Online Advocacy - Quick 'n' Easy Visualizing Tools
Photo, Video and Mapping
Google Maps
http://maps.google.com
What it does : Web-based application that pinpoints locations and addresses on a map. Will also provide directions for journeys.
What it wont do : It won't layer different kinds of mappable information. Pretty much what you get is a pinpointed location and directions. For more sophisticated mapping try the application (non-web) version called Google Earth.
Suggested Use : Plot out locations of demonstrations and actions for constituents.
Advocacy Example : ALTSEAN-Burma (Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma), a network of organizations and individuals based in ASEAN member states working to support the movement for human rights and democracy in Burma, developed a map of the economic protests using Google Maps. The map highlighted the location of protests inside Burma, the date in which they took place, the number of demonstrators and where arrests have been made. Some of the landmarks have also links to video clips of the protests. This tool proved to be a good way to indicate "hot areas" to activists willing to participate in the protests. http://www.altsean.org/Photogalleries/ProtestsMap.php
Who Owns It : Google, http://www.google.com
Privacy Concerns : Google is ambivilant to privacy challenges. For example, complaints to EU privacy regulators over gmail's indexing and scanning practices were not addressed. Google got the lowest privacy rating of any internet company by Privacy International. (see http://www.privacyinternational.org/issues/internet/interimrankings.pdf )
Comments : Google Maps can be easily incorporated into existing websites for various uses. The MyMaps feature can be put to relatively sophisticated uses,even by non-technical folks. Maps can be shared (or not), annotated, statically linked, dynamically linked, etc..
Flickr
http://www.flickr.com
What it does : Web-based application to share photos. Add tags to photos and add photos to groups based on topic so others can find them. Create contacts and friends so that only they can see all or some photos. Cross-post photos to blogs. RSS feed of photos so others can subscribe or you can integrate photos onto other web pages.
What it wont do : Upload sexually explicit photos (nude imagery is okay, if labeled ‘May Offend.) Free accounts limited to greater of 500 photos or 25MB total upload per month.
Suggested Use : Sharing photo's of important events with constituents. Creating groups where people can discuss issues. Ask people to support campaigns by uploading their own photos.
Advocacy Example : For the Green My Apple campaign, Greenpeace asked supporters to send pictures of their “green macs” (http://flickr.com/groups/greenmyapple/). The art group “Space Invaders” created a group asking people to post pictures of all the Space Invaders tile-art they see on the streets (http://flickr.com/groups/spaceinvaders/)
Who Owns It : Yahoo, http://www.yahoo.com
Who Owns Your Content : You do! And you can contribute creative commons licensing
Privacy Concerns : According to PrivacyInternational.org, Yahoo “Cooperates with Governments with disclosure of information including Chinese government.” (see http://www.privacyinternational.org/issues/internet/interimrankings.pdf )
Comments : Starting or joining a group in the Flickr community is a way to get comments on your photos and start conversations.
ShoZu
http://www.shoZu.com
What it does : Mobile application to upload photos and video from your phone to web-based services like Flickr, blip.tv, wordpress. Can tag and add comments on the phone. Backup the contacts on phone to the web. Get others photos, videos on your phone.
What it wont do : Not all phones are compatible. Coverage worldwide still in development (ShoZu works in North and South America and Europe.)
Suggested Use : Activists can instantly upload multimedia on the Net while the action is happening, rather than risking to lose the material or delay its publication.
Advocacy Example : Greenpeace UK keeps an ongoing moblog, http://moblog.co.uk/blogs.php?show=9068
Who Owns It : ShoZu, http://www.shozu.com/AboutUs/
Who Owns Your Content : They “do not claim ownership of photos or videos you upload to Partners”
Privacy Concerns : Mobile phone photo's can be embedded with trackable data.
Comments : With geotagging, GPS-enabled phones can attach latitude and longitude information to images automatically upon capture.
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com
What it does : Web-based application to share video. Can only upload videos that are not bigger than 100 MB in size and are no longer than 10 minutes in length. There is no limit to the number of videos a user you can upload. You can create RSS feeds for users and tags.
What it wont do : Download videos to your computer (videos can only be viewed through the YouTube viewer on the web). You can't use it to display sexually explicit content, dangerous or illicit acts, and graphic or gratuitous violence.
Suggested Use :Share videos of testimonials and events. Publish slideshows of photos supported by music (not everybody can edit videos).
Advocacy Example : Friends of the Earth have a very well set up YouTube channel and they managed to recruit a lot of subscribers to it. http://youtube.com/user/friendsoftheearth
Who Owns It : Google, http://www.google.com
Who Owns Your Content : YouTube says you retain rights to your content. However by submitting videos to YouTube, you “hereby grant YouTube a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use ... Submissions... in any media formats and through any media channels” (see http://youtube.com/t/terms)
Privacy Concerns : Ambivilant to privacy challenges (for example, complaints to EU privacy regulators over gmail.) Got the lowest privacy rating of any internet company by Privacy International. (see http://www.privacyinternational.org/issues/internet/interimrankings.pdf )
Comments : YouTube has become the ubiquitous video sharing tool. Getting your video on YouTube means lots of people will have access to it, though not everyone except for those that you notify about it will see it. However, because of privacy and content concerns, you may want to consider Blip.
blip.tv
http://www.blip.tv
What it does : Web-based application for sharing video. Can upload video files up to 1 gig in size. Can host unlimited number of videos for as long as you like. Cross-post videos to other video services that you choose. RSS feed of videos so others can subscribe or you can integrate video onto other web pages.
What it wont do : Upload sexually explicit videos (talking about sex is okay, if labeled ‘Mature'.)
Suggested Use : Share videos of testimonials and events. Production of short videos for viral distribution.
Advocacy Example : The Network of Sex Work Project has a channel on BlipTV http://sexworkerspresent.blip.tv/
Who Owns It : Blip.TV, http://blip.tv/about/
Who Owns Your Content : When you upload your video it becomes public content until you download it. You also grant Blip.TV “a worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sublicensable license to use... for the purposes of displaying that content on Blip.tv or for any other non-commercial use of that content.”
Privacy Concerns : They reserve the right to disclose your information to “the police, regulatory bodies or any legal advisers in connection with any alleged criminal offense or suspected breach of these Terms of Use, including but not limited to, any claim of infringement by you, or otherwise where required by law,.”
Comments : Blip.tv makes no ownership or use claims on your videos (YouTube, for example, can put ads around your videos, and limits length to 10 minutes.)
Categories:
Organising Tools: Voice and Text
Visualising Tools: Photos, Videos and Mapping