Kori Brus's blog

The Social Tech Training and NetChange Week 2009 have come and gone, but after the dust settled what remains is a strong and growing community of emerging leaders filled with new ideas for innovation in their digital campaigns, tools, and programs, and maybe even something a whole lot bigger.

Day 3 of Social Tech Training kicked off with a specially recorded video address from world renowned digital futurist Don Tapscott.

The author of Growing Up Digital and Wikinomics sent a special message to the leaders of STT participating organizations, executive and communications directors, who are often from a different demographic than their web teams. Don drives home the critical importance of culture change and adaptation, and posits that our rapidly shifting world demands those qualities of any organization that hopes to be successful in the digital age.

That’s the current count for the viral success of US NGO MomsRising.org’s Mom of the Year Video launched earlier this month. Leveraging great production value and clever customization that features Byonce, Brad Pitt and President Obama, this overwhelmingly successful viral campaign lets anyone give their own mother the nod for Mom of the Year in a television style “news” clip.

How did they do it when most non-profit videos fizzle out after a few thousand views?

This week at foreignpolicy.com, online activism was given a pretty scathing critique, with much of its activity defined as "slacktivism" - one click actions that have no impact politically or socially, but cater to a "lazy generation" that is uninterested in the traditional hands on activism of the past.

Jeff Regen is a pioneering leader in online strategy who has built a formidable digital program at Defenders of Wildlife in Washington, DC. Since 2004, their online community has grown to more than 800,000 e-supporters, tacks one million yearly advocacy actions, and brings in $5 million-all on the back of an innovative online model that embraces the best of emerging web tools, and which formed the foundation for this year's Social Tech Training.

While cash strapped progressive orgs and traditional advocacy organizations sometimes hesitate or balk at investing in web 2.0 their mission may be coming under new attack, from a well funded right-wing that is embracing viral media.