Just time to pull together some words, pictures and dates of things going on around the non-profit technology world in the next few weeks…

1. Salford Social Media Surgery

TONIGHT is our first surgery, held at the world-famous Salford Lads’ Club.  It is a chance for people in the charity, community and voluntary sector to get together with social media “experts”, have a cuppa, and talk through a relevant issue.

Plus – attendees tonight will get a tour of the club, including the The Smiths’ room!

Places still available – meet us there from 5pm

2. Manchester Net Tuesday

We’ve just posted up the dates for the next batch of Net Tuesday meetups, held at the (also world-famous) MadLab in central Manchester.  Net Tuesday is a space for those working in the non-profit tech scene to come together and share stories, projects and insights.   So far, we’ve an interesting talk lined up around how the Cooperative movement is using the web, plus news of a new CMS for the sector…

Want to talk about your project or interest?  Please join the MeetUp group or tweet us to start the ball rolling…

3. So!VolTech

Our friends in Blackpool have pulled together an interesting one-day conference for the sector, to take place on Saturday 19th November.  Building upon the social media surgeries they’ve already run, the day will be a healthy mix of speakers, workshops and some unconferencing. There is a now a waiting list – so please join if you haven’t. Rock not included

4. City Camp Manchester

Taking place over the 14th and 15th October, City Camp will have a wider remit than *just* technology, but we’ll be there!  Expect workshops around cider making, cooperatives, community-owned football clubs and more – City Camp is designed to be participatory and evolving – make it what you can.

But when are the lights switched on?

City Camp will take place at the Friends’ Meeting House, which is not far from where the xmas lights are situated.  I’ve no idea when that takes place – and I’ve already drawn far too much attention to it!

We’ve had a variety of formats in Manchester Net Tuesday meetups – from speakers to roundtables to virtual events with Cambridge!

One thing that we haven’t fully explored is the idea of social media surgeries.  In the words of @podnosh and co, these are:

A social media surgery is a pretty informal gathering of people who want to learn how to use the web to communicate campaign or collaborate. They are deliberately relaxed. You will get to sit alongside someone who understands good ways to use the internet and they’ll show you useful free tools. If you like what you see they can also help you set up your blog, or Facebook page or Twitter account.

Crucially, the surgeries promoted through the Social Media Surgery+ website are all aimed at assisting voluntary and community organisations.  The “surgeons” provide informal advice on any of the “patients” needs or queries – all over a cuppa!

So, we’re proud to announce the first social media surgery around this model in Salford – held at the world famous Salford Lads’ Club on 27th September, between 5-7pm.  Please spread the word – the more surgeons and patients the better!

Salford Lads’ Club online

One of the really interesting aspects of Salford Lads’ Club is the large amount of content online that relates to the organisation.  This is in part thanks to a picture The Smiths posed for in the early 1980s – which fans have re-enacted over the years.  Many of these are posted on Flickr, liked on Facebook and circulated in Twitter.  The challenge for this 100+ year youth club, is how best to engage and utilise this wave of interest…

A platform for surgeries?

One interesting aspect I’ve found in setting up this event has been the platform @podnosh and others have established for social media surgeries.  Alongside the basics around creating the events there are some very useful additions:

• Generate a PDF poster automatically
• Pull in tweets from the hashtag
• Record who helped whom, and what came out of the event

As you can see, there are lots of events being pushed through this platform – and for good reason it seems!

In setting up our event on the 28th June, I was talking to Adrian from the Manchester Digital Development Agency about the European Smart Cities network , that Manchester is a founder member of. Smart cities promote the idea that:

by making a conscious effort to use innovative digital technologies to improve living and working conditions, we can develop a more inclusive and sustainable urban environment.

So – with more than 50 people from across the third sector* registered to come along to the event next week, I thought it might be a chance to understand how Manchester Net Tuesday could start to contribute to a smarter city…

1 – Access to resources

Our key speaker will be Richard Craig from the Charity Technology Trust, a charity which exists to ensure those within the sector can have access to right and relevant tools, kit and services – sometimes at free or discounted prices. If the sector is to contribute to a smart city, then we will need some fancy kit maybe…

2 – Skills and support

We’ve a team of “NetSquared Advisors” on hand to help with any queries or questions people might have about the world of social media and all associated stuff! Alongside that, Paul Webster (@watfordgap) will be able to share more about My Learning Pool , an e-learning initiative for the sector. Equally John Popham (@johnpopham) will be on hand to talk more about the network of Social Media Surgeries he has facilitated across the north, for the sector.

