Monthly Archive for May, 2008Page 2 of 2

Vacation!

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Amy Sample Ward
on May 2, 2008
in Uncategorized
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biking in amsterdamI am headed out (in just a couple hours in fact) to enjoy a second honeymoon biking through some of our favorite parts of Western Europe. This is a much-needed vacation! So, for the next two weeks, things will be pretty much silent on here but I’ll be back strong on the 19th.

I’d love to hear from you all with questions and topics for posts that are on your mind. I’d love to answer them and help get you some great information as well as questions to get you thinking, too!

Thanks; I’ll miss you! :)

31 Day Comment Challenge

Published
by
Amy Sample Ward
on May 2, 2008
in blogging and community
. 0 Comments

The 31-Day Comment Challenge, from Michele Martin, Sue Waters, Kim Cofino, and Silvia Tolisano, and others. The goal is to help and encourage all of us to become better commenters all over the blogosphere. See Michele’s post for some additional information.

DAY 1- The Self-Audit

For this activity, do the following:

1. Answer the following questions:

  • How often do you comment on other blogs during a typical week?
  • Do you track your blog comments? How? What do you do with your tracking?
  • Do you tend to comment at the same blogs or do you try to comment on at least one new blog per week?

2. Now review Gina Trapani’s Guide to Blog Comments and ask yourself how well you’re doing in each of the different areas. Are there any specific areas where you think you need to do some work? What do you want to do to address these issues?

DAY 2 - Comment on a New Blog

This one is pretty straight forward: leave a comment on a new blog.  This doesn’t have to be a blog you’ve never read, just a blog you have yet to comment on.  Opening the door to more rounded conversations with someone you are obviously interested in following, or else why do you keep reading the blog? :)

I am excited to watch as this 31 days of exploring commenting opens up.  I will miss out on the next two weeks but hope to get back into when I return!  Be sure to follow along with it through Michele’s blog or someone else’s and see if you can expand your commenting and the comments you receive!  Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Blogging for Change

Published
by
Amy Sample Ward
on May 1, 2008
in blogging and community
. 1 Comment

Change.org is hiring part-time bloggers for the forthcoming social action blog network. The social action blog network will launch this summer and part-time bloggers/editors will create a movement for change around the major causes of our time.

Each blogger will lead an online community focusing on a different social, political, or environmental issue, maintain a daily blog covering news and offering commentary, convene leading nonprofits and activists working on the issue, and help people translate their interests and passions into concrete action.

Change.org’s blog network will include communities around the following issues:

Global Warming
Human Rights
Universal Health Care
Public Education
Homelessness
Peace in the Middle East
Microfinance
Disaster Relief
Racism
Gay Rights

Human Trafficking
Global Health
Darfur
Women’s Rights
War in Iraq
Global Hunger
Autism
Promoting Democracy
Immigrant Rights
Fair Trade

Poverty
Prison Reform
Humanitarian Relief
Animal Rights
Cure Cancer
Domestic Abuse
Mental Health
Rights of the Disabled
Sustainable Agriculture
…and more to come…

If you are interested, visit http://www.change.org/bloggers for additional details and how to apply.

I was recently honored as Change.org’s social changemaker of the week and am excited to watch, advise, and help with this growing network keeping people around the world connected, informed, and engaged in the major social issues around us. This is a great opportunity to get involved in cultivating a community around a topic that you are passionate about and helping form a larger network of activism and education.

The power of peers

Published
by
Amy Sample Ward
on May 1, 2008
in fundraising
. 0 Comments

I wanted to take a quick moment to let all of you know about two great things from my friend Peter Deitz:

1.  Social Actions helps individuals and organizations use social media to plan, implement, and support peer-to-peer social change campaigns and aggregates peer-to-peer social change campaigns from 19 social action platforms.  You should check them out and create an account - this is a wonderful sprouting community for peer-to-peer social change!

2.  Peter has an excellent post that provides and introduction to fundraising with social media.  It covers Causes, Change.org, ChipIn, and Fundraising and you can read it here.

There are so many new ways to connect with others online around common goals, changes, fundraising, and more.  Have you joined a pledge online or started one yourself?  What lessons did you learn that you want to share?