The power of the Internet

Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya, June 23rd, 2009

By Julian Matthews, Trinetizen Media

3 stories

1: Daniela’s story

2: The WAO story

3. Jamie’s story

“It was an extremely important part of my healing process to make the story. I hope folks in Malaysia have the opportunity to make such stories for themselves. I entered the workshop intending on making a macro political analysis of violence against women, and had a four-page script. The teacher came up to me and circled the center of my script and said, this is actually your story! I couldn't believe it. But she was right. The story was specifically about my mother. What I learned is that people care more about stories when they are in multimedia format, putting them onto video actually allows some people to hear a story where they wouldn't be able to stomach having you tell them the same story

sitting in front of them,” Jamie, abuse survivor.

3 lessons about the Web

Lesson 1:“It’s never too late to learn,” says Haji Mohamed Abu Hassan, 64-year-old retired school teacher, Kg Jana Sambungan, Kamunting. Named oldest Malaysian webmaster by fan at that time, after winning more than 35 awards for website design.

Published in Golden Surfers, CNet

The web isa powerful means to self-

organize and effect change

Lesson 2:

Case study: Pink panty protest

A few committed people can make a significant difference

Lesson 3:

Tsunami: Dec 26, 2004

Crisis blog• In November 2004, Indrajit Samarajiva, a Canadian of Sri

Lankan descent was asked to speak at lunch gathering at Colombo Regency Rotary Club, Sri Lanka to talk about blogging…

• A month later, when the deadly tsunami struck, the members set up a blog reliefforsrilanka.blogspot.com and used it to raise money + coordinate donation of shelter, food, medicine to aid survivors

• "Our club has been successful because we have been able to reach out to the international community through the Web site," said Chamila Wickramasinghe, who is the secretary of the club and was its first president. "You've got to be open to new technology."

Club receives award

“The cost of all kinds of group activity – sharing, cooperation and collective action – have fallen so far so fast that activities previously hidden beneath the floor are now coming to light.”

Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody

The Internet circa 1993

Internet in 2009

1,714,000

0200,000400,000600,000800,000

1,000,0001,200,0001,400,0001,600,0001,800,000

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Broadband Subscribers in Malaysia

Rise of broadband in Malaysia

Note: Internet penetration est. 62.8%, about 15.8m June08, Source: Internetworldstats.com/MCMC

Phone penetration

62.8%96.8%

Internet penetration

We are nearing the tipping point…

Source: Malaysia, Q42008, MCMC

Tomorrow’s members are today’s

“digital natives.”

Where Is Everyone?

83% have watched video clips

Source: Universal McCann Comparative Study on Social Media Trends April 2008

“In 2009, if you’re not on

a social networking site,

you’re not on the Internet”

www.twitter.com/rotary

Hint: Share some stuff.

Why use social media?• Fish where the fish are:

People are increasingly spending more time in social networks rather than portals or destination sites.

• Reach more people: Introduce non-members to your activities and projects

• Spread your message: Your content can be embedded on blogs and websites, further disseminating your messages

Iran: Neda Agha Soltan

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.

Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist

(Attribution: Some slides were updated from a presentation by Marta Z Kagan)

Julian Matthewse: julian@trinetizen.com

w: trinetizen.comb: trinetizen.com/blog

t: twitter.com/trinetizenm: +60-12-915-9528