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Volume VIII, Issue 1, October 2007

Why Can’t We Persuade Our Field to Interact Online?


Keyboard Roundtables
Moderated by Rob Jackson
Participants:
Jayne Cravens, Kristin Floyd and Andy Fryar

As e-Volunteerism enters its eighth year, it is clear that one of the original aims of this online journal project hasn’t been met: Namely, to get people in our field to interact more online.  Most of our online readers don’t make use of the interactive publishing features that make e-Volunteerism so valuable a resource to volunteer managers. In this Keyboard Roundtable, we explore why this might be. And along the way, we look at the whole issue of online interaction by people in the volunteerism field. 

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Comments

Colin Thacker, Northeast Mental Health Centre, North Bay, Canada

November 15th, 2007, 6:13am

I would like to respond to Jayne Cravens about online interactions between managers of volunteer services. I have been in the field of volunteer administration for 31 years and quite frankly I think there are three reasons why there is limited interaction online between volunteer managers.

Lack of awareness
Functional ability to interact online is very limited for older professionals particularly.
Generational savy. Older volunteer managers are less likely to interact online (I seem to be an exception) vs. the new generation of volunteer managers who will have the savy and welcome the opportunity to interact online.
I think interacting on line is a great oppportunity to grow professionally and I do a fair amount of it myself. It is a chance to meet the leaders in the field of volunteer administartion and share common challenges with our colleagues worldwide. It is a boundless resource of information and professional development. I embrace it!! Bottom line we need to promote on an ongoing basis.

I hope by submitting this response I will develop an expanded network of professional contacts.

Rob Jackson, Editor, Keyboard Roundtable

November 25th, 2007, 6:12am

Facebook has launched an application called 'I do something' which allows individuals to track their volunteer hours, invite friends, and "change the world". Here is the link to Facebook application although you can't access it unless you are a member:
http://www.facebook.com/apps/
application.php?id=5786397859&ref=s

Susan Ellis, President, Energize, Inc. Philadelphia PA USA

September 11th, 2007, 2:17pm

Andy's vision of volunteering in Second Life is actually already a reality! First, Second Life itself is recruiting volunteers to mentor newcomers to its site -- see http://secondlife.com/community/volunteer.php for an extensive description (plus application form) for "The Official Second Life Volunteer Program." Also, type "volunteer" into their search engine and you'll see a wide range of special communities of and for volunteers. It's only just begun...!