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Columbus + WOSU + COSI = Social Media Cafe

Note: This thread is not about COSI Toledo's financial situation nor about saving COSI Toledo.


On Oct 29, 2007, jdmsbyrd asked : "Anyone want to plan an Open Space conference like this in Toledo? I will be glad to help plan an event."

This idea in Columbus looks like an interesting method for supporting community activism.

Via seriouslymedia, a Nov 28, 2007 Bivings Report blog posting titled The Columbus Social Media Cafe :

Public broadcaster WOSU and COSI, an area science museum, in Columbus are now hosting the Columbus Social Media Cafe group in their WOSU@COSI center.

According to the Columbus Social Media Cafe blog, the mission of this group centers around the following question that WOSU and COSI asked themselves :

What if we — your local public broadcaster and science museum — and those of you who are the local blogging experts got together and learned how to use Social Media to bring back that great American tradition of the community taking charge of its own problems?

What I find interesting about this group is how much they're using social media. They have a blog, a mini social network (ning based), and use Twitter. However, they rely [on] these tools to complement interaction in the real world. We'll see if this collaboration between a traditional news organization, museum, and area residents will indeed usher in a better community through the help of social media.


They used the Open Space Unconference meeting format like BarCamp type gatherings, which uses a self-structuring agenda.

Nov 16, 2007 Columbus Social Media Cafe blog posting

WOSU and COSI hosted its first blogger meet-up this evening at WOSU@COSI. It truly was a fascinating evening.

Using the Open Space meeting format, this community of very passionate people discussed a wide range of topics addressing the Question: What can we do together that we cannot do alone to change this community using social media tools?

For a headline summary of the topics, you can visit our Twitter page. See some additional photos in our Flickr group.

We also took video that we’ll have posted on You Tube and Facebook as well as this blog.


A few of the many YouTube videos related to the Columbus Social Media Cafe :

Tuesday describes Open Space

Using Social Tech

Bloggers share thoughts on the Columbus Social Media Cafe


Embedding the Columbus Social Media Cafe's Twitter feed, so you can get an idea of what issues they're thinking about.

Twitter / SocialMediaCafe
SocialMediaCafe: Twitterverse Request..anyone who is on twitter when CSMC meetsTuesday Aug 26, 6:30-8:30, sending @socialmediacafe notes will help us demo it - Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:58:03 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: CSMC meets Tuesday Aug 26 @ 6:30, It is a hands on Social Media Workshop for the Ganther's Place community http://tinyurl.com/65y49t - Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:55:07 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: Internet radio needs our help to create pressure to change royalties to a sustainable model. Pandora explains http://tinyurl.com/3bw55k - Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:49:20 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: Retweet @socialmediaclub Social Media Now: 08/20/08 - http://tinyurl.com/56z3ly (email us if you would like to contribute) - Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:38:51 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: Details on becoming a chapter of @socialmediaclub is available here: http://is.gd/1qTx - Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:02:36 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: We're officially listed as a Chapter of the @socialmediaclub http://socialmediaclub.pbwiki.com/LocalTeams - Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:49:02 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: The Columbus @Social MediaCafe is become a member of the @socialmediaclub http:www.socialmediaclub.org - Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:47:53 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: Meeting adjourned... a good discussion. See you next month - 8.26.2008 at 6:30 pm at the Columbus Library main branch - Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:14:37 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: The blog community in Columbus have helped WOSU receive more than 800 coupons for DTV converters for underserved populations. Thanks... - Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:11:37 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: Here's the Google Group for Convergence Columbus if you're interested http://tinyurl.com/5fymzt - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:51:49 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: Correct link for @chivespa1 Convergence Columbus http://tinyurl.com/58oqyq - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:50:04 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: @chivespa1 discussing the idea of Convergence Columbus http://tinyurl.com/5bnj6q 1st meeting on August 18th 6:30 pm at the CML Main Branch - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:49:17 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: The next Columbus Social Media Cafe will be on Tuesday, August 26th at 6:30 pm at the Columbus Public Library main branch -- free wifi! - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:45:08 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: @hblowers - Many organizations have used the 23 Things program beyond libraries to help people become comfortable with social media tools - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:22:54 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: @jodyNcolumbus They received a No Child Left Offline grant to assist their technology needs http://tinyurl.com/5wrj6y - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:21:59 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: @jodyNcolumbus We should look into the Rosa Parks Neighborhood Network Center as a place to reach out http://rosaparks.ohioccn.org/aboutus - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:21:08 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: @hblowers the main idea of 23 Things is how you can give the experience of building community on-line through these tools - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:15:11 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: @hblowers - Here's the Wordpress site that the CML is using for its 23 Things project http://columbusmetropolitanlibrary.wordpress.com/ - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:13:48 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: @Hakaniemi - How can we use this idea of 23 Things to reach out to underserved communities and teach them about these tools - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:11:21 +0000
SocialMediaCafe: @chivespa1 - How could we reach out to the Columbus community with the 23 Things concept to better educate them on social media tools? - Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:04:00 +0000


At the top of this page, I said this had nothing to do with preserving COSI Toledo. Well, what if some kind of social media cafe was created in Toledo/Lucas County, and the first activist project was to create a plan to make private funding a sustainable way to keep a hands-on science museum in the Toledo area?

