PodCamp 7 is Coming

Two Weeks ago I posted on a workshop being held by PodCamp called:

What's a Tweet? And what's all this Twitter about? : Computer Class

This was a good class for beginners on twitter that was held at the Carnegie Library last month.  On October 27 & 28 PodCamp Pittsburgh will be holding  what they call an unconference for those who want to learn about how to use social media to for online activism, to promote one's business, or for any other activity of interest at Point Park University.  I've embedded the basic class on Facebook and Twitter from last year above.  Attendance is free.  Last year there were sessions for nonprofits, political blogging led by Rep. Mike Doyle, and many others on the potential and pitfalls (remember Sarah Palin's death panels?) of social media.  

There is a generational divide between young and older activists in the use of social media to bypass the lamestream media filter.  There is a national conference for progressive activists called Netroots Nation which will be in San Jose, CA next year.  PodCamp is not political per se but it does teach skills that can be used by anyone and is more accessible.  Individuals of all political stripes attend.  There are similar PodCamps in Wilmington, Delaware in September 28-30 and other cities around the world.  I encourage you all to attend and bridge the digital divide.  Here is an interview that was posted that I did the night before the last PodCamp.


Social Media in Four Questions, Interview #12 from Eric Williams on Vimeo.
**Related Posts** 

PodCamp Pittsburgh 6

PodCamp Pittsburgh 6 Recap

What's a Tweet? And what's all this Twitter about? : Computer Class

I am often asked to show individuals how to use Twitter, Facebook and/or Blogspot.  Podcamp provides free classes on these topics.  This can be an effective tool in supporting nonprofits as well as relationships and business.  This next Wednesday, July 18, they will be having a free class on how to use Twitter.  I recommend that all who are interested attend.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012  

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

This mini-session of PodCamp Pittsburgh--a local annual conference about information sharing online--will introduce you to some of the most popular social networking tools. Learn why Twitter is being used in personal relationships and business. Don't have an account? We will set you up! Please feel free to bring your phone or laptop if you need help setting up and we'll walk you through.

Event web site: http://www.carnegielibrary.org/locations/pccenter/classinfo.cfm

Presented by: Michael

Event fee: Free

Sponsor: PodCamp Pittsburgh

Location:

PC Center - Main

4400 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Contact:

PC Center Staff

412-578-2561

pccenter@carnegielibrary.org

Registration is required for this event.
You can register by calling 412-578-2561 or by filling in the form below and clicking on the Register button.

Healthcare Poll Insanity

Last Friday I did a post on the PUSH site showing how healthcare polling has remained consistent in the weeks leading up to the Supreme Court's Decision on the Affordable Care Act.  Last night I came across a tweet by Michele Bachmann stating:

MicheleBachmann ‏@MicheleBachmann 18 Jun 83% of surveyed doctors considering leaving medical industry if #Obamacare is fully implemented tiny.cc/lqt3fw #tcot

The tweet was retweeted by 130 of her 137,300 followers and favorited by 12.  These followers have hundreds to thousands who can pass this on to their followers.  This is what is meant by going viral.

I did follow the tiny.cc link above to the report and found that it came from the Doctor Patient Medical Association which faxed or mailed 16,227 forms to doctors nationwide and 4.3% were returned or a total of 699.  I have worked on mail surveys of physicians and getting a large response rate can be a problem unlike phone surveys.  Mail in surveys are cheaper than phone but incentives are often needed to increase response rates.  Even with a small incentive a response rate of 25% is typical.  Small response rates may not be a problem if those who respond are representative of those who did not.  For this poll, with a response rate that low it may be hard to justify that it is representative.  They do provide demographics but do not compare it to national physician demographics. 

It's so tempting to jump to conclusions on research findings when it's supports what one already believes.  It's tempting to rip on congresswoman Bachmann because of her past statements, as Jon Stewart does below.  I'll stick to this statement and her comment above.  Others who haven't made as many outrageous statements can just as easily make the same mistake without reading the results more carefully.  This is also meant to show the power and peril of social media like Facebook and Twitter. . Remember the hysteria caused by Sarah Palin's death panels post on Facebook? How many people still believe her?

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

**Update**


Sarah Palin has resurrected her 'death panels' claim on her Facebook page to her 3.4 million followers.  It has been shared by 369 and "liked" by 1,479 since being posted on Monday.  The LA Times debunks it here.



**Related Posts**

Healthcare Polls in Anticipation of SCOTUS Decision 

 

Health Care Law - New Rasmussen Poll Down the Memory Hole

 

Overall Health System Performance - The Commonwealth Fund

 

Questioning Effectiveness

 

What is Sanity?