News & Events > ICT Bulletin Archive

ICT E-Bulletin - April 2012

By Lasa Information Systems Team

A source of technology news, resources and advice for small to medium sized third sector organisations.

Lasa news

Online tools tweetchat

Lasa will be running a Twitter chat on online tools for charities on 2 May from 12.30-14.30. Topics will include how charities are currently using online tools, top tips and which tools to invest in. The hashtag is #lasatechtools.

Technology surgeries

Save the date! Lasa will be holding another of its tech surgeries for third sector organisations on 11 June at CAN Mezzanine near Old Street. We are gathering together sector experts in the use of technologies such as the cloud, social media, email marketing and more... Keep an eye on this bulletin and the Events page.

News

Internet surveillance issue raises its head once again

Jane Wakefield over on the BBC’s technology pages examines the issues surrounding the news that the government is looking to extend the current laws about internet service providers (ISPs) holding data to cover social networks such as Facebook, and to increase the ability for real-time surveillance.

Sony launches open source volunteering app

People using Android smartphones will now be able to access YouthNet's online volunteering database, Do-it, through  the +U mobile application, Civil Society reports.

YouTube adds live streaming for charities

Kirsty Weakley at Civil Society IT reports that YouTube has opened up live streaming to charities using its package for non-profit organisations in the US, UK, Australia and Canada.

Housing and care staff require guidelines for social media use

Housing and care staff are finding Twitter a very useful tool, but the lack of clear guidelines for staff usage is leaving employees feeling vulnerable about what they can say, The Guardian’s Housing and Care hub reports.

Olympic broadband slow down warning and wi-fi on the Underground

Experts are warning that broadband speeds may not keep pace because of the anticipated increase in internet traffic, according to the BBC. Adding to the congestion, The Guardian reports that wireless internet access will available at 80 London tube  stations in time for the 2012 Olympics, while the service will be rolled out to a further 40 stations by the end of the year. Wi-Fi coverage will be available in ticket halls, escalators and platforms, but not between stations.

TechSoup rounds up the NTC

If you weren’t able to get to San Francisco for this year’s NTEN Non Profit Technology Conference, then this TechSoup blog article will bring you up to speed.

Events, training & learning

Events Calendar

For technology events please see our ICT Events Calendar. Forthcoming events include: How to measure returns on your online engagement, Open-cities data conference, Huduma technology security workshop, Infosecurity Europe, Developing telephone skills, Windows XP timebomb, Key online tools tweetchat and Paul Ticher’s Cookie Law webinar.

Social media training for women’s organisations

The Women’s Resource Centre in London has secured funding from the City Bridge Trust for a three year programme starting in May.

How can charities get it right online?

This Guardian Voluntary Sector Network discussion from 10 April with contributions from, amongst others,  Lasa’s Ian Goodman and sector data protection expert Paul Ticher, produced much useful discussion and pointed to some good resources. Also check out  this introductory blog piece from Dan Sutch at Nominet.

KnowHowNonProfit starts up learning wiki

KHNP’s new wiki  iKnowHow has been launched with two sections so far - collaborative working and setting up a charity. ICT is included in the former - why not help out by contributing.

Fundamentals of IT Sustainability course

The Foundation for IT Sustainability runs a course which "looks at the ways in which the IT function can become greener – using less energy and leaving a smaller carbon footprint – but it also looks at the bigger picture of how IT can help reduce carbon emissions overall.” Cost is $375 for a year’s access to course materials and discussion forum.

StudyZone is one year old

‘Make the most of your web content’ is just one of the very reasonably priced training courses in the KnowHow NonProfit StudyZone which has just celebrated its first birthday.

Funding and awards

Technology4Good Awards

Nominations are now open until May 18 for this years awards programme organised by AbilityNet. The Technology4Good Awards celebrate the many ways that technology contributes to the greater good in categories such as innovation and community impact, volunteering and fundraising.

If you are (or know of) an organisation which helps people access the internet and improve their ICT skills, you could be eligible to apply for a BT Get IT Together Award. Applying for an award is easy. All you have to do is go to the website to access the online application form and read the full rules and guidance notes.

Resources, legal and accessibility

Games people play

Find out how gamification (incorporating some principles of gameplay, such as building online communities, education or marketing, into a project) is helping non-profits in this discussion on Guardian Voluntary Sector network.

