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Australian Technology Advocates
This website represents among others the West Australian Technology Advocates Group (WATAGTM), based in Perth and aims to help improve communication and collaboration among members of the Australian technology community. The purpose of the site is to serve as a platform for members in WA and around the country to connect and engage with each other in order to exchange tech-related ideas, subjects, and information, plus organise tech-related events and activities.
The group is operated as a social enterprise, with the ultimate goal of becoming a formal not-for-profit organisation managed by a committee consisting of members. Student involvement is crucial to the initial success of the group and the website, and students will have the opportunity to contribute their own ideas and proposals for the development of the site to become a fully active online network.
The hands-on experiences acquired by working on the project will be invaluable to students in their studies and future careers. Industry practitioners are also invited to join and contribute to the development of the group. There are currently no joining or ongoing annual fees, although modest membership fees may possibly be changed over time as the group becomes formally established, to assist in covering ongoing minor administration costs.
The website will eventually contain a variety of features and functionalities, including access to relevant information and resources to support the students' work. It will be developed using existing applications and designed to provide an engaging and interactive user experience.
In summary, the launch of the website is an exciting opportunity to bring together members of the technology industry and community in Australia, provides valuable hands-on experience in organisation and development, plus promote technology-related developments to a broader audience. Visit our sister website at https://techaustraliaadvocates.org.
Russ Shaw, founder of Global Tech Advocates, and leader of the London-based Global Technology Advocates network, describes the organisation's mission to drive success in the global tech industry.
https://www.techlondonadvocates.org.uk
The online network provides members with ways to showcase their vision and capabilities to the technology industry across Australia and around the world, plus will help others to learn about and access the internet and opportunities in the industry.
It is important to first develop a clear idea of what the site aims to achieve, such as creating a platform for members to share ideas and collaborate, facilitate technology-related events, highlighting job and business opportunities, plus helping educate the general population about new technology developments. Defining our goals will help determine what content and functionality should be included within the site.
The proposal is to create a user-friendly platform, and this preliminary site is created using Google Sites as a starting point for doing that. The group will consider the possibility of building a site or sites using robust applications such as WordPress or Wix, etc, that provide customisation options and ease of use.
The site is currently hosted with Google Sites. which has some interesting and valuable features that are well worth exploring. Google provides access to many powerful applications via Google Workspace. Plus, the value of Google Sites is the ease with which pages can be created and edited. An enterprise version of Google Sites also exists, which is apparently being used by major business operators in Australia to organise and operate their large portal websites.
We will create engaging and valuable content to help attract other technologists to become members of the network. This includes relevant and informative content, such as blog posts about the latest tech trends in different fields of activity and videos showcasing new technologies and case studies of successful tech startups, plus a resources section with links to valuable articles, information and applications.
Interactive features can be included, such as various forums for different industry interest groups, in order to encourage collaboration and participation, where members can ask questions and share ideas. Plus, job boards where members can post their own information or/and technology-related jobs, or seek to identify and network with new and existing business associates.
The site will be visually appealing, with good navigation to help members easily find relevant content, plus will display appropriate graphics, videos, and photos, the site will also have a clean, well-designed, and easy-to-navigate interface.
The real strength of the network will be that it will be a truly local Australian-focused online community, offering opportunities for local techs to meet each other online and/or organise local face-to-face meetups, and collaborate on projects that could potentially have far-reaching possibilities. Canva for example was created at home by a small group of locals based in WA and is now a significant global success.
If that can be achieved once (and similar outcomes have already been achieved on several occasions in WA, although the details of such events are often not widely publicised, then it can be achieved again, and again. Silicon Valley for example is in no small part successful because the tech community there networks extensively. The Homebrew Computer Club for example first met in a garage in 1975, and Steve Wozniak credits that first meeting of the group as being the inspiration for what eventually became the first Apple computer. Also, Woz and Steve Jobs first met at a later meeting of the club. Videos
Techs hanging out
What we've achieved so far
The TechWest Group have completed several key steps in its mission to launch a new startup technology organisation in Australia, including writing a project proposal, registering relevant domain names, establishing a website, acquiring relevant knowledge and experience, engaging potential members in the project, holding meetings with government representatives, receiving preliminary support from federal politicians, investing in equipment and software, securing operating premises, speaking with prospective venture capitalists, establishing connections with local universities, conducting appropriate research, and establishing connections with locally based software developers, plus with influential technology groups within Australia and internationally., such as London Tech Advocates, and Global Tech Advocates. We are now poised to launch this new organisation to become a significant player within the Australian technology environment.
Building a community
Understanding the different stages in building a community, helps community leaders determine where they are and what they need to focus on to achieve their goals. By understanding the different stages, community leaders can develop a plan to take their community through each stage, from the early stages of research and pre-launch, to growth and beyond.
