Late last year, The Economist touched on the ways that mobile phone users were “mastering the tricks of the mobile trade” with regard to protesting in the Philippines, Sao Paulo, and Jena, Louisiana. While the piece suggests that “pioneers of mobile telephony and texts as tools of protest and dissent” find “simply summoning people to demonstrations” to be “old hat,” I continue to run into individuals, groups and organizations via email, on blogs and at conferences that care to better integrate text messaging into their actions, both private and public, but still have no idea where to start.

Having in the past spoken with Katrin Verclas and Tad Hirsch about the exciting work they’re documenting and accomplishing with the use of mobile technology, it is easy to see how people would be excited by engaging in similar action. Getting started, however, can be an understandably confusing endeavor. Mobile Commons, geared to the organization, and Anyvite, geared towards individuals and groups, are two great starting points for the mobile-interested person who finds themselves starting from scratch.

Campaigns that are in a situation where they think that they might want to organize their users by utilizing mobile technology should keep an eye on Mobile Commons, a New York City based start-up that builds infrastructures designed to help organizers connect with users via the user’s mobile phone. Their tool set makes it possible for users to opt into campaigns simply by SMSing key words related to the campaign. Representatives from Mobile Commons showed me one campaign they had worked with where users could find information about the fish they were eating simply by texting the word “fish” to a particular number. By having them opt in, users can then be sent information, locations for action, and other information useful and related to the campaign. Further, campaigns can ask for information about the user in order to build user lists.

Mobile Commons, by all appearances, struck me as extremely user friendly and operable by nearly everyone. In addition to working with the ACLU, the Human Rights Campaign, The Sierra Club and many other campaigns, they also work with private companies as well.

Also interesting, though this more relevant to the individual, is Anyvite. The service, which TechCrunch very recently gave a positive review, is geared more towards individuals and leisure-oriented groups and it makes it possible for a group to edit an event on the go. Users are no longer bound to the one event, saved the way it was when organizers brainstormed it back at the laptop. Would you like to change the location of where you’re meeting? Want to change paint ball to football? Anyvite users are kept up to date with event edits via SMS, meaning no one will be left in the dark as users will remain up-to-the-minute informed via text message. This is a lovely departure from older, more traditional electronic invites and it is clearly more-geared to group action – As TechCrunch says – it is “sort of like a Twitter for groups.”

It’s a mobile jungle out there. Knowing where to start, for individuals and for organizations, is a sizable chunk of the battle.

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On this day, May 22nd, 2008, the news brings to our attention South Korean web activists’ continued crusade against American beef, how an Internet “juggernaut” is expected to “crush McCain,” courtroom drama for a young member of Anonymous, the feasibility of creating “Big Brother” in the UK, Scarlett Johansson’s perceived roll in inviting YouTube jihad, and more.

• Joshua Hill adds to the discussion about creating two classes of the Internet.
• Looking for student loans? Have you considered borrowing P2P style?
• The UK Times pooh poohs the feasibility of constructing a modern day “Big Brother.“
• A 15-year-old member of Anonymous is summonsed to court in the UK.
• Surprise! The Internet was key in Sen. Obama’s victories!
• To quote “The Russian” from Rocky 4, Obama’s Internet juggernaut will reportedly “crush McCain.”
• South Korean web users/text-hounds are continuing their fight against US Beef.
• Hate is on the rise in the 2.0 universe.
• And finally, YouTube, Scarlett Johansson, and the rise of Internet terror.

-Filed in Uncategorized

Finally a constructive use for text messaging.

-Filed in Uncategorized