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The CommunityNet Aotearoa monthly newsletter.
"News and views on community networking throughout Aotearoa."
If so, we would like to hear from you and how you use the internet to help your group. If you are interested in participating in a quick survey please email cna@dia.govt.nz with the subject heading 'CNA ME'. Please include your contact details in the body of the email.
American user research has found significant deficiencies in non-profit organisations' website content, which often fails to provide the information people need to make donation decisions. The usability studies by the Nielsen Norman Group revealed considerable frustration as potential donors visited sites and tried to discern various organisations' missions and goals - which are key factors in their decisions about whether to give money.
/communitycentre/news/national/onlinedonations.htm
The IHC Telecom Art Awards were established in 2004 to encourage and recognise creativity from New Zealanders with an intellectual disability. Over the years it has become an important event, with over 650 people entering in 2008. This year's awards will be presented at a function in Wellington on 23 September. Art works and completed entry forms are to be submitted between 5 June and 3 July.
/communitycentre/news/national/artawards.htm
From 1 April 2009, all employers will be required to provide employees with paid rest breaks and unpaid meal breaks. These provisions come into force as a result of the Employment Relations (Breaks, Infant Feeding, and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2008 passed in September 2008. The Amendment aims to improve health and safety in workplaces and increase productivity by establishing a minimal standard across all industries. The Department of Labour's Employment Relations Service has produced printable fact sheets about the new break provisions for employers and employees.
/communitycentre/news/national/restmealbreaks.htm
With the establishment of the Charities Register now largely completed, the Charities Commission has rearranged its structure to allow it to focus more resources on the monitoring and investigation of charities, and to provide governance and management education. Under the new structure, three general managers have been appointed to manage the Commission's Registration and Compliance, Corporate services, and Education. Chief executive Trevor Garrett, to whom the new roles report, says the new structure is designed to reflect the changing role of the Commission, and the services it must deliver to the charitable sector and to the public.
/communitycentre/news/national/execappointments.htm
Organisers are overwhelmed with the success of the coastal clean-up event on Aotea/Great Barrier Island, 3 - 4 April. Hundreds of volunteers tackled the rugged coastlines on foot, from boats and in kayaks to remove over 2.2 tonnes of rubbish from the remote island - a true show of their passion to keep New Zealand beautiful. On the Friday, around 230 children, parents and teachers from low-decile schools, along with hoards of young locals, cleaned the beaches of Tryphena Harbour. Then on Saturday, a second ferry-load of volunteers from Auckland teamed-up with the crew of the Spirit of New Zealand, members of the Navy, fishermen and masses of locals to continue the large-scale clean-up.
/communitycentre/news/national/barriercleanup.htm
At February's 'Impact on Communities: Managing the Downturn Together' workshop in Wellington, participants acknowledged the need to work differently or face dire consequences from the economic downturn. The importance of greater collaboration, diversifying income sources, and proving effectiveness were some of the ideas discussed. A new section on the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector website offers some guidance in these key areas. As well as tips for community organisations, it includes guidance on what funders and government agencies can do to help community groups through the recession.
/communitycentre/news/national/ocvsideas.htm
The Department of Internal Affairs has decided to shelve plans for the New Zealand Gambling Conference 2009. This decision was not taken lightly. One of the reasons related to the cost of the conference. While the Department expected to recover the costs through registrations we also needed to consider the cost impact on prospective participants. It was expected that many of the participants would be from the gambling / philanthropic area, either distributors or recipients of charitable funding. The Department will agree on a work programme with the Minister and give further consideration to engaging with the various groups that have an interest in the gambling sector. The wiki will also remain "open" allowing those with an interest in gambling in New Zealand an opportunity to share information about issues related to the costs and benefits of gambling, the way the community is engaged with gambling issues, and how integrity, harm and crime issues related to gambling are addressed.
/communitycentre/news/national/gambling.htm
From 13 - 14 May an Australian web team takes on the CodeBlacks from New Zealand in FullCodePress '09. The challenge is to build a complete website in 24 hours and two non-profit organisations, one from New Zealand and one from Australia, will be selected to receive a complete website at the end. The concept of FullCodePress is simple. Web teams take each other on, at the same location, to build a complete website in 24 hours. No excuse, no extensions, no budget overruns.
/communitycentre/news/national/fullcodepress.htm
The Newman's Own Foundation is donating $100,000 to New Zealand charities from the profits of Paul Newman's Own products sold here, making charitable grants of up to $20,000 each. Any charity, big or small, with a specific project can apply to the foundation. Expressions of interest welcome 1 April - 22 May 2009.
/communitycentre/news/national/newmansown.htm
Are you interested in living in a sustainable, organic community designed with Permaculture “earth care, people care, fair share” principles in mind? We want to establish a community with a maximum of 12-18 adults plus children situated somewhere between Johnsonville and Paraparumu. We are a group of 4 adults and 2 teenagers looking to meet new, like-minded members.
