Last night I had the opportunity to attend an open house to see the Dallas South News newsroom. While I was supposed to be taking pictures for this post, I found myself engaged in some great conversation with various attendees of the event. It was a good chance to meet some new people and network I even got the chance to chat with some college friends I hadn’t seen in a while (shout to the A&M crew).

For those who haven’t been to the website, check it out at www.dallassouthnews.org. This is going to be a good deal for the South Dallas community. Blogging has opened up a different way in which news can be reported. Through it, us little people can have a voice and the real discussions can begin. Shawn Williams, the DSN editor shared an email with his board on how this type of media benefits the community.

Dear DSN Board and Advisory Board,

At the most recent board meeting, a discussion took place around why efforts like Dallas South News are important, and what type of value we bring to communities. I have reached out to a few people across the country leading initiatives on innovation in media to share their thoughts with us about just how significant our effort is at this critical juncture in journalism.

The first person that we hear from is Kelly McBride. Kelly is the Ethics Group Leader at the Poynter Institute, a school for journalists in St. Petersburg, Florida. More importantly for this discussion, it was Kelly that convened the “Sense Making” project funded by the Ford Foundation, “a yearlong project to help the public develop skills for making sense of news in the digital era.” At the gathering of “sense makers” last Spring, I learned about other cities utilizing local nonprofit news.

Here’s what Kelly had to say:

Humans understand the world through narrative. Communities exist because groups of humans share portions of a common narrative (That could be, “We live on this street.” or “We share the same faith.” or “We fought the same war.”)

The more narratives are communicated, the more effective they become in building communities. Communities are necessary to create positive social change. People may argue about the veracity of these statements, but I believe they are demonstrably true.

Since the dawn of American democracy, we have had reliable institutions that create a common narrative for our communities. Granted these have been flawed institutions that left out huge portions of that narrative. But these newspapers and later radio and television stations, at least had the capacity, if not the will, to tell the stories of their communities.

Today, those institutions are losing their ability to tell a community’s story. As a result the community is losing the ability to address problems and make the world better.

So, other institutions must be created to share stories and to document narratives, particularly untold stories, so that communities can continue to move forward.

Kelly McBride
Ethics Group Leader
The Poynter Institute
kelly@poynter.org
Twitter: kmcb
www.poynter.org

Check out the site and let me know what you think. If you would like to donate or volunteer, email editor@dallassouthnews.org or call 214-485-0683 for more information.
BTW, here a slide show with some of the photos that I was able to take between conversations.

I always get nervous when I see news like this come across a social networking site before news confirms it because you never know if it’s true. This has been a tough couple of months for a lot of celebrity families who have lost love ones and this is not the first time that I found out about it via Twitter.

I first saw a tweet by @AroundHarlem (twitter.com/AroundHarlem) and thought it may have been someone else because I hadn’t seen it on the news yet. But just like the Michael Jackson passing, the news started reporting after it moved through the Internet. It’s amazing how fast news travels today, which is why we have to be careful to decipher between rumor and fact. But most of the people I follow are good at making sure the right information is posted. It wasn’t until I noticed an update in Wikipedia that I decided to post on his passing. I’m sure if you start googling it now, you’ll find a lot out there.

I remember when Steve came to the Houston Oilers. I was exited because we REALLY needed a quarterback, but they wouldn’t let him play. I was upset about it, but the Oilers left for Tennessee and I had to get over it. Along with Warren Moon, I consider him to be one of my favorite quarterbacks and pray the best for those survived by him. It’s sad to hear this kind of news, but it reminds us how precious life really is.

Last night during our church instrumental rehearsal, I had the opportunity to speak to some of our soon-to-be high school Juniors about my education and career. While the purpose of our ministry is to use the talents we’ve been given to glorify God, the adult leaders in the group felt it was also important for us to make sure the youth could benefit from some of our life experiences as they prepare for college. We didn’t want to lecture them about the “old days” and we wanted it to be in a relaxed environment where they could ask questions.
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In part one of my Staying Organized series, I mentioned some of the ways I planned on going e-organized for the new year. It’s been fun and I’ve actually learned a lot about what it’ll take for me to better manage my time. Since the first post some things have changed, so I thought I’d update you on how it’s going.

