tThe #SocialAPI

From $1

1. 1.1. Communities, Streets & Businesses Using Twitter in Toronto: <Please add>
2. Back story
1. 1. 2.1.1. Original Text From the ChangeCamp Google Group
  2. 2.1.2. Google Group Comments (Before Wiki Launch):

The #SocialAPI | Exploring the Hyperlocal: We are a collection of streets, villages and businesses collectively working to improve local communication using the internet, creating a network of hyper local & engaged communities in a single city - building towards a social API on which we can build positive change.

For developers we've set up an account @ http://diycity.org/local-group/diy-toronto to sync with our efforts here.
"DIYcity is a place where people figure these things out by actually building and launching applications that address the problems around them."

Communities, Streets & Businesses Using Twitter in Toronto: <Please add>

Streets
@allenave
@blackburnst

Riverdale Rapids http://riverdalerapids.ning.com features the feeds & links to several local street blogs including on its front page side bar:

Langley Avenue Blog, Victor Avenue Blog, The Free City of Leslieville. All local bloggers can feed into their own profiles too.

Villages
@cabbagetown
Riverdale http://riverdalerapids.ning.com

Riverdale Rapids is a public, invitation only social network for the Leslieville, Riverside, Riverdale, Playter Estates, East York areas of Toronto also known as Toronto-Danforth. It was created on the Ning platform in November of 2007. There were a number of motives.

First and foremost, it can make the community stronger. It is a great place for anyone to get aquainted with social media. There are so many great people who live in this area of the city, all could benefit from understanding the capacities of their neighbors better. Local businesses, community organisations and informal groups will benefit from a common platform where their activities can cross-pollinate. A concern about an idea advanced by the local Trustee to disintergrate the French Immersion programs in the local schools and create a French separate school was also an original motivator, but RR has taken off in interesting directions ... with local artists sharing their works, local businesses sponsoring the membership and local bloggers being featured.

What does "public, invitation only" mean? It means that you are invited to join Riverdale Rapids. Take a look at the existing membership - everything on the site is open for public viewing - and find someone that you know who can invite you in. If not, connect with the founder, Michael Cayley & get aquainted. The personal referral strategy may mean that it will take RR longer to grow, but it is designed to correlate the online social network to the real world connections in the neighborhoods served. C'mon, get connected!

Riverdale Rapids is unfunded and has no plans to produce a profit. Everyone on the site is a potential volunteer who can make a contribution. We would like to have a full time Community Manager animate its potential during the summers. It will be a dream job for anyone who wants throw themselves into their community and tap every possible skill set that it takes to be marketing, communications, business or public sector professional.

Bloor Court Village | The Storefront Community

Businesses
@ftjco

Back story

Original Text From the ChangeCamp Google Group

(There were 3 topics in this breakout session: (1) Beyond the event (2) Design the after event (3) Engagement strategy we bundled them into one idea)

Beyond the Event Creating a *'Social API'

*I've added 'Social API' because whatever #changecamp becomes it must draw it's content/agenda from the communities it helps create.

Suggested outcome/action:

#changecamp should establish a network of community leaders who are committed to organising Mini Change Camps across Canada (aka "Change Camp in a Box")

    * These leaders should have a community focus and commit to involving themselves with their local BIA, MP, MPP, etc. while motivating citizens to take part in the discussion. Leaders are free to use the resources that meet their communities needs best ie: Ryan has started @cabbagetown, Michael hashttp://riverdalerapids.ning.com
    * Leaders are asked to create 'mini changecamps' with other local leaders to discuss/solve common challenges and identify larger issues
    * From the 'mini change camps' various ideas can be identified and solved, larger issues would be brought to an annual 'conclave' or national assembly for greater attention.The idea here is that larger issues will be common across individual communitys, areas (i.e. GTA, SWO, etc) and create the agenda for the annual #changecamp.
    * This is the Social API massive social content and desire for change, open to new social ventures that solve specific issues i.e. Health Care etc.
      True Lobby power = voters

Logistics/Action items for pre-post event:

1. Volunteer Bank coders, designers, marketers, PR, video, hosting etc.

2. 'Make it Sexy' & Make it Relevant: Logo, website/Wiki, and back story (what lead us here), members need professional visual and literary resources to help propagate the idea to the masses

Examples: opencongress.org , change.org

Long term idea(s):

- Create an educational version of #changecamp in a box involve educators. (Edit by @D_Hock Jan 5.09 - any way to integrate this with the Civics class required of all Ontario Grade 10 students under the new curriculum? We should investigate whatever this process may be with individual teachers)

- Last, It would be interesting if we could create a social change board game. with the popularity of reality television a reality board game played at school, home, etc could help even export ideas of 'revolution' beyond our borders. A possibility if the rules are defined.

(Edited by @ryantaylor Jan.5.09)

Google Group Comments (Before Wiki Launch):

Jan 5 2009 by Dan Hocking
Anything we can do to help put this into the mandatory (in Ontario)
civics class that every high school student must take? Seems like it's
currently ineffective even in generally understanding the government
and its different forms; maybe something more interactive and
interesting would help accomplish the goals set forward when this was

Jan 5 2009 by mgcayley
Riffing on the game, small social studies class ... what if there was
an open course (like watching a slideshare presentation created with
educational & political luminaries) with course requirements that
include: organising a mini-changecamp, making 10 online contributions
to the discussion (i.e. in facebook, on a blog, twitter, wiki or

Jan 5 2009 by Mark McKay
I think that the idea of a boardgame is a good one, and that it is
targeting classrooms. But I wonder if it would be better if we could
work with an educator to try and build a small course that a social
studies class could do for two weeks or so that would ask students to
identify the leaders in their communities and issues that are

Retrieved from "http://wiki.changecamp.ca/ChangeCampTO_Event/ChangeCampTO_Session_Ideas/Page_Title"

Tags:

Attach file or image

Files (0)

Images (0)

Comments (0)

You must login to post a comment.

ChangeCamp

Re-imagine government and citizenship in the age of participation