2011 Chesapeake Watershed Forum | Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay @allianceforbay, we need a shorter hashtag

via allianceforthebay.org

This weekend I have the opportunity to present with my ex-workspouse but forever friend @starfocus on how organizations integrate and use social networking to help promote and message. I'm extremely lucky to have been asked and honored to be part of this amazing group of people who man this army to protect and restore the Bay.

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is working with some broad and diverse organizations that are focused on messaging the education of restoration science and action to the Chesapeake region. For nearly 40 years the Alliance has spearheaded innovative ways to engage people and groups to restore the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers. And if you noticed what happened with the run off from recent torental storms, the rivers and tribs are having a negative impact on the bay this season making the need to engage and message for cleaner filtering that much more important.

The NWF MidAtlantic office has been a key partner in this group - and show casing how NWF has utilized the various tools and methods to engage will be a delight to talk about with those who are attending the three day forum.

This is also my first time visiting Shepherdstown, WV so besides hanging with some of my fave buds I get to see some amazing country in my own backyard. http://bit.ly/nLfzPg

Saturday morning I may be in need of an intravenous drip of caffeine but I'm betting my twitter stream will be getting a workout as we talk and train this dedicated army who are committed to saving the bay! Keep an eye out for some creative hashtags - we need to work on something smaller, a little help D?

Michael Sola finds solutions and can translate tech into english. He's a blogger, invited presenter and speaker, he listens - he also rarely has to show ID to walk into a pub.

Follow him at http://twitter.com/michaelsola or http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsola : his views and comments are his own. He doesn't like talking about himself in the 3rd person, just ask him.

via market.android.com

In a recent Droid commercial I saw this dude speak into his mobile while abroad and it translated what he said. Wow. Of course I said "I need that" because that's part of what we do, we see shiny new stuff that we need.

The app appears to work like a champ, I installed it and within minutes my mobile was speaking fluent Spanish and all I had to do was talk or type what I wanted translated. So the question is . . . . did I do something smart by installing this app or did I just perpetuate being lazy? Thanks to the tech I don't need to learn the language now, I can just type or speak it up!

I'l have to play with this a bit more to see if it helps me learn, after all good tech teaches us, shouldn't make us lazy. Of course I already have the French language down pact: I vood lick to go to ze hotel - I learned that from Steve Martin. See, French is easy!

Michael Sola finds solutions and can translate tech into english. He's a blogger, invited presenter and speaker, he listens - he also rarely has to show ID to walk into a pub. Follow him at http://twitter.com/michaelsola or http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsola : his views and comments are his own. He doesn't like talking about himself in the 3rd person, just ask him.

Net Neutrality Rules Published, Saving the Interwebs at last - let the lawsuits begin

via wired.com

Let's be clear - this has to be the one of the neatest wiring jobs of a server rack I have seen in years! Kudos to this poor shmuck who spent better part of a day color coding and wrapping all these cables into nice bundles - polite tennis clap time . . .

What does this have to do with Net Neutrality? Absolutely nothing and yet this is the pic that made its way in the news piece Wired published about Net Neutrality. The FCC has finally outlined the rules for what many of us take for granted or haven't considered, unless . . . . and here it comes, you live on your mobile and question the inconsistent costs between like services from different carriers.

Here is a brief definition of Net Neutrality:

"As the name indicates, Net Neutrality (also known as Network Neutrality or Internet neutrality) is all about creating a neutral internet. The term supports the view that Internet traffic should be treated equally.

The term also backs that internet should be an open platform like any other utility used in our home like electricity as Internet has already become part and parcel of our lives and has been indispensable.

Net Neutrality advocates no restrictions by Internet service providers (ISPs) and governments on content, sites, platforms, the kinds of equipment that may be attached, and the modes of communication." - http://bit.ly/pLeZGL

Now that the FCC finally has published the rules that go into effect 11/20 we can now rest assured that the interwebs are once again in safe and sound hands . . . . I jest, of course the lawsuits will soon start and all bets are off.

Bottom line is I don't see how mobile consumption wins or even comes out ahead especially when you see the limits being placed on basic functionality like tethering. Why should I have to pay extra to tether my mobile device to my iPad when not in a WiFi hotspot? I don't want a separate Verizon MiFi hot spot device and service, I want to use my 3G capable Droid that I'm already paying for thank you very much. And why are there caps on bandwidth use for the iPhones depending on carriers? Are we really saturating the network that we have to limit distribution?

Isn't that cable bundle picture a thing of beauty? So neat, so organized . . .

