 City of Seattle Community Technology E-Zine |
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| Vol. 11, No. 4 | April, 2012 |
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INSIDE boost grants Are you a neighborhood or community group seeking ways in which to increase awareness of community issues? Are you interested in engaging other community members in problem solving? The Online Boost Project was developed in response to what we learned from the Seattle Communities Online assessment and presentations at Neighborhood District Council and community group meetings, of the current capacity of neighborhood groups to do effective outreach online, maintain their content, foster online engagement and use City widgets and tools. We are looking for approximately 15 projects that will receive up to $1,000 in matching funds that will also participate in workshops with experts in using social media. Our goal is to “boost” their capacity through a project that takes them three months or less to complete. The deadline for the grant is Tuesday, May 15 at midnight. Interested applicants need to register in the City’s webgrants system here. You can also find additional resources and the full application guidelines at www.seattle.gov/boostgrants. For more information, contact Vicky Yuki at (206) 233-7877 or via email, vicky.yuki@seattle.gov. seniors workshop Are you a senior citizen on government assistance who does not have computer access at home? Here’s your chance to attend a free workshop, an “Introduction to the Internet For Seniors” about discounted broadband service and discounted refurbished computers. Wednesday, April 11, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. RSVP to Ally at (206) 633-1517, Ext. 115
April kicks off Seattle Center’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the World’s Fair and it’s going to be awesome and packed with activity online and on the ground. Each month features a different theme with arts and culture running throughout. See more here. meta on geekwireCheck out this new Geekwire story on Seattle's leadership in social media and civic engagement. They even applaud Brainstorm! From the Illinois study about our leadership on e-social media. l.i.n.k.a.g.e Time and Date Fun! Create a calendar, see how many hours you’ve been alive, calculate how many days until an event and more on the Time and Date site. Literacy 2.0 education and digital tools: The spring 2012 issue of Education Northwest Magazine has a feature on how teachers are integrating new digital and social media into instruction. Seattle’s PugetSoundOff.org and the Seattle Digital Literacy Initiative are highlighted. Earth Day 2012: Mobilize the Earth. Need we say more?
Have a question for Mayor Mike McGinn? Join the conversation with Seattle Channel host Brian Callanan as he sits down with the Mayor on Wednesday, April 25, at 7 PM for Ask the Mayor. Call (206) 681-8821 between 7:00 and 8:00 PM or email your questions. Also, follow their conversation on Twitter or Facebook with the Seattle Channel’s accounts. You can also submit questions through Twitter and Facebook as well. Follow the Seattle Channel on Twitter.com/SeattleChannel and become a fan of the Seattle Channel on Facebook! Friends and followers get up to the minute info on new programs, behind the scene pictures of shoots and interviews and more! archivesBack issues of Brainstorm including techtips and linkage are now available in our online archives. Previous TechTips and Linkage are also available. Click to revisit all previous issues. sub/unsubTo subscribe or unsubscribe to Brainstorm, please email us, and we'll add you to our email notification list, or subtract you per your request. If you have ideas for future stories, please let us know and we'll try to accommodate them. We encourage you to visit the City of Seattle's Community Tech pages, seattle.gov/tech. |
sodo business association has a new look Check out the SODO Business Association's new interactive website launched in March! With support from a Technology Matching Fund Civic Engagement grant, the association added features like blogging to enable them to interact with the SODO community as well as surrounding communities. Give your opinion on the possibility of a new basketball-hockey stadium in the area. Read and comment on issues affecting the SODO community that are important to you. new city tech advisorsBen Krokower and Beryl Fernandes have been appointed to the City of Seattle’s Citizens Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB). Beryl is serving on the Digital Inclusion Plan committee and chairing the Seattle Channel committee. Ben is on the Broadband and Get Online Week / Community Capacity Building committees. Both new members bring a great deal of valuable experience to the board. Ben is the owner of Upwards Technologies, providing web site and database consulting for local non-profit and political organizations. He has worked with the Downtown Seattle Association, the Pride Foundation, and on various campaigns. He also worked at Microsoft as a Development Lead. Beryl Fernandes is an urban planning, community development, and performance management consultant. She has more than 20 years’ professional experience in the public, nonprofit and small business sectors. Beryl is also very familiar with the work of community technology centers and has been a mentor for El Centro de La Raza’s after-school technology program.
