After a long period without posting I have been wondering about the usefulness of this blog and its future.

When I started Sociamind in May 2009 I was interested in exploring the usefulness of social media and “Web 2.0 applications” for small organisations, councils and government agencies and “new and exciting ways” in which these could be used to engage with the community.

While the term “Web 2.0” has all but disappeared, the rise of social media over the past four years has been unstoppable. Once regarded with ignorance, indifference or outright suspicion by councils and small organisations, many have now embraced social media through Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. And while Web 2.0 no longer has much currency as a description, councils in particular are exploring new ways to interact with their communities online.

However it is the explosion of smartphones and tablets over this period that has really changed the landscape, fundamentally altering the ways in which organisations operate. Not only are their users, customers and clients increasingly accessing their services from mobile devices, their own work practices have been transformed. Smartphones and tablets provide an incredible range of functionality for their workforces beyond just communication and internet access – GPS location, mapping, photography, presentations, referencing technical documentation and record keeping, to name a few.

So in the short time since I started this blog, social media, web-based software and mobile applications have moved well beyond the exploratory and educational phase to become mainstream. Therefore this area is possibly less relevant, though there is still plenty to write about.

After some deliberation I have decided to continue this blog, though it will move away from this exploratory and educative role.  I will also write more about specific applications – across mobile, web and “traditional” PC-based platforms – that particularly interest me and which are potentially useful for small organisations. I’ll be kicking this off with a series of posts aimed primarily at MindManager nerds. As well as being a key tool for me I think MindManager can be extremely relevant for councils and community-based organisations