TH!NK 3 - Developping World

TH!NK3 - Official Trailer from European Journalism Centre on Vimeo.

I cannot tell  how privileged I am to be invited to the third edition of TH!NK in Brussels this March! Very impressed with Diego's blog from last edition I applied to take part in this years competition which resulted in an invitation! I really hope Diego will be there this year too!

During the Like Minds 2010 yesterday I flagged up the difference between journalism and blogging as way of presenting facts, where bloggers focus on opinions, and journalists created edited and checked content (very, very simplified distinction, nonetheless valid when it comes to building trust around delivery of facts and looking at citizen journalism and where that fits in). In response to that I was faced with different look at it - where journalism is a profession, blogging is about the form of presenting content - I feel a bit weary of this distinction, but probably because I know more of blogging than journalism and somehow I feel my point was made based on content not form. Jeff Jarvis is writing a blog - yes, but its content is private and opinionated, as opposed to what he posts in press (yes, cheekily linking to someone who is actually posting about the issue himself;). Comparing profession to a form was not my intention, on the contrary I talked purely about content. When we talked about it with bloggers and journalists in Cairo it became apparent that journalists are worried about the impact blogging (as activity, not form) will have on press in those challenging times, when news needs to re-evaluate their business model. I am happy to see leading bloggers working with journalists and vice versa. I am happy to see increase in importance of trust in building on-line presence of a blogger. I am happy to see journalists involved in citizen journalism. And I am very happy that Global Voices is there providing quite unique twist channelling the citizen journalists and bloggers content, because mainstream media starts to refer to it to enhance the perspectives on events - which at the end of the day is the ultimate aim.

I am glad that my point generated discussion though! I am happy to see every single instance of questioning ones opinions and I really hope that TH!NK will give me a chance for more of that;)

Stay tuned for more updates!

Social Media Forum

You have probably seen the badge on my blog already. When I visited Paula, my friend from Global Voices based in London we decided to attend this event, and now that I know Euan is going to present, I really look forward to it.  Before I start feeding info from the Social Media Forum Europe I owe you a bit of explanation on this one, hoping you will join us there;) It's an established event which I have followed for a while now, and I am glad it is happening in our area again.The impressive list of speaking makes me even happier, so thanks to Six Degrees Events from Bristol for organising!:)

The topics will vary and the range is very impressive, myself I am interested in mobile social media and cloud computing. Let's see how it goes!:) It's planned for 15-16th of March, so I'll consider it a treat to myself before the work on Twestival (25th) really kicks off!;)

GV Post - Poland: Social Network's Logo “Raises Controversy”

The largest Polish social network, Nasza-Klasa ('Our Class' - based around the idea of networking with school peers), appeared in the mainstream media several times last year. In summer 2009 it was featured as #19 on the Techcrunch list of main social networks, valued from $90 up to $553 million pending the measurement metrics. The same summer a resident of Gryfin won a case against Nasza-Klasa [PL] after he found out that someone had set up a fictional profile with his actual photos and personal data. After another court case it has also been legally bonded [PL] to ensure that users do not upload photos without appropriate license. When the social network was celebrating its third birthday in November 2009, questions were also raised [PL] about censorship and moderation of its user accounts. The growing scepticism towards the network became apparent when offices, ministries and the police banned their employees from using the website [PL], which is said to have been useful in crime investigations in the past. Statistics published today [PL] related to the usage of social networks in Poland show the increasing popularity of Facebook as opposed to Nasza-Klasa.

Nasza-Klasa logo today

Yesterday, Gazeta.pl daily news portal posted a short article [PL] informing its readers about a discussion of their portal's users around Nasza-Klasa logo, with gradually disappearing characters. This redesign, conducted during the last few days, was positioned as potentially an attempt of network administrators to allude to the recent theft of the sign from Auschwitz Nazi death camp museum. Gazeta.pl in their article clearly stated quoting of their readers and added that Nasza-Klasa has denied any connection to the recent case, however the article itself raised serious questions about foolishness of those speculations and the fact they were published in the mainstream media.

User glupie polaczki states [PL] today:

They should close down this anti-Semitic portal

Supported by opinion [PL] of another user, fqw:

It's gone now. How can they mock in such an anti-Semitic way!? how…I ask you…?

