Social by Social A practical guide to using new technologies to deliver social impact by Andy Gibson, Nigel Courtney, Amy Sample Ward, David Wilcox and Professor Clive Holtham sbs_cover and chapters_v1:Layout 1 03/09/2009 09:58 Page bc3 Social by Social sbs_introduction_v19 8_underline_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:07 Page 1 Social by Social ISBN 978-1-906496-41-8 by Andy Gibson, Nigel Courtney, Amy Sample Ward, David Wilcox and Professor Clive Holtham Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode 2009 All original content attributable to the named section or quotation authors. e moral right of the authors has been asserted. Commissioned by NESTA http://nesta.org.uk Designed by Sangeet Gyawali and Sociability http://sociability.org.uk Published in the UK by OpenMute http://openmute.org http://socialbysocial.com socialbysocial@gmail.com sbs_introduction_v19 8_underline_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:07 Page 2  sbs_introduction_v19 8_underline_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:07 Page 3 Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/why-you-should-read-this-book 8 Social by Social is a practical guide to using new technologies to create social impact. It makes accessible the tools you need to engage a community, offer services, scale up activities and sustain projects. Whoever you are, it shows you how to take technology and turn it into real world benets. We want to help people in the public and third sectors do more good, by showing them the power of these technologies and how to access them. In the process, we hope we can also educate funders and policy workers about the huge shift of mindset and expectations needed to commission these projects successfully, to give the innovators more space to work. Whether you’re a small charity wanting cheap web tools to support your work, a large organisation seeking to engage more effectively with your community, a civil servant charged with making public services more efficient, or just a concerned citizen on a personal mission, we hope there’s something here for you. It contains: an explanation of ‘Social by Social’ and why you should care about it ideas for how to approach these projects and make the technology work for you a set of stories that show the potential of what we’re talking about a set of propositions which we believe underpin all the most successful projects a glossary of the terms and concepts which you may hear on your travels a compendium of tools, resources and links to help you get started a few thoughts from specialists on what all this actually means for us all some nice pictures, and pleasing colours a little background to who ‘we’ are and how this handbook was created an invitation to join the conversation online, with the authors and each other If you’re coming to this for the rst time, you may just want to read about successful projects or get a view of the direction we think things are moving. Others of you may just want to skip to the practical bits and use the resources and tools we’ve collected to help you through the tricky bits in your project. Or you might just want to put the book on your coffee table to impress your friends. Throughout though, we’ve tried to signpost related content that you might nd relevant to you so wherever you start, we’ll steer you in the right direction.  sbs_introduction_v19 8_underline_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:07 Page 4 Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/Why you should read this book Social by Social isn’t a manual in the classic sense. This work is still pretty new and there isn’t a simple model to follow. Instead, it asks you the questions which you will need to answer, shares some of the routes other people have tried, and offers signposts to help you nd your way. And it invites you to join an ongoing conversation as we all nd the way together. We’ve chosen the ‘old’ technology of print to communicate with you because we wanted to reach people who aren’t doing everything online already, and because we felt it was the most appropriate technology to meet our purpose: creating an educational resource and reference guide to new technologies. The printed handbook itself employs a combination of old and new technologies to communicate with you. The technology of written language has been found in ancient civilizations as far back as 4000 BC, whilst representational and iconographic art is far older. Paper and its equivalents are more recent, around 5000 years old, and books of bound parchment are positively modern, popularised in the 3rd or 4th century BC. Printing itself actually pre-dates bookmaking, but it was the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in c.1439 that ultimately led to the technology you are now holding. The content was written and edited in word processors and an online wiki, whilst the design and imagery was produced in Photoshop and Quark Xpress – all on PCs and Macs. We took an innovative approach to printing and distributing the handbook by offering all the content for free online in its entirety, via a simple, commentable Drupal website and Wordpress blog. NESTA printed some colour copies to give