Update: MDC's Entries in the Netsquared Mashup Contest

As I wrote earlier this week, MDC has entered a "mashup" contest at netsquared.org, and we need your help to win and create a new tool that everyone working to make a better media system can benefit from. Please register at netsquared.org and cast your votes by Friday, 3/21! The whole process shouldn't take much longer than 10 minutes.

First off, thanks to those of you who have already gone to the site to vote, but please read on to make your vote count!

A couple of key things:

1) This is a great contest, but Netsquared hasn't made some of the rules clear, including the rule that everyone must vote for a minimum of 5 proposals and up to a maximum of 10. After you identify the 5-10 proposals you want to vote for, you must then hit the "cast your ballot" button and "submit your ballot" on the next page that comes up. I dug through the site to find the rules for voting, which you can read below.

To vote for the Coalition's proposal, go to http://www.netsquared.org/2008/conference/projects/mapping-media-change-movement

2) Since you have to vote for 5, you should also definitely vote for a number of proposals coming from MDC-allied groups:

"Human Side of the Digital Divide" proposal submitted by Josh Breitbart of the Peoples Production House in NYC.

"Community Based DigiMapping" submitted by Eloise-Rose Lee at Media Alliance

"YourMediaWorld" submitted by Aliza Dichter's team at the Center for International Media Action

"Planning for the People" from Lauren-Glenn Davitian and CCTV Center for Media and Democracy

And if you need help choosing your next 5 votes, check these out:

http://www.netsquared.org/2008/conference/projects/mapping-money-and-politics-maplight-org
http://www.netsquared.org/2008/conference/projects/mykaroo
http://www.netsquared.org/2008/conference/projects/mashup-social-actions
http://www.netsquared.org/2008/conference/projects/knowmore-org-firefox-extension
http://www.netsquared.org/2008/conference/projects/opencongress-org-track-congress-social-data

So, join the Coalition voting block on netsquared.org! We believe that this project, which will let you put yourself and your organization "on the map," will help us all see our growing strength and address critical gaps as we build a movement that empowers people to participate in the media system that impacts their lives every day!

If you follow through, please send me a note (njames AT media-democracy.net), to let me know!