/communitycentre/news/national/intentionalcommunity.htm
The Lottery Community Sector Research Fund is now accepting Research Idea applications for the 2009 funding year. This Committee considers applications from community organisations to carry out research and/or evaluation projects. Community organisations can either undertake projects independently or in partnership with a suitable provider. Applications can be made for grants to fully fund both the carrying out of research and/or evaluation projects and the communication of their findings. The Fund supports projects that offer community benefits at a local, regional or national level. Applications to have your Research Idea considered close at 4 pm on Friday, 5 June 2009.
/communitycentre/news/national/lcsrfapplications.htm
The Ministry of Health is seeking nominations for the inaugural members of the Family Violence Death Review Committee (FVDRC), on behalf of the Minister of Health. The functions and membership categories of this Committee are outlined in the Terms of Reference available at the Ministry of Health's website. All Committee members will have knowledge of, or expertise in, family violence issues.
/communitycentre/news/national/fvdrcnominations.htm
Latest community news, events, jobs and ads are online at:www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news.
Just Dollars Trust is a Canterbury community organisation set up to achieve social outcomes by providing small loans (up to $10,000) to help people generate income and employment. Additionally, we aim to provide an ethical investment opportunity for investors.
http://www.justdollars.org.nz
Sustainable Coastlines provides support to coastal communities to pursue and take ownership of local initiatives that will help improve their coastal environment.
http://www.sustainablecoastlines.com
RealStories.org.nz is an online version of the storybook "It's Time We Started Telling These Stories" published by Family and Community Service, Ministry of Social Development. The book has been published in the hope that telling these stories will help others to overcome the effects of family violence. The eight people who volunteered to tell their stories were identified throught community networks.
http://realstories.org.nz
The Post Polio Support Society of NZ is dedicated to seeking support for people who have had poliomyelitis. It does this through information sharing and where possible, assistance to polio society members and their families, whether or not they are experiencing problems at present.
http://www.nzordgroups.org.nz/postpolio/
Toughlove is a non-profit, self-help organisation that provides ongoing education and active support to families, empowering parents and young people to accept responsibility for their actions and stop destructive behaviours.
http://www.toughlove.org.nz/
Thebigblackdog.co.nz is a NZ-run mental illness consumer peer support group available to all, online 24/7. The Big Black Dog Message Board was started in August 2008 and currently has around 160 members (membership & registration is free but essential to Post or visit the Chat Room). The message board is moderated and has become a safe haven for many who previously felt they had no voice.
http://www.thebigblackdog.co.nz
The Papakura Support and Counselling Centre promotes well-being through effective counselling and support services. The centre offers one-on-one counselling, crisis counselling & advocacy, support groups, courses, telephone support and a drop-in centre.
http://www.pscc.co.nz/
Social Innovation Camp unites people at the coalface of social issues with people who understand how to use web technology to solve problems. Social Innovation Camp is an initiative of the recently launched NZ Centre for Social Innovation.
http://sicampnz.ning.com/
DANZ - Dance Aotearoa New Zealand is the national organisation for dance in New Zealand. DANZ works for the success and health of New Zealand dance through education, development and support of the industry, promotion and visibility of dance, and all New Zealanders having a chance to dance.
http://www.danz.org.nz
PositiveNZ is a charitable trust offering advice, programmes and support for depression/axiety/alcohol and drug abuse, situated in North Shore City.
http://www.positivenz.com
OMEGA is a new collaborative initiative designed solely to increase the employment of qualified migrants in Auckland – in jobs that match their skills and experience. Omega recognises the unique barriers new kiwis face when entering the New Zealand labour force, and have launched a series of practical programmes to address these, while at the same time helping organisations benefit from the talents and skills immigrants bring with them.
http://www.omega.org.nz
Students Against Violence (SAVE) is a group founded by students for students with the core goal of protecting our generation from violence. The group campaigns against domestic violence and offers support to youth affected by violence.
http://www.savemovement.org
You'll find these and more links at:www.community.net.nz/links.
These Events are coming up in the next few weeks. Find details at: www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/events.
These Training events are coming up in the next few weeks. Find details at: www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/training.
Online video training courses offer convenience and excellence.
Although I've had a great digital SLR camera for years, I've also had a block. I've just never quite come to grips with matters of aperture, exposure, ISO and shutter speed. Most of my photos have been shot with the camera on Auto.
A few years ago I attended a couple of classes at a Community Education Centre, hoping to learn how to work my camera properly, but those courses didn't quite cover what I wanted to learn.
There's another 8-hour course soon for $68. That's a great price. To attend though I'd have to rearrange my daily timetable, shuffle dog-walking arrangements, drive or bike to and fro. It takes quite a chunk out of the day.
On the plus side I'd get to meet people with the same interests and ask the tutor questions about my specific camera.
We all have different learning styles: some people love a hands-on exploratory approach, some like to read a book, others want to be told and shown before they try something themselves. I find my style varies according to what I'm learning, how much time I have, and other factors.
Recently I discovered the Digital Photography Principles training course at Lynda.com.
In that 3.3 hour course (spread over 58 videos) Derrick Story, author, photographer and trainer, carefully and clearly explains all the various controls and features on my camera.
