VIRTUAL NETWORKS
AND DIGITAL FORUMS
PRESENTATION TO ACE WELLINGTON
WINTER SERIES, 23 JUNE 2009, PETONE
David Barrow, NZFVWO
Stephen Blyth, Common Knowledge

We know social media tools exist,
but…
Have so far refused to get involved
See others using it
Have had a look at some of the tools
Have joined Facebook
Have used some of the tools, but only slightly
Use the tools frequently

What we’ll cover
1. What’s happening out there: social media, web 2.0 and all that
virtual jazz
2. Some case studies: making use of virtual networks and digital
forums
3. Grounded in grassroots Aotearoa: CommunityCentral
platform

Social media in a nutshell
Two-way, interactive
Rating, ranking, thumbs up/ down
Connecting people
User contributed content
Explore - it’s free and mostly won’t break (though watch-out ads)
Integrated in forums
Much, much more than just words: pics, sound, video, art
Prone to fads, trends and bandwagons
Gosh, this can take a lot of time

Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/van swearingen/

“It’s all about the social, not the media”
Anonymous
Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/van swearingen/

Some case studies
1. e-engage your community conferences - planning online
2. online participation community of practice - learning and
sharing using a wiki
3. your experiences???

Engage your community case study
Planning group met once so far in Auckland
Planning for event done using Skype, email, telephone
PBWorks wiki set up to share stored information – agenda,
meeting notes, background documents, whiteboard content,
chats/discussions, etc.
Follow-ups using Skype
Members can comment on content
Everyone has access to all information
Notifications when content changes/uploaded

Insights about interacting
online
Excellent supplement to face-to-face meetings or gatherings
Prone to same ups and downs as any network - bouts of
enthusiasm and neglect
Conflict is rare, but when well managed it can help generate
fruitful exchange
Wiki? GoogleGroups? CommunityCentral? - right selection can
enable participation, wrong one leave is a kiss of death
Facilitators adept at traversing online environment are essential
Protocols or groundrules to set tone of community interactions
Why not just pick up the phone?

Grounded in the grassroots:
CommunityCentral
entral
e as a c or through
“CIMS will serv he sect
ions hu b for t to set up and
com municat ons will be able s networks
anisati ication
w hich org r own commun fic IT
manag e thei speci
ithout requiring .”
w
kno wledge
Naj Dehlavi,
former Communications Manager
NZFVWO

About CommunityCentral
Situation: people on different computers in different
organisations in different areas cannot easily share information
Other collaborative online tools around
More than a website: online platform for people to work together
Designed for those starting out using online collaboration
• Private workspaces
• Networks

What we stand for!
For the community, by the community, of the community
IP retained by those who create & share it
Data retained in NZ
Friendly Support person available

David’s contact details
Email: info@nzfvwo.org.nz
Website: www.nzfvwo.org.nz
Phone: 04 385 0981

Get in touch:
stephen[at]commonknowledge.net.nz
www.commonknowledge.net.nz
ph 021 0325177