Ideas for achieving the goal of "Communicate or Die"
The stated goal of this site is to "build a network of labor and technology professionals to discuss and develop solutions that allow unions to realize the full potential of Internet technology." Below is the beginning of a rough list of principles I think should be followed to help achieve that goal. These aren't mandates, they are simply my suggestions and they are subject to change as the site grows.
1) The site should be community-driven.
I don't intend for this site to be my site. Yes, I initiated it and host it, but I do not wish or want to have complete editorial control over it. I will take the lead to get it off the ground but eventually, as this project grows, I'd like to be just one of many individuals who contribute and set policy for this site.
The software I chose for this community, Drupal, is designed specifically for developing web-based communities. It has many rich features that lends itself to the task of allowing groups of individuals to work collaboratively to share and disseminate information on the web. To learn more about this software, see http://www.drupal.org.
2) The site should be of high quality.
The quality of writing, visual appeal of the site, and its organization should set an example for excellence. This site will not be taken seriously by professionals in the field otherwise.
3) The site should be people and personality focused, not just technology focused.
Interviews with prominent figures in the field would be of great interest to readers and attract attention. A lot of understanding about technology can come from understanding the motivations of the people who employ it. Also, discussions and information about people is far more interesting than discussions about technology.
Howdy Steve!
Looks like I stumbled onto just what I was looking for to compliment my new site! Check it out at >> http://laborunionsonline.com/
I'll give you headline billing and we'll get your site some exposure. You have a great idea here and I support it 100%. If there's anything that I can do to help you out, just holler. As a matter of fact, I'm looking for administrators and forums moderators. If you're interested, get ahold of me. This could work out for all concerned.
Later brother,
Glenn Sand
Webmaster/Owner
Labor Unions OnLine.com
Hi, Glenn
Surprised someone found this site. I haven't done any work on it and didn't think Google would find it. I dropped you a line at your site.
Options
Steve,
I love what you're doing here. (btw: I got your email). I'd like to talk to you about the possibility of you taking over and doing something with Labor Unions OnLine. My plate is pretty full right now and I just don't have the time to babysit and nurture it. It has tremendous possibilities that are unexplored at this point and I'd dearly love to see it take off and grow.
I recently undertook the posiiton of webmaster on a faltering site >> http://ibewminuteman.com/ and have been spending all my time working on it. What a job! Imagine turning a 'Biker Bar' into a 'Family Diner' and that just about decribes what I've been trying to do there.
I have turned over the day-to-day admin duties on my other site >> http://laborunionsonline.com/ibew/ to a friend of mine so that I could get that monkey off of my back. I'm just too old to do all that I start out to and I sometimes wonder why I even try.
Think about it and let me know what you think of the idea.
ttyl
Glenn
Thanks for the offer
I'm flattered that you would ask me to take over your labor of love. Unfortunatley, between my job at the labor council, free lance work, and family, my rain barrel is overflowing and it wouldn't be possible.
You are right, though, running a web site alone is not an easy matter, especially if it's going to be a successful one. That's why I'm developing this site from the ground up as a community effort. That way, no one person will be required to shoulder the burden. Though I've started this site and will work hard to get it off the ground, I will not consider it a success until the day the site runs itself through the contributions of many individuals who each carry a manageable burden of site maintenance and governance.
Please feel free to stick around here. Maybe we can fold some of the ideas you had in mind for laborunionsonline.com into Communicate or Die. One thing I will need help doing is building out the forums here. If you're willing to help, I'm willing to show you how to manage Drupal, the very excellent open source software that drives this site so you can manage the forums. It's not as powerful as UBB, but that makes is easier to manage, too. Interestingly, someone found a way to integrate UBB into Drupal. I might do that some day.
But let me know.
