Mashups for social change
TechSoup, an online resource that helps non-profits meet their technology needs, has created the NetSquared project. The project is a place "where savvy technical professionals with a sense of social responsibility can contribute advice, education, and much needed skills." Among the Internet tools NetSquared promotes are map mashups. For example, GreenPeace has created map of where it thinks marine reserves should be as part of their year-long "Defending Our Oceans" voyage. For another mashup, Steve Hargadon, who sells refurbished computers to public schools, has created a map of locations of computer refurbishers and photos of the computers. NetSquared has even created its own mashup of its case studies of non-profits that are using Web 2.0 tools.
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press. E-mail Elinor.