Michael Sola finds solutions and can translate tech into english. He's a blogger, invited presenter and speaker, he listens - he also rarely has to show ID to walk into a pub. Follow him at http://twitter.com/michaelsola or http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsola : his views and comments are his own. He doesn't like talking about himself in the 3rd person, just ask him.

Be Bold, Be Bald! - Nationwide Cancer Fundraiser, count me in!

via beboldbebald.org

I know what you're thinking - aren't you already loosing your hair? Yes, of course I am but now with a single stroke of a bald cap the act is for a good cause!

I know too many people this past year who have lost their hair due to chemo treatments, it's not much effort on my part to slap one of these bad boys on and make a statement: I'm sharing the love and admiration - Be Bold, Be Bald!

What are you doing Oct 21?

Michael Sola is a Technologist who finds solutions and can translate tech into english. He's a blogger, invited presenter and speaker, he listens - he also rarely has to show ID to walk into a pub. Follow him at http://twitter.com/michaelsola or http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsola : his views and comments are his own.

US schools adding iPads, why you should be thinking Tablets

Oh to be a freshman again . . . . A few weeks back I mentioned how I think Non Profits should make an investment in getting their boards connected with tablets - auto configured access to either portals via services like Sharepoint along with meeting notes and documents related to budgets all via these devices would make such a difference in how organizations interact with their boards.  

The board would be connected virtually, allow for electronic voting, collaborate consistently via web meetings, reviewing documentation via consistent applications and save a ton of money down the road not just in printing costs but the labor costs to pull all this documentation and materials together.

So when I saw this piece about how US public schools are moving away from traditional teaching materials like BOOKS and instead distributing learning materials via the iPad I was stoked.

My youngest is currently enrolled at Hood College in Frederick MD - they distributed to the freshman class tablets - all their materials, assignments are being accessed via the tablet.  

It's streamlining education and getting this generation hands on access to tools that are not only mainstream but are fast rising to become the standard of how our culture will be connected and should collaborate.

 

It's exciting to see and to be a part of, I wish I was a freshman again - the things I would do differently . . . . oooooo, beer tent.

Michael Sola is a Technologist who finds solutions and can translate tech into english. He's a blogger, invited presenter and speaker - he also rarely has to show ID to walk into a pub. Follow him at http://twitter.com/michaelsola : his views and comments are his own.

 

Don't bring your lunch, get your CIO to buy you lunch!

There is a lot to be said about how tech and business programs struggle to get on the same page but the simplest way I have found is lunch.  Yep, I said it - Lunch, paper bag, in a cafe, on a bench - it doesn't matter, as long as it's a bite to eat and good conversation with someone other than your iPad.  

Lunch has always been my work time where I would just catch up plow thru the day - BUT I have found that the best lunches I have had were always either with peers or partners of the programs I supported.  You may think these were meetings in disguise as lunch but they really were about connecting and more importantly reaching out. 

I recently read a post called "Five Cures for What Ails IT" from John Baschab, senior VP of management services at Technisource, a tech staffing and IT services company  - I really liked another of his points made about an IT Steering committee, been talking about a group like that for over a decade but it's a hard concept for most non profits to get behind - but I digress.  What struck me about the piece was the "lunch concept" - I jumped out of my chair when I read that and ran to the frig to make lunch - I was hungry but it was an "ah ha" moment. 

During my last outing with my former co-workers and friends I mentioned my disappointment at how the organization doesn't encourage more of a group lunch on a daily basis.  They have this huge lunch room which hardly ever gets used.  At CBF where I spent 10 years of my career they have a very active lunch room - lunch is available in the Cafe and gets heavily used by the staff, eating at your desk is discouraged.  There's a reason for that:  it stimulates camaraderie, gives you a chance to break the daily routine and hear what others are doing via a different channel.  

As John states, getting your program folks out and in a different setting stimulates the conversation between IT and the program your lunch mate works - also give you the Technologist an opportunity to pitch ideas and make that much needed connection.  Making connections is a must have for Tech programs to be successful.

Most times eating lunch with program partners and peers outside your department was more about listening - I'm a fan of the three L's: Look Listen & Learn  or is it Look Listen and Lunch?  I'm also a big fan of Breakfast. Can I get some waffles, please?

Michael Sola is a Technologist who finds solutions and can translate tech into english. He's a blogger, invited presenter and speaker - he also rarely has to show ID to walk into a pub. Follow him at http://twitter.com/michaelsola : his views and comments are his own.

Bottled Purified Water Makes Me Insane

So another topic a little off the beaten tech path for me but I can't help it.  Water Bottles, I'm a fan of telling it like it is and right now Water Bottles have me thinking . . . 

