Web2forDev, Day 2.

Stuff of note:

• There is one place for online training material across international organizations: Open Training Platform
• Tradenet connects traders in African markets via text messages: Tradenet.biz
• Digital storytelling using audio and video is popular in areas with low connectivity: GINKS
• Euforic demonstrates how to aggregate and mashup on European Development Cooperation: Euforic
• Personal research portals will change the way science is conducted: ICTlogy

What I've learned:

• Measuring the impact of this still like poking in the dark.
• User-generated content in this context often means helping non-IT staff to take charge of their websites.
  
• The excitement comes down to five main tools (but sometimes it's better not to use their names):
• Dated news entries (Blogs)
• Collective document development (Wikis)
• Collaborative filtering and categorization (Tags)
• Separating websites and content (RSS Feeds)
• Combining information from different places to create something new (Mash-ups)
• It's no longer just about text, but also about maps, pictures, audio, video and whatever else we want
  
• There's a lot of magic in the clever integration of text messaging, email and web.
  
• Online and offline: It's important to create events and gathering places - that's where interaction happens.
  
• Everyone becomes starry-eyed when speaking about facebook.
  
• Playing with technology is important. But if we want to convince non-techies, we need to show the difference it makes in real life terms.
• Believe Ethan Zuckerman: People matter. Tools don't.