Digital Arts Service Corps - facebook

A Handy Chart for Understanding Facebook's 'Page' Features for Your Org

admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:43:28 +0000

My organization, NAMAC, recently started a Facebook Page. Within a few days, we had about 100 'Fans'. It was relatively simple to set up and with a little bit of outreach from fellow staff who were also on Facebook we brought that number up to 150.

In setting it up however, we had to make sure that we understood the newly available communication channels available to us as a presence on Facebook. One-to-many and many-to-many options now abound: Wall posts, Posted Item links, Notes... how could we make sense of it?

In light of this, I downloaded a guide for communities and non-profits from Facebook. I read through it and decided to remix it into a yummy 4 page chart to map out the communication options made available to you and your org.

It covers:

Available Channels
What each channel does
Who posts for Who (Staff for Fans? Fans for other Fans?)
Possible Frequency of Posting for each channel
How to post to each kind of channel:)

I tailored it for internal use, but have released it here as a 'generic' handbook (in the attached files below). It's just a 'base' to start from - please remix as needed! If you like, I also included the original Facebook guide.

Have any other cool resources you've made or found for using Facebook at your org? Got a link*?

*Note: only VISTAs can post comments/links here. If you've got some other resources, either share them with me on Twitter or tag it with 'ctcvista' in your socialbookmarking service of choice.

developing online communities for education

Stephen Loverme — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:02:02 +0000

One of the main goals for HOME In.c at the moment is to create a community between the students in our different programs (our three partner schools and the TeenTV summer workshop). I feel that the best way to do this is to tap into existing social network rather than trying to create our own. We've tried having a Myspace page for TeenTV but it hasn't caught on. Currently I'm looking into developing a presence on Facebook...creating group pages for TeenTV and each media lab. I'd like to have each media lab have it's own group that is affiliated and shares membership with the main TeenTV group. Hopefully in this way students from different schools can network with one another.

I'm also developing some curriculum materials around blogging and citizen journalism. Working with a journalism class, the stories published in the school newspaper will also be published on the web via a blog, with some stories being developed into video pieces for the school TV show. Ideally the school's paper (The Brighton Banner) will have an online audience that will enage with one another and the authors discussing the articles and issues within the school and the community.

5 Tips For Connecting With Fellow DASCorps Members Online

Morgan Sully — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:44:20 +0000

You've probably just gotten back from your VISTA Pre-service Orientation and are still reflecting on the inspiring, passionate and awesome people you just met - not to mention the conversations and connections you made. In spite of the great discussions and thoughts that were shared during the sessions and beyond, you may be feeling a mixture of inspiration and sadness that the people you met are most likely now spread far across the country - perhaps thousands of miles apart. What's a VISTA to do to keep in touch?

There are many ways. This entry will go over 5 of them. If you have any more, don't hesitate to add them.

DASCorps Directory:
This directory lists the all the current Digital Arts Service Corps Members. It has the name, email, latest Field Reports, organization, city and state that each VISTA is serving in. There is also a link to Digital Arts Service Corps Alumni, should you want to get in to contact with previous VISTAs. (just remember the Digital Arts Service Corps use to be called CTC VISTA - so be aware of the name change!)

Hot tip: these emails can be entered into many social networking sites' "friend find" features to find and connect with other VISTAs online.

The DASCorps Listserv:
this is the official Mailing list of the Digital Arts Service Corps. For those of you who have never used a listserv, it is essentially: "An e-mail list of e-mail addresses of people with common interests. Software enables people who belong to a list to send messages to the group without typing a series of addresses into the message header. Usually members of the group in the listserv have to subscribe to the mailing list."

It is one of the quickest ways to communicate with ALL current DASCorps members at the SAME TIME. Feel free to post questions or comments about anything DASCorps related to the list.

DASCorps Webinars and Conference Calls:
These will be regular opportunities for you to not only become a more effective VISTA and professional, but also, a time to reconnect and hear the voices of your fellow VISTAs. Regardless of diversity, each PSO/'class' of VISTAs brings a very unique amalgamation and collection of individuals together - many of whom are sharing the same hopes and frustrations throughout their VISTA year as you are. These webinars give you an opportunity to regularly reconnect with your new friends and colleagues in context based on professional and personal development.

