Dave Briggs – Page 318 – An online notebook

DFID starts blogging

October 8, 2008

DFID have launched a new blogging platform, with various members of the department who are based abroad telling their stories through a group blog.

The site looks beautiful, which is perhaps to be expected when you consider that it was put together by arch government wordpresser Simon Dickson. Simon writes about the site:

I can’t say how pleased I am with the results. I’ve been collaborating with a couple of new contacts – my near-neighbour Tony Parsons on the design side, and Simon Wheatley (who I met at WordCamp) on the technical stuff that was beyond me. Both have been truly brilliant. And I have to say, the DFID guys have been fabulous too – giving me all the freedom I could ask for. It’s been a perfect combination, and I think it shows in the site.

It’s not just about the tech side though. Shane McCracken has been working with DFID to provide training to the bloggers, in collaboration with Griff Wigley. I helped out too, taking a bit of time out to show the DIFD web team in London how the WordPress administration interface works. This combination of training and support, should mean the quality of the content will match that of the site. Top marks to DFID for identifying and committing resource to this side of things.

Shane writes:

We’re very lucky in that our blogging volunteers are superb writers with extremely interesting lives and situations with enormous scope for great photography. They are going to provide a fine insight into the work that DFID do and the effect they have on the people of the countries in which and with which they work.

The coaching programme has had its challenges. As you can imagine the budget to fly us to Tanzania was not made available, so coaching is happening online is the same manner as we did with CivicSurf. The DFID bloggers are in full-time positions working seven days a week and in time zones and work patterns that don’t necessarily coincide with our 9 – 5 UK life. Thankfully Griff, who has been leading the coaching, works flexible hours.

Finally, Owen Barder, who used to work at DFID, notes approvingly:

DfID has a very good reputation abroad, but hardly anybody in the UK knows anything about it, or appreciates how much DfID contributes to positive perceptions of Britain. I hope this blog will help tell the story in a very direct and personal way.

Good work, all.

Some diabetic webby stuff

October 8, 2008

I’m a type 1 diabetic, which means I have to inject myself with insulin four times a day. It’s great. Anyway, I like to keep my eye out for interesting webby stuff that’s happening in connection with diabetes, and a couple of things have emerged just lately.

Diabetes doodle

A petition has been started online to try and persuade Google to do one of their nice little customised logos for world diabetes day. Cute.

Diabetes log

Is a cool iPhone app that lets you record everything from what you eat, what your blood sugar levels are and what medication you have taken. Makes building up a picture of where you’re at with managing your diabetes brilliantly.

Online communities

TuDiabetes is a great Ning based community of diabetics, with a pretty strong US focus. We don’t have anything like it in the UK, other than a couple of facebook groups and pages, though there is a diabetes support forum.

Bookmarks for October 5th through October 7th

October 7, 2008

Stuff I have bookmarked for October 5th through October 7th:

From server to surfer: anatomy of a website at Helpful Technology – Whilst I rather pompously like to refer to myself as a digital enabler, Steph Gray is rapidly becoming a damn good digital explainer
Local authorities and social media – the current picture – Great bit of research blogging by Simon Wakeman
Can RSA help bridge the social innovation divide? – David Wilcox muses on social innovation, collaboration and the effectiveness of online in august institutions
Google Blog Search – Google's blog searching tool has a new look.
Avoid social media mistakes: forget the technology and focus on the task – Neil Williams on getting the context for the tools right.

Communities & Local Government engaging with bloggers

October 6, 2008

The Department for Communities & Local Government did some great work in engaging people with the Empowerment White Paper entitled Communities in Control. Some of the activity included a blog, forum, Twitter feed, online video and photos hosted on Flickr. What was originally going to be a very short term programme has been extended, which is also great news.

One of the aspects of the white paper that I, and others, found particularly interesting was that around Digital Mentors, people working in deprived communities to help give them a voice by providing them with the skills and tools to tell their stories using online means. Quite a few posts and comments were written, showing the appetite amongst the social web community for this kind of role.

Well, it seems like things are moving on and developing within the department, and what is really exciting is that those working on the Digital Mentor idea are starting to engage with the bloggers. I’m particularly chuffed that Georgia Klein chose my blog to leave this comment on:

Thanks for the blogging about Digital Mentors. I’m at CLG tasked with consulting informally with stakeholders to help me shape the document to go out to tender so that pilots can start April 09. I’d be really keen to recieve your wish list / views on what you think a mentor should look like based on your experiences and how one builds sustainability into these models. I’ll be watching out for your comments here but you can also contact me at [email removed to reduce spamming a little bit, you can find it on the original comment]. Be warned, the timetable for this initial consultation round is tight – mid-Oct (there may be more opportunities through the formal procurement process).

Quite a few readers of this blog have already commented, so do please add your views on the subject – as the department is listening!

This is a great example, though, of government finding where the conversations are happening and getting involved with them, making the most of the enthusiastic amateurs who are generating ideas and solutions online for no reason other than that they are interested. Let’s hope we see more of it in the future!

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