The pathetic, feeble-minded way to solve a problem is to run to the taxpayers, begging for money with a levy. Surely, metro Toledo has more intellectual talent than that. I'd like to think so, anyway. But apathy is probably a major obstacle to finding reasonable solutions to a problem. If this area wants to be a leader in biotechnology and/or alternative energy, then where's the intelligence to solve problems without the #1 solution being to raise taxes?

created by jr on Nov 28, 2007 at 09:25:45 pm
updated by jr on Nov 28, 2007 at 11:09:18 pm     Comments: 10

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tags: technology   media   activism   CitizenJournalism   SocialMedia   

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Comments ... #

blah, blah, blah,

lots of talk, post some youtube videos, lots of links, everyone feels good, but no real action taken, no problems solved.

blah, blah, blah....

posted by tomtom on Nov 28, 2007 at 11:25:42 pm     #



I'm sure margie thubber will enlighten us on some astounding facts about socialism on this one as well....

posted by tomtom on Nov 28, 2007 at 11:27:55 pm     #



How in the world is that Socialism? Govt. isn't involved.

One more time:
Socialism: Leadership from the political & Govt. sector.

Free Market Society(Capitalism): Leadership from the private sector.

I applaud the Columbus initiative. They are "taking back the night"(and the day also).

posted by lew on Nov 29, 2007 at 08:44:20 am     #



Did you actually read where jr said "[what if]the first activist project was to create a plan to make private funding a sustainable way to keep a hands-on science museum in the Toledo area?"

And

"If this area wants to be a leader in biotechnology and/or alternative energy, then where's the intelligence to solve problems without the #1 solution being to raise taxes?"

Where's the socialism in those comments?

posted by billy on Nov 29, 2007 at 09:35:58 am     #



yeah billy!!

It is not socialism, its idea sharing and creation.

My offer still stands to help plan an "unconference" of this magnitude. I personally want to plan an independent media unconference as well.

"The pathetic, feeble-minded way to solve a problem is to run to the taxpayers, begging for money with a levy. Surely, metro Toledo has more intellectual talent than that. I'd like to think so, anyway. But apathy is probably a major obstacle to finding reasonable solutions to a problem"--- can I get an amen.

posted by jdmsbyrd on Nov 29, 2007 at 10:35:51 am     #



tomtom - shame on you!

This isn't about socialism simply because the word 'social' shows up in the discussion.

I think it's interesting. The issue isn't getting everyone together to share ideas, though...it's getting the commitment from people to actually follow through and dedicate time and energy to IMPLEMENTING the ideas. That's where such efforts tend to fall apart.

I like the two topics that jr has suggested and would participate as time and my other commitments allow.

posted by MaggieThurber on Nov 29, 2007 at 11:06:20 am     #



This is really interesting!!!! We have two possibilities: WGTE and WBGU. If we do both, we're regional right from the start. And, The Center for Regional Development is housed at BGSU. What's the next step?

posted by lew on Nov 29, 2007 at 04:02:49 pm     #



I know an IT guy at WGTE.

posted by jr on Nov 29, 2007 at 04:14:31 pm     #



The next Columbus Social Media Cafe meeting hosted by WOSU and COSI is Dec 10.

November 15, 2007 session topics :

posted by jr on Dec 10, 2007 at 02:48:34 pm     #



Dec 18, 2007 Columbus Social Media Cafe blog posting that pointed to a Dec 13, 2007 San Francisco Chronicle article about the top U.S. cities for blogging. :

Here’s the Top 10 list from Nielsen Media Research:

1. Austin, TX (15% of adults going on the Web to read or contribute to a blog in the past 30 days)
2. Portland, OR (14%)
3. San Francisco Bay Area (13%)
4. Seattle (13%)
5. Honolulu
6. San Diego
7. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
8. Columbus, OH
9. Nashville, TN
10. Colorado Springs, CO

posted by jr on Dec 18, 2007 at 02:21:27 pm     #