‘Old’ media, such as newspapers and TV, is mainly about other people publishing information using expertise and tools that we can’t afford. ‘New’ media uses more accessible tools such as broadband connections and mobile phones and is creating a more interactive and participative culture. Web 2.0 is not a technical specification but suggests that we [...]

Most staff, volunteers or trustees are not ICT experts and at times may need help to get the most from equipment, a website or database..
Help may come from a volunteer, someone in the staff team with technical knowledge, a staff member with ICT support in their job description, or a paid-for contractor or consultant. Sometimes [...]

You do not need to be a qualified accountant to offer financial support and you do not need a great deal of technical knowledge to help organizations to manage their ICT better.

Open Office is a free suite of tools that copies many of the functions of Microsoft Office. Open Office has been under development for more than 10 years and can run on Windows, Apple’s OSX, and Linux.

It is possible to use your connection to the internet to make telephone calls to other people, including calls to landlines and mobile phones. Once you’ve paid for your internet connection it may not cost any extra to make the calls, so you can save money on domestic and international calls.It is also possible to [...]

You can use a website to conduct a survey as part of any feedback or evaluation process where the participants have access to the internet. There are several services available, including free options, and all offer the ability to design the forms and analyse the results.

New services are emerging that let you use your internet browser for tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, contact management, videoconferencing, photographs and project management. Some are free, others have a sliding scale based on specific features.

When computers stop working it can be difficult to know what’s gone wrong, let alone how to fix it. Whether you work from home on a single computer or rely on a network of computers on multiple sites, it is important to think about how you tackle ICT problems when they arise.

If you use Microsoft Windows™ it is vital that you keep it up to date to prevent attacks from viruses and ensure best performance. Use the Microsoft update service to automatically check for updates and download and install the software required.

Online information such as the ICT Knowledgebase is a great resource but sometimes a book is better. User-friendly options such as Dummies Guides are handy as a reference, as well as for learning new skills.

Registered charities can get very cheap software through a national scheme operated by Charity Technology Exchange. Visit their website for more details at www.ctx.org.uk. As an alternative any individual or organisation can download Open Source Software from the internet.