Professionals vs. decision-makers
I like Steve's outline for the goals of the site - I'd just add one minor tweak:
I think one of the key groups of people that we want to attract to this site are folks involved in making decisions about their unions' communications strategies. These may not always be "professionals" in the usual sense of the word! Of course, some locals do have their web sites designed/administrated by folks with professional experience. But others rely on volunteers who may be pretty new to the game. And deciding what form the sites will take and what content they'll contain is in the hands of union leaders (and ultimately, the membership).
In some cases, these decision makers may not be "union professionals" either - in many locals, esp. those with limited resources, the officers continue working on the shop floor in addition to performing their official duties.
I think the implication of this is that the site needs to include content that explains in "layman's terms" how web sites are helping unions achieve their goals in terms of communication, service and organizing. Maybe a "success stories" forum?
You are right
Yes, I agree. The mission statement should be more inclusive than it currently stands. You want to give a shot at submitting a more inclusive but just as concise mission statement?
mission statement
How about just replacing "labor and technology professionals" with "labor leaders, activists and supporters"?
I'd like to keep "labor and technology professionals" in there
I think labor and technology professionals should make up the core audience. I think there is a risk that if you go too lowest common denominator, you start to lose the interest of the folks who can contribute the most. However, I don't want to exclude rank and file members or students, etc. who have a deep interest in helping the labor movement use the Internet effectively. These kinds of folks are not included in the current mission statement.
Focusing on WHO?
Yes, I agree that we don't "want to exclude rank and file members or students, etc." with the use of the word "professional".
Yet, it seems true that cultural change and or organizational change will occur when individuals that lead and those that follow are committed to make things happen. So how about using this as a focus in the mission statement to reach both Labor and IT "practitioners".
‘Our mission is to build a network of “labor activists and information technology supporters” to discuss …’
Don't these new adjective words identify the people we want to reach?
Any Comments please?
Cheers, Tony
Let's try sidestepping the issue a little
How about something like "individuals that are passionate and serious about discussing and developing solutions that allow unions to realize the full potential of Internet technology."
I just don't like all the "ands" in there: passionate AND serious; discussing AND developing.
Or how about this?
"serious individuals who are passionate about discussing and developing solutions..."
I like this.
Focusing on WHO? Referring to The Mission Statement
Steve,
Where did all of this "and" stuff "I just don't like all the "ands" in there: passionate AND serious; discussing AND developing." come from?
You lost me here. Please reread my last message.
Tony
I give the same advice back :)
Reread my post. I offered a counterproposal.
Focusing on WHO? Referring to The Mission Statement
Oh, Now I get it. Hmm, well lets see. Would you put those "who are the focus people" in to a draft mission statment for me to read in context.
Here's the whole thing
"Our mission is to build a network of passionate individuals who are serious about discussing and developing solutions that allow unions to realize the full potential of Internet technology."
Focusing on WHO? The Mission Statement
YES, I like it. It works! Those words will do just fine as far as I am concerned. Very democratic, in that it leaves no one out of the loop. I move to accept. Any objections, please say so now?
Cheers,
Tony
Hearing none, so moved!
It's up!
Focusing on WHO? The Mission Statement
Cool
About "success stories"
Yeah, I would eventually like to get a collection of great sites on here that lead by example. I've done this a little bit by blogging about PurpleOcean.org as an example of a success story. It would be nice to have a centralized place on the site for listing these site.
If I set up the infrastructure for doing that, would you help collect good example sites?
Anyone know someone that would make for a good interview?
I'm currently working on getting an interview with someone from EchoDitto, the outfit which created SEIU's excellent PurpleOcean.org site.
I'd love to get other interviews in the pipeline. So if anyone knows of a professor, labor leader, or technologist that they would like to interview for the site, please go for it. An interview is a great excuse to talk to a person you find interesting.
JOE TRIPPI
Steve,
Howard Dean's campaign manager, Joe Trippi, is given credit for using the Internet to launch the Dean candidacy into legitimacy. He should be able to provide insight into a functional use of the Internet for organizing.
John Foster
GCC/IBT Local 4C
p.s. this is somewhat of a repeat request from another thread: apologies