reactions to Michelle Obama’s presentation two nights ago.
But what both parties know well is the fact that they must be ‘agile’ with their social-media outreach. They have to find ways to steer the narrative while many thousands of other voices also have the opportunity to steer that narrative. True, campaigns for the presidency take up far more online space than most any nonprofit, which is precisely why nonprofits can learn something from watching how the campaigns are trying to use social media.
| Category Advice, Cause Marketing, Civics, Communications, Community, Events, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Measurement, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Permission Marketing, Politics, Public Media, Public Relations, SEO, Social Media, Social Networks, Storytelling, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Web and Print, Writing | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#COMMUNICATIONS: NFC Means More Than Paying By Mobile Phone
Wave-&-Ride to replace Swipe-&-Ride?
Near Field Communication has been around for a few years now, though the most popular mobile device, the iPhone, does not (yet?) carry the necessary transmitters to take advantage of it. The technology requires its own dedicated chip to send and receive data. Thus far, Google’s Android phones have been taking the lead in the US economy, but one of the more pulsating rumors about the iPhone 5 is whether it will contain said chip. The web consensus seems to be ‘probably not yet’, but as people become ever more aware of what NFC can do, then Apple will surely enter the market.
| Category Advertising, Banking & Finance, Communications, Marketing, Mobile, Mobile, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Reviews, Social Marketing, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#FUNDRAISING: Presidential Candidates Ramp Up Mobile Giving
With the (delayed) start of the Republican Convention in Tampa earlier this week, the really officially serious campaign season starts. For the next 10-odd weeks, most American start to focus on the candidates, their platforms, and their messages. There has been much talk about the low level of discourse that has driven the campaign thus far, but − unlike Senate debates in the 19th century − no one has been caned.
This is the first post-’Citizens United’ national election, so the astute political junkies are paying attention to the money flow from corporations and unions that need report their large donations until after the voting has been counted. But what about at the other end of the giving scale? This is also the first national election that offers opportunities for texting donations to candidates. How might that change the fundraising landscape?
| Category Advocacy, Campaigns, Cause Marketing, Civics, Communications, Community, Crowdfunding, Events, Fundraising, How-to, iDevice, Marketing Skills, Mobile, Mobile, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Politics, Social Marketing, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#PROAGING: Technology Can Encourage Socialization & Longevity
Perhaps the greatest gift of life is the ability to share many its aspects with others. We have communication skills and empathies that can enliven mundane tasks and reinforce the greater joys and tragedies of the human experience. As social beings, we seek out these shared experiences from our earliest infancy to our later golden years. For many aging citizens, though, physical limitations and technological impositions can reduce opportunities for socialization, which in turn has been shown to decrease both life quality and life expectancy.
Most aging Americans want to live in their own homes as they age, but that desire also increases the likelihood of growing isolation and falling life quality. How might recent technological innovations keep seniors connected to their peers and their younger family members?
| Category Advocacy, Aging, Boomers, Civics, Communications, Community, Grandparents, Healthcare, Independent Living, Major Gifts, News and Current Affairs, Newsletter, Nonprofit, Resource, Retirement Living, Seniors Life, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Technology for Aging, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#TECH: Sometimes A Security Breach Is Just A Phonecall Away
What's in your password?
The dog days of summer are upon us. We long for an afternoon at the pool or a weekend at the beach before schools and the NFL kick off. The security of our email and our online shopping accounts probably aren’t on the top of our to-do lists. And nefarious hackers seem to know this: July saw a striking number of high-profile security breaches and website hacks. Even the esteemed Reuters news site was hacked to allow a fake reporter to post that Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal died.
If Reuters’s services can get cracked, what’s a nonprofit organization or a poor individual who has no say in his or her cloud service‘s security standards to do? Actually, one can do quite a bit. But even then, vigilance and the occasional decoupling of online services are needed to avoid disaster, as poor Mat Honan of Wired.com recently discovered just a bit too late.
| Category Advice, Advocacy, Blogs, Civics, Education: General, How-to, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Publications, Resource, Site Administration, Social Media, Software Review, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#PROAGING: Olympics & Social Media Suggest Shrinking Digital Divide
NBC might have gotten some bad press for giving away results before showing them tape-delayed in the lucrative hours of prime time. These Olympics have both been the ‘first Social Olympics’ and the first to struggle to understand what such instantaneous communication can mean to corporate and sporting interests. And, as it turns out, most of the griping is coming from the world of social networks. According to the Pew Research Center, 76% of Americans find the NBC communications conglomerate’s coverage excellent or good.