3 – International networks

Our Manchester Net Tuesday is one of 82 that take place in cities across the world – so we will be live-streaming the event on Tuesday with the hope of engaging others from across the network. I’ve already shared the learning we have had in planning this event on the global NetSquared platform, with some great responses coming in from Adelaide and Vancouver. The European Smart Cities network includes Barcelona, Bologna and Helsinki – how can we connect with likeminds?

So – it promises to be a great event. Please send us any thoughts or requests prior to the event via email [mcrnettues at gmail.com] or Twitter and we will try and deal with it in a smart way

In person: Manchester Net Tuesday @ MDDA – 28th June , 2-4pm.
Online: #VirtualNet2 and UStream

*insert jargon here

I’ve always said that without the open nature of the MadLab my small forays into digital civic culture would have floundered at the wouldn’t-it-be-cool idea stage. No Manchester Net Tuesday, no Young Rewired State…etc

Granted, things *can* be organised elsewhere, but the enabling factor of both the venue and the team on Edge Street make it all that easier to get along and do stuff.

So – in our times of austerity, it is vital that we keep hold of spaces like MadLab. Here are four things you could do right now:

1. Vote to get MadLab some cash!

The Cooperative currently have an public vote for projects up and down the country. Winners get £5k. But – it ends on midnight of the 29th May. All you need to do is register and vote – surely that can be done?

2. Buy or donate some stuff

A hub like MadLab needs stuff updating, replacing, renewing or maybe just repairing. So – avoid the special deals on tanning salons on Groupon and get together to help MadLab with their kit! Not sure what to get? Then ask.

3. Get on the courses

The team at MadLab are trying to bring in revenue through the Omniversity courses. From Arduino to Horror Movie Making to Podcasting and all things in between, a range of cutting edge and good value courses are on offer. Even better – collaborate with MadLab and offer your own course!

4. Get your hands dirty!

A busy, volunteer-led space such as MadLab needs maintenance. So – one Sunday a month the MadLab Maintenance Team gather to mop, clean, fix and polish. It’s free to join, but be prepared for hilarious power tool poses… !

Next Maintenance Day is Sunday, 19th June!

… Ask What You Can Do For Your MadLab..

There are many other ways to help MadLab – but please try and do at least one of the above….

If you landed here and expected John f Kennedy to be talking about modern-day community centres, then the best I can offer is:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB6hLg3PRbY]

Update: You can also set up a Standing Order to send some pennies to MadLab every week/month/year…!

Did you know that there are over 80 other Net Tuesday groups, across 25 countries, alongside ourselves in Manchester?

Geographically speaking, our closest is in Cambridge, and I was lucky enough to join their April meetup around Open Street Mapping last month. It was a great lively meetup, programmed and facilitated by Claire and Peter. Net2Cambs don’t have a regular, dedicated meetup venue, which made me think (again!) how lucky we are with the magnificent MadLab!

Twitter for Non Profits

So, with the Cambridge group putting together a great event around Twitter and non-profits, we’ve decided to link up and both stream the event in Manchester but also try and collaborate virtually. It will be great to gather insight and ideas as to how we can use both twitter and others tools to cooperate in a rapid and agile way.

To kick things off, Ellie Stoneley (@e11ie5) will be talking from Cambridge around some of the twitter experiences she has had in numerous non-profits from the UK to LA and to Madagascar and India…

Connecting the Networks…

If you can’t make it however, do use the #virtualNet2 hashtag on Twitter to start or join the conversation. The event will be a small experiment for us in terms of building the Net Tuesday community. With like-minded folk getting together in cities and towns across the world, how can we utilise social media to share and exchange our stories, skills and experiences? Answers and questions at #virtualNet2 tweetcard please!

DJ > VJ > Story-J!

We plan to use Storify during and after the event to mix together the content together created around the discussions across social media to leave a record and narrative. If you havent started to use Storify yet, then do! If you have, then tell us how you have!

Live Link Ups Can #Fail

I’m sure the tech will work out…. but with Eurovision season now over, I enjoyed this video illustrating our technological hiccups and advances over the years. Check out those old style scoreboards!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXxs7NUgmUo]

Cambridge & Manchester Net Tuesday.
24th May 2011 – 6.30pm-8.30pm GMT
Manchester Digital Laboratory, 36-40 Edge Street Manchester, M4 1HN
Cambridge Online, Hester Adrian Centre, Hawthorn Way, CB4 1AX
Online: #virtualNet2

In the space of a few weeks, a community campaign in Manchester has gone from “three women protesting on the steps” to forcing the city council to reconsider its spending cuts.

Obviously, the energy, drive and local pride of those building and supporting the campaign should rightly be credited with the success so far! But at Net Tuesday this month, we are delighted to be joined by campaigners from Save Levenshulme Baths to look at what role social media has played.

