Category Archives: Raincity + Bryght

notes , pods, posts and archival media from Raincity Studios and Bryght – 2 semi-related web publishing tool products and services – i was Community Marketing Evangelist + various PR and event projects

SXSW China panel shares market-entry advice to Western businesses | CNReviews

SXSW China panel shares market-entry advice to Western businesses | CNReviews

From the West Ender about Phones for Fearless Campaign

NEWS: Technology for all

Posted By: Jackie Wong
12/31/2008 12:00 AM
From: http://www.westender.com/articles/entry/technology-for-all/
Re: Phones for Fearless campaign for Raincity Studios and Fearless City

A used cellphone or digital camera might linger in the dusty depths of a closet — or worse, in a landfill — for years. But now, local tech developers, community organizers and artists are breathing new life into used mobile devices with Vancouver’s Phones for Fearless campaign, a project that aims to gather used cellphones and digital cameras for redistribution in the Downtown Eastside, enabling neighbourhood residents to tell their stories with the technology and, ultimately, connect with family and jobs.

The campaign is organized by local web services agency Raincity Studios along with Fearless City, a non-profit organization that uses mobile technology to provide resources and cultural outreach to Downtown Eastside residents. The Phones for Fearless campaign has been operating since December 23, and is currently soliciting donations of used digital cameras, cellphones (preferably with video, camera, or wi-fi functions), chargers, and spare batteries. Donations can be dropped off at the Roundhouse Community Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews), Pathways (390 Main Street), or Raincity Studios (1 Alexander Street).

“A consistent problem we experience in the Downtown Eastside is being represented sensationally by outside media, fueling the notion of a helpless community,” says Irwin Oostindie, who coordinates the Fearless City mobile campaign. “Fearless City is a project to confront the digital divide in one of Canada’s poorest inner cities, while providing access and peer training to community generated media so that residents in our neighbourhood can control their own representation.”

Developers at Raincity Studios have been using Twitter, Flickr, and blogging platforms to spread the word of the Phones for Fearless campaign. “The thing that’s neat about using tools like Twitter, blogs, and Flickr is it opens us up to a much bigger audience,” says Dave Olson of Raincity Studios. “We’re getting responses from California and Ottawa. It really gives us an opportunity to amplify our message to a much wider area, and much more quickly.”

Once the phones are collected and inventoried by Raincity and Fearless City workers, they will be available to Downtown Eastside residents on an as-needed basis, enabling residents to engage with mobile technologies that might otherwise be unavailable to them due to financial barriers. “Many people can afford the occasional use of a device without being caught in an expensive data plan,” says Oostindie. “It’s about a ‘handset’-up, not a handout — giving people access to appropriate technology to be engaged citizens, not merely surviving below a glass ceiling of independence.”

KK with a handful

Kris Krug, a developer with Raincity Studios, holds up the first batch of used cellphones and other electronic devices donated to the Phones for Fearless campaign

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Phones for Fearless City campaign kicks-off

NOTE: Cross-posted from Fearless City.

Donate phones to Fearless to help Vancouver downtown eastside artists and residents

Donate your old mobile phones to help DTES artists share stories, and tap into life, jobs & family.

How can you help?

  1. Your used mobile phones – preferably with video, camera, wi-fi
  2. Cash donations (* tax deductible) or new phone donations
  3. Conversation – tell your friend on your blog, twitter, etc. – post a badge

Action Plan: First, Gather phones! Collect all the un-used mobile phones at your office and home – dig into your boxes of stuff, ask you friends! Digital cameras gratefully accepted too.
Next, Arrange Pick-up:

  • Let us know via Twitter: Fearless City, email: info (at) fearlessmedia (dot) ca, Phone/SMS: 604.644.4349, Voice mail: 604.682.3269 xt 8320
  • We’ll come by on purple Yahoo bikes on Tues. Dec. 23rd & 30th to collect your devices
  • We’ll take your photo, bring treats, and thank you publicly with a link

Or, Drop-off (after Tuesday, 23rd) at:

Want to be a drop-off point? Let us know.

