Network 11 starts tomorrow!

Network 11 is an unconference. According to Wikipedia - An unconference is a participant-driven meeting. The term "unconference" has been applied, or self-applied, to a wide range of gatherings that try to avoid one or more aspects of a conventional conference, such as high fees, sponsored presentations, and top-down organization.

So the Thursday night meeting when we get together at the cottage hospital is important. It's then we decide on mini-sessions, mini workshops and the radio schedule - and the management committees so together we can ensure the two days run smoothly as possible.

The Food Committee has already been established: Joanie Cranston of the Bonne Bay Cottage Hospital Heritage Corporation; Kate Power and Erin McGee of VOBB, and Allison Eaton, Bonne Bay Marine Station.  Incidentally, they are asking if anybody has dietary concerns. Allison suggests people even bring their own mugs to help keep the unconference as green as possible.  We will need people to work with them to ensure food distribution and cleanup.

Another initiative already started is the Virtual Facebook committee. Charlene has put a lot of volunteer work into getting Facebook set up and she will be participating virtually in the event. Mallory McGrath and Arlene Morrissey are also helping out virtually. Dan Murphy (leading our Skype initiative) and Donavon Taplin will be taking part from the conference.

We need to both report from the community to Facebook and report on-air what's happening on Facebook. Joan did a fine job of that during the Conche simulcast.  Charlene will also be tweeting updates from the event on the Ryakuga Twitter

The third mechanism is the programming committee. Some programs are predetermined such as the Benefit Concert; Harvest Festival; Rural Secretariat Session, and the Thursday night introductions. Saturday afternoon is youth programming - designed and controlled by youth.

But that leaves lots of time for specialty programming from the different communities. We have recorded programs from earlier events and live programs. Please come prepared to discuss your ideas. The programming committee will begin on Thursday night to time slot the programs.

The fourth group to choose from on Thursday is the Technical Committee - we need people to operate the equipment throughout the event. (Although Nicole could probably do it by herself : ) This committee will interact with the photographers - to ensure documentation - and the Virtual/Facebook group.
We will also need to archive and document all our programming.

We can all sign up for committees, mini-sessions, and mini-workshops when we arrive at the Network 11 Unconference (or let Fred know before the event).

Network 11 Logistics

Network 11 Unconference is designed to facilitate informal networking. We also hope people make use of our FaceBook and Blog before and during the event.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/network11/

http://www.ruralcommunities.net

In other words, we want people to make suggestions online. And, at any rate, all will be discussed and decisions made when we are together face to face on Thursday.

There are a variety of sub-agendas on the go. For example, St. Anthony wants to set up a permanent station; Fogo Island wants to use community radio as a networking tool in their 2012 anniversary celebrations.

Also, this suggested agenda doesn't include a radio programming schedule. People are already sending in suggestions and requests for programs.

Thursday 7 pm:

• Gather on air with snacks in the cottage hospital radio studio/social networking center
• Groups and individuals introduce themselves and their interest/projects (basically where we've been with communications and networking)
• Later off air with discussion and choice of mini sessions, workshops and conference committees
• Review and discussion of the unconference schedule

Friday am:

• Continental breakfast
• Mini sessions and mini workshops
• Radio programming including report backs

Lunch - town hall

Friday pm:

• The Rural Secretariat is facilitating a deliberative dialogue session on the development of networking among community media practitioners in Newfoundland and Labrador - town hall
• Potluck supper/social - town hall
• Radio programming

Saturday am:

• Continental breakfast
• Garden Project Initiative (10 am)
• Harvest Festival and Craft Fair (11 to 4) broadcast - town hall
• Mini sessions and mini workshops
• Radio programming including report backs

Lunch at the craft fair - town hall

Saturday pm:

• Youth radio broadcast
• Wrap up round table in the marine station - building the network
• Radio programming including report backs
• Catered dinner social - town hall
• Benefit concert (8 pm) - remote broadcast - town hall
• Social - Lion's Club

Sunday am:

• Continental breakfast

Facebook Pages vs. Facebook Groups

This was originally posted in the Network 11 Facebook Working Group on October 16, 2011 by Charlene Gagnon as a resource for determining appropriate use of Facebook platforms.

Facebook offers two types of organizing and promotion tools that can be used to augment community radio projects : Pages and Groups.

Pages and Groups offer different features and are intended for specific uses.

This post will try to explain the differences so that you can decide which platform works best for your community station.

You are reading this post in a Facebook Group.  The Network 11 Facebook Group in fact!

This group is open, in that any member of the Facebook can come to this address and view the content if they have a Facebook profile.  And any member of the Facebook can request to join this group.  When a person becomes a member of this group, they can add new members to it.

A person is never sent a "request" to join a group, the default setting is for people to be automatically added.

The default settings for groups is to receive email notification any time a member of the group posts to it.  You can change those settings by clicking the "edit notifications" button in the top right of the group home page.

You can share links, photos, videos, polls and docs to a Facebook group.  You can also have live chat with all group members that are online at the same time.

You can post to Facebook groups from email.  For this group, members can email network11@groups.facebook.com and the email will show up as a post in this group.

Ryakuga on Facebook is a Facebook Page.

A Facebook Page has a single "official" voice.  It can have multiple administrators, but all posts appear on the page as from a single voice.  For example, the Ryakuga Page could have 4 administrators, but regardless of who posts, it will always just show as a post from Ryakuga.

If a Facebook Page is published, it can be seen by any member of the public regardless of if they have a Facebook account.  Anyone with a Facebook account can "like" a Facebook page, and they will receive updates in their news feed of activity.

Settings controls are a lot more detailed with Facebook Pages than with Facebook Groups.  There are a variety of viewing and posting options. People who "like" a Facebook Page can add links, photos, videos and contribute to discussion forums on the page.

Anyone who likes a Facebook Page can recommend the page to anyone on their friends list.  It comes in the form of an invitation.

Pages can "like" other Pages, and administrators are given the option of using the Facebook as the Page.  So the Ryakuga Page could post to the Network 11 Group.

These are a few of the major differences between Groups and Pages.

The general rule is that Groups are used for horizontally organized information sharing among members.  Pages are more for promotional/public relations purposes.