away, and we also offered a black-and-white version via digital print-on-demand, enabling us to sell the book around the world through printers in the UK, US and Belgium, without the need to stock copies. Design and editorial was by Sociability, and print and publication by OpenMute. All original content is licensed under the Creative Commons copyright ’technology’, and the project was funded using one of the oldest social technologies, money which well, you get the idea. We hope you like it. Andy, Amy, Clive, David and Nigel The ‘Social by Social’ Team  sbs_introduction_v19 8_underline_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:07 Page 5 Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/why-social-by-social 6887 ere have been so many developments in communication technologies over the past few years, affecting so many aspects of our lives and working patterns, that giving shape and meaning to the chaos has become nearly impossible. ‘Social by Social’ is a term we’ve invented to make sense of what we’re talking about. e word ‘social’ is oen used to imply all the various work that goes on in the public and third sector, and by individuals, to improve the world around us, care for each other, create value for communities and tackle the problems and inequalities of the world. (Social enterprise. Social conscience. Social problems.) And ‘social’ is also used by technologists and the media to refer to the new two-way communications technologies available via the internet and digital technologies. Communications which create society, strengthen relationships, support social interactions. (Social media. Social networks. Social infrastructure.) is book is a map of where these two words meet. It is not limited to the fashionable trends in social media and ‘web 2.0’; nor is it specically aimed at people in the social sector. It is about how these new tools for social interaction are changing our society, and how those of us with a social conscience can use them to do more good. ‘Social by social’ change is about using new technologies to bring people together to make their world better. is handbook is a starting point for working out how to do it.  sbs_introduction_v19 8_underline_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:07 Page 6 88  Follow the links online at New technologies are changing the way we engage communities, run companies, deliver public services, participate in government and campaign for change. &#/#+#30#!&+,),%'#/.#2') )#0,)),$1/ 8+"0&#4,$$#.1/+*5'+%, ,.01+'040,!&+%#,1.3,.)" Simon Berry, Colalife.org ''$#"%& p. 88 Get to know the technology: #*'%!& p. 144 ## &"%&#(%& p. 170 It’s a new way of working. "&'##! p. 10 %#$#&'#"& p. 138 It’s big news for #)%"!"' p. 210 "%& p. 214 %'& p. 217 !%&$#%"&'#"& p. 220 ( &%)& p. 222 # "'%$%"(%& p. 224 !$"%& p. 226  #(& p. 229 Get started with the   p. 203    p. 18 sbs_introduction_v19 8_underline_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:07 Page 7 Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/how-to-use-this-handbook  8 This book has been designed as a training manual and reference guide about technology and social media for people at all levels of experience – and scepticism. You can dip into particular sections and use it for reference, or read it in sequence to get a better understanding of how everything fits together. Throughout, we’ve included links both to other sections and to online materials. To keep it simple, we’ve hidden the details and colour-coded them instead. Internal links are underlined and colour-coded to match the chapters they reference: links to the A-Z of key terms look like this and links to the Companion look like this whilst links to all the other chapters look like this External links look like this, but we’ve hidden the addresses and instead each chapter has its own equivalent online where you can find and follow all the links: Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/how-to-use-this-handbook To visit a link, go to the webpage shown at the bottom of the page, and click on it. And just to be extra nice, we’ve also added a few signposts to help you, like this one. “sometimes we chip in with comments as authors too, so they look a bit different.” &"* “we’ve also included quotes from experts in the margins, like this one.” ('#%+&"! and who they are sbs_introduction_v19 8_underline_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:07 Page 8   &#/&-#,$0&'+%/0,!,*# ANDY GIBSON  Or ‘what’s this all about anyway?’  2'%0'+%,!') 4,!') DAVID WILCOX and ANDY GIBSON  A step-by-step guide to trying out these technologies for yourself  ##00&#-',+##./ NIGEL COURTNEY  Ten brave souls who’ve used these technologies and lived to tell the tale  &#,!') 4,!') ,-,/'0',+/ ANDY GIBSON, DAVID WILCOX and AMY SAMPLE WARD  Our collaborative manifesto for successful social by social projects  80,,$(#40#.*/ DAVID WILCOX and AMY SAMPLE WARD  A guide to all the jargon and concepts you need to know  &#!,*-+',+ AMY SAMPLE WARD  A handy collection of soware, sites and links to more information  &00&'/.#))4*#+/$,.4,1 Advice from the experts on how this stuff will actually affect you   83,."$.,*0&#10&,./ Personal perspectives from the people behind this handbook   &#!.