#likeminds - Endeavours
A quick round-up of the Endeavours sessions at Like Minds:
[**Confacio**](http://confacio.com/)
[](https://i0.wp.com/www.onemanandhisblog.com/content/images/2010/10/sim.jpg)
One of the interesting things (for me) about the internet is people’s tendency to help one another, from chronicling a problem and its solution on a blog, to Wikipedia, to forum support, people undertake altruistic actions.
Cofacio’s core idea, according to co-founder Sim Stewart, is that when people need assistance with something, rather than looking for pages published with help on them, people can search for people to help them. It’s about linking people with a problem with those who want to help through altruism, or, more compellingly, perhaps, through the game aspect, that allows you to earn points, which can then be allocated against charities. When the charities get enough point, they get a donation from the site sponsor.
Interesting idea – but I’d be interested to know how they’ll get people to the site in the first place. That was hinted at – every time you help someone, you have the option to push that to social networks – but I suspect that it’ll stand or fall on that.
[Sim’s Presentation](http://www.slideshare.net/wearelikeminds/sim-stewart-cofacio-the-help-engine-a-new-way-to-give-5592325)
[**The National Trust**](http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/)
[](https://i0.wp.com/www.onemanandhisblog.com/content/images/2010/10/nt.jpg)
Ah, the National Trust. Wonderful places and buildings. “For the spiritual refreshment of the nation”. Nice phrase by [Robyn Brown](http://www.wearelikeminds.com/autumn2010-speakers/profile/robyn-brown). About 5% of the people here are members, but nearly everyone has been to a property. The Trust has an agenda – it wants to connect more with the local communities around properties. There’s business benefits to that, as transport and support business bring trade and money.It’s *using* the properties, rather than just *showing* the properties.
Robyn is addressing the [Disnification](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyfication "Disneyfication") of the Trust [issue](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/8082939/National-Trust-A-question-of-trust-in-presenting-the-past.html). “Disney have the most brilliant customer care ethos”, she says. “We are not about pushing content, we are about providing experience. Just like Disney. They make a lot of money. We need money to run our properties.”
£9.2m into the local economy from [Greenway](http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-greenway/) per annum(!)
By 2020 they want everyone in the room to feel like members (so only 95% of people here to go…)
[Robyn’s Presentation](http://www.slideshare.net/wearelikeminds/robyn-brown-curating-our-beautiful-country)
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Some Good Reading About The Future of News Paid Members Public
Good stuff I’ve read recently, haven’t linked to yet, but don’t have much to add to right now: * The Nichepaper Manifesto [http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/haque/2009/07/the_nichepaper_manifesto.html] – an articulate and well argued guide to how niche publishing might looks going forwards. * Media