The BRIC award - photo by Jane Middlehurst

At last week’s beautiful UnLtdWorld first birthday gathering, I was honoured to collect a shiny BRIC award, for “using technology for social good in the most creative and innovative way”.

Thank you to everyone who voted for Dharmafly, and to all who have supported us in the last 2 years.

There were five award categories, with an array of nominees, each of them involved in the finest of projects. Although UnLtdWorld is an online social network (it brings together those with an interest in positive social change), it was a particularly rich experience to meet in person so many passionate and focussed individuals. And there is a growing number of meetups in this area, such as Social Innovation Camp, the Shine Unconference and 2gether.

Felix Gonzales produced this video:
(please excuse my slightly gushy, tongue-tied jabbering – I must have been having a rush)…

And here it is on my desk, as promised:

Update: And another very special, double award was received over the weekend. More on that later today very soon right here…

Dharmafly are chuffed to have been nominated for a BRIC award with UnLtdWorld, the social network for social entrepreneurs. You can vote with your feet (erm, your mouse) right here.

Since its launch, one year ago, UnLtdWorld has gone from strength to strength as a platform for collaboration, helping people to work together for social change. We’re listed in the Digital Award category, for those “using technology for social good in the most creative and innovative way”:

The BRIC Awards aim to recognise the most active, inspiring and original members of UnLtdWorld, as voted for by its community.

They encapsulate what UnLtdWorld stands for: Business, Resources, Insight and Community – and members selected as nominees reflect a well-rounded approach to those elements.

Voting ends Friday 24th April, 5pm (UK time), and the winners will be announced at UnLtdWorld’s first birthday celebration, on May 5th.

Twitter: What it is, why you need it, and how you can use it to change your world

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a website that lets visitors write short messages (limited to 140 characters) that answer the perennial question: What are you doing?

Twitter began as a way for employees to communicate within organisations, but gradually expanded as a way for friends, colleagues and contacts to share their news, thoughts and interesting discoveries with each other.

If you want to have a conversation online, you might use email or instant messaging. But if you want other people to ‘overhear’ your conversation, allowing them to join in, then Twitter is the perfect medium.

Twitter is becoming an inspirational source of connections, helping like-minded people unite for social change, good causes and business shenanigans.

Why should you use Twitter?

At first glance, Twitter might appear to be a hyperactive torrent of random thoughts. But it’s much more than that. You can use Twitter to do many things, including:

• Let colleagues and clients get to know you as a person
• Open communication channels between your organisation and the public
• Demonstrate your intelligence/wit/charm/(insert good quality here)
• Find new partners, volunteers, members and clients

Why do other people use Twitter?

We asked these questions…

• @leifkendall Asking: Why do YOU use Twitter? Why?! #
• @premasagar Doing a little research… Tell me, why do YOU use Twitter? #

…which very quickly led to these responses (and more):

• @mattlambert Hi Leif – twitter is human moderated search, I get to find stuff I didn’t even know I wanted. Plus, a personal radio #
• @helenbaker I use Twitter in the hope of learning something new! I like the trying-to-be-useful Tweets, not the tells-me-nothing ones. #
• @TraceyDooley First it was curiosity. Then it was an addiction. Now I intend to build good relations (I hope!) with people AND poss clients #
• @ThirdSectorLab I use twitter to learn from all the knowledgable people in the twittersphere and [hopefully] to contribute as well. #
• @eggboxrobin Would love to help, but can’t say why I use Twitter in 140 chars! To stay informed, meet new interesting peeps, feel connected.. #
• @catherinepope I use Twitter in lieu of real colleagues. The virtual variety is much easier to filter out! #
• @theanxy Staying close to people, sharing information easier and faster, discovering new resources from interesting bloggers. #
• @cathyma To keep track of the minds of smart people and to share exciting quirks online #
• @stevebridger It’s like having better brains on tap, and I work alone, so it helps me feel connected – I call it ‘alone together’
• @Robpermeable For tidbits of info, useful urls, and connecting with people in my sector (charity and PR) #
• @jellyslastjam Initially to see what the fuss was about, now I’ve been sucked in and can’t help myself. #

As you can see, people have many personal and commercial reasons for using Twitter – but don’t just take our word for it, the web abounds with useful articles on Twitter (such as this excellent one).

One thing’s for sure – now that Twitter has broken into the mainstream, playing its part in citizen journalism, charity fundraising and Barack Obama’s legendary social media success (he’s by far the most followed Twitterer), it’s not going away any time soon.

So, do YOU use Twitter? Why?