To get a better plan with Sprint, I ended up renewing my contract and got the Blackberry (BB) Curve 8330. I was reluctant because I was so used to my Windows Mobile phone, but I quickly learned what the BB could do. Under my Google account created a calendar for myself, my wife, the kids, and church. Each have their own assigned colors and I can show/hide which I want to see at any given time. I also created a Google account for my wife, so she would have access to my calendars and the events I entered. I set up the browser on her phone to pull up the mobile Google calendar site when she opened it. That way she’d know what I had planned for the day (I always forget to tell her about stuff I need to do). I still use Google Sync to sync the Google Calendar with the BB calendar on my phone. Trust me, it works great.

I just recently listened to the audio book “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. With the tips in this book, I was able to find a way to fine tune my e-organization plan and add some efficiency to what I was doing. I changed how I used the The Remember the Milk (RTM) app I mentioned in the first post. I used the BB application they created to sync all of my tasks every hour from the website to the phone. Any task, big or small, goes in RTM and I assign date if it’s something that needs to be done soon. This works nice because it allows me to clear my head of all the “stuff” I need to do. It also gives me an organized repository where I can visually see the tasks that need to be done for the day. To make sure the list stayed current, I had to set a goal that all tasks for the day must be completed or rescheduled before I go to bed.

I’ve also started using an application called Evernote that allows me to access/capture ideas, notes and information from my PC or phone. But I’m going to save how I use this for another day because I’m trying to decide whether I’ll post it here or at Liberate Magazine.

Well, that’s all I have for now. I’d be interested in hearing your comments or questions. This may sound like a lot to keep up with, but for me it’s been working. My planner was never with me when I needed it, but I always have my phone. There is a slight learning curve in getting the system together, but the geek in me loves it.

I do have plans on going into each online app I use in more detail, but why do that now when I can have you come back for part 3?

For a while, I’ve been looking for a way to securely store documents like wills, birth certificates, photos, passports and other sensitive information online. There are a lot of companies who provide online storage services, but I was never comfortable enough to give it a try. That is until now.

Wells Fargo Bank has just released a new service called vSafe that offers secure 256-bit encrypted online storage for you to safeguard, organize, and access electronic copies of important documents from any place you have an Internet connection. I’ve been using it for almost a month and I’m impressed. It was easy to get set up and I was able to login in immediately to start uploading files.

Wells Fargo has a strong commitment to security (https://www.wellsfargo.com/wfonline/wellsfargovsafe/security), so I feel comfortable uploading sensitive information on their server. I was also impressed with the number of ways you could access your account. After logging into your bank account area, you have to have advanced access (https://www.wellsfargo.com/privacy_security/online/advancedaccess) to get to your files stored on vSafe. You can have the security code (only good for five minutes) sent via text message to your cell phone or you can purchase a RSA SecurID Device which resets your security code every couple of minutes. Both work great and you better believe I tested whether an old code would let me in.

Organizing my files was very easy. It was very similar using Windows Explorer and you could add notes to the folders explaining the contents. Some of the site’s functionality didn’t work as well as I’d liked with FireFox, but Internet Explorer worked fine. I scanned and uploaded anything I thought was important and would hate to lose in a disaster. I feel comfortable knowing my documents are safe and accessible in times of need. Just recently, they’ve added a feature that allows you to upload multiple files. I was shocked to see it wasn’t there from the beginning, but it’s a welcome addition to a developing product.

They have three price tiers:
* Base Plan: 1 GB – $4.95/ month
* Upgrade Plan: 3 GB – $9.95/ month
* Premium Plan: 6 GB – $14.95/ month

This is definitely a good service at an affordable price, but there are a couple of disadvantages. If you don’t bank at a Wells Fargo, the service isn’t available to you. I’d be interested to see if they would open it up to everyone as an additional revenue stream. Another is you have to have access to a scanner if you don’t have electronic copies of the files you want to store. This can be a tedious process, but well worth it if you have some time.

That’s my personal experience with Wells Fargo vSafe. If you are not a Wells Fargo customer, there are other places to store your files online. But I’m going to leave that to another post

Sign up for a 30 day trial

P.S. This isn’t a paid post.

The twitter explosion has begun and more people are flocking to it as a means of communicating with a mass audience. I get a lot of follow requests via Twitter. Some are worth sharing and the account for StandUpStickOut is tied to a website called Faces Of Our Children.

