Blog: Blogging

Avoid the Heat by Attending an Indoor Tech Events This Week

The summer's first heat wave is upon us, and it's...uncomfortable. This week before you head back to your stuffy apartment after work, stop by a cool bar for a cold beverage and to talk tech with other DCers. Here are a few events taking place this week. For a full list, check out DC Tech Events.

Tuesday
5:30 - 9:00 pm
Second Tuesdays “Dot Com” Networking Salon and Cocktail Party: This networking happy hour is a great opportunity to meet people working in all areas of the tech/communications world. 

Friday
7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Blog Potomac: If you blog to promote your organization or its work, then this all day event is right up your alley. Bloggers will be gathering in Falls Church, VA to discuss the best practices in social media marketing and advanced topics in this realm. 

Friday
7:00 pm
Artomatic: This massive local art exhibit closes on Sunday it's going out with a bang. Head over at 7:00 pm to see a slideshow of secret Post Secret postcards presented by Frank Warren and stay for some great live music from local bands like Pup Tent. You can see all events here. 

Be sure to add the next DC Drupal Meetup to your calendar! It will be taking place next Monday, June 16, at 7:15 at Stetsons. More details to come!

Our client Haiti Innovation recently received a Google Grant and we’ve been helping them on their AdWords campaign. In the past few months they’ve been blogging pretty aggressively to try to increase website traffic, and it’s worked. So when they came to us looking for ways to put their grant to use, we thought what better way to capitalize on what is already driving people to their site than to post ads that pertain to their daily blog posts. Now in addition to ads that appear when people search using phrases like “Haiti news,” Haiti Innovation’s ads appear in more specific keyword searches like “Haiti kidnapping” and “sustainable environment.” And they’re updating them with each post.

Blogger Kathryn Cramer has uncovered an incredible story about a
U.S.-expat owned company allegedly spying, undermining democracy, and
detaining whistleblowers in Haiti. She says the company is
providing covert surveillance at Haiti’s presidential debates, in the
form of operatives disguised as reporters. And she says the U.N. is
aware of this and shows a U.N. PowerPoint referencing
the company and their actions on her blog.

Reporters Without Borders came out with its annual world press freedom evaluation
this week and not surprisingly China was one of the country's with the most restricted press. Regarding Internet freedom, it topped the list of jailed "cyber-dissidents" with 62 currently prison. Microsoft is adding to the problem.