I caught this article by Ben Hecht, 5 Transformational Forces That Should Be Driving The Social Sector But Aren’t, in Co.Exist by Fast Company. On a side note, I am inspired by their formats, Co.Exist, Co.Design, and Co.Create. I recommend checking them out.
In this article, I think the “(But Aren’t)” is out of touch with what is actually happening in the field. Tough admittedly there are resource limitations and “slight” resistance to change issues 😉 that must be addressed. What I liked about this article is that it offers a clear cut list that the social sector should focus on without delay to advance its efforts.
Here is a brief rundown on the five offered by Hecht and link to full article below.
PORTABLE, PARTICIPATORY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION
“Information is now portable, participatory, and personal.”
SOCIAL NETWORKS AND MEDIA
“People–connected by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and online discussion forums–are now part of broad, loose, and complex networks that readily share information and mobilize.”
BIG DATA “Big Data” keeps catching my eye. How about you?
“The great promise of Big Data is that it can become “humanity’s dashboard” providing us with better ways of understanding ourselves and determining where our resources should be concentrated to make the biggest difference.”
FRUGAL INNOVATION
“the concept of “frugal innovation” is being applied to create lean solutions that deliver improved or previously non-existent services by stripping down products to the level of basic need and identifying imaginative ways of using old technology.”
COLLABORATION IS THE NEW COMPETITION
“The business community has realized that going it alone in a hyperconnected, globalized economy is counter-productive.”
Ben Hecht, 5 Transformational Forces That Should Be Driving The Social Sector But Aren’t | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation. Co.Exist by Fast Company, Accessed September 25, 2012,
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