Dear AIR Colleagues, The Ethos Roundtable is an informal group of people who are interested in 1) measuring and extending ethos, and 2) using technology for positive social change. We meet once a month in Harvard Square (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA) for discussions and presentations. Please join us for our September session: Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 4:30 - 6:00 pm Charles Hotel 1 Bennett Street Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Featured guest: Shava Nerad We are delighted to be back after our summer hiatus, and grateful to Shava Nerad for stepping up to be the first featured guest of the season. This will be a return engagement for her; in 2007, she joined us to talk about how tools for online anonymity can facilitate civic engagement. The topic on September 20th is "What's in a name? Google+ and the #nymwars." Here's how Shava describes the issue: "Google recently raised the hopes of many online privacy and social media watchers with the launch of the beta of Google+, their social network and answer to Facebook. Praised as a match to the collegiality and depth of early 1980s Usenet by old Internet hands, and embraced by many Internet natives, Google+ ran into one major snag with a good many of the early adopters who'd hoped to see one of their favorite Internet companies show a "do no evil" social network could leave Facebook in the dust. "Google+ insisted on every user register under their name on their wallet ID. That wasn't exactly their stated policy, but that did end up being their policy as it was enforced. Within a week, the EFF and a small crew of the oldest and youngest of the articulate bloggers on G+ were speaking out for the "nyms," the people who wished to use pseudonyms on Google+. Some wanted privacy, some wanted to be known by the names they were known on other services. Some needed to segregate their blogging identity from their professional life for various reasons. Women and others were concerned about stalkers. "Come to the Ethos Roundtable to hear how online and on the streets and in the press, the nymwars have played out -- and why Google has seemingly abandoned their long vaunted motto of "Don't be evil" and may be shedding young engineers over the issue of pseudonymity on their most recent social media effort on the rocks." After the conclusion of our Ethos Roundtable session, we will stroll down the hall to enjoy the good company, charming venue, and free food at the 501 Tech Club, which is generously underwritten by TechFoundation. The 501 Tech Club is the monthly gathering of technology professionals who work with nonprofit organizations. All Ethos Roundtable attendees are welcome at the Boston 501 Tech Club, and vice versa. Please remember that there's never any need to make a reservation to attend Ethos Roundtable events. Just come if you can, and feel free to invite others! However, if you're planning to attend the Boston 501 Tech Club event at 6:00 pm, we ask that you send an email to Kathleen Sherwin of TechFoundation (ksherwin AT techfoundation DOT org). Since TechFoundation is providing the free food, it's both courteous and prudent to let her know how much to order. For more information about the Ethos Roundtable, please go to <http://ethosroundtable.blogspot.com>. For more information about the Boston 501 Tech Club, please go to <http://groups.nten.org/501TechBoston>. For more information about TechFoundation, please go to <http://www.techfoundation.org>. See you on the 20th! Best regards from Deborah Deborah Elizabeth Finn Strategist and Consultant Technology for the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector Boston, Massachusetts, USA Email: deborah_elizabeth_finn@post.harvard.edu Blog: www.deborahelizabethfinn.com Skype: Deborah909 Twitter: Deborah909 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah909 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Deborah.Elizabeth.Finn Mobile phone: 1-617-504-8188 Voicemail: 1-617-958-1959 I bring resources and needs together for nonprofits and philanthropies, mostly through strategic use of information and communication technologies.