I'm a fan of water - we all need water to live and I typically carry water with me as I'm afraid someday I'll open the car door and find myself in a desert or possibly floating in space and very thirsty.  I've seen the movies, I know it can happen.

When I read in a recent issue of Time Magazine how much we consume in plastic bottles and some push back from readers ( Melissa Gilespie Sept 5 issue for one ) about how they HAVE to consume their water in a bottle and avoid the tap - this really made me cringe.  I try VERY VERY hard to not purchase water in a bottle and I'm a water snob, I admit it, I like my water pure, I like it chilled, not shaken and I'm fine with no ice.  But it doesn't take much to pick up a water filtering system either on the go, at home or at work.  I use a Brita pitcher filter system at work for over two years now, it's the best $20 I ever spent www.brita.com.  At home I have filters on my sink and frig - when you consider the industry is a $50 - $100 Billion dollar ( yes, that's a B as in Billion ) consumer black hole, I'm not surprised people are so easily misled into buying overpriced bottled water.  So when I go out I prepare and fill a bottle . . . from the filtered tap of the local municipal system of course.

I wasn't aware of this but did you know almost 44% of "purified" bottled water actually comes from municipal water systems?  http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09610.pdf

Mother Nature Network posted a 5 easy to understand piece about why we shouldn't be buying bottled water http://bit.ly/qfKIhQ and it makes a whole lot of sense.

It takes 200 million bottles of water to circle the globe, in 2005 over 28 Billion bottles were sold.  Do the math, this is insanity.

Want to know more? Start with the Sierra Club's fact sheet on bottled water.

Michael Sola is a Technologist who finds solutions and can translate tech into english. He's a blogger, invited presenter and speaker - he also rarely has to show ID to walk into a pub. Follow him at http://twitter.com/michaelsola : his views and comments are his own.

Slowing down can be dangerous to your blog . . .

So evidently when you go from twice or even once a month posts to  . . . well one in a few months ( like I did ) you loose viewers and readers when you try to start back up.  How hard is it to get re-started?

I can understand that, I've certainly took a break on many fronts as time is very limited and there is only so much to go around.  Now that I have had a chance to reflect and have some free time I need to find a way to get back into the game.  Storytelling is something we all have the ability to do, sharing our experiences, finding an audience who you can engage with but also engages you back - all of this matters provided you don't burn out and find a way to get out there.  And while it's easy to rant and blog and post it's harder to get linked and really connect.

SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ) is a real cornerstone to distribution in todays medium.  It's a practice I need to pay more attention to  especially if you desire to engage at a level larger than your immediate family and friends.  For many of us who work the Non Profit world and are focused on marketing and messaging we live on on SEO - as a technologist I need to be focused more on this process.

In researching this there are volumes written on the topic - one very effective group who has a slew of information, especially if you are just getting your feet wet, is from Social Media Examiner.  They did this one article titled 7 Ways to Improve Your Blog SEO using inbound links which makes a lot of sense.  

"Blog posts that solve problems, provide a valuable resource, entertain, demonstrate innovation or even create controversy can all generate incoming links. Average content won’t cut it. It needs to be outstanding."

There's also something about the logo with the cute explorer dude carrying the magnifying glass - I use one of those now when I read the paper, do people still read papers?

Michael Sola is a Technologist who finds solutions and can translate tech into english. He's a blogger, invited presenter and speaker - he also rarely has to show ID to walk into a pub. Follow him at http://twitter.com/michaelsola : his views and comments are his own.

Looking to take the iPad into the Board Room?

I'm always on the look out for ways to bring the tablets into the enterprise and this has to be one of the simplest ways - also talk about getting some real buy in at the board level.

Simply put - either provide your board with apps and links to materials for your board meetings if they have an iPad or tablet or and here it comes . . .  give them preloaded tablets as a means to connect them to your organization and activities that are happening with your partners, affiliates and coalition members.

There is a group out there called Diligent which provides a secure service for deploying materials that allows for either online or offline use in and for boards.  This service could even go beyond board practices but could be extended to internal senior managements that meet in diverse locations as they too could greatly benefit from this type of solution.

http://www.boardbooks.com/

 

Think about the paper you will save, think about how few issues you will have with access to internal data stores or SharePoint sites from different Operating system and platforms?  I like this idea, give them the tools and fully load them with a service that is both secure and robust.  

What was that line from Scotty said in Star Trek?  The right tool for the right job - BoardBooks may be that right tool!

http://www.boardbooks.com/diligentbooks/diligent-overview.shtml

Michael Sola is a Technologist who finds solutions and can translate tech into english. He's a blogger, invited presenter and speaker - he also rarely has to show ID to walk into a pub. Follow him at http://twitter.com/michaelsola : his views and comments are his own.