You’re Not Alone!
Just when you need to send one critical email before you dash off, or are at the juiciest part of the conversation …
Your internet service disappears, or your computer freezes (or worse, does that never-ending hourglass or spinning wheel thing), or your cellphone fails.
According to this report from Pew Research, When technology Fails, you’re not alone!
- 44% of those with home internet access say their connection
failed to work properly at some time in the previous 12 months. - 39% of those with desktop or laptop computers have had their
machines not work properly at some time in the previous 12 months. - 29% of cell phone users say their device failed to work properly
at some time in the previous year.
Since there’s nothing in this report that can actually fix the problem for you, I guess you can just file this in the "misery loves company" category!
Now, when your computer and internet connection is working, you might want to monitor the YouTube Presidency promised by President-elect Obama. As reported here by the Washington Post, Obama plans to augment the traditional weekly national radio message from the President with a video-version distributed via YouTube. Other interactive online tactics are planned as well, drawing from communications experience gained during the campaign. Whether all this produces authentic participation, or just more sophisticated message management, time will tell.
At a challenging time in nonprofit fundraising terms, I suspect that your nonprofit will need all the loyal and devoted donors it can muster in the coming year … motivating current donors needs to be at the top of your list. Perhaps you and your CEO need to watch how the Obama folks try to use technology to maintain and employ the bond between the president and his constituency as his term unfolds. I expect the Obama communications folks will be rather clever and creative about keeping his supporters energized.
Tom
One response to “You’re Not Alone!”
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Hi Tom,
Obama’s first YouTube delivery launched last Saturday. Here it is:
http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/your_weekly_address_from_the_president_elect/#more
So far plain-vanilla (a talking head). It’ll be interesting to see if/how he really uses the medium to further understanding of the message.
Best,
Nancy