So, do you understand the electoral system yet? Thoroughly digested those platforms and polls? With both a Canadian and an American election on the go this autumn, there’s a lot of indigestible info out there. We’re going to show you some sites that will hopefully help you stay on top of it. More...

Hi Net2!

There are 44 mashup ideas in the NetSquared Mashup Challenge Project Gallery, and the deadline is still a week away (March 14th, 5 PM PDT). Very exciting!

Take a look through the projects, give them feedback in their comment section, and star them if you like their idea.

Please note that giving a project a star is not a vote. It is simply a way to engage with the projects, tell them you like their work, and help them gather attention from people who are skimming the NetSquared Mashup Project Gallery.

Voting will begin on March 17th. We'll have more info. for you about it soon.

Flickr photo credit: Star and Tree by Paul IJsendoorn

" There are about 50 social networks, and they each have thousands of groups of individuals in these little private circles. It is not like you can send out a blast to everyone on the list and expect them to respond enthusiastically. You really have to do what Jacob Colker did, and go door-to-door--the equivalent of door-to-door online and get to know people, spend some time."

Posted here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p7Ll8s5O1dQieNPVfXSNpWw

Use as you wish...intended to allow anyone to make their decision process a bit less painful. :)

The first three bold categories are the criteria listed on the 11th-to-the-last page of the larger crazy-patterned book with 1-page profiles of each projects. I'm going to rate projects in some of the categories listed here on a 1-5 scale (5 being best) and tally the results to help me decide.

 If you'd like to suggest additional criteria, post it in the comments and I'll add it. Thanks to the Meebo'ers for a fab lunch and input @ the fountain!

buttons of hope

Sunday afternoon...and curious!? I know you can't / won't tell us who is leading in the voting -- but can you share how many votes the top projects are getting -- 10s, 100s, 1000S -- just curious!

And when will the winnners be announced?

michael gibbons

One of our strengths at HungerMaps is information analysis. What better way then to exemplify one of our strengths than to show you how I decided to be an informed voter.

The Netsquared Team decided to extend the deadline for casting your votes until this Monday 5 pm PDT!

Now you have more time to look at the proposals and also to check our project Social Web Tools for Developing Countries: Yankana.org.

You already voted? Don´t worry! You can login to your ballot and change your choices anytime before monday!

You selected less than 10 projects? Great! Consider our proposal to complete your ballot!

This is my first entry, mommilner here.  I've been blogging since 2003 which feels like forever sometimes.  I'm part of omiydar.net and encourage all to join so that we can encourage each other to dream bigger dreams and help each other impliment those dreams.  You can catch my blog at   http://mommilner.blogspot.com/.  Great to be part of such a dynamic, creative, resourceful, philanthropic, helpful etc..... community.

Hey all- it's been so exciting to read all your blog entries, see your slates, and (of course) check out your proposals (it has also been a lot of reading!).

I was struck by this earlier comment:

"Typically these project evaluation processes are ceded over to a small committee of evaluators chosen because of their individual qualifications and expertise. And usually there is another layer of administrative evaluation, assessing the legal status and financial competence of the institution."

Many project proposals to review and only 10 to vote for. For 1 of your 10 choices take a look at our proposal Social Web Tools for Developing Countries: Yankana.org.

Promoted by Fundapi.org, a non profit foundation from Guayaquil, Ecuador, it´s a project created by an organization located in a developing country to help other organizations and groups located in developing countries too.

Make a difference and with your vote give our project the opportunity to join other great initiatives at the Netsquared conference.