national digital inclusion framework out There are still 100 million Americans who do not have a broadband connection to the Internet. In response, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), together with the University of Washington and the International City/County Management Association, has released Building Digital Communities: A Framework for Action and its companion primer Building Digital Communities: Getting Started, to help communities raise awareness and plan strategies for greater broadband access and adoption. See more on the IMLS press release. city clerk's office unveils new homepageThe Seattle City Clerk's Office launched their new homepage today. This is the first step in improving overall site and database navigation and access to the City's vast collection of legislative and archive records. Visit the City Clerk's Office online here. “Seattle City Council is proud to enhance government access and transparency. This new web portal does just that,” stated Council President Sally J. Clark. The City Clerk's homepage features a slide show of civic and historical education campaigns and a live feed of the City Clerk's blog entries, including access to summaries of legislation recently passed by the Council. This new design follows a similar layout of the City Council's homepage, which brands the City of Seattle's Legislative Department. “We are pleased to share the updated homepage featuring user-friendly access standards and infrastructure improvements,” according to Seattle City Clerk Monica Martinez Simmons. “The Clerk's Office is the frontline for legislation, records and archives access. We look forward to better serving our residents and community stakeholders.” Seattle City Council meetings are cablecast and Webcast live on Seattle Channel 21 and on the City Council's website. Copies of legislation, Council meeting calendar, and archives of news releases can be found on the City Council website. Follow the Council on Twitter and on Facebook. s.e.c.u.r.i.t.ygoogle's privacy policy: how it affects you On March 1, Google collapsed 60 privacy policies and combined them into a single one that combines information about its users. While the change has caused a lot of concern, Google is actually just codifying what it already does. The new privacy policy doesn't allow Google to collect more information about its users, but what it does is allow itself to do more with the information it already collects across it's services - YouTube, Gmail, Blogger, Google TV, Google Plus and Web History collected through Google.com. This information is then used to fine-tune its targeted advertising and could be tailored to a user's search history. The problem: Let's say a person searches for a topic that they don't want to have known to others, such as "domestic violence." The next time the browser is opened, there may be increased advertisement of domestic violence prevention services available in their area. The next person using this computer, and browser, may not be the same person who conducted the search initially. While you can't prevent Google from collecting any of your search data, there are a few steps you can take. Users can turn off the setting that allows Google to record their search history. To get to this menu, go to google.com/history or head to the “Account Settings” menu from the top navigation bar you see when signed in to your Google account. Scroll down to the “Services” section. From here, you can pause, edit or remove all Web History. On some accounts, you can also go to the “Products” section of your account settings and click the “Edit” link next to “Your Products.” Another way is to not sign in to any accounts, but this can be difficult if you are always signed into your Gmail account. YouTube, Google Search and Google Maps don't require a sign on in order to search, but they will still collect data. We will try to continue to bring you more information and useful tips over the next few months about how these changes have impacted users and ways you can continue to protect your privacy while using Google services. For more security tips, check out the techtalk blog.  Are you running a nonprofit school, library or community institution? Are you attempting to bridge the digital divide or providing technology services to your constituents? Are you in Seattle? Then you may be eligible to receive high speed Internet access. The City of Seattle has contracted with the City's cable internet providers to provide high speed Internet access to a limited number of nonprofits in the area. Contact Derrick Hall at (206) 233-5061 or email derrick.hall@seattle.gov. d.o.l.l.a.r.s Seattle Communities Online Boost Grant Awards of up to $1000 in matching funds to help community groups gain skills and proficiency using online resources and tools. In coordination with the Seattle Communities Online initiative, we are seeking opportunities to enhance:
Application due date: May 15 Local Technology Planning Team Grants
Washington State has announced that it is seeking applications for Local Technology Planning Team Grants. Grants are for teams to work on data collection, deployment and monitoring, strategies and partnerships.
Neighborhood Matching Fund - Large Project Fund
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