This month, we’re taking great pleasure in helping out both the London and Brighton Twestivals on the 12th of February. We’re donating a mind-expanding, floaty prize to the London Twestival raffle, and we’re a main sponsor for the Brighton Twestival.

Why the sponsorship?

As ever, we’re interested in helping out with events that are run for the community and by the community. This time, we’re extra-enthused because the Twestivals also embody several other passions of ours:

1. We love gatherings where positive, chance meetings happen between like-minded people.
2. We want to support events in aid of charities (all proceeds help Charity:water‘s efforts to bring safe drinking water to the world).
3. We’re excited about events that have been enabled by social media (in this case, the ever-growing community on Twitter), where online communities create events in their very own neighbourhood.

What’s this about Twitterers floating?

At the London Twestival, one lucky raffle winner will win our prize of a year’s supply of float tank sessions.

Sometimes you need a rest from all the hubbub, wittering, twittering and chasing about. At London’s float centre, Floatopia, you’ll find a haven from the mad rush of life in a warm, relaxing, womb-like pool:

Whilst suspended in a dense Epsom salt solution, warmed to skin temperature, one soon gets the illusion of floating in air. The resulting sense of serenity and deep well-being will stay with you for days after your float.

(Warning: You may have to leave your iPhone outside).

Six months of the prize is courtesy of Dharmafly and this has been generously matched with another six months by Floatopia. You can read more about the benefits of floating on the Floatopia site or Wikipedia.

Happy Twestivals! We’d love to hear your experiences if you’re the winner of our floaty prize, and even if you aren’t, drop us a comment below and let us know how the Twestival went for you.

Update: Another prize – Green Hosting

We’re also now offering a prize of one year of our 100% renewable energy web hosting for the Brighton Twestival raffle. Best of luck, raffle peeps!

Twestival unites online friends for charity

Twestival bridges the gap between the off- and online worlds. It provides a chance for communities on Twitter (a web service that allows users to share their thoughts with their peers) to meet in person and to raise money for Charity:water, who provide clean water for people in developing countries.

Dharmafly spoke to Amanda Rose, the enterprising organiser who got the Twestival ball rolling, to find out more about Twestival and why Twitter is suited to this kind of crowd-sourced social action.

Rippling messages through the web

As Amanda noted, Twitter allows for a “ripple effect”, letting messages spread and surge through the web. This gives Twestival instant access to willing participants – people who pass on the message and offer to get involved.

Those who are making Twestival happen are ordinary people, choosing to help a good cause after hearing about it through their Twitter network.

Charity:water has been chosen as Twestival’s beneficiary, partly because they are active Twitter users themselves (such as the charity’s founder, Scott Harrison), using it to spread news of their work and to connect with interested parties.

Twitter steps out of the web

Twitter is sometimes characterised as another way for socially-awkward people to avoid human contact (mainly by people who’ve never used it). Twestival is further evidence that Twitterers want their interactions to make a difference beyond the web.

Twestival: a flash-function

So what exactly is a Twestival? It’s a loose idea, varying in nature from city to city. Each Twestival is a rapid-response flash-event, created almost spontaneously by volunteers.

Some Twestivals are taking the form of an “unconference” (a grassroots conference organised by the participants), some are relaxed social gatherings in cafes and pubs, and some will have entertainment and activities. All Twestivals aim to bring together local Twitter communities to benefit a good cause.

Twestival: raising money for Charity:water

At the heart of every Twestival is Charity:water, a non-profit organisation that brings clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of donations go directly to creating sustainable clean water solutions.

The directness of Charity:water’s donation system means that every penny raised by generous Twitterers will help provide clean water to the people who need it most. You can also donate directly on the Twestival page of the Charity:water website.

Twestival in Brighton: @brightwest

Brighton’s Twestival tickets go on sale at 12pm today. If you want to track its progress, follow @twestival and @brightwest on Twitter, and check brighton.twestival.com for more information.

Update: Now sponsoring

Dharmafly is now happily a Twestival sponsor, and we’re giving away some gorgeous raffle prizes.

If you had a map and you could show it to anyone, what would you put on it?

These days, maps are playing a big part in the development of social media. Imagine you were to run an event, or make a journey around the world, how could you represent it online? How could you help people to find out where you are, to know what you’re doing, or even to see what you’re seeing?

As you can imagine, interactive web maps and location-based activities are not just useful for looking up addresses. We can now assign practically any piece of online content to a map, including videos, photos or location-based conversations. At last, the web doesn’t have to be so geographically anonymous anymore.

