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The CommunityNet Aotearoa monthly newsletter.
"News and views on community networking throughout Aotearoa."
Communications and Information Technology Minister David Cunliffe is calling for all New Zealanders to have their say on the Draft Digital Strategy 2.0 which has been released for public comment. The public now has four weeks to have its say before a final report is delivered later this year.
www.community.net.nz/hottopics/digital-strategy/news/draft-two.htm
The National Breastfeeding Committee is pleased to release the National Strategic Plan of Action for Breastfeeding (the Plan) for wider comment. This Plan is the advice of the National Breastfeeding Advisory Committee to the Director-General of Health.
www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news/national/breastfeeding-plan.htm
The Charities Commission is working hard to process all applications by 1 July so applicants can be sure about their tax commitments. However, with the number of new applications continuing to increase (currently around 360 per week), it is unlikely all charities will be registered until later in the year.
www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news/national/charity-backdating.htm
Charities Commission registration analysts are currently reviewing applications received from early November 2007. If you don't hear from us straightaway after receiving confirmation that we have received your organisation's application, don't be concerned. We are concentrating all our efforts on processing applications as they reach the front of the queue.
www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news/national/charities-processing.htm
The New Zealand Mental Health Media Grants, launched last year, opened for 2008 applications on 1 March and look for proposals that will help reduce stigma and discrimination by informing the public about mental health issues and experiences. The Media Grants offer a total grant pool of $50,000 across two categories (journalism and creative) with grants of up to $12,000 for each project.
www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news/national/media-grants.htm
We all carry our mobile phones with names and numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends. If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign.
www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news/national/ice.htm
QuickStats About Unpaid Work from Statistics New Zealand looks at the unpaid work of adults (aged 15 years and over) who usually live in New Zealand. Unpaid work, as measured in the 2006 Census, can be broken into three broad categories: unpaid work that occurs within the household; unpaid work that occurs outside the household; and other voluntary work through an organisation, group or marae.
www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news/national/unpaid-work.htm
In November 2007, Volunteering Auckland sent out a request for projects that up to 200 people could undertake in various areas of greater Auckland on 8 March. Thank you to all those who put forward applications for their projects to be put forward for selection by this faith-based group.
www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news/national/helping-hands.htm
The Keep Crossways campaign aims to raise $1.5 million to purchase Mt. Victoria's Crossways Community House for the community by 31 October 2008. The website has information about our different activities and ongoing projects. Become a friend for as little as $20 and receive regular updates.
www.keepcrossways.co.nz
A website written by kiwi babyboomers for other kiwi boomers. The aim is to serve and reflect boomers - who in mainstream media at least - are poorly treated or stereotyped. Our writers, all from the boomer generation, come from all over New Zealand and different nationalities.
www.kiwiboomers.co.nz
Zonta International is a global organisation of business and professionals who work together globally to raise the status of women through service and advocacy. District 16 encompasses New Zealand where we have 790 members and 29 clubs from the Bay of Islands in the north to Dunedin in the south.
www.zonta.org.nz
The Fundraising Directory of New Zealand exists to help you find the perfect product or service for your next fundraising campaign. Use the SEARCH functions to locate fundraising products or services, or feel free to ask questions and contribute to the community forum.
www.fundraisingdirectory.co.nz
"Helping People to Help Themselves". We provide communication skills training to families, youth, parents, teachers, carers. We provide a catalyst for change. There are eleven courses to choose from, free to all who have a community services card.
www.kiwifamilytrust.org
This is a web-based directory for the older person. A local community directory of Hawkes Bay community groups that offer services and activities that enhance the older persons life and wellbeing.
www.enlivenconnect.co.nz
A website for New Zealand parents and caregivers, providing information about your children's health. kidshealth is a joint initiative between the Starship Foundation and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand.
www.kidshealth.org.nz
The DARE Foundation - Skills for Life - are New Zealand designed programmes which seek to challenge children, parents and their communities to DARE - to develop skills in Decision-making, Assertiveness, Responsibility and Esteem to enable them to make informed and supported choices for a powerful life.
www.dare.org.nz
The vision of the International Human Rights Association (IHRA) is the formation of a fearless and non-succumbing society based on truthfulness and non-violence. The IHRA promotes human rights and aims to bring the whole community of social workers under one umbrella for the betterment and upliftment of mankind.
www.ihra.co.in
The purpose of Child Protection Studies (CPS) is to prevent harm and violence to children through education and awareness. As a strong advocate for the rights of children, CPS promotes, encourages and supports prevention activities and efforts at the local and national level, through individual and community programmes.
http://cps.org.nz
iTmaru delivers Timaru community information: entertainment, sport, events, notices and announcements. Any member can text or phone in to post a notice.
http://itmaru.org.nz
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.
I have several hundred usernames and passwords for all the various websites and services I use online. They include banks, blogs I write, services such as Basecamp, and shopping sites such as TradeMe and Amazon.
It's bad form (and unsafe) to use the same name and password for all of them. But even if I wanted to, some assign passwords, and others require a minimum length of name, or that the password contain a punctuation character the others won't allow.
Memorising hundreds of username and password combinations is just not feasible for most of us mere mortals, so something needs to change.