Digital engagement site launched

Helpful Technology has launched Digital Engagement to assist public sector organisations use social media and other digital technologies to connect with their audiences. The site has a number of guides to, for example, help a senior manager engage online, generate a buzz around an event and reach new audiences around a consultation.

Online benchmarking

NTEN and M&R have put together a fancy infographic to show click through rates from emails, online fundraising and social media. See how your campaigns measure up against them... And Allyson Kapin over on Frogloop runs down the stats in the 2012 Non Profit Social Network Benchmarks report.

So, what is cloud computing?

The US National Institute for Standards and technology sums up the cloud rather nicely in this document (pdf, 151Kb)

Using Technology for Service Innovation

Idealware and MAP for NonProfits have published a report on an exciting research project which reveals a number of innovative approaches to service delivery that make the most of new and existing technology (PDF download, sign up required).

Greening IT - and the cloud...

...is the title of a comprehensive book on the subject of the environment and technology.  Available free as a low or hi resolution pdf from The Foundation for IT Sustainability. Meanwhile, the Guardian’s Media Network Cloud hub examines the green credentials of cloud computing.

Practical tips

How charities can use social media for digital campaigning

Dr Abhay Adhikari on the Guardian Voluntary Sector Network blog says that charities need to think about their digital offering in a different way to help engagement with campaign.

What should I do if my ICT project is failing?

Ivan Wainewright on Databases for Charities examines the options...

Don’t know a SAN or a NAS from a DAS?

Davey Winder in PCPro looks at how to manage your data - and secure your business.

Customise the ribbon in Office 2007 and 2010

If you’re finding commands hard to find in the Ribbon – or missing altogether – or tend to click back and forth between Ribbon tabs more often than you'd like, then this article by Debbi Landshoff on TechSoup will help.

Achieving Engagement Goals with Email Automation

Groundwire looks at how automating your email responses can assist with engaging members and donors.

Data protection by design

Mark Samuels on Guardian Government Computing looks at an approach which ensures no data is collected without the prior identification of a set business purpose and relies on a comprehension of the regulatory environment as well as an understanding of organisational objectives.

Social networking guides for non-profits

NonProfit Tech 2.0 has put together some (evolving) best practice notes on using Google+ and an introduction to the Facebook timeline.

Tools and applications

Measuring your influence online

Klout measures your influence based on your ability to drive action in social networks by measuring activity on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare and Google+. Data is processed on a daily basis to give you an updated Klout Score each morning.

Total Cost of Ownership: Is AIMS value for money?

The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is an important concept when trying to evaluate the potential benefits to your organisation of acquiring and using technology. This article looks at Lasa’s AIMS database and compares its costs to competitors.

Edit your video in the cloud

Is Final Cut dead? WeVideo can edit your video online - watch this interview with WeVideo’s founder which demo’s its functionality.

Opinion

Digital literacy is crucial to the third sector

Katie Smith of Cogapp and Vicky Browning at CharityComms believes that digital illiteracy is hindering progress in the sector

Why he loves Pinterest...

Nell Edgington confesses to his love for Pinterest - and thinks non-profits should too.

Let’s get digital

Zoe Amar at Lasa has “a light bulb moment about the third sector and its use of digital media.”

Microvolunteering and Crowd-Sourcing

Jayne Cravens looks at micro-volunteering - an old activity with a fancy new name - over on the CTK blog and puts together some ideas of projects which micro-volunteers could do for you.

A Brief Look in the Nonprofit Technology Rear-View Mirror

Thomas Pollak on the CTK blog admits that the march of technology is inexorable - but has it changed the game?

Big Data

‘Data that used to be cast off as exhaust is now the fuel for deeper understanding about operations, customer interactions and natural phenomena.’ Andrew Brust at ZDNet looks at the forthcoming ‘big data’ revolution

The opportunity cost of communication

Arianna Huffington on the Guardian Media Network observes that as we adopt new and better ways to help people communicate, can we keep asking what is really being communicated?

And finally

“Virus protection? No need, I’ve got a Mac!”

Think again. The Java-exploiting Flashback Trojan has infected up to 500,000 Macs around the world, according to The Register.

It was 20 years ago today...

… that Windows 3.1 was released (minimum installation requirements 2Mb RAM and 6Mb free disc space). Tim Anderson at The Register goes back in time and relives a simpler computing era.

And really finally...

Don't you just love decisions made by committee?

Dilbert on file naming.