Everyone has different needs and interests, so their information might be organised in different ways: people such as film buffs, chess enthusiasts, or parents looking for baby groups might all want to find out about related activities in their local area, and web mapping can help.

Interactive maps in action

Dharmafly recently created interactive maps for EastHampshire.org, partnering on the project with Brighton-based Callender Creates.

As a website for residents and visitors to East Hampshire, it offers information about community groups, news and local events. On the interactive map, you can look at up-to-date information and find out where it’s going on at exactly the same time.

Harnessing the social web

Rather than reinventing the wheel and creating a brand new, separate events engine, EastHampshire.org is hooked into Upcoming, a social network website for sharing events.

When an Upcoming user creates a new East Hampshire event, it is automatically pulled into EastHampshire.org, and the same happens in reverse. This stream of events is fed directly into the interactive map, allowing the content to stay fresh, relevant and up-to-date.

Other mapping projects we’ve worked on

We like mapping projects. Here are a few others:

• Talking America, where we charted a BBC bus tour across America, as it gathered on-the-streets opinions in the run-up to this year’s momentous US Elections.
• Bangladesh River Journey for BBC World Service, where we created a map to track the journalists as they investigated how climate change has a direct effect on people’s lives throughout Bangladesh.
• Location-Based Services, an article for Opera about the use of mapping and geographical tools on the web.

So, if you had a map, what would you put on it?

We want to spend a little time reminiscing about last month’s Brighton BarCamp, one of our favourite events of the year and a time when we get to roll up our sleeves and muck in with the community.

BarCamp is a self-organised gathering of New Media enthusiasts and an important opportunity to share knowledge with peer businesses and enthusiasts. Naturally, we were keen to get involved, and we found no less than four different ways to do so:

1. Mingling

The best thing about BarCamp is the opportunity to hang out and discuss technology and business with a great bunch of like-minded people. As ever, there was an eclectic mix of developers, designers, thinkers and doers – mainly Brighton-based, but the event attracted people from all over. Andy Mitchell, from Leeds, had this to say:

Coming down from the North I find it a real different culture, so mild-mannered and alternative (sessions on “GeekYoga”? “Getting Things Done” and “Meditation”?!) I must admit I’m somewhat fascinated with it.

2. Organising

In the run up to BarCamp Brighton3, we played a part in getting sponsors on board, as well as being mini-sponsors ourselves. BarCamp is entirely free and inclusive, and without the many sponsors and volunteers, it just wouldn’t have been possible.

One minor feature that was unexpectedly well received was the hand-crafted, recycled newspaper goodie bag given to each attendee on arrival at the event. The bags were made by a local greengrocer in Suffolk, and they’re so special that they now have their own mini-cult following.

3. Speaking

I gave two talks: one for BarCampers interested in business development and one for those curious about new methods for social media.

The First Talk: “Can Your Business be Franchised? (And Should It)?”

A little while back, we were considering what would happen if Dharmafly was a franchise – or, rather, not if it was a franchise, but if it was capable of being a franchise.

This is loosely inspired by the ideas of Michael Gerber in his book ‘The E-Myth‘. He suggests that if all the procedures of a business are clarified, systematised and documented as if the business was to be replicated to a different location, then the business will benefit, even if it isn’t actually replicated. (He also goes into a lot of other detail about other stuff that I didn’t connect with as much).

Think of something as efficient and repeatable as the McDonald’s experience, but with a focus on people, purpose and quality (and none of that meat, despondency or environmental destruction).

We discussed:

• The development of business goals
• Establishing consciously intended outcomes
• Developing a system to achieve them

Jonathan Markwell from Inuda raised an interesting question:

How would it be possible to systematise and franchise Dharmafly, when your business values require those working for the company to feel it and mean it, and not just follow a list of procedures?

That got me thinking. An ethical approach to business must surely be genuinely felt and not just acted out by rote. On the other hand, it is said that if a person wants to cultivate a particular habit or value, then he or she could start acting as if they already possess it and, one day, they actually will possess it. For example, cultivate generosity by giving to those in need, and cultivate honesty by being truthful.

Would a person following an ethical system for business be transformed by it? I wonder what the people at Actics would say.

The Second Talk: “What Planet are You On?”

Our enthusiasm for Planets hasn’t waned since the launch of Planet Crunchy, a site we built to demonstrate the virtuous role of Planets in social media campaigns. (Planet sites are ones that aggregate content on a particular theme from around the Web).

Apart from taking a look at how Planet Crunchy works, we looked at some examples of beneficial Planets around the web, including personal Lifestreams (e.g. David Cramer’s) and communities like Planet BNM and Planet Microformats.