It is also important to note that the stages are not necessarily linear, communities can go through them in a different order or cycle through them several times. Community leaders should be prepared to adapt and evolve their strategies as they go through different phases, and be open to listening to feedback from members to help guide their decisions.
Exciting news, tech enthusiasts! Australia's premier tech and innovation festival, West Tech Fest, will return to Perth from Monday 4 December to Friday 8 December 2023.
This year's conference will be held at the prestigious Pan Pacific Hotel, 207 Adelaide Terrace - on Wednesday 6 December to bring together the brightest minds in the industry.
The stages in the life of a community are highlighted below:
Community Curious:
This is the stage where there is an interest in starting a community, although you have not yet decided if you will. So you are researching, learning, and starting to identify ideas and potential members.
Pre-Launch:
This is the stage where you have decided to start the community, but you haven't launched yet. During this time, you actively develop ideas about the purpose and goals of the community (its reason to exist), plus how you will find the first few members and start to identify and develop the outlines of the organisation.
Launch:
Launch the community and start to get things into place, you can then invite more members to join. You are now recruiting and welcoming new members into your network, and with the help of the existing members, you are launching appropriate new programs within the group.
Brainstorming:
After the initial launch stage, you may at times experience a slowing down of growth in new member numbers, and possibly even a decline in membership numbers. Brainstorming is a tried and true method to help in addressing this issue. New activities can then be introduced into the group with the help and support of existing members.
Growth:
Through brainstorming, you identify things that resonate with the member's interests, and the community will then grow. You can then explore ways to re-ignite the growth cycle by creating new interests and by increasing membership numbers.
These stages are not necessarily linear and a community or group may experience them in a different order, or cycle through them multiple times. It's important to be flexible and adaptive and to seek feedback from the existing community members to help identify the best ways to move forward.
It is also essential that members of the group work in unison in order to achieve the desired outcomes, There can be no primadonna and everyone needs to pull together to avoid conflicts from arising within the group.
Charlie Gunninham shares his thoughts on the massive benefits that tech provides to investors and others in the Australian Early Stage Innovation sector.
Welcome to TechAustralia.au! We are a group of friendly and passionate technology professionals in Australia who want to create a platform for improving communication and collaboration among the technology community. Our goal is to connect members across the country to exchange tech-related ideas, subjects, and information, and to organise tech-related events and activities.
We are a social enterprise with the ultimate goal of becoming a formal not-for-profit organisation managed by a committee consisting of members. Our focus is on student involvement, and we believe that their contribution will be crucial to the initial success of the group and the website. We invite industry practitioners to join and contribute to the development of the group. There are currently no joining or ongoing annual fees, and we strive to keep the costs low to assist in covering ongoing minor administration costs.
Our website will eventually contain a variety of features and functionalities, including access to relevant information and resources to support students' work. The site is currently hosted with Google sites, which has some interesting and valuable features that are well worth exploring.
We will create engaging and valuable content to help attract other technologists to become members of the network. Our website will be visually appealing, with good navigation to help members easily find relevant content, plus will display appropriate graphics, videos, and photos. The site will also have a clean, well-designed, and easy-to-navigate interface.
Our ultimate strength is that we are a local Australian-focused online community, offering opportunities for local techs to meet each other online and/or organise local face-to-face meetups, and collaborate on projects that could potentially have far-reaching possibilities. We have completed several key steps in our mission to launch a new startup technology organisation in Australia, and we are now poised to launch this new organisation to become a significant player within the Australian technology environment.
Join us in our exciting journey to bring together members of the technology industry and community in Australia, and provide valuable hands-on experience in organisation and development, plus promote technology-related developments to a broader audience.
Sarah Jacobs, engineer and technology attorney and principal at international engineering firm Jacobs for more than 20 years, describes her personal and professional experience working as an engineer to date.
Andy Lark, investor, entrepreneur and ex-CEO of Commbank, Foxtel and XERO speaks about tech startups in Perth.
Mark Pownall, Director of Strategy and Innovation, Business News. Thirty years of impeccable journalism has made Mark a powerful voice for the Western Australian business landscape in the context of setting strategic priorities.
What AI has to say about the project:
"Engaging the attention of technology students to help with the design of the website for the group it represents is a great idea. These students may have the technical skills, knowledge, and creativity necessary to help design an effective and engaging website.
It is important to provide the students with clear guidelines and expectations, as well as specific goals and objectives for the project. This will help ensure that they are working towards a common goal and that their efforts are aligned with the vision for the website and the group.
In addition, it is important to provide the students with the resources and support they need to be successful. This may include access to technology, software, and other tools, as well as guidance and mentorship from experienced professionals.
Overall, by engaging technology students in the development of the website and the group it represents, it is possible to tap into a valuable source of talent and energy, while also providing the students with a meaningful real-world learning experience."
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