Faces of Our Children is a Non Profit Organization formed to educate the general public on issues concerning Sickle Cell Anemia and other diseases. The mission of Faces of Our Children, Inc. is dedicated to raising awareness, support and funding for the fight against sickle cell disease worldwide in cooperation with the Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease through the development and delivery of educational programs and materials via the internet and mass media at work sites and schools and through community-based organizations that will help effectuate progressive public policy and increase both government and corporate funding in order to significantly improve the lives of families with sickle cell disease and ultimately eliminate this deadly disease that afflicts not only people of color but people from India, Greece, Italy, the Middle East, South and Central American and the Caribbean.

For more information you can follow StandUpStickOut at twitter.com/StandUpStickOut.

I found out about Dallas South Blog via Google while searching for more information about Tavis Smiley’s visit to the Dallas area. I started reading the articles and was hooked on the very well-written, informative posts about the southern sector of Dallas. Due the fact that South Dallas had a large African-American population, the blog became my source of information for what was going on in the community.

Over the last couple of years, Dallas South Blog has grown into a popular online destination for those looking for stimulating political/social dialoug on a local and national level. This growth is largely due to the efforts of blogger Shawn Williams. But with growth, comes new oppotunities to take what you do to a higher level. This is where Dallas South News comes into play.

The Dallas South News will be a nonprofit organization utilizing technology, journalistic principles, and social media to empower and inform diverse communities.  It will provide news coverage in the areas of local politics, education, health, housing, as well as commentary on state and national politics. As with all nonrpofit organizations, help is needed to keep it running and there are three things you can do to get involved.

So, now that I’ve captured your attention, click here to learn more about how you can participate in the Dallas South News endeavor.

In a time when jobs are scarce and people are nervous about losing the job they have, networking is becoming all the more important. There was a time when you had to join professional societies (which I still recommend) to get your network on. But now, connections with people all over the world can easily be made from the comfort of your cozy couch.

If you don’t know what LinkedIn is all about I’d recommend starting here first. From there, check out a post shared by Mario Sundar called Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn by Guy Kawasaki. That should get you stared and hopefully will convince you to open up an account. The world of social networking is growing on a daily basis and it’s becoming an easy and affordable way to get attention for a service or product you offer. I started using LinkedIn to keep up with friends and advertise my business. I made some good contacts and my network has grown over the years to include business relationships with people all over the world.

After getting schooled on the world of LinkedIn, here’s the article you came here to see.

How best to use LinkedIn – from HR people looking for you

I know I’m a day late, but a brotha was busy. If you want all the stats and opinions about President Obama’s first 100 days, check out CNN. They’re good at that kind of stuff and know how to get the facts. In my opinion, he’s done an amazing job and has pushed through legislation that will impact Americans for years to come. Whether you agree or disagree about his policies, you have to admit this is a man on a mission. Presient Obama seems genuine in his vision for America and is willing to put in the hard work to make the lives of all Americans better.

Check out the Presidential Flickr slideshow showing pictures of the first 100 days. I would love to have Pete Souza’s job! The photos are amazing and showcase the First Family that America (and the world) has grown to love.

The Presidential Flickr Account

source

In the search for applications for my Blackberry, I ran across a post from the Digerati team at Lifechurch.tv announcing their Bible for Blackberry app. I checked it out and have to say, it’s really nice. The main page of the app loads fast and you can begin your search for a specific verse, chapter or keyword. There are daily recommended readings and a contribution area where you can get additional explanations of various Bible verses. The feature I like best is that you get the King James and New International Version of the Bible. In the appplications I’ve used, you usually get one or the other.

If you are not a Blackberry user, there are other options for getting the getting the Bible electronically. For the PC, I’ve been a long-time fan of the E-Sword Bible application. They have a lot of additional commentaries and dictionaries that really help you study the Bible. Along with the desktop version, there is a version for the Windows Mobile Pocket PC. If you don’t have any of those devices, there’s even a Bible for your thumb drive at www.swordwarrior.net.

While I wouldn’t recommend trading in the electronic apps for a real Bible, they are very useful and allows you to have God’s Word with you all the time. I guess there’s no excuse now for not reading. Just make sure your pastor knows you’re not texting if you use it during service.

To get the Bible for the Blackbery click here. Here are a few of the features:

• Use the reader to study any part of Scripture—the entire Bible is at your fingertips.
• Take your pick from 35 different translations available in 19 different languages.
• Search the entire Bible for a word, phrase, or verse, and you’ll get your results in seconds.
• The One-Year Reading Plan provides daily selections to keep you on track when you’re on the go.
• Learn from others by checking out recent contribs.