Mesh Conference 2007 – The Web and Philanthropy
Rob Hyndman talks to charity 2.0 entrepreneurs Tom Williams and Austin Hill.
Even though the web is so huge and interconnected, it is still a major challenge with connecting those in need with those who can help.
The web is now officially becoming social and people want to be social online. A big part of this is using that social nature to help others.
At it’s root, Charity is a deep human thing and it is inside of alot of people. It’s a “selfish act” for everything from good through to being seen as a good person.
Touching on the social concept of the web tied to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs just like Rolfsky did at Web2.0 Expo. Check out his presentation for the Maslow model of the web and web2.0.
The social web is a great way to inspire others to do good. The charitable establishment should be encouraging others to utilize UGC to help push out improvements. Simple technology like blogs can allow small organizations to out do major old fashion philanthropic institutions. Bloggers in the third world really show the reality, more so than a plea for help from a celebrity.
The social web allows users to come and go as they please so it is important for the facilitators to find new ways to engage people and keep the discussion going in a positive and meaningful way, rather than just flamewars and temporary groups of interest.
Word of mouth and growing the network of interactions is critical. This is especially true around the good news stories instead of just the sensational and negative stories. In terms of Charity, this is critical to allowing people to see all the good that comes out of donations and hard work, rather than just all the bad news. Giving context to the situation really allows charities and organizations to connect with normal people.
