using technology to enhance events
DESCRIPTION
Slides from the short session, delivered by Steve Boneham & Will Allen from Netskills, for the BA (the British Association for the Advancement of Science) forum held in Newcastle on 12th May 2008.TRANSCRIPT
Using Technology to Enhance Events
About us…
Steve BonehamSteve BonehamWill AllenWill Allen
About you…
Do you…
Use the web?
Blog?
Podcast?
Use a digital camera?
Use an RSS reader?
Use social networks?
The Technologies
Why use technology?
Reach a global audience
Engage with people
Increase your productivity
Where to start?
Enhance what you already have
Text structure & style
Use quotes (feedback)
Add some images
Polls
Consider other media
Custom maps
Interactive maps overlaid with your data
Potential usesDirections to events
Branch locations
Branch staff
Members…
Online calendars
Private, shared and public
Allow others to add events
User download & reuse
Integrate calendars
Potential usesEvents listings
Meeting schedules
Netskills workshop
RSS newsfeeds
Provides a summary of new content
Used on websites, blogs, wikis, podcasts…
Users subscribe to feed for updates
Aggregate feeds from any source
Syndicate for reuse elsewhere
Potential usesNews
Events
Blogs
Web-based journal with commentingEasy to update Self-organisingRSS feedInformal & engaging
Potential usesNewsEvents review & feedbackEverything!?
"One of the fastest growing mass communication tools of the modern era" [Guardian, 28/4/06]
Podcasting
Audio content for download to mobile devicesConversational & personal
Engaging
Not technically difficult
Needs commitment
Potential usesInterviews with scientists
Interviews with participants
Social media
Communities built around resource sharing…Photographs
Videos
Bookmarks
Presentations…
Potential usesHosting
Viral marketing
User-generated content
Social networks
Large online communities
Tools to connect peopleFind, friend, message, poke…
Potential usesFocal point for your community
Discussion, surveys, interaction
Wikis
Web pages that can be editedPublic or restricted
Versioning control
Potential uses Collaborative authoring
Note taking
Intranet
Amplifying events
Share presentations
Live blog commentary
Wiki for note taking
Audio/video streaming
Remote participation
Social network after event
What about established methods?!
Don’t rely on technology alone
Print is still useful!
Email is still useful!Mailing lists
Discussion groups
EventsPresentations, networking
@
Understand Online behaviour
Want specific informationFrustrated by delaysMulti-taskingShort attention spanQuick to click…
When using a monitor… reading is slower intelligibility lower
Page Content
As a general rule, web content should have:
Lower word count (than print)
Front-loaded paragraphs
Clear structure
Who are you writing for?
“Every opening paragraph is the beginning of a delicate and transient relationship between reader and writer.”
Gentle Reader, Stay Awhile; I Will Be Faithful
Amber Simmons (A List Apart article)
Understand your audience
What are their needs?
How much detail do they want?
What do they care most about?
The Power of Language
“The web is all about communication … every detail furthers the conversation”
Bronwyn Jones, Better Writing Through Design, A List Apart (July 31, 2007)
Establish Trust
Maintain credibility Spelling and grammar
Up-to-date pages
Reviewed links
Keep thinking about your audienceEntice them to find out more…
Tools, tools, tools…
Traditionalversus
New & emerging
“I have to say you need to pick the right tool for the right project!”
Issues and Limiting factors
What’s feasible?
Time and resource?
Who owns the content?
Online tools are constantly evolving…
“There needs to be recognition that this is time consuming.”
Summary
Plan your use of technology & be strategic
Identify & understand your audiences
Consider your intent
Write well & appropriately
Embrace new technologies!
Create an action plan
Plan how to take this forward…What will you do?
Why?
How will you do it? blogs for
regional
branchPodcast?
RSS?
Ask Netskills!
Contact us
Thanks for listening… Any questions, do get in touch!
Steve Boneham
Will Allen
www.netskills.ac.uk
Further resources
For tools featured and demonstrated during the session, visit:
http://www.diigo.com/list/nspb01/baas