This is the last in the series about my new Give a Duck Community.
I see online spaces as a puzzle. No one site can give me everything I need. My new Give a Duck community is a new piece of my puzzle, filling the gap for peer support that I personally need as a health advocate. It may be a piece you are missing too...
The Problem
My first essay is about my growing discomfort with social media. My unease with Twitter in particular has only increased with the drama with the Musk take-over. If you know me at all, you will understand that right-wing billionaires aren’t my jam. I’m more into the lefty, grass-roots kitchen table revolution.
The Action
My second essay is about how we created the Give a Duck Community. It was a thoughtful process that focused on having the right technology and functionality combined with a professional and pleasing aesthetic.
My Why
This essay is in anticipation of Give a Duck’s launch -- on Tuesday November 22! This will be my last blog post on my website, as I’ll be posting my writing on Give a Duck going forward. Give a Duck is my shot at creating the world I want to see. It is my version of Schitt’s Creek.
Schitt’s Creek presents a better world than we live in. We aren’t teaching them a lesson. We are showing them what life could look like. - Dan Levy
I’m kicking it old school and drawing upon the journalism concepts I learned in junior high to explain Give a Duck: who, what, when, where, why and how.
Why
Let’s start with the why because I think that’s most important. Melissa Jones has had a sneak peek on the site and she perfectly sums up how I want Give a Duck to feel.
…it feels like a warm hug, a good convo over a cup of tea.” -Melissa Jones
Give a Duck is the online space that I pine for as a health care advocate. This is my attempt at re-imagining and then creating the supportive space that I need, which is a soft place where health advocates encourage each other.
Importantly, Give a Duck is a place where humans - patients, caregivers, citizens and health professionals - can learn from each other.
This is a site where we can raise each other up before heading back out into the world to rabble-rouse and fight like hell for more humanity in health care.
Who
Our initial team consists of my partner Mike Waddingham, our graphics star Ella Gay and myself. We also recruited three generous testers - Amanda Er, Melissa Jones and Judy Birdsell - to use and test the site the past two weeks.
Give a Duck is for patients, caregivers, citizens and health care professionals. Anybody who speaks up in their own way to make health care a more compassionate environment for us all.
What
Give a Duck is a gentle space for health advocates to support each other and share information. It looks like a social media feed, but has bonus live streaming, groups, courses, events and a library. It has NO ads or ad tracking and the site is moderated for content that goes against our guidelines.
The topics that we will be talking about on the site were hand-picked through a survey we sent out to health advocates. And because I believe strongly in community engagement, Give a Duck's topics will evolve according to the community's needs.
When
We launch on Tuesday November 22, 2022. And our first livestream is at 3pm PST that day.
Where
Give a Duck is a tailored site that is hosted on the Mighty Networks platform.
How
To be an original member, you need an invitation to sign on. You then pick from a plan (there’s a no-cost option or two plans that come with free 30 day trials).
Join me for a conversation over a cup of tea by signing up for an invite here!