Category Archives: asides

Director of Digital Engagement announced

May 13, 2009 – 9:45 pm

Dave Briggs provides a roundup of reactions to the announcement that insider Andrew Scott, Government Deputy Chief Information Officer, is the new Director of Digital Engagement. Dave suggests: “My advice would be to seize the initiative, set out some small but
important things to achieve and make them happen, to get the doubters
back onside as soon as possible.” And engage digitally, of course.

Tags | Permalink | Comments Off on Director of Digital Engagement announced

Librarian discussion "more popular than swine". On Twitter, anyway.

May 1, 2009 – 10:35 pm

Brian Kelly has an interesting follow-up on the story that I wrote about here and here of how Bob McKee, CEO of CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) upset a lot of his members deriding the role of Twitter … then drew some thoughful lessons on social media and professionalism. Brian reports how the CILIP Council organised an open meeting to discuss Web 2.0, and of course, Twitter about. At one point the CILIP topic was apparently more widely discussed than swine flu.

Permalink | Comments Off on Librarian discussion "more popular than swine". On Twitter, anyway.
All posts asides

Details of the Digital Mentor programme

April 29, 2009 – 8:50 pm

As I mentioned briefly here, while I was at the National Digital Inclusion Conference I was able to interview Gavin Sheppard of the Media Trust about the £900,000 government-funded Digital Mentor programme. The full interview is on the digitalengagement blog. The Trust are starting with a research programme, followed by grants and training for local projects, and national support network. Previous posts here.

Tags | Permalink | Comments Off on Details of the Digital Mentor programme

How the G20 London Summit played online

April 20, 2009 – 1:31 pm

The London G20 Summit earlier this month was an impressive example of Government trying to do digital engagement well and I think succeeding. Now Stephen Hale, Head of Engagement, Digital Diplomacy, at Foreign and Commonwealth Office has produced what seems to me a very honest personal assessment. He wrote about what was planned, asked for ideas,  did it, and then told us what happened. This sort of thing could get government a good name …

Permalink | Comments Off on How the G20 London Summit played online
All posts asides local

Will Perrin goes local

April 20, 2009 – 10:08 am

I expect some serious action to promote and support local volunteer-run websites now that Will Perrin has left his job in the Cabinet Office to work on the Talk About Local project. This aims to train activists in 150 locations across the country, with funding from the Channel 4 4IP fund. Meanwhile, still no details of how the Media Trust plans to develop the Government-funded digital mentor programme. More here on Local, and on Digital Mentors.

Tags | Permalink | Comments Off on Will Perrin goes local
All posts asides

Much Twittering, little new

April 20, 2009 – 9:40 am

The Digital Britain Summit last week benefitted from some very impressive live-blogging on the official site from Dave Briggs, and lots of Twittering. The live feed was flaky, but overall it showed how Government can nicely support some social reporting at official events. Except … where was the story? That old-fashioned reporting notion of news? Donald Clark, in Digital Britain – Drool Brittania, wasn’t impressed.

Tags | Permalink | Comment (1)

Blogging bosses

March 19, 2009 – 9:37 am

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the RSA writes a fine blog, with even-handed political commentary drawing on his experience at No 10, conversations with thought-leaders platforming at RSA events, RSA projects and internal development. But like all bloggers, there are moments of self doubt. Early on it was reference to Mum as Matthew’s only reader. Now there’s a (notional) blow to self-esteem when one of the directors of Matthew’s old haunt IPPR says ‘we all have a good laugh about your blog  – it’s all me, me, me’. In a comment I point Matthew to a far more self-regarding blog by ACEVO CEO Stephen Bubb. Even though I get the link wrong Rob Greenland alerts us to a brilliant parody Bogg’s Blubb – ‘life of the head of the umbella body for umbrellas’. Matthew is entranced. Blogging bosses are firmly established on he third sector. Any more fakes?

Tags | Permalink | Comments Off on Blogging bosses

Dave Briggs event toolkit

March 16, 2009 – 7:57 pm

Fellow social reporter Dave Briggs has detailed his event reporting toolkit, with an undisguised enthusiasm for WordPress and Ning, together with Twitter, and Huddle to get organised. Like me he’s looking for an aggregator, because both Pageflakes and Netvibes have problems.

Permalink | Comments Off on Dave Briggs event toolkit
All posts asides

See the best online about communities and network

March 15, 2009 – 10:10 pm

A few weeks back I was flattered to be invited by Nancy White to join in an aggregation site that pulls together content from a range of people blogging on community and networks connection. Like much else online, you don’t know how it is going to work until it is working … and it is, really well. Do drop in. Thanks Nancy … who you will find in Full Circle here.

Permalink | Comments Off on See the best online about communities and network
All posts asides journalism

Newspapers are gone. We still need journalists

March 15, 2009 – 8:34 pm

In an essay Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable Clay Shirky brilliantly details the point I was discussing the other day with Craig McGinty: “Society doesn’t need newspapers. What we need is journalism”. Jeff Javis has been saying for some time that many newspapers are gone, so not surprisingly he endorses Clay’s piece. I love it when local and global conversations join up. Newspapers never did that – unless you were a journalist. Now we can all join in.

Permalink | Comments Off on Newspapers are gone. We still need journalists

« Previous Page — Next Page »

« Previous Page — Next Page »