Friday, March 23, 2007

Michigan Launches M.S. Specialization in Social Computing

Michigan Launches M.S. Specialization in Social Computing: "Michigan Launches M.S. Specialization in Social Computing

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 23 -- Facebook. YouTube. Wikipedia. Flickr. They're the user-created stuff of Web 2.0 -- also known as social computing -- that have changed the way people interact with computers and each other.

Developing a formal understanding of the underlying dynamics at play and the critical technology choices has required a patchwork of academic courses at a select few institutions.

Now the University of Michigan School of Information (SI) offers students the nation's first graduate-degree specialization in social computing through the Master of Science in Information."
Tags:

Paying for pixels: Startup's 'mosaic' profits charities - Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology:

Paying for pixels: Startup's 'mosaic' profits charities - Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology:: "Paying for pixels: Startup's 'mosaic' profits charities
Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology - March 23, 2007
by Christopher Calnan
Mass High Tech

If technology developed by a new Boston company catches on, charitable organizations will be raising money by selling pixels instead of pies and bytes instead of bricks.

Portrait Challenge Inc.'s web-hosted service, which it calls a 'digital mosaic,' takes images uploaded by a nonprofit's donors and uses those images to compose a larger picture the charity has commissioned."

Put on a Happy Face: Happy Digital Characters Sell Products Better :: PNNOnline ::

Put on a Happy Face: Happy Digital Characters Sell Products Better :: PNNOnline ::: "Put on a Happy Face: Happy Digital Characters Sell Products Better
Posted by: laurakujawski on Friday, March 23, 2007
Topic Special Features


Even in the digital world, people respond to the expression of a computerized face. New Ohio State University research suggests that the simulated emotions of digital characters on web sites might have a real impact on the potential customers that view and interact with them.


The study, appearing in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, found that digital characters might be better merchants if they act consistently happy, even if the products they're selling - such as novels - are heart-wrenchingly sad."

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Nonprofits discover power of blogging - Top Stories - MSNBC.com

Nonprofits discover power of blogging - Top Stories - MSNBC.com: "Nonprofits discover power of blogging

By Sarah Duxbury
Updated: 8:00 p.m. ET March 18, 2007

Nonprofits have found the blogosphere.

San Francisco's Asia Foundation is the latest nonprofit to create a weblog to communicate its mission, connect with a broader community and perhaps support fundraising efforts"

Bloomberg.com: U.S.-"Silicon Valley Retirees Build New Careers With Social Projects

Bloomberg.com: U.S.: "Silicon Valley Retirees Build New Careers With Social Projects

By Ryan Flinn

March 22 (Bloomberg) -- Marauding elephants were a problem in the Sri Lankan town of Endagalayaya. The solution came from halfway around the globe, as former Silicon Valley software executive Charly Kleissner helped furnish electric lights that villagers use to scare off the interlopers.

``Our goal is to provide electricity to at least 100,000 people in the next five years,'' said Kleissner, 50. He left his job at Ariba Inc. five years ago to work on providing renewable energy to impoverished corners of the world.

Silicon Valley is rife with people like Kleissner who got rich working for technology companies or arranging mergers. They're leaving their jobs while still relatively young and starting new careers where they can use their skills to help people in need."
Tags:

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

NpTech Tagging Community | NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network

The ongoing discussion about tagging is well represented here at NTEN's blog

NpTech Tagging Community | NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network: "NpTech Tagging Community
Submitted by Bonnie on Tue, 03/20/2007 - 9:56am.
Newsletter | NPTech | online community | tagging

Marnie Webb, TechSoup

Beth Kanter, Beth’s Blog

Tagging facilitates the sharing of information among members of a distributed community, and it can also help form or catalyze a community. In some respects the NpTech tag serves as a beacon to attract people interested in sharing resources on nonprofit technology and makes it easier to form connections and relationships with new people. The NpTech tag is also easy to use - the services are free, and many people have already incorporated services like del.icio.us and Flickr into their knowledge management practices. Furthermore, many tagging services encourage connections and conversations around particular tags via embedded social networking features. For more on this, see
Marnie’s blog, and Beth's NpTech Tag presentation."

Monday, March 19, 2007

OCLC Acquires TechAtlas Tech Planning Software

OCLC Acquires TechAtlas Tech Planning Software: "OCLC Acquires TechAtlas Tech Planning Software

OCLC (www.oclc.org) has acquired TechAtlas technology planning software with a $1.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (www.gatesfoundation.org). WebJunction (www.webjunction.org), OCLC's online community where library staff members share ideas and use online resources to help them in their work, will further develop this Web-based technology management and planning tool with particular attention to helping public libraries create E-rate-compliant technology plans. OCLC will now take over ownership of the TechAtlas product, and WebJunction will begin an intensive round of design and development work to extend TechAtlas features, such as expanding the ability to allow consortia to review and approve technology plans for their member libraries."