DO IT YOURSELF:

The “DIY” idea is explained as being able to “exploit the power of affordable or low tech to accomplish tasks that would normally require large budgets and organizations.” The first thing that came to mind when considering this idea was youtube. Youtube allows for millions of videos with ideas, instructions and different solutions to the project. There are hundreds of different categories on youtube, so the availability to find the “DIY” you’re looking for is highly likely. There are no restrictions on who can post and who can see the videos if you have signed up for a free account- making this resource many to many. It allows for many people to collaborate on different ideas to help one another.

https://www.youtube.com/

The picture on the left shows all the different categories and sections that are on the home page that are available, with plenty more. The home screen is also customized to videos that youtube recommends for you based on your history. The picture in the middle shows the different “picks” that youtube has provided for you in the movie section, and the third picture shows a bit of the recommended section. These are all available on the home screen.

MOBILIZING PEOPLE

“To mobilize is to energize people on the streets or other public spaces, especially using mobile devices such as smartphones or tablet computers like iPads.” An app that came to mind for me was snapchat. Although you can add friends from all over the world, snapchat allows you to add friends and communicate with those in your area. With that, you can make different groups and send information to people locally.

TAP INTO LOCAL NETWORKS

To tap into local networks means “to engage the nearby people or environment to solve a problem, whether it is social, technological, or ecological.” A tool that allows this many-to-many interaction is facebook. Facebook has many different aspects that provide multiple resources to connect with others. First, the facebook market allows you to connect with others to buy and sell different items. The market is automatically set into local buyers and sellers, and you can change the distance if you’re looking for something closer or in a further range. Another tool that came to mind is facebook groups. I grew up in West Hartford, and something the town has accessible is a group called “Neighbors and friends of West Hartford” where people can post questions, concerns, and pictures. This is all local members so that the group is accessible to only those in the area to minimize the number of posts and keep it as relatable and relevant to the members as possible. This is seen as many to many because it allows messaging, videos, photos, and much more from all people local to you.