2008 saw me doing more thinking about and developing my social reporting skills (see, for example, "From report writing to social reporting").

Social reporter was an expression I first heard from David Wilcox back in 2006 in a post he wrote called "Social media, social web, social networking... time for the social reporter".

Then, in the last few months of 2008, David and I did a social reporting project together for EQUAL which included writing a Social Reporter's Toolbox, which you can download here.

The toolbox, in the form of a PDF is written in the context of a series of EQUAL events (such as Powering a New Future ) but the reflections, lessons learned, and tools that we used will be helpful for anyone doing social reporting or creating a shared memory of an event.

Whew ... arrived. Hello blog. I missed you.

The last two months have seen me engaged in exciting projects, wading through reports, getting caught up in life turbulences, spending Christmas in Rio (my daughter lives there) and giving training in Mombasa, where I stayed on to visit family and childhood friends. 

I have had this strong sense of closure and new beginning and it seems to be getting closer. Maybe that's what happens when you start transitioning to fifty. I feel on the edge of myself (expression borrowed from a friend) ... and it hasn't been helped by the US elections and Obama fever, in which I'm completely caught up.

My overwhelming sensation at the end of last year was saturation - saturated with emails, information, people, things to do and expectations to meet. It didn't leave enough time for strategic thinking, let alone the important stuff like reflection, creativity, play and love.

Among other things, this year I want less and I want the less to be more meaningful. How to balance less with at least the same income will be one of the challenges.

Here's to 2009. I know it's going to be a great year.

Today I was asked how to get people to use an online space that has been created for them. The group has all the tools and a facilitator - all in a cosy online workspace. So why is no-one posting a message or doing their work there?

I thought I'd share a visual I've been working on as I try and clarify my thoughts and our discussions in the paper we are writing for AoIR : "Where do we meet next time - negotiating places, identities and technologies".

In the visual you can see the (blue) "CoP off the shelf" that organisations invariably ask for. CoP off the shelf is usually a budget for an online space or platform and facilitator (or animator) which will help the group to achieve its objectives...