Even send by Postal Mail to: Fearless City
c/o DTES CAN
PO Box 88023
418 Main St
Vancouver, BC V6A 4A4

Notes:

  • Remove your chip, and clear your contacts before donating (all phones will be completely cleared before released).
  • Please include chargers and accessories – used digital cameras also welcome, batteries too!
  • Unusable phones will be donated to FreeGeek for reuse and recycling

Who is Fearless? Fearless is a Vancouver Non-Profit group providing tools, resources, and cultural outreach to artists and residents in the impoverished downtown Eastside neighbourhood. Fearless is a project of the DTES Community Arts Network (CAN)
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SXSW: Open Source Conversations about WordPress and Drupal

At SXSW Interactive 2009, Robert Scales of web community building company Raincity Studios (now defunct) leads a conversation from the Maxell Studio on the trade show floor with his colleague, photographer (etc) Kris Krug, and Matt Mullenweg of WordPress. They discuss the variety of open platforms available for content creators and differences and similarities, and what the future holds for web publishers.

Web Standards And World Changing With Dave O X 2 – Raincity Radio. 2008

Dave Orchard on Raincity Radio
Dave Orchard on Raincity Radio

An afternoon chat with three time W3C TAG member Dave Orchard talking with Dave Olson about the World Wide Web consortium, gaining consensus among companies, and the shift from information to energy and intelligence economy.

Listen to: Web Standards And World Changing With Dave O X 2 (for Raincity Studios), (.mp3, 23:41, 24MB)

Originally released March 12, 2008 via Raincity Studios.com (archived link)

Roland, Richard and Dave Talk Raincity Social with Snacks #video

At a noisy New Town Cafe in Vancouver’s Chinatown, Roland, Richard and me (Dave), we riff about noted geeks, Northern Voice and Moose Camp with social media bootcamp, presenting skills, video blogging,  previewing my Fuck Stats, Make Art talk, last year’s Podcasting spiel and how to get tickets.

Namechecks for Matt Mullenweg, Marc Canter, Jordan Behan, Andy Smith, Warren Frey, etc.

Vancouver web biz Raincity Studios Acquires Drupal host Bryght

I rarely mention the tasks i do to pay the bills however, that will change a wee bit as i am involved in a couple of noteworthy projects in that whole “new media, social networking, community building, web biz” scene.

bryght board of love

Today’s announcement is big fun since I’ve been apart as an observer, friend, participant and now employee for some time and dig working with folks who are determined to do it with their values intact.

Uncle Weed + BMann Consulting
(in this photo i am clearly miffed that boris planned the same outfit and hair-do)

I won’t repost the whole spiel but instead invite you to read my post at Raincity blog Raincity Studios’ Forecast is Bryght or peruse the press release Raincity Studios Acquires Bryght.

RCS Core

Here’s just a tast of me gushing on the Bryght crew from the aforementioned blog post:

Aside from the actual billable client work, these guys (yes, twas all gents at Bryght) are individually remarkable. I am saying this as a co-worker but also as someone who has reaped knowledge, friends and goodtimes (and even a job) through “hanging out,” participating in their events and “getting in where i can fit in” here in tech-groovy Vancouver.

DSCF0473

Bonus:

Roland Tanglao, Bryght’s Chief Blogging Officer writes about Raincity Acquiring Bryght

CBC etc.’s Tod Maffin posts an EXCLUSIVE: Bryght aquired by Raincity Studios

Bryght’s Boris Mann tells the Drupal world Bryght and Raincity are joining forces ditto at BmannConsulting

The noted Mr. Barefoot offers up Bryght Shiny Day for Raincity

kk with Dave O

The charming super-blogger Miss 604 chimes (from Iowa no less) with Raincity Studios Acquires Bryght

Digg Raincity Studios acquires Bryght and Vancouver Web 2.0 Companies Join Forces

Uncleweed
(first kk shot eva’ – within half-second of meeting him)