4. Experimenting

The Planet Crunchy experiment was interesting. We had given everyone at the event a box of Dharmafly Crunchies and invited them to post their experiences online. Some people really liked it, while others really didn’t.

Twitter was the most popular social network that people used to report their stories, with Flickr close behind. Nobody ventured to post a video.

Thank you everyone who took part. We love you most greenly.

URL: bbc.co.uk/worldservice/talkingamerica

Excitingly, not long after we built the award-winning Bangladesh River Journey mini-site for the BBC World Service, we were asked for another helping of social media expertise.

What is it?

Talking America is a trail-blazing social media campaign that we’re proud to have worked on. This time, it’s a live site that tracks the World Service crew as they journey across America in a social media bus.

Their big aim? In the eloquent words of Ros Atkins:

“This bus trip is our attempt to paint a detailed picture of America ahead of the election in November. We also want to create conversations between Americans and everyone else…”

(Ros Atkins, BBC crew member on the Talking America bus).

What you can do with social media

Talking America uses maps, pictures, video, audio podcasts, blog posts and other user-generated snippets to bring a journey alive. In this case, we built a mini content-management system for the journalists, with a system to pull in the latest Flickr photos from the bus and a colourful map to display it all.

In charming technological terms, we call it a “geo-mashup.” Namely, a smooth way of automatically pulling together time and location-based information into one online multimedia bundle. The outcome of this is the ability to track the reporters over time and in different contexts.

A bit for the technically brained

The mapping application uses jQuery and Sumo, which is a JavaScript microformats parser written by Dan Webb, who also worked on the front-end of the site. If you look at the site without JavaScript, you’ll see that all the info is already present on the page, written up in microformats and ready to be plotted on the map.

And they’re off…

URL: dharmafly.com/crunchies

Planet what?

‘Planet‘ sites are a new and wonderful way to draw people with common interests together online… and today is the day we get to demonstrate how.

What’s all this green stuff?

This weekend, at Barcamp Brighton3, we’re giving Brighton’s best New Media pros some special treats, in the form of Dharmafly Crunchies; little boxes of spirulina (it’s like a tiny green seaweed), known for being a potent superfood.

The fancy boxes were designed along with the brilliant minds of John Cooper (Kapow.me) and Ellen de Vries.

Why?

We’re hoping that spirulina’s special powers will entice these social media buffs to go online and post tweets, blogs, photos and videos of themselves ‘doing stuff’ with their Dharmafly Crunchies.

What’s happening on Planet Crunchy right now? Take a look.

So what’s a Planet for?

A ‘Planet‘ site can draw people together online under one coherent, enthusiastic umbrella. So they’re particularly effective tools for social media campaigns where you want to get people discussing a hot topic, and find out who’s talking about you.

Lifestreams are another great use for Planet technologies. They can be used to round up all your online and offline activities to keep and share them in one place.

A Planet site for you?

If you want to find out more about using Planets for campaigns, for you as an individual, or you want to be involved in building one, get in contact and we can give you lots of enthusiastic help.

What’s under the bonnet?

It looks like magic, but in fact it uses a whole host of web technologies. It takes in RSS feeds from Technorati, Google blog search and a load of social networking and news sites, passes them through Yahoo Pipes and SimplePie and finally into WordPress, along with a smattering of jQuery, combining them together into one seamless package.

Blogs are powerful tools when it comes to getting your message out there and stirring up a conversation about your cause. Recently,  The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) asked us to work with them to develop a social media initiative, and this included setting up a series of blogs.

What did they need a blog for?

One of their initiatives was aimed at empowering professionals who work with deaf children to blog about hot topics and contentious issues that NDCS are not able to comment on themselves, because they’re an impartial charity.

We worked with NDCS to develop a number of blogs on the community blogging site, wordpress.com.  Then we created a marketing campaign to attract professionals to come and use it.

How do you promote the power of blogs?

For the campaign, we needed to come up with a short and sweet definition of what a blog is. It went like this:

Short for “Web log”, a blog is a specialised website that allows an individual or a group to share a running log of news, personal insights, experiences and opinion with a wide audience.

With over 70 million in existence and 120,000 new blogs created every day, the reach and influence of blogging is growing rapidly. With their built-in system for readers to comment on articles, blogs are vibrant communal spaces for instant, global conversation.

(Inspiration taken from this definition and these statistics).

So you can see that blogging can be of huge benefit to organisations such as NDCS, not just as a marketing tool but also as means of sharing knowledge and building networks.

If you’re interested in the power of blogs as a tool for organisations, keep a look out for our other posts on the power of blogging.