Tag: community

social computing & social media

What will change the world? Welcome to the hive mind of Twitter.

One of the things I love about Twitter is the way it enables serendipity on a grand scale.  Recently, I can’t remember how, I ran across @blogbrevity (a.k.a Angela Dunn) whose Twitter feed resonated with me and we followed each other. On June 9th she invited me to join #Ideachat – Twitter Chat & Salon for Twitter Thinkers About “Ideas”. The topic for discussion was … Continue reading What will change the world? Welcome to the hive mind of Twitter.

Kate Carruthers
social computing & social media, technology

Connectedness – it’s not just a technology thing, it’s a people thing

For many years now my friends, colleagues and I have been talking and thinking about the hyperconnections made available to us by the growth of the internet, telecommunications devices and networks, and social platforms. For a good background on it check out Mark Pesce and Ross Dawson. But I think that we have reached a state in our evolution as human where the practices of … Continue reading Connectedness – it’s not just a technology thing, it’s a people thing

Kate Carruthers1 Comment
ideas

Theme for 2012: Compassion, composure, and flow

Each year, instead of making new year resolutions, I pick a theme for the year. That way when I get sidetracked (as often happens) I can simply return to the theme. Also with a theme there are often many different things I can do to support it. This year my theme is: compassion, composure, and flow. This theme came to me as a I wrote … Continue reading Theme for 2012: Compassion, composure, and flow

Kate Carruthers
future

2012: Not the end of the world, but perhaps the end of the world as we know it

As we come up to the year 2012 many prognosticators are predicting the end of the world. I suspect that this will not come to pass. But I do think that we are seeing the end of the world as we’ve come to know it during the latter years of the twentieth century and the early years of the twenty-first century. Many of the verities … Continue reading 2012: Not the end of the world, but perhaps the end of the world as we know it

Kate Carruthers3 Comments
social innovation

Interesting new initiative: #Solved by TACSI via @stokely

Just saw announcement by TACSI that they’ve launched a new campaign. It seems like a really interesting idea, and one that definitely supports social innovation: Why Solved? Sometimes when tackling social challenges, we focus too much on searching for new ideas or solutions, and overlook things that are already working. Maybe you set up a scheme to help local kids eat a healthy breakfast in … Continue reading Interesting new initiative: #Solved by TACSI via @stokely

Kate Carruthers2 Comments
ethics, management & leadership

Leadership: Doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching

I have worked with a number of great leaders and managers over the years, some of them are famous for this but others are quiet achievers. Watching ABC’s Four Corners program about St Ann’s Secret on television tonight made me think about what makes a great leader. The story of abuse of disabled children by paedophiles in Adelaide was heart-rending, and the failures of leaders … Continue reading Leadership: Doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching

Kate Carruthers1 Comment
civil society, social innovation

What kind of zombies have we created?

I was reading Bill Bonner’s recent post Zombies Born of Government Spending where he posits the notion of zombies in our economy. As Bill defines it: “In economic terms, a zombie is a parasite. He contributes less to the economy than he takes from it. He lives at the expense of others.” His argument is that social welfare programs as practised by most of the … Continue reading What kind of zombies have we created?

Kate Carruthers1 Comment
civil society, ethics

Riots, desire, consumerism, community and values.

Want is a funny word. It can mean different things, such as: “absence or deficiency of something desirable or requisite” or “to be lacking or absent, as a part or thing necessary to completeness”, or “to feel a need or a desire for; wish for”, or “to wish, need, crave, demand, or desire” (Source Dictionary.com) The scenes in the UK of rioters and looting were … Continue reading Riots, desire, consumerism, community and values.

Kate Carruthers
civil society

London riots: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

It seems strange watching the sad events unfolding in the United Kingdom from such a distance. With the spreading riots, looting, and mob violence it is apt to recall the words of Charles Dickens describing turbulent times past: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the … Continue reading London riots: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Kate Carruthers