12/10/2007 Finding Purpose Through Our Shared Humanity

By Sherry Heyl and Michelle Batten

The Internet has evolved to a place where we can explore music that has never been played on the radio, view artwork that has never been seen in a gallery, watch a performance that has never been seen in a theater or on TV and read news that has never been published in a newspaper or in a magazine.

More importantly the Internet has become a meeting place where we can discover common interests with a person that we have never met face to face.

The Internet has become personal.

People are sharing opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives with each other openly through social media. There are many faces to social media that range from blogs where people connect through links and comments to virtual world environments. Sites such as Flickr and YouTube are actually media sharing communities where people connect and interact as they share their favorite photos and videos.

Because people can take from one community and share the content within other communities, the Internet is becoming a network of networks, more interconnected and more personalized.

Being a part of the Internet means being a part of a community that wants to be part of you.

All walks of life are adopting the Internet in one form or another. No matter what your demographic, if you are online then you are involved in social networks. You may be influenced by a post you stumbled upon during a search, you might answer a question posted in a forum, you might find something inaccurate in Wikipedia and decide to sign up to make the change.

Even individuals “not online” are affecting and affected by social networks. Either someone else may be telling their story or a loved one may be printing helpful information to share with someone offline.

According to the 2006 Pew Internet & American Life Project, nearly 17 million Americans say the Internet had played a crucial or important role in them helping another person with a major illness or medical condition.

People are finding and connecting with others that have shared experience. 37% of bloggers cite “my life and experiences” as a primary topic of their blog.

On Location is Now Online!

The 2005 Pew Internet & American Life Project found that men and women were equally as likely to visit personal websites, sites for charities, religious groups, and interest or advocacy groups. 24% of all Internet users sent emails or instant messages pertaining to a storm or aftermath. 5% used the Internet to organize their own assistance efforts and in 2005 online donations increased by 53%.

Nonprofits can utilize the power of social media to provide frequent updates during a disaster or an event. The interconnected web also allows organizations to encourage the community to take action through links, comments, and widgets. Sites can provide rich interactive information through a variety of mashups, a web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool; an example is the use of cartographic data from Google Maps to add location information (wikipedia).

How can an organization get started in navigating the wilderness of the social web?

Start by monitoring conversations. Know what people are saying and where the most relevant conversations are taking place.

Engage in the relevant conversations. Analyze the moods and drivers behind each community.

Spark conversations by sharing the stories behind the work you are involved with.

Create an individual presence on sites where you can be an active participant and add value.

Participate in the activity of others.

Create your own space where you can enable your volunteers and constituents to tell their stories.