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Meet the Engage Advisory Board: Virtual Community Critic Howard Rheingold

This post is part of a series we kicked off last week, in which we introduce the incredible members of the Engage Advisory Board.

Engage Board Member and online community advocate Howard Rheingold claims, with characteristic gusto, that he fell into the computer realm from the typewriter dimension. He's followed and critiqued social media in all forms since its infancy, and is passionate about using the web to create community while harnessing the power of the masses for the greater good. Howard is currently advising us on how to create better discussion forums on PBS.org. Also, he paints his shoes.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? How close to/far from that would you say you are today? more

Flickr: thomascrenshaw

South by Southwest Redux

Join in the fun at South by Southwest (SXSW) with PBS.  No, this isn't an old post - I'm just inviting you to glimpse at last week's festivities in Austin, Texas, thanks to some video we shot.

The Engage team was out in full force at SXSW Interactive, where we threw a few parties, hosted some dazzling live music events and chatted with some of the internet's most creative and innovative personalities.  Watch the highlights below.

Austin native and musical mainstay Alejandro Escovedo finishes his set with a blazing guitar battle.more

How to Experience South by Southwest Without Leaving Home

Once a festival for music industry insiders to get out of their studios on the coasts and hear the hottest new independent bands, the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas has expanded in recent years to also include showcases for film and online innovations.

In fact, "South by" - as those in the know call it - has become so tech-forward that there are a number of ways to participate in the festival online, without leaving home. more

Online Reactions to the 2008 Election

In the wake of the historic election this week, the web has been buzzing with reactions.

Across the nation, people uploaded photos and videos capturing their communities' reactions to Obama's victory.  One Flickr stream shows revelers in Washington, DC flooding U Street in celebration -- the very location of the 1968 riots.   In Seattle, a man led a crowd in song and dance to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing."  Chants of "Yes We Can" could be heard in Harlem for hours.more

Roundup: Politics, the Economy Dominate Online Discussion

The economy dominated the news this week; it's no surprise, then, that it also dominated online discussion, including discussions happening on PBS.org. more

HoustonPBS Embraces Spirit of Openness during Hurricane Ike

One week ago tomorrow Hurricane Ike slammed into the Gulf Coast, knocking out power for over 4.5 million people in the Houston and Galveston, Texas areas.

As Hurricane Ike was slowly crossing Houston I checked HoustonPBS's Web site to see what the station was doing (I have family who live in Houston so I was looking for any and all information I could find). HoustonPBS had already put up a banner at the top of their site linking to a small Web page full of information and resources for their audience. more

Roundup: RNC Coverage Feedback Spurs Nostalgia

Last Friday in the roundup we looked at some of the feedback and conversations happening on Twitter during the Democratic National Convention. This week people were just as vocal, and maybe even a little more critical of PBS coverage of the RNC.more

Public Media Reaches out with Gustav Resources

This past weekend the Engage team spoke (virtually, using e-mail, of course!) about how we could help spread information and resources about Hurricane Gustav.more

Teachers Connect to Teach and Learn Alike

Turns out, teachers want to learn too.  PBS Teachers Connect lets educators save teaching tools like lesson plans and activities to use in the classroom and lets teachers share ideas - enriching their classroom experiences and giving them online discussion boards and access to other exclusive resources.  more

'Mister Rogers' Fans Rally on Facebook

Talk about online engagement!

In the past week, more than 1,600 fans of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" have joined a Facebook page dedicated to persuading PBS to keep the classic children's series on the air.

There's just one issue: PBS isn't pulling the program.more