A pioneer in social networking, the American Cancer Society realizes that Web 2.0 tools are just high-tech ways to continue what it's been doing for a hundred years — building and interacting with a community of constituents united against cancer.

By Abny Santicola

But first …
The birthdays campaign isn’t ACS’ first foray into Web 2.0. In addition to its own Web 2.0 initiatives like the Cancer Survivors Network (cancer.org/csn), which was started in July 2000 and has about 80,000 registrants, some of its first efforts included a blog by Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Len Lichtenfeld (cancer.org/drlen) launched in 2005 and its official YouTube channel (youtube.com/amercancersociety) launched in 2007. And in 2004, ACS jumped into Second Life, which takes social networking not only online, but to its own virtual world.