Others criticize the article itself. Ols85 mentions [PL]:

ONLY HERE - Gazeta.pl editors are all excited. Pulitzer guaranteed, I think…

SOber states [PL]:

It's always the best move to add on to something ideology, and afterwards strongly believe in it.

The majority of voices mocks the content of the article referring to more rational reason of the logo change - re-branding. Titus explains [PL]:

Honestly, it requires a great deal of bad will and inner need to seek conspiracy to associate the fact of “renovation” on nk with the theft of the sign… It was apparent from the beginning that it was a simple attempt to change the logo pictured in a funny and interesting way.

User autor autor sums up those comments saying [PL]:

This information is a final proof that Poles are functionally illiterate people. They cannot comprehend what is being said to them in media programmes, and they cannot grasp a simple message “we are changing our logo”, displayed in a nice way.

Local social media specialist, Socjalistka, dug out two links [PL] to announcements that Nasza-Klasa had acquired nk.pl domain, which supports the version of re-branding.

This post has been originally written for and posted at Global Voices Online, here.

#PL: Socjalistka - social media po polsku

To dosc dziwne uczucie pisac po polsku na blogu, ktory do tej pory jakos caly zyl w mojej glowie po angielsku. Juz od jakiegos czasu, wlasciwie kilku tygodni planowalam pewnego rodzaju polaczenie tresci polskich i angielskich, wiec wlasna domena jest chyba dobrym poczatkiem. Na wstepie kilka prostych wskazowek:

• Bede tutaj pisala bez polskich znakow, sluchajac porad znajomych znajacych sie na SEO.


• Polskie posty beda sie zaczynac od '#PL:' raczej dla angielskojezycznych czytelnikow bloga przez RSS.


• Moj prywatny blog nadal pozostaje, gdyz potrzebuje bardziej osobistej przestrzeni. Tutaj bede sie dzielila obserwacjami na temat pracy, mediow spolecznosciowych, aktywizmu i Global Voices. Czesci tych tresci moga byc po angielsku, ale to raczej z racji cytowania oryginalnych storn, tekstow - mam nadzieje, ze nie bedzie to Wam przeszkadzac.

A wiec zaczynamy! Pierwszy polski post chcialabym poswiecic czemus, co wskazala mi Socjalistka, bardzo dobre zrodlo informacji o mediach spolecznosciowych w Polsce, ktore goraco polecam. To krotki filmik zawierajacy podsumowanie zjawisk roku 2009-go w mediach spolecznosciowych, autorstwa Roba Gotthingama. Mam nadzieje, ze Wam sie spodoba:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SPWTyv6zBk]

Jesli chodzi o mnie, to najbardziej ciesze sie z faktu, iz blogowanie nadal jest znaczace, a ogolne zrozumienie mediow socjalnych rosnie w wielu regionach swiata. Ciesze sie, ze mozna juz rejestrowac domeny w roznych jezykach - gdyz bedzie to mialo wielki wplyw na rozwoj regionalych mediow socjalnych oraz zmiane w percepcji tego, kto moze byc innowatorem w tej dziedzinie -  i ze Twitter staje sie bardziej popularny. Jesli chodzi o mnie, to nauczylam sie szanowac inne formy przekazu - wideo i audio, wiec mam nadzieje, ze w 2010 bedzie ich wiecej;)

Szczesliwego Nowego - spolecznosciowego - Roku 2010!:)

TouchGraph, monitoring yourself

As a blogger I tend to Google my name time to time to see who uses my content and generally - where does my name appear. I also spend more time on Facebook this month learning its dynamics all over again, and just came accross TouchGraph Facebook app which graphed my contacts very accurately.

As you can see my FB 'friends' are based in Hungary, at Global Voices and around my UK social media activities, not so much in Poland, which pretty much represents my on-line activity and flags up an action point - be more active in Polish circles on FB!:) Will do!

Secondly, I did the Google graph, which came with various results, but I think this one is the most accurate.

I know how I want those graphs to change, and as I am rethinking my blog strategy, and generally social media presence they all come quite handy. I think this and similar tools are great to give us quick view on what our social media landscape is. The more the better!;)