#0',+,$6,!') 4,!')7 AMY SAMPLE WARD and ANDY GIBSON  e story behind the handbook: how it was made, and what we’ve learned Follow the links online at CONFUSED? Start here IMPATIENT? Get stuck in SCEPTICS is is for you QUICK GUIDE A few simple ‘rules’ BLUFFERS Learn the language EXPERTS Skip to here BUSY PEOPLE Read this bit SOCIABLE? Meet the writers CURIOUS Read the back story sbs_introduction_v19 8_underline_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:07 Page 9 [...]... goals drive your next steps Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/become-a-digital-activist 23 Chapter 2 9_underlined_v8:Layout 1 03/09/2009 10:31 Page 24 Navigating Social by Social > Where do you want to go? > Introducing social technology to an organisation hoW to iNtRoDucE social tEchNology to aN oRgaNisatioN by David 1 Start by using as little technology as possible Experiment with... a new conversation, about how to help the people around us by bringing them together to help themselves Welcome Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/and-so 16 Chapter 1 8_underlined_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:03 Page 17 sbs_cover and chapters_v1:Layout 1 21/08/2009 23:24 Page bc7 2 chapter navigating Social by Social A step -by- step guide to trying out these technologies for yourself... online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/introducing -social- technology 24 Chapter 2 9_underlined_v8:Layout 1 03/09/2009 10:31 Page 25 Navigating Social by Social > Where do you want to go? > Focus on the goal Focus oN thE goal Ask anyone involved in a technology project about what’s important and you will generally get the answer – it’s the people Obvious really, because these projects are social They are... can play a part in helping do it” Nick Temple, School for Social Entrepreneurs Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/focus-on-the-goal 25 Chapter 2 9_underlined_v8:Layout 1 10/09/2009 11:20 Page 26 Navigating Social by Social > Where­do­you­want­to­go?­> Don’t jump for the tool Don’t jump for the tool The­possibilities­presented by these­new­technologies­can­make­it­tempting­to­jump­straight­for­a... out to do, here are a few things you'll need to consider Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/context-is-king 22 Chapter 2 9_underlined_v8:Layout 1 03/09/2009 10:31 Page 23 Navigating Social by Social > Where do you want to go? > How to become a digital activist hoW to bEcomE a Digital activist by David and Amy 1 If possible, find a friend who will be your digital mentor, someone who’s... journey ahead Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/Where-do-you-want-to-go 21 Chapter 2 9_underlined_v8:Layout 1 03/09/2009 10:31 Page 22 Navigating Social by Social > Where do you want to go? > Context is King coNtExt is KiNg Anyone can use these new tools – in fact that’s the whole point – but that also makes it difficult to write a step -by- step guide to how ‘you’ should run your projects... newsletters and e-newsletters), your website, your profiles on any other social media tools/platforms, emails (try putting a link to your blog in all staff email signatures), and so on Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/before-setting-off 29 Chapter 2 9_underlined_v8:Layout 1 03/09/2009 10:31 Page 30 Navigating Social by Social > Before setting off > What to research What to REsEaRch There... front by labelling options as ‘5 minutes to help’, ‘1 hour to help’, ‘half day to help’,or ‘full day or more to help’ People can self-select what they feel comfortable with and you’ll also avoid people signing up for something they can’t finish Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/what-to-research 30 Chapter 2 9_underlined_v8:Layout 1 10/09/2009 11:34 Page 31 Navigating Social by Social. .. links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/understanding-the-technology 31 Chapter 2 9_underlined_v8:Layout 1 03/09/2009 10:31 Page 32 Navigating Social by Social > A word on ‘what works’ sEE also Robin Broitman and John Eastmond at the Interactive Insights Group have compiled some extensive lists-of-lists signposting you to blog and other sites with case studies and how-tos How to Sell Social Media to... Magazine, Jan 2009) Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/getting-into-the-conversation 34 Chapter 2 9_underlined_v8:Layout 1 03/09/2009 10:31 Page 35 Navigating Social by Social > Down the rabbit hole > How to find and join the conversations that are already happening hoW to FiND aND joiN thE coNvERsatioNs that aRE alREaDy happENiNg by Amy 1 Visit Technorati and Google Blog Search, . and Nigel The Social by Social Team  sbs_introduction_v19 8_underline_v3:Layout 1 02/09/2009 23:07 Page 5 Follow the links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/why -social- by -social 6887 ere. NESTA http://nesta.org.uk Designed by Sangeet Gyawali and Sociability http://sociability.org.uk Published in the UK by OpenMute http://openmute.org http://socialbysocial.com socialbysocial@gmail.com sbs_introduction_v19. links online at www.socialbysocial.com/book/why-you-should-read-this-book 8 Social by Social is a practical guide to using new technologies to create social impact. It