What are the numbers when age is taken into consideration?
| Category Advocacy, Aging, Boomers, Civics, Communications, Grants and Funding, Independent Living, Internet, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Politics, Report, Seniors Life, Site Administration, Social Media, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Technology for Aging | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALMEDIA: How Young Is Too Old To Have Communications Expertise?
Would you hire any of these people for your social-media outreach?
Why don’t you all fade away, and don’t try to dig what we all say
I’m not trying to cause a big sensation, I’m just talkin’ ’bout my generation
The Who, “My Generation,” My Generation (1965)
Well, I’ve already dated myself. But I’m going to press on with this post anyway. Catherine Sloan, a recent graduate from the University of Iowa who already has byline credit with USAToday, posted an opinion blog at NextGenJournal.com with the title “Why Every Social Media Manager Should Be Under 25“. It has caused something of a ruckus − a sensation, if you will − and commentators and flamers have been debating her post for the last 10 days. Now that some of the heat has dissipated, we wanted to see if she cast any light on the generational and communications experiences of Millennials.
| Category Advice, Advocacy, Aging, Blogs, Civics, Communications, Facebook, Facebook, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Media Review, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Opinion, Public Media, Public Relations, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Media, Social Networks, Storytelling, Technology, Twitter, Twitter | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALMEDIA: IOC Struggles To Corral First “Social Olympics” In London
Click on image to visit Infomous.com
The Opening Ceremonies went off without a hitch. Security concerns have been allayed thus far. The weather hasn’t been too bad. For Americans, we’ve had a few sub-par performances in the pool and on the gymnastics apparatuses, but so far, so good.
Unless the issue is how this so-called “First Social Games” is going. The social media events have not gone quite like fans, competitors, or International Olympic Committee members had thought it would − all for different reasons. Indeed, the biggest security dust-up has to do not with fears of terrorists, but fears of unwanted mention of sponsors by athletes and/or their supporters. Is the IOC fairly trying to protect the Olympic ‘brand’ or are its members greedily limiting expression through social media? And does anybody else really care?
| Category Advertising, Blogs, Case Study, Communications, Events, Facebook, Facebook, Geo-Location, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Media Review, Mobile, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Opinion, Politics, Public Media, Public Relations, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Twitter, Twitter, Video, YouTube | | 1 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#TECH: Apple Backs Down on EPEAT. Welcome Back To EPEAT!
Apple bruised by PR cuts over EPEAT
No, MKCREATIVEmedia doesn’t wield that kind of influence over 1 Infinity Loop. Or any influence, really. But about two hours ago we posted a summation of Apple’s withdrawal from the very EPEAT environmental standards the corporation helped establish over a decade ago. Our little contribution to the issue was not technological or particularly environmental, but political: Apple (and any other corporation, bank, investment firm, media conglomerate…) wants to set the rules, follow the rules, and be umpire of those rules (for itself) all at the same time.
Well, difficult to say that Apple called a foul on itself. But retiring Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, Bob Mansfield, has released a press release at Apple’s website explaining why Apple has decided to return to the EPEAT community!
Here are excerpts of his letter:
We’ve recently heard from many loyal Apple customers who were disappointed to learn that we had removed our products from the EPEAT rating system. I recognize that this was a mistake. Starting today, all eligible Apple products are back on EPEAT.
It’s important to know that our commitment to protecting the environment has never changed, and today it is as strong as ever….
For example, Apple led the industry in removing harmful toxins such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). We are the only company to comprehensively report greenhouse gas emissions for every product we make, taking into account the entire product lifecycle. And we’ve removed plastics wherever possible, in favor of materials that are more highly recyclable, more durable, more efficient and longer lasting.
Our relationship with EPEAT has become stronger as a result of this experience, and we look forward to working with EPEAT as their rating system and the underlying IEEE 1680.1 standard evolve. Our team at Apple is dedicated to designing products that everyone can be proud to own and use.
Sure, Apple wants those government contracts back. But what might also be striking about this volte face is Apple is tacitly admitting it didn’t expect much of a public reaction to their leaving the coalition. “I mean, really! Our stuff is greener than most anybody’s anyway. Why all this fuss?” We can see Apple’s decision on its decision as one little victory for the common person and her/his social networking tools.
Of course, we’re complaining about our latest iPads, whereas people are risking their lives on social networks in Syria and Egypt. But let’s take our wins where we can. And no, MKCREATIVEmedia won’t be taking credit for this change of policy.
Related articles
| Category Advertising, Advocacy, Apple, Civics, Communications, Environment, Event, iDevice, Marketing, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Opinion, Politics, Publications, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Twitter | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#TECH: Once Developed By Apple, Now Abandoned By Apple: EPEAT Standards
Has Apple lost its environmental cred?