The DASCorps Facebook Page:
Well shoot. This just had to go in as a way to connect. While it is 'outside' the main communications used for the Project, it DOES provide an informal way for you to connect with and learn more about your fellow VISTAs. While the TransmissionProject will be experimenting and playing with the features of this group throughout the year, it will provide a quick way to browse personal profiles of fellow VISTAs who are on Facebook. NOTE: not all DASCorps members are on Facebook. For a complete list, see the DASCorps Directory.

Hot tip: some VISTAs have personal blogs, websites or other social media that offer additional ways for you to connect with your peers - these are often listed in their profiles. Check these out. Comment on them. Communicating in this way is an important part of establishing yourself as a presence, resource and advocate throughout the DASCorps network.

Post and Comment on Field Reports:
Field Reports! Let your fellow DASCorps members know what your up to and ask them questions about their service when they post about their own experiences. Field Reports are not public, so its a safe space for you to complain, rant, and share your real experience with other understanding VISTAs.

Leveraging the Facebook API

Morgan Sully — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:31:54 +0000

Leveraging the FaceBook API

HISTORY/BACKGROUND

facebook was initially for college students

very little activity for people outside of formal networks (work, geographic region, school/college)

myspace is growing much faster than facebook

an API was released to the public for people to start developing it

you can only see people from within your network

STAGES OF GROWTH TO CONSIDER WHEN BUILDING AN APP

can have people interact across networks with the apps
HUGE increase in adoption of apps
DO NOT however, rely on this happening (huge adoption) - there are MANY apps out there

3 Causes for Increased Adoption of Facebook Apps

people tell other people about the apps
unlimited invites (for people to use the app you have created)
novelty
knowledge

CAVEAT: hard to make apps adoptable/viral because there are SO many

APP FUNCTIONALITY
apps utilize these three things:

NEWS FEED (publishes to it)
PROFILE (appears in it)
INVITES (you can invite your friends to use it)

EXAMPLE

Vampire vs. Ninja App: the virality of the app was BUILT IN to the app (key success indicator)
*when you 'bite' someone, for the person to see what it is about they HAVE to install the app

CREATING GROUPS

founding a group can be tricky because they are easy to create, but for people to return, there's not much to return to (as of now)

information on FaceBook can be VERY rich - it tracks relationships between a user and all their friends

HERE ARE SOME KEY APPS

CAUSES app:
*it allows you to start a cause
*you can search a db to support an org
*essentially a fundraising tool
*you can invite your friendS
*you can see who/how much people donated
CAVEATS
no way for the org itself to interact with who donated or know how much they donated

CHANGE.ORG app
*recruit
*donate
*eActions
*create a forum
*capture email addresses
*important note: you can email all the people through the app you create (this is true for ALL apps)

DEVELOPING AN APP

development timeline is not very long, though you should consider:

how will you distribute it?
can you make it as intrinsically viral as possible (make it easy for friends to tell friends about it)?
chances of your app getting published in the feed are dependent on:
- how many people adding the app on your network
- your friends already have the app
- YOU have the app

CRITICISMS

everyone is on social networking sites so someone (from your org) needs to be on the social app/site ALL the time (to keep the content fresh)
class distinctions are [1] on facebook
datamining by corporations is also a large factor - particluarly with myspace

TIPS

build personal relationships with members to the org
build it into your current eadvocacy campaigns

Updates

Corey Funderburk — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 23:08:07 +0000

Hey everybody!

First off, I tried to befriend as many of you as I could find on Facebook so if you did not get a request, it's probably because I spelled your name wrong, so find me instead :). Life in SD at Pangea Foundation is rockin'. Laura and I have been having a blast. In fact, tonight we're going country line dancing, woo hoo! We've been to the beach, Balboa Park, bike riding, walking around our little city and had all sorts of adventures in getting lost. We're working with a mentoring program right now, developing software. We are considered "software architects." How cool is that? This weekend we get to hang out with Andrea (from PSO) because she's heading up the AIDS walk. The goof troop is re-uniting! Our office is super-sweet. Everyone is helpful and really generous. We have taco Tuesdays and because everyone here is male besides us they bought 39 tacos last time..... we were pretty full. I think we even get a free trip to Disneyland sometime in the near future because the clients we serve all have a crush on our supervisor so he gets the hook-ups. But yeah, life is pretty sweet. I hope all is going well for everyone else!

Ameri-Corey