I’m continuing what I’m now calling “Jet-Set July” this week with a jaunt down to Austin, TX for the Netroots Nation conference. Those of you who follow progressive political blogs will recognize this as The Conference Formerly Known As Yearly Kos (TM). I’ve wanted to attend since the first Yearly Kos was held in Las Vegas two years ago, and I’m enormously grateful for the opportunity to be there this year.
I’m heading to Netroots Nation for what might seem like less-than-obvious purposes. This is in many ways a politically-focused event, but I’m planning to attend sessions that emphasize progressive policy advocacy online, building and supporting communities of activists, and driving change with the most innovative and inclusived tools possible. As someone who has been at times both inspired and flabbergasted by the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors’ creativity with or resistance to emerging technologies, I’m really hoping to reconnect with the folks on the cutting edge of these innovations. I expect to return from Texas brimming with new ideas to test in my own field and state.
I focused my senior thesis on the use of web-based technologies on the campaign trail; at this point, I’m much more interested in how social technologies can be brought to bear on governance, advocacy outside of the campaign season, and building public awareness around pressing issues. With those interests in mind, here are a few of the sessions I plan to attend this weekend:
Today we’re going to do something a little different with our traditional “Questioning Things.” Instead of having you respond in the comments, you’ll be able to simply and quickly respond through the polls below. Hopefully we’ll get more participation this way.
These questions are a little frivolous, but I thought it would be interesting to see the numbers. Next week, we’ll use this system to ask more relevant/serious questions. But, as this is my last day of work at my current job, I’m not in a very serious mood. Roll it.
Famous epic poet and blind man John Milton wrote in 1664 that books “are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them.” After witnessing last month’s introduction of the Amazon Kindle device, and the fascinating discussion on the future of reading that took place here at Tropophilia, one might be persuaded to imagine Milton as a Jules Verne-like literary prophet…for the Kindle does indeed seem to be alive at times, what with the electronic hum it undoubtedly emits and its ability to download new books and online publications anywhere, at anytime.
I’m intrigued by this collaboration, but it calls to mind another model for innovation in corporate environmental sustainability; the second model, I believe, holds more potential for large shared gains across sectors. In the fantastic new book Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High Impact Nonprofits, the authors describe Environmental Defense‘s work alongside corporate behemoths like McDonald’s and FedEx to eliminate styrofoam packaging on Big Macs and replace 30,000 trucks in FedEx’s shipping fleet with hybrids within the next ten years. The trick? Environmental Defense retains rights (in lieu of consulting fees) to the patents they create with their corporate partners.
Faithful readers–all apologies. With the long weekend and my slow return to West Blogistan, I regret that my Monday links are…well…a few days late. But wouldn’t you LOVE some links with that Wednesday, 4-day-work-week lull? I hope so, ’cause here we go:
We weren’t the only ones to notice Google.org’s big announcements last week. They get some NY Times love here.
Another must-read piece from the NY Times this week (I told you I was out of the loop…) concerns the necessary combination of private philanthropy and public investment. I’m not sure that I agree with the editors’ conclusions towards the end of the editorial, but here’s a money quote to provoke you:
“Critics of government spending argue that America’s private sector does a better job making socially necessary investments. But it doesn’t. Public spending is allocated democratically among competing demands. Rich benefactors can spend on anything they want, and they tend to spend on projects close to their hearts.”
I often hear that people of my generation will change careers more than any group before us. If you’re realizing that business classes, another foreign language, or other technical skills might be necessary to change careers, here’s a cool compilation of free education materials online.
Speaking of careers, Sustainablog explores the wealth of new green careers and the corresponding green labor shortage.
Ezra Klein, who writes an incredible blog that I’ve thus far deemed too political for Tropophilia, offers the most reasonable solution I’ve seen yet to the Scrabulous mess: Hasbro should just buy it.
I’m continuing what I’m now calling “Jet-Set July” this week with a jaunt down to Austin, TX for the Netroots Nation conference. Those of you who follow progressive political blogs will recognize this as The Conference Formerly Known As Yearly Kos (TM). I’ve wanted to attend since the first Yearly Kos was held in Las Vegas two years ago, and I’m enormously grateful for the opportunity to be there this year.
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