Social Media Exchange materials now online

As I mentioned in my previous post, in a few hours (must…sleep…) I’ll be running a couple of sessions at the Social Media Exchange. I’ve now finished my slides, and have put them up on slideshare. Rather than make your…

What should a council’s website look like?

Simon Wakeman presents a nice roundup of some of the new websites being launched, comparing Barnet and Cheltenham‘s latest efforts with the current poster-child, Redbridge. Generating an environment for residents to interact online with their councils will generate more engagement…

Democracy and knowledge

Great, meaty article in this fortnight’s issue of The London Review of Books by David Runciman: The wisdom of crowds: why the many are smarter than the few. We-think: the power of mass creativity. Infotopia: how many minds produce knowledge.…

Boris isn’t listening

Boris Johnson has hit Twitter! Marvellous. Only… As of the time of typing, Boris isn’t following anyone. Also, ‘under the auspices’? Jesus wept. Compare this to 10 Downing Street’s much healthier use of the service: Twitter doesn’t work as a…

Learning from Obama

Edelman have published an interesting white paper on what lessons can be learnt from Obama’s use of the social web in his campaign. It’s worth a read. Here’s the headline list of learning points: Start early Build to scale Innovate…

Be less boring

I wasn’t sure whether or not to blog about this. But I think I ought to, simply because this is such a cracking example of how badly digital engagement can be, and how easy it could be made much better.…

If you don’t do it, someone else will

Here’s more proof. Birmingham City Council are asking for people’s views on their ‘Big City Plan’. They have even created a website to help people to do so. I asked Jon Bounds, Birmingham blogger extraordinaire, what was wrong with the…

The search for shared meaning

…was the title of the talk I was asked to give at the Central London Branch of the British Computer Society last Thursday. Here are my minimalist* slides: The search for shared meaning View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.…