PARDON ME, DO YOU THINK THE WEB CAN CHANGE THE WORLD?

I began my day at the plenary session of one of my favorite conferences --NTEN -- The Nonprofit Technology Network. It's a gathering of mostly non-profit activists who use the web to enhance their work. They are sharp, committed and fun.

The main session this morning was off the charts: David Weinberger, from Harvard's Berkman Center for the Internet and Society.   He nay be the best speaker I ever heard - certainly one of the best.  Of course he's funny and sometimes outraged - both very good things --- but he also offers really thrilling analysis of our lives online and the role of each of us in making the Web what it is, and what it will be.  Read more about him from another admirer, at the conference blog. 

I also popped in at "Using Technology to Support Your Mission." Very cool but it turned out to be techier than I wanted, so wandered around running into people.  This community is so vibrant and purposeful that it's a wonderful place to hang around.  These are people who don't think the web can change the world, they know it has.

By the way, beyond what I'm learning in sessions, I can tell you what's hot by the sessions I couldn't even get into:  The Age of YouTube: Using Video Online to Reach the Masses and Leveraging the Power of Participatory Media.  Fortunately the YouTube one, at least, was videoed and will appear on the NTEN website where we can attend without sitting in a corner on the floor and sweating from the major body heat surrounding each of us.

Even so, in all it was a great day; sorry this report is so brief.  More tomorrow.

Comments

[mcewen]

Lucky you! You walk, you talk, you get to be with big people!
Have a great time.
Cheers

[Ruby Sinreich]

Hey Cynthia. Even better than video (at least for a short attention span like mine), the participatory media session has most of its notes and examples online at http://epolitics.com/nten

Sorry we didn't get to meet at the NTC. Maybe some time soon...

[Rhea]

The conference sounded great. I read a story in the NY Times today about a bloggers' code of civility. The story mentions David Weinberger. I would love to see a movement online to fight sexism. It is no coincidence that women are targeted more often than men for cruel treatment in the blogosphere. After all, the pornography industry is the frontrunner in the push to further develop the Internet and other media technologies (mobile media on phones, etc.).

[Geoff Livingston]

I do believe the web can change the world. I have clients that using it to do that, too. Social networks are a great way to build an audience with like minded individuals... and influence them, too. I think the key is worthy content, value and authenticity.

Good for you in going to the conference. I need to make the time to do more of that myself.