It can be tough to love Apple, Inc. Stock prices over $600? Check. Over $100 billion in cold, hard, cash? You bet. Products loved even by those who don’t even own one? Of course! Profits over $6.5 billion a quarter? No sweat. Charitable organization? Er… Recycle program for its gadgets? Well, up to a point. Environmentally-sensitive product line? Yes, sort of. Unless we’re not. Tell you what, let’s just drop that off the list, ok?
Apple helped draw up the EPEAT standards for environmentally-friendly production of technologies back in 200-2001. But this past Tuesday Apple quietly backed out of its commitment to the program. In fact, Apple only responded yesterday, once word started to spread (darn that social networking stuff that Apple products do so well!) and some contracts were put on hold.
Why has the leading tech company withdrawn from its own environmental guidelines? Will the Apple brand be bruised by the move?
| Category Apple, Branding, Case Study, Civics, Hardware Review, iDevice, iPad/Tablet, News and Current Affairs, Opinion, Politics, Public Relations, Technology | | 1 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#COMMUNICATIONS: A Storm & A Second Cause Disruptions That Remind Us Of Need For Vigilance (& Backups)
70+ mph winds and burning poles disrupt power
If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region, then you might not be reading this blog on the Monday it was (hopefully!) posted. A freak and unpredicted storm ripped through the region Friday night − an effect of the 100+ heat and no breezes to break up the high-pressure cell parked on the region. Power is now out for some 560,000 residents of the Baltimore area, and millions in the region. The people who lost their lives in the storm (13 as we post), are of course the greatest tragedy, and we wish strength for the families.
From the perspective of communication and technology, the storm knocked out servers at Amazon, Instagram, Pinterest, and Netflix, and the first two of that list especially struggled through the weekend. To make matters worse, the world’s “Coordinated Universal Time” clock tacked on an extra second on Saturday to account for irregularities in the earth’s rotation. Reddit, FourSquare, LinkedIn, and StumbleUpon were some of the highest-profile services to fall victim to the extra tick. What can be learned from all this mayhem?
| Category Communications, Community, Media Review, News and Current Affairs, Newspaper Article, Nonprofit, Public Media, Site Administration, Social Media, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Thought for the Day | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#TECH: Microsoft Surfaces To Shake Up Tablet Market & Challenge iPad…Someday.
We really like the keyboard idea
Full disclosure: We at MKCREATIVEmedia are pretty Apple-centric, even though we are aware that many of our readers are using Microsoft products to access the blog. So when we heard that Microsoft want to enter the tablet market, we thought, “well, that’s about two years too late.” But we also wanted to see how Microsoft handled the announcement/release and what they wanted to bring to the market − and we wanted to keep an open mind.
The Microsoft Surface was announced this week, and − unlike ‘iPad’ − we really liked the name. In fact, on the surface, the new Surface has lots going for it, not the least of which are the millions of schools, nonprofits, corporations, and individuals who already have a Windows computer and who might be more comfortable waiting for a Windows-built tablet before jumping into the market.
Unfortunately, even the early reviewers at the Microsoft Event are not so sure that’s what will happen.
| Category Advice, Case Study, Communications, Design, Event Review, Events, Hardware Review, iPad/Tablet, Marketing, Mobile, Opinion, Reviews, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Video | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALNETWORKS: Let Flickr Tell Your Nonprofit’s Story As It Happens
A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. And with digital social media, images are becoming both more common and more powerful as platforms such as Facebook and Google+ emphasize the photo and graphic qualities of their social-media networks. A kind of ‘visual economy’ is developing, within which social networks are competing and users are finding ever more refined ways to share their most interesting/compelling/entertaining work. With the ubiquity of smartphones with at-least decent cameras, nonprofits should be encouraging their staffs and volunteers to use those cameras to help tell the story of your organizations good work. One of the best ways to share that story is through Flickr. Let us show you how.
| Category Advice, Branding, Campaigns, Communications, Community, Cross-Post, Design, Geo-Location, How-to, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Media Review, Mobile, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Public Media, Reviews, Social Media, Social Networks, Software Review, Strategic Marketing, Technology for Nonprofits, Video | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#CIVICS: Apple’s Billions In Tax Dodges Come Under Scrutiny
The corporation is in California, but not its tax liability
Apple Inc. is making it difficult to feel sympathy for Apple Inc. When the blogosphere challenged Apple the business and Steve Jobs the CEO to act like a good corporate citizen by offering some philanthropic goodwill, we took a fairly conciliatory position that Apple’s job is innovative technology and Apple’s innovative technology has been a real boon to the nonprofit world. When the terrible conditions at Foxconn China broke, we followed the story arc with you and stressed Apple’s willingness to engage its supplier − albeit belatedly. Then the story dissolved amid retractions and mea culpas that threatened many careers outside Apple or Foxconn.
