Understanding the technology

We hope that this handbook will give you plenty of routes into understanding the technology. Check out the Companion later for a set of key tools and new technologies ‘out there.’ Visit the sites, read about them, try them out.

Remember though that the technology must be evaluated and understood in terms of the context and purpose of your project. A technology that worked well in one campaigning or organising situation may not be appropriate in another, and often for very subtle reasons. It often makes sense to try many different tools and approaches – as the Colalife example showed – and put energy into the things which work best for your particular situation.

The more you understand the context you’re operating in, and what you want to achieve, the easier it is to see how technology could help.

A word on 'What works'

While it always makes sense to look for examples that could provide helpful lessons, the question ‘what works’ is only useful if it is qualified by information about the context, the purpose, and the people involved. In fact, it may be more useful to ask – as Clay Shirky suggests – what hasn’t worked? This can be more helpful than lists of ‘best practices’ because the question will prompt a story that gives the full context, and so helps you understand the underlying issues. A recurring theme in talking to people who have developed ‘social by social’ projects is that ‘it’s the people who make it work,’ with their particular skills, enthusiasms, and circumstances. Simply asking ‘what works’ may invite a response that focuses too much on the tools and misses the context.