Okay, now that my presence is going to start being known on things like Twitter, Pownce, LinkedIn, and the like, I should probably go ahead and post about what I’m all about.
That is service networking. This is a new concept drawn from the social networking movement on the internet. Service networking is based on two things:
- Interactive, easily accessible opportunities for doing good (ServiceBlogs and possibly ServiceTweets)
- A social networking platform based on world-changing interests (homelessness, trafficking, poverty, etc.)
The combination of these two are what I call the “service network,” and would allow for people to:
- Be aware of local and global service opportunities, getting involved when and where they can
- Get connected to other people in order to start new projects
Imagine being able to log-in to “YourCity Service Network,” check out your favorite ServiceBlogs, and learn that Friday night 40 people are needed at a soup kitchen. You then get a ServiceTweet (on your mobile!) telling you 15 people are needed this afternoon to clean up an elderly woman’s house after a major storm. This inspires you to start a new project, so you check out who else has the same interests as you. You friend them up, and off you go, dreaming about how to change the world and getting out and DOING it!
Sounds pretty cool to me. The goal is to develop a “Service Network” platform that can be adapted and customized according to the needs of different areas and demographics: university service networks, city service networks, or religious service networks.
The idea is that technology can aid with not only profit-making, but people-helping. As evidenced by the internet bubble, web-based companies are going to come and go. Money can be made and lost. Technology will change, constantly out-dating the latest and greatest thing.
People are forever. Legacy lives on. Take some time to help your neighbor, and the effects are long-lasting and much more rewarding than something shiny.
Leave me your thoughts!
Sam
