Seattlites can take great pride in our commitment to cultivating online resources and solutions that are motivated more by missionary than mercenary objectives. Even before The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation installed its new world headquarters a short walk from The Space Needle, you could say that the Northwest put the first “social” stitches in the Web’s social fabric.
The Greater Good Network, born and bred here, was among the first Web communities to convert Web clicks into contributions for such worthy causes as TheHungerSite.com, TheRainforestSite.com, the AnimalRescueSite.com and sites like TheBreastCancerSite.com, the PinkRibbonStore.com and TheLiteracySite.com.
Local, Christian-based relief organizations such as Federal Way’s World Vision and Masterworks of Poulsbo, Wa. have been at the forefront of humanitarian efforts wherever disaster strikes, including Haiti’s earthquake recovery efforts and poverty missions worldwide.
On the home front, the hot button fiscal issues of resetting priorities for limited state budget resources have also emerged online, and with a double-shot of irony and humor, compared to the acrimony and strife other parts of the country are steaming over.
Take the page parodies of LivingGreedy.com which read like Groupon’s Daily Deals. But instead of two-for-one spa packages, these daily specials offer deals where state tax dollars could be re-allocated for greater human benefit. For example, when it comes to more “Social Living,” there are these “Daily Trade-Ins”:
- Trade in the tax giveaway for Wall Street Banks in order to fund Basic Health for 50,000 working families: http://livinggreedy.com/washington/wallstreetbanks/
- Trade in the tax loophole for private jets in order to pay for maternity care for 10,000 women: http://livinggreedy.com/washington/privatejets/
- Trade in the sales tax credit for out-of-state shoppers in order to save kindergarten for thousands of kids: http://livinggreedy.com/washington/outofstate/
Created by Fuse Washington, the new LivingGreedy.com site points a fickle finger at state special interests who are digging in their heels to defend the billions of dollars in exemptions they receive every year. The Daily Deals are putting Olympia’s trade-offs in sharp, as well as comic, relief.
Team Up for Nonprofits is a local, artist-oriented organization seeking to raise interest and monies for nonprofit organizations by cultivating support through the power of music and social media. Their Gigs4Good club dates and activities rais funds and awareness for the nonprofits and provide a new channel for people to support organizations making a difference. With Team Up, you buy tickets to entertaining events, they bring the music, and nonprofits get the dollars.
On the national scene, a new online social platforrm christened DailyFeats.com, was launched last week as a social platform that celebrates and supports the positive actions of everyday people. In this ambitious model, members earn real monetary rewards for the positive actions they record on the site. Provided we desire to play along, Seattle’s netizens should be very well-represented, [24×7]
Ooh, ahh! Ookla Unveils New Speedtest.net site, Surpasses Two Billion Broadband Tests Served
Speedtest.net, already the world’s most popular broadband speed analysis tool with more than two million daily users and over two billion tests served, has been completely updated to better address global broadband customer needs. The update showcases a brand new interface with a zoomable map system, added features for real-time tracking and sharing of results – including Speed WaveTM – and a broad range of enhancements that improve testing for higher speed and “powerboost” connections.
A new testing concept called Speed Wave is central to the newest version of Speedtest.net, and allows users to start or join a “testing wave.” A Speed Wave is a grouping of predefined speed tests used for ongoing comparison. Testers start Speed Waves to compare their speed against others, create friendly competitions (for example, schools, offices, cafés or hotels versus one another, or a battle between service providers), and to view the
detailed statistics created in the process. As the Speed Waves ripple across Speedtest.net and through various social media channels like Twitter and Facebook, special badges will be awarded in each wave to testers for achievements, such as being the first to participate, recording the fastest and slowest speeds and many more.
To conduct a broadband speed test, begin a Speed Wave, or learn more visit http://www.speedtest.net. [24×7]
