NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoup.org - General

Image Annotation Notebook

Lilyrafaela — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 02:22:29 -0400

Project Screenshot

Supporting organization

University of Art & Design Helsinki, Media Lab

URL

http://imanote.uiah.fi

Location

Finland

Project Description

ImaNote - (Image and Map Annotation Notebook) is a multi-user tool for viewing, zooming, and annotating arbitrary-sized images using a web browser. Multiple users can display a high-resolution image or a collection of images online, being able to almost instantly see and edit each other's modifications.

How Do You Use Social Networks to Build One?

Cauzoo — Tue, 3 Apr 2007 17:58:38 -0400

Project Screenshot

Supporting organization

Cauzoo

URL

http://www.cauzoo.com

Location

Los Angeles

Project Description

If you're building a social network, mailing list, or other social tool, how do you break through a crowded market? With MySpace, Facebook, and a host of new niche social sites popping up, how can you beat the competition?

Simple- you don't. You work with them to go places you never could before.

Cauzoo.com had a problem that most new sites had- gaining traction in a crowded field. For us, the challenge is making clear that we don't want to supplant MySpace or Facebook, but supplement the social experience by adding a new angle. Undoubtedly, most of your non-profit sites are the same. You aren't asking for all a person's time, just a bit of their attention. But how can you do this without scaring them away? In addition, how can you make a better site from it?

Our answer was simple- instead of fighting the competition, we promoted it.

If you look at the bottom left corner of a sample profile page, you can see "Social Me", an exciting example of our tool. We know that people have countless different social identities- so why not use them? It helps our users recognize that Cauzoo is a place to show part of yourself, not all of yourself. That lowers the barrier to entry and clarifies our concept. Secondly, it simply makes for a better site. Our pages have more utility if users know more places where they can reach their friends.

The great thing about "Social Me" is that it's not our idea- we used code from the Open Source site here- http://dbachrach.com/showyourself/. It wouldn't be tough to figure out anyway, but this is a good reference point for some of the social networks out there that your users might have. Naturally, we're not sure how many sites/non-profits this will help, but we'd love to definitely take a step to say one thing: you are on Social Networks for a reason- promoting them!

Wireless Networking in the Developing World

Graham Freeman — Wed, 24 May 2006 12:22:52 -0400

Project Screenshot

URL

http://www.wndw.net/

Location

The web

Project Description

The massive popularity of wireless networking has caused equipment costs to continually plummet, while equipment capabilities continue to increase. By applying this technology in areas that are badly in need of critical communications infrastructure, more people can be brought online than ever before, in less time, for very little cost. The authors hope to not only convince you that this is possible, but also show how they have made such networks work, and to give you the information and tools you need to start a network project in your local community.

The material is available as a freely downloadable PDF, a paperback bound book available for purchase, and on the collaborative wiki. Contributions via the wiki are encouraged.

Learning curve...

Karin — Fri, 19 May 2006 16:23:41 -0400

Lightstalkers

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 18:23:06 -0400

Project Screenshot

Supporting organization

November Eleven

URL

www.lightstalkers.org

Location

United States

Project Description

Lightstalkers is a networking tool designed for mobile journalists, especially photographers. Media professionals constantly on the move, wrestling with gear, visas, and communication, depend on each other for up-to-date intelligence and resources. By connecting them directly with each other, Lightstalkers and November Eleven support independent photography, journalism, and humanitarian awareness.

www.lightstalkers.org

www.novembereleven.org

DuPage Children's Museum Blog

eweinb04 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 23:02:36 -0500

Project Screenshot

URL

www.thechildrensmuseumblog.blog-city.com/

Location

Illinois

Project Description

The mission of the DuPage Children’s Museum is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, thinking and problem solving in young children through:

self-directed, open-ended experiences
integration of the arts, science and math, and
the child-adult learning partnership.

wildlive! - using mobile phones to promote conservation

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 11:42:46 -0500

Project Screenshot

Supporting organization

Fauna & Flora International, Cambridge

URL

http://www.kiwanja.net

Location

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Project Description

For a full project description, along with additional screenshots and content samples, see www.kiwanja.net/wildlive!.htm

Technologies for Conservation and Development in Southern Africa

Britt Bravo — Tue, 7 Mar 2006 17:25:20 -0500

Project Screenshot

URL

www.t4cd.org

Location

South Africa and the United Kingdom

Project Description

The Technologies for Conservation and Development (t4cd) project, run by ResourceAfrica and Fauna & Flora International, is finding ways to apply new information and communications technologies (ICTs) to conservation and development.

t4cd interventions are designed to investigate the efficiency of technology deployment in conservation and development – in other words, what size and type of bang will we get for the technological buck that we put in? It aims to bring together various practitioners from the world of ICT, conservation & development to build new partnerships, investigate the appropriate use of existing technologies and generate new innovative tools for practical use in developing countries.

Blacktie, LLC

kenton — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:35:03 -0500

Project Screenshot

Supporting organization

Blacktie, LLC

URL

www.blacktie-colorado.com

Project Description

Blacktie is an organization that provides a variety of internet tools to
nonprofit organizations and philanthropists. We form "community" around a
centralized website. For more information, go to: www.blacktie-colorado.com

San Francisco Zero

sfzero — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 20:32:01 -0500

Project Screenshot

Supporting organization

Playtime

URL

sf0.org

Project Description

"SF0 is a collaborative and immersive game set in San Francisco. The goals of play include meeting new people, exploring the city, and participating in creative non-consumer leisure activities."

The game seeks to be an open structure, a context for interacting with the city and the people who live in it. Players are asked to engage in a variety of collaborative activities (also known as "tasks") relating to different aspects of city life. They are also given the opportunity to create activities for other players. Although the game interface is web-based, actual game play almost always takes place in the real world.

The site combines elements of social networking, blogging, messaging and file sharing to produce an effective mechanism for collaborating on projects of any kind.