We will also gather insight from the recent Save The Trees Of Whalley Range campaign that has utilised Facebook to gather support… leading to the council taking a pause in their felling of local trees.

And finally, we will have a quick tech-spotlight from the folks at ipadio, who support lots of charities and campaigns to broadcast their message just by making a phonecall…

With all these tools and platforms at our fingertips, starting a campaign *looks* easy… but what makes for a successful one?

For those interested in tools and tips for community campaigning, then this meetup should be a belter. We’re delighted to welcome a local, and current, campaign along – so please join us.

Swimming costumes not required!

Manchester Net Tuesday, 22nd March, 6.30-8.30pm – MadLab.
Join the meetup group to let us know if you can attend.

Want to get photos and images working for your organisation?  Interested in how the archives of the city could also help?  Well, the February Net Tuesday meetup could help!

This month’s Net Tuesday is about the photo sharing website Flickr and how you can use it raise awareness of your work and connect with other people.

David Govier from the Greater Manchester County Record Office will talk about how Manchester Archives has used Flickr and social networking services such as Twitter to raise awareness of their work, and how this has changed the way they think about engaging with their users.

Alan Holding from Manchester Digital Development Agency will give a general introduction to Flickr and show some interesting things you can do with it.

You’ll also get to see lots of interesting images of Manchester, and contribute to ideas on putting the Archives online.

Our meetup this month will also be shared with the Open Data Manchester group – so expect to meet lots of interesting and interested new faces!

6.30pm – 8.30pm – Tuesday 22nd February, Madlab – sign up via the meetup website

Following our Net Tuesday session on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for non-profits in Manchester, I thought it worthwhile to post up some links to various resources, tools and leads to help people get started on optimising their web resources.

1. Check the general SEO guides

We looked at two guides that help set the scene.

• Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide
  Nicely written and laid out.  Obviously if you google “google search engine optimisation guide” it comes out top!
• SEOMoz Beginner’s Guide to SEO
  Again, a well know and respected guide

2. Use free tools

Whilst we all feed the machine, we can use some of the free tools from Google and Yahoo to help us out:

• Check your site keywords, or find relevant matches with the Google keyword tool
• Compare and visualise search term trends using Insights for Search:
• Who links to my site? – get a list from Yahoo Site Explorer:

3. Read the non-profit tech blogs

There is a wealth of material available from the stellar non-profit tech blogs and support sites, especially those based in the USA. Alongside some more general SEO material, we can really start to get specialise and contextual help here. A selection I found:

• On Non-profit Technology Network (NTEN): How-to: Use Google Analytics to Track Your Online Marketing Campaigns
• On TechSoup: Site Statistics and User Privacy for Nonprofit Websites
• On BethKanter: How Networked Nonprofits Visualize Their Networks (which could be useful for working out where to get links from)

Anybody know of any others?

4. Ask a local SEO based here in Manchester!

There is a thriving SEO industry in and around Manchester, so why not get some answers locally?  Check the Twitter hashtags for #manseo and #sascon to see who is saying what, and also ask questions. There is also a monthly Manchester SEO meetup, whilst Salford University hold a part-time course dedicated to SEO.

5. Get onto the Analysis Exchange!

Finally, the offer from the Analysis Exchange, of a FREE project with a SEO senior (Mentor) and student for your non-profit, seems a no-brainer.  Get signed up, get your team together and come to the net Net Tuesday to share your story!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM0NDsvEfbU]

Disclaimer: In preparing this blog, I asked David Towers to check it for keyword goodness!  Many thanks to David and Wendy for their insight at the Net Tuesday this month.

UPDATE: David has also posted details of his talk over at his blog

Tonight we have a fantastic event on Search Engine Optimisation and Analysis lined up, with two great speakers.

Ever wondered how you can get your non-profit higher up the search listings?  Have a Google Analytics account but can’t *quite* fathom it all?  Well, David Towers and Wendy Greko will be on hand to help explain!

David is a Search Engine Optimisation expert, with a day job helping big brands to maximise their standing on the web.  Tonight, David will talk us through some of the fundamentals of SEO, including getting both our “onsite” and “offsite” strategy *just* right.

Wendy will join us from San Francisco (via Skype!) to tell us about the Analysis Exchange – a FREE initiative to help non-profits get expert advice and assistance to understand their web analytics and stats.  The Analysis Exchange is fairly new – but really easy to get involved in.  I set up my non-profit project and immediately got a response – from the head of SEO at the Financial Times!

Look forward to seeing you all at the MadLab, from 6.30pm tonight….