But now The New York Times has reported that Apple Inc. has been pipelining profits to subsidiaries and ghost offices both in the US and abroad that has lowered its tax liabilities by over $2 billion in the last year.
| Category Apple, Civics, Communications, Community, Marketing, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Newspaper Article, Opinion, Politics, Public Relations, Report, Resource, Sustainability, Technology | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#SOCIALNETWORKS: Kony 2012 Covered The Night. Did It Jump The Shark?
Youth cover some of the evening
The sensation that is/was ‘Kony 2012′ has been a part of the nonprofit social-media landscape for six-plus weeks now. The hundreds of millions who made the original video a viral sensation in March were not all supporters of the message, though, and challenges to the drive launched by the San Diego nonprofit ‘Invisible Children’ continue to be made. The original and ostensible goal is to have Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) brought to justice by making Kony ‘famous’ enough that world leaders will be inspired or shamed to dedicate the resources to get him. The effort to make him famous has been done and the culmination of the effort was this past weekend’s ‘Cover The Night’ campaign. How well did it go? Whether the night got ‘covered’ probably depends on where you are and what you want ‘covered’ to mean, but Invisible Children have ratcheted up their campaign with, frankly, the oddest video yet.
| Category Blogs, Cause Marketing, Civics, Communications, Community, Crowdfunding, Event Review, Events, Fundraising, Marketing, Media Review, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Newspaper Article, Nonprofit, Opinion, Politics, Public Media, Reviews, Social Media, Social Networks, Storytelling, Video, YouTube | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#TECH: Clothes Make The (Wo)Man, But Technology Makes The Clothes Cool
Stepping out this weekend?
Technology comes in all shapes and sizes (a chipped rock tied to a stick was once ‘cutting-edge’ technology, literally). We usually envision technology as growing ever smaller and ever more useful for our entertainment. But in today’s post we poked around for some innovations that might someday hang in our closets rather than link us to Foursquare. For the female tech-and-chic maven, Stephen Rodrig has created a line of circuited shoes and accessories that certainly seem to appeal much more to the eye than to the foot. His goal seems one of iconic fashion and recycling: “Rather than ending up in a mound of obsolete waste destined to rot in time, there is a recycled life waiting to take on a new form.”
Other designs strive for a higher level of practicality, and the ones we want to feature here will, in fact, engage working circuit boards in one mode or another. They also present environmentally friendly means to do so.
| Category Design, Hardware Review, Health, News and Current Affairs, Reviews, Technology | | Comments Off
Written by: Christopher Gardner, PhD
#INTERVIEW: Mark Van Gurp, Osocio Blog — Showcases the Best Advertising & Marketing For Social Causes
Mark van Gurp is the founder of Osocio, an international blog devoted to showcasing the best advertising and marketing for social causes. Mark began an earlier blog, Houtlist, in 2005 as a personal collection of nonprofit ads. Overwhelmed by the response, he began Osocio in 2007 with more than a dozen regular contributors. He has kept his day job. The interview was conducted by Don Akchin, a principal of Nonprofit Marketing 360 and a frequent contributor to the MKCREATIVE blog.
MKC: Can you explain what you do in your day job?
MARK: I’m webmaster and web designer for a big publishing house. At the unit I’m working for, we write about advertising and marketing. It is like Ad Age.
MKC: What first inspired you to curate nonprofit advertising and create Houtlust?
MARK: It was a coincidence. I was thinking about working as a freelance designer. And because I’m interested in designing for non-profits, I started collecting inspirational examples in the field. Those were the days before Pinterest and other networks, so I started a blog just for myself. It was my online album accessible from anywhere.
(more…)
| Category Blogs, Communications, Community, Cross-Post, Interview, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Opinion, Politics, Social Networks, Special Series, Storytelling, Writing | | Comments Off
Written by: Don Akchin
#VIDEO: Freelance Producers & Reporters Wanted for Brooklyn Independent Television
Brooklyn Independent Television (a division of the Community Media initiative of BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn), makes TV programs for and about Brooklyn, NYC, covering news, arts, culture, sports, health, business, and what’s happening in Brooklyn’s diverse neighborhoods.
Marco Kathuria, Creative Director and Social Media Strategist at MKCREATIVE happens to be one of their freelance instructors, so when he heard that BIT was expanding their programming and were looking for talented filmmakers who want to tell stories, he felt it was something worth sharing.
| Category Community, Cross-Post, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Opinion, Storytelling, Video, Video Production | | Comments Off
Written by: mkcreative