That's where OpenID comes in. It's an initiative that's starting to take hold, with increasing numbers of websites taking advantage of it.
http://openid.net.
You first establish your identity with a trusted OpenID provider (free).
When you visit a site that needs you to log in, instead of creating or using a unique username and password just for that site, it sends you along to the trusted OpenID provider.
You log in there, confirm you wish to visit the site, and the OpenID provider and the website you're trying to visit exchange confidences. After a moment or two you find yourself back at the original site, all logged in and ready to get on with your visit.
The real life comparison is with the Reception desk at a secure building. You turn up at Reception, prove yourself, and sign in. The receptionist converses with the person you're visiting and then gives you access to the lift and the office you're trying to visit.
On the one hand, you don't get to know the secret codes for the lift or the various doors. On the other hand, the person you're visiting trusts the receptionist to make sure you're not just some riff raff with no right of access.
The receptionist is playing the role of the OpenID provider.
It's very easy to obtain an OpenID, and in fact you may already have one without realising it. If you use Flickr, WordPress.com, Yahoo, or some other services, you may find you already have an OpenID. There's more information at:
http://openid.net/get.
At each service you use, try looking under Account or Profile options for any mentions of OpenID.
Unfortunately OpenID isn't yet universally available. About 10,000 sites have so far implemented it. They include Basecamp, Wikispaces, Ma.gnolia, Technorati, Wikitravel, WordPress.com and Geekspeakr.com.
Next time you log in to a site look for a link to an alternate OpenID login. You may find that before you can use an OpenID login you need to go into your account settings on that site and provide your OpenID information.
It sounds like a bit of a hassle at the moment, but as more and more sites transition to using OpenID it will become easier and easier.
It's worth signing up for OpenID now and claiming a good name.
Simon Willison gave a very interesting talk at Webstock 08 called OpenID and decentralised social networks. Download audio or video of his talk at:
www.webstock.org.nz/past/recordings.php.
You *will* need a broadband connection.
Whether it's volunteers, board members or a project group, meeting in person or on a conference call often involves a stream of emails: "I can make 3 pm on Tuesday", "I can't do 3 pm, but can make 4 pm".
So how does a free service sound that can handle all those problems? A free web based service like ScheduleOnce can ease many a meeting headache:
http://scheduleonce.com.
With ScheduleOnce an organiser sets a timeframe and some suggested dates. Participants provide their preferences, and the software comes up with the best choices for meeting times. And it all happens on a web page, so it doesn't matter whether you use Macs, Windows or Linux.
Here's how I could set up a meeting for next month with a far-flung Webstock committee, for example.
I open the page for ScheduleOnce in my web browser.
I enter our meeting name: Webstock committee meeting, May 2008.
I set my own timezone: New Zealand. Even if this meeting were a phonecall with others in Australia, I still set my own timezone at this step.
I use the calendar and time pickers to set a timeframe for the meeting. For my example meeting I decide it must be held between 8 am and 6 pm sometime between 19 and 25 May 2008. I also suggest certain times and dates as preferred options.
Note: if you have any problems selecting times or dates, try a different web browser.
It's not required if I'm willing to keep visiting the meeting page, but I supply an email address so I'll receive emails when one of the people I invite to the meeting replies to the invitation.
Now I've completed the meeting setup, so I click the Save Meeting button.
Having saved the meeting, I'm now provided with some links I can send to people I wish to invite. I copy the link and use my normal email system to send it out.
When Natasha receives my email she visits the meeting's web page and selects her timezone. If she were in Samoa, for example, almost a full day behind us, a phonecall that is timed for 11 am on Monday the 19th in Wellington is displayed as being at noon on Sunday the 18th in Apia.
Next she chooses preferences for the times I suggested. Her options are: Preferred, Good and No.
Natasha can enter comments if she wishes, for example: "I'm not available at on on Tuesday or Wednesday."
Then she enters her name so the organiser (me) knows whose reply this is, and clicks the Submit button.
Once all the replies are in I check the meeting's page and see everyone's choices listed for each suggested time. The software displays and easy-to-see icon for each choice: a green tick, a blue plus or a red x. The software also automatically highlights the best choice for meeting time.
I select my preferred meeting and the software prepares an email message for me, containing the details, including timezone information. I copy the text, edit it as I wish and send off the meeting information to the participants.
Here's part of the message prepared for me:
(GMT+12) New Zealand; Auckland, WellingtonFriday, May 23 2008, 12:00pm, 1:00hr------------------------------------------------(GMT+4) Armenia; Yerevan[summer time]Friday, May 23 2008, 5:00am, 1:00hr------------------------------------------------(GMT-11) Samoa; ApiaThursday, May 22 2008, 1:00pm, 1:00hr------------------------------------------------
I haven't used ScheduleOnce yet in real life, but can see its usefulness for community groups (and others) trying to get people together, whether they are all from the same town, or spread around the world.
I was made aware of the service and how to use it by Don McAllister's most excellent ScreenCastsOnline, issue SCO0141:
http://screencastsonline.com.
Unfortunately that particular show is for members only. For Mac users though in particular, his screencasts are well worth the subscription.
Panui tips contributed by Miraz Jordan, http://mactips.info/
Past Website tips are all available on CommunityNet Aotearoa.
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