If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that planning is a very important part of our approach to new media. What you might not know is that we often plan our blog posts, particularly those about new media, weeks in advance. We believe strongly in the importance of planning—but we also believe there is a balance between advanced planning and providing current, relevant information. So, today, we’ve opted to write our first “new media round-up” and highlight some major current events and information from last week that we hope you can use for your own new media planning purposes:

• HIV.gov was pleased to participate in the Social Health SummitExit Disclaimer in Philadelphia. Todd Park, HHS Chief Technology Officer, provided a keynote about open government and innovation. He shared examples within the government, like the VA’s BlueButton, CastlightExit Disclaimer, PatientsLikeMeExit Disclaimer, and AsthmapolisExit Disclaimer. We were there to present about our mobile approach to providing information and to encourage people to use HIV.gov locator to see an interview with more details).

• A group of gamers in San Francisco playing FolditExit Disclaimer, an online protein-folding game, helped map the structure of the protein M-PMV that may be helpful for developing HIV/AIDS drugs. The gamers accomplished “something that scientists, engineers and automated computer programs haven't been to pull off in about a decade's worth of attempts,” according to a studyExit Disclaimer (PDF 812KB) published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular BiologyExit Disclaimer. The HHS Center for New Media also covered the story on their blog work around harnessing gamers to solve real-world problems. Watch her TED TalkExit Disclaimer to learn more.

• The National Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative ConferenceExit Disclaimer started and we were there to share the urgency of action to address the HIV epidemic within the African American community. Our colleagues from The Red Pump Project led social media efforts during the HIV/AIDS sessions at the conference. We also launched our 2011 Facing AIDS for World AIDS Day (December 1) website. Stay tuned for more details from the conference later this week.

• In the larger new media world, Facebook’s annual F8 conferenceExit Disclaimer unveiled several new updates to FacebookExit Disclaimer. While most of the focus has been on changes to how individuals will use Facebook (like the new timeline and music/video sharing), there is a lot of discussion about how these changes will impact organizational pages. While it’s early to determine exactly what impact this will have for the HIV community and beyond, Beth Kanter noted in her blogExit Disclaimer, “ While the specific tactics and techniques for a tool may change, the concepts generally hold constant.” Those concepts, like focusing on engagement, integrating marketing and communications campaigns, and relationship building are particularly important while we learn how these changes will impact the HIV community. Stay tuned to this blog for as we “listen, learn, and adapt” to these changes along with you.

So you see, it was a busy week for the HIV community AND new media. How about you? Did you follow any of these events on Twitter? Watch Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote? Ready to join in Facing AIDS with us?