[act-ma] Top Stories from Open Media Boston (week of 6/6/08) / Grassroots Use of Tech Conference

[Jason Pramas]

Hi folks,

Be sure to check out this week's top stories at www.openmediaboston.org  
- and also be sure to pre-register  
(http://www.organizerscollaborative.org/conference) for the Grassroots 
Use of Technology Conference 2008 coming up at UMass Lowell on June 28th 
and hosted by the fine folks at Organizers' Collaborative. Details at 
the bottom of this message. We're doing a workshop there ourselves. Come 
on over and say hi.


News: Boston City Council Hearing on Safe Homes Initiative Sparks Lively 
Debate
http://www.openmediaboston.org/node/183

News: Hub Teens Call for MBTA Youth Pass
http://www.openmediaboston.org/node/181

Editorial: Mass. Retailers Need to Stop Their Attack on Teen Wages
http://www.openmediaboston.org/node/186

Arts: Bigger Stronger Faster * (*The Side Effects of Being American)
http://www.openmediaboston.org/node/182

Living: Nader to Rally Support in Massachusetts Today
http://www.openmediaboston.org/node/179


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Enjoy,

Jason Pramas
Editor/Publisher
Open Media Boston
www.openmediaboston.org

*******************

[article on the Grassroots Use of Technology Conference from OMB]

Connect, Communicate, Collaborate
by Felicia M. Sullivan, May-16-08

If you belief that technology is an important tool the affect change, 
then the annual Grassroots Use of Technology Conference is the place for 
you. Join other like-minded folks on Saturday, June 28th (all day) in 
Lowell, MA to share ideas about how to more effectively use technology 
in your day-to-day fight for justice.

This year's theme is "Connect, Communicate, and Collaborate"; it focuses 
on the new technologies and organizing tools available for connecting 
organizers and their communities.

Nick Jehlen will be joining us this year with a keynote address speaking 
to his work on Iraq Veterans Against the War's Winter Soldier campaign. 
At a time when the nation wrestles with questions about the war and 
while grassroots activists and advocates experiment with ways to 
influence the big ticket issues of the day, IVAW, with Nick's help, 
boldly stepped out off the beaten path to bring together hundreds of 
veterans to address the occupations abroad and the neglect at home. 
Nick's talk will show how they made careful and appropriate use of a 
wide range of communications technologies and tools.

There will be three workshop sessions, and each session will have 5 or 6 
concurrent presentations. Workshops will be identified by technical 
level; the program is designed to be accessible to beginners while 
offering options for tech experts.

We are still working on the final schedule, but here are just a few of 
the workshops you can expect to see this year:

    * On-Line Polls and e-Campaigning in Resource-Poor Communities
    * Keeping it Simple: technology tools that won't make you want to 
rip your hair out
    * Taking your website to the next level with free online tools
    * Strategies for shaping the media/tech future
    * Open Media Boston: Building a News Portal with Drupal
    * The Untapped Power of Social Networks for Grassroots Action
    * Facebook to Phone Trees: Multi-Generational Outreach Strategies
    * Managing & Recruiting Tech volunteers
    * Helping Your Computer System Grow Up
    * Voter Databases

.....And More!

The conference registration fee is $75 (including breakfast and lunch). 
If you need overnight accommodations, UMASS Lowell has dorms available 
at reasonable rates; $50 per person for a single room and $34 per person 
for a shared room. Rooms can be reserved when you register for the 
conference.

As always, the Grassroots Use of Technology conference is one of the 
only events that brings technology and endusers together, allowing us to 
learn from each other. Don't wait, register today at 
http://www.organizerscollaborative.org/conference08/registration.