I didn't watch all the videos in the course — I already have a camera I'm thrilled with and don't need advice on buying, for example. I picked and chose what to watch and the breakthrough I've been looking for has taken place. I'm handling my camera with renewed confidence.
Having watched those videos. I've now gone on to Photoshop training, and other videos related to digital photography, as well as branching out into some web topics to fill in gaps in my knowledge. In the last month or so I've watched around 140 videos drawn from some half dozen courses.
Lynda.com is a very well established training library. They use professional recording techniques and highly qualified trainers to create their video courses.
Their repertoire of almost 40,000 videos is arranged in 581 courses created by more than 200 instructors. They offer a lot of web topics, but also courses on how to use your Mac or Windows computer, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, QuickBooks and Quicken, iTunes, Outlook, and many more. Even Twitter, a course added in April 2009.
They make several videos from each course available free. The Twitter course, for example, offers 8 of the around 60 videos free of charge. That's enough to see if you're interested in the topic and enjoy the trainer's style.
If you do decide to pay to see more there are numerous choices. Some videos are available as DVDs for purchase. For the Online Library there are annual subscriptions, and subs for organisations, but the monthly subscription at US$25 gives you full access to all the courses, and you don't have to continue for subsequent months.
You do need broadband though. While individual videos are of high quality with small file size (on the Twitter course the largest file is 58Mb, the smallest 0.3Mb), if you watch them all you can swallow up a chunk of bandwidth. The Twitter course takes up around 550Mb in total.
If you're looking for training, see what Lynda.com can offer.
Disclaimer: Miraz Jordan recently received a gift subscription to Lynda.com. Please note: This article reflects the personal opinions of the author. CommunityNet Aotearoa and the Department of Internal Affairs do not in any way endorse any online video training course.
Being vague about your domain name can cost good money.
Last month's Tip aimed to help you have good records about any domain names you own. One suggestion was to find out and record which company the domain name is registered with.
Unfortunately scammers are out to take advantage of those who don't know enough about their domain names. A colleague who read the last Tip made this observation:
… something that might be useful for a later article — emphasise not only knowing who your domain registrar is but also checking the validity of any correspondence regarding your domain. There are scammers out there, one American company in particular, who like sending out letters to people saying it's time to renew your domain name, please send us the money for it. I receive these letters for all my domains, and while I know to ignore them, I'm sure many unwitting clients would be hoodwinked into thinking they're genuine and sending off the money.
… something that might be useful for a later article — emphasise not only knowing who your domain registrar is but also checking the validity of any correspondence regarding your domain.
There are scammers out there, one American company in particular, who like sending out letters to people saying it's time to renew your domain name, please send us the money for it. I receive these letters for all my domains, and while I know to ignore them, I'm sure many unwitting clients would be hoodwinked into thinking they're genuine and sending off the money.
If you receive a communication about your domain name, suggesting it's time to renew, refer to your records:
Another scam is the one that offers to obtain for you a similar domain to the one you own. For example, I recently obtained the domain name doglobby.org. I aim to use it for advocacy in relation to pet dogs.
Since then I've received two emails offering doglobby.com. One said:
doglobby.com is coming availabe for sale in a few days. Since you own the domain doglobby.org, we thought you'd be interested in doglobby.com. If you do have interest in acquiring doglobby.com, please fill up priority notice form availble here: [url removed], and we will contact you as soon as the domain is available for purchase.
doglobby.com is coming availabe for sale in a few days.
Since you own the domain doglobby.org, we thought you'd be interested in doglobby.com.
If you do have interest in acquiring doglobby.com, please fill up priority notice form availble here: [url removed], and we will contact you as soon as the domain is available for purchase.
At the page they linked to I could offer an amount of money as a bid for the domain.
The other scam arrived once doglobby.com was actually available and offered to register the name for US$100. If you go to GoDaddy.com you'll find you could register the name yourself for US$10 — the regular price.
It makes sense to consider buying domain names similar to the ones you already have.1 That's best done at time of purchase, but don't fall in to the scammer traps. Know who your registrar is, keep good records and scrutinise carefully any offers to renew, order or reserve domain names on your behalf.
Work with your trusted web developer, and with your selected domain registrar. Don't fall prey to the domain name scammers.
1 A decade ago when I was training people on how to use the Internet the domain whitehouse.gov led to a legitimate site for US Government matters. On the other hand, the very similar whitehouse.com was a site showing graphic content of an 'adult' nature. That site now carries political content.
Panui tips contributed by Miraz Jordan, http://knowit.co.nz .
Past Website tips are all available on CommunityNet Aotearoa.
In April 2009 there were 51,428 visits (March 58,744).
Last month, 81 new community items were published.
Send in your free community notice or advertisement at:
www.community.net.nz/about/submit.
There were 10,352 files downloaded (April: 10,277). The most popular file download in March was the Sample Board Policies section of the Governance and Management How-to Guide (894 Downloads). In April this was also the Sample Board Policies section of the Governance and Management How-to Guide (933 downloads).
Find CommunityNet statistics at: www.community.net.nz/about/website/statistics.htm.
Remember: please forward the complete Panui to others who'll find it useful.
Nick Stanley, Web Content Writer.
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