We've been pulling together some tips on "speed geeking" for a training Marty is doing in New Orleans this weekend. Speed geeking is a lot like speed dating, but the dates chew over technical or strategic challenges instead of life goals and turnon/offs.

Check out the American University Center for Social Media's June 17 "Beyond Broadcast" event, and ePhilanthropy Foundation's June 14 Nonprofit Social Networking Symposium. Details:

Today NPR featured a story about one of our favorite examples of networks - slug lines! This informal network of commuters evolved to provide either rides or passengers to those commuting from the suburbs to the city. The drivers give free and fast rides, while the passengers (slugs) provide the extra bodies to enable the driver to use the HOV lanes.

In our increasingly wired world, how can you best take advantage of those rare and valuable face-to-face opportunities? We're developing a tidy little strategy around networking events, and here's some early  content I'm kicking around:

My colleague Laurie introduced me to the Wikipatterns site this week.  What a great resource. It offers sound and strategic advice for building wikis - one of the hardest Web 2.0 tools to make work well.

I read a great summary of the Humane Society of the United States' user-generated video competition on Care2's Frogloop website.

I learned some helpful tips for measuring the impact of online video from Robert Greenwald (Outfoxed, Brave New Films, etc.) at today's Center for American Progress Internet Advocacy Roundtable. Regardless of how punchy and informative your video may be, it's critical to know that it is contributing to the change you seek. Some highlights:

In their own words: The Superdelegate Transparency Project is the central gathering place for compiling primary and caucus results--Congressional district by Congressional district--for states that have to date held their races, and going forward until the Democratic nomination is secured. We are compiling the district-by-district results of the popular vote and pledged delegates, and then tracking these results against how superdelegates are currently pledged (or have publicly endorsed a candidate), and how they eventually vote.

I've been working quite a bit recently on 'network diagnostics' - perhaps more easily understood as network 'health checks'. Given our efforts to define the characteristics of networks, diagnosing and  tracking vitality and successes is critical. But the network diagnostic isn't the easiest of tasks. Some lessons I've learned:

What to look for:

Here at Netcentric, we feel out seven characteristics of healthy networks:strong social ties, a clear common story, clear vision, communications, shared resources, leadership and feedback. Our network 'health checks' probe each of these areas. 

How to gather information:

Call it charisma, call it a cult of personality – however you frame it, the Obama campaign is profiting from a groundswell of popular support.

Politics aside, ‘Obamamania’ is sustained by the savvy use of online tools to build community (yes – networks!) and momentum, providing some helpful lessons for advocates and activists of any stripe.