PSAC Mobilizing Members
These reference notes are for the participants of the November 22nd PSAC Workshop. Enjoy!
The menu of methods
Models of communication
- One to one: Email, SMS, Phone call, Skype, webcams
- One to many: Youtube, Mailing lists, Blogs, Voice Broadcasts, streaming video
- Many to many: Facebook, forums, Conference calls, twitter, Chat rooms
Flavour of communication
- Instant (synchronous) or Delayed (asynchronous)
- Text or Multimedia
Management of communication
- Unmoderated or Moderated (PR problem)
- Public or Private (Security problem)
Key sites and their uses
flickr.com — Online photo gallery
use: A place to share images with others, as well as find creative commons images for your own use. Also can be a good outreach tool, through the use of tagging and participating in groups.
twitter.com / SMS broadcast — Short bursts of information (usually about 140 characters)
use: Quick broadcasts that can be done with cell phones, to keep members informed or remind them to take action
blogspot.com/ wordpress.com / livejournal.com — Blog hosting sites
use: Longer pieces of information, suited also to editorializing and reflecting. Provides updates or context for members, while getting a chance to hear — and address — their reactions
facebook.com / ning.com / Myspace.com (don’t bother) — Social networking sites
use: To increase visibility for politicians, to organize and promote events, to create groups that can help facilitate the broadcast of information. Benefit from built in audience, and newsfeed feature.
youtube.com — Videos online
use: Hosting and sharing of Public Service Announcements, good source of content, good tool for outreach to members and media (inspiration and counterspin).
del.icio.us / Ma.gnolia.com — shared bookmarks
use: collaborative research projects
digg.com / stumbleupon.com — shared content through social networks
use: content promotion
meetup.com – event coordination
use: planning events / meetings / actions
Basecamp / Backpack — project planning
use: planning event and coordinating remotely
Wikipedia.org — free online encyclopedia
use: tracking public knowledge and discourse (wikipedia is many people’s first stop for information about an organization)
Skype.com – VOIP online telephone
use: everything a phone does (regular calls, conference calls) but free
Case studies
The most successful initiatives do the following:
Inform:
Provide information to those who need it
Advise:
Once they have it, helping them make sense of it
Act:
Once they understand it, providing the tools to help them act on it
Internal audience - one to many - SMS messaging
- Patients receiving text message reminders to take their medicine, so they no longer waste time and money travelling to their nearest clinic.
- Farmers finding out the current market price before deciding whether to take their produce to market that day.
- National parks communicating details about dangerous animals, providing an early warning system to mitigate against human-wildlife conflict.
- Union members in the Asia getting private (invisible) reminders to attend certification votes
- Amnesty International sending thousands of text “signatures” in support of prisoners
Internal audience - many to many - bargaining blog
http://www.cupe391.ca/blog2/ — CUPE Local 391 Bargaining blog kept members up-to-date on every step of the bargaining process.
External audience - one to many - strike support website
http://www.fairnessforcivicworkers.ca/ — solicited and was home to shows of public support, provided public and media with counterspin
External audience - many to many - SPP protest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St1-WTc1kow
http://flickr.com/photos/emiliep/1206638928/
result: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/08/23/police-montebello.html
External audience - many to many - Ushahidi
http://www.ushahidi.com — a platform that crowdsources crisis information by allowing anyone to submit using a mobile phone, email or web form.
External audience - one to many / many to many - Barack Obama
http://www.barackobama.com — only one man was running for president but everyone took ownership of the campaign
Iran Elections- many to many
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1905125,00.html — Worldwide excitement that didn’t really turn into massive change as hoped.
G20 Protests
http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2009/10/use-twitter-to-wiretap-yourself-and-megaphone-it-to-the-police/ There are downsides to using public forums for communication.
Glossary
Is located here.
