Are we BEING the change.

[David Monroe]

What changes do changebloggers wish to make? How do we know when we've made changes? Where do we want the changes to be? Is blogging, podcasting, vidcasting "being" the change we wish to see in the world? In other words, do we want more people making blogs, etc, or do we want something else changed by our blogging, ect? Kay, I'm veklmep. Discuss.

[Britt Bravo]

Hi David! Thanks for starting the first discussion. You've posted a lot of questions. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. What changes do changebloggers wish to make?

I would imagine it would be different for each changeblogger.

2. How do we know when we've made changes?

I know when I get emails or comments from readers saying a post inspired them, or gave them resources and tools to take action, but because of the nature of social media, we can't always know the full impact of what happens when we post a story about creating what we feel is positive change. Sometimes we are just planting seeds.

3. Where do we want the changes to be? Is blogging, podcasting, vidcasting "being" the change we wish to see in the world? In other words, do we want more people making blogs, etc., or do we want something else changed by our blogging, etc.

For me, blogs, podcasts and vlogs are just tool and platforms to share stories that inspire people and give them the tools and information they need to create positive change, not necessarily the goal. That said, I also think that using social web tools can be empowering for people, and can give voices to people whose stories aren't always heard. In that way, they can be the goal.

[Sarah Conner-Smith]

I think these are all compelling questions. I've heard some very cynical views about blogging and social networking in general that suggest that it does nothing more than feed an undercurrent of narcissism that permeates our culture and society. For me, blogging is certainly a creative outlet, and I don't kid myself that I have a wide following or that I ever will. I blog as a participant of a wider community that is mainly made up of family and friends who are far-flung. That's how it started out, anyway.

Over the last several months, I have seen blogging's potential for much broader impact, particularly in the movement for citizen journalism. I am impressed by the fact that I see mainstream journalism respond to and informed by the blogoshpere. The first time that I found it remarkable was in the case of the Jena Six. I sought information from alternative news services, mainly blogs, about what was going on in Jena. I heard reports on NPR about the impact that the blogosphere made on this case, noting the importance of independent citizens reporting what was happening in their communities as a result of this case. Without them, I don't think this case would have received the coverage that it did.

Earlier this year I watched streaming of the National Conference for Media Reform and I was persuaded that blogging is the way to raise the level of public discourse. There is a community building there where people are engaging with each other about important issues, raising awareness, challenging each other in their beliefs and actions. We are no longer dependent on mainstream media to feed us misinformation.

And action is inspired by ideas. Here in Chicago, I am seeing community being built in real life as an outcropping of blogging and online social networking. People who may never have had the occasion to meet are gathering in real life facilitated by their activity online, particularly though Net Tuesdays and other MeetUp groups. We're following each other on Twitter, and I the information that I have gathered in this way since tapping into the community has been invaluable.

I think it's too early to say how blogging and online social networking is going to impact change in the world. And I'm not sure how we can measure it. All I know is that I see it happening, and I feel inspired to be a good citizen by participating in the change.

[Nancy Gallant]

I think of myself as on the fringe of changeblogging, if you will, or a subset of changeblogging. I'm hoping to use blogging to augment and inspire a local community of flesh-and-blood people as a part of the overall mission of my triple-bottom-line enterprise. In the process of doing my research, I've learned there are a great number of like-minded folks out in cyberspace trying to raise awareness of the discussions and opportunities that exist around the broad topic of change for the better... Folks who are thinkers, looking for innovative and positive solutions rather than negatively lamenting life's challenges and inequities... Tapping into that positive energy and wealth of ideas and information has been a positive thing for me.

Given the hybrid nature of my start-up, it only makes sense that my ultimate vision would include aspects of both an active local community and an extended cyber-community to tap into for ideas, support and inspiration. I look forward to the discussions and energy that this site will certainly grow.

I'm wondering how many changebloggers do so to augment their active, or should I say physical, efforts toward change as opposed to those for whom blogging is their changemaking activity, so to speak...

Bravo to Britt for getting this going! Deep questions, David! When you get philosophical, it is a potentially significant moment - bringing together the power of the internet and the collective of those who would use that reach toward positive change, living it themselves and empowering change in others - veklmep is good.

[David Collin]

It seems that our interests are converging. The other day I posted about an article in onPhilanthropy about a "paradigm shift" going on in philanthropy. There has been a growing concern, especially by foundations and donors who support change with $$, about how to increase the accountability and transparency of change agents. My experience is that accountability depends on measurability, and measurability of change involves some thorny issues that nonprofits have tried to solve for years with limited success. However, the networked world of web 2.0 and the dropping cost of gathering and processing data offers some hope of progress.