Joanne’s guide to lifecasting

Joanne Jacobs is Australian, an academic and a consultant in social networking technologies. So when she presented at 2gether08, on lifecasting and microblogging, she offered a great mix, catering for distant friends viewing the webcast and giving us plenty of stats as well as terrific insights into how (read more...).

Borrowing Ben from Channel 4 to interview Umair

Umair Haque - who I wrote about earlier - ran a session at 2gether08 today about the need for a different, less destructive capitalism. I was just lining up an interview when Ben Cohen, technology correspondent for Channel 4 News came over, so I asked a TV professional to ask the questions.

It led to some create discussion of Umair’s ideas, including suggestions that UK charities should be more entrepreneurial, coupled with an offer to help develop their business models.

We also talked about how reporting using a mobile phone, as I was here, might bring some changes to the way that reporters like Ben work in future..

Minister Tom Watson asks us to show Government a better way

Tom Watson, who is a blogging MP and Minister for transformational government in the Cabinet Office, came to 2gether08 the day after he launched a competition: Show Us a Better Way. As the BBC reported:

The UK government has launched a competition to find innovative ways of using the masses of data it collects.

It is hoping to find new uses for public information in the areas of criminal justice, health and education.

The Power of Information Taskforce - headed by cabinet office minister Tom Watson - is offering a £20,000 prize fund for the best ideas.

Before speaking at 2gether08 he explained how he believes the competition, and the principles of co-design, can help create better services..

Should you be embarrassed if you don’t understand?

Bill Thompson at 2gether08 from David Wilcox on Vimeo.

Technology writer Bill Thompson chaired the opening session at 2gether08, and dropped in to some others. I asked him for his impressions - and he explain in characteristically forthright style that he thought it was time “non-techies” caught up. (read more...).

Technology is boring

Technology gets socially interesting, Clay Shirky argues, when it has become technically boring. Now the web and related technologies are ubiquitous enough to have reached this point, we’ve got to work out happens next.

With the Social Innovation Camp we decided to dive right in, get our hands dirty and build some prototypes for web-enabled social innovations - tools that use social technologies to help people create change for themselves, from the grassroots up. At the moment, however, we see a disconnect between what the technology supplies and what society needs. (read more...).

Supporting small, local and really excellent - online

Supporting small, local and excellent from David Wilcox on Vimeo.

Digital media has made a big impact on retailing - pulling sales from big High Street shops online. It can also work the other way - helping us find and support shops, restaurants and other outlets that we really value.
Lea Simpson and Rob Hinchcliffe are both working to help us do that. (read more...).

Government as digital service wholesaler

The Government is considering how to use digital media to support community empowerment, for  White Paper policy. Simon Berry - on secondment to the team - suggest thinking wholesale rather than retail..

Where TV meets interactive media

Adam Gee from David Wilcox on Vimeo.

In the language of the media industry, Adam Gee is responsible for the cross-platform public service elements of Channel 4 programming.
In the language of the participating audiences, it’s “check your balls, check your boobs” after seeing Embarrassing Bodies. (read more...).

On the changing politics of the media

 
Charlie Beckett from David Wilcox on Vimeo.

Years ago I had a friend who was endlessly frustrated that the Guardian newspaper never published his letters. He took it as a personal slight and the media’s general allergy to small people crying in the wilderness.

In fact, it was more likely that my friend would never compromise the integrity of his arguments for the sake of fitting his work into the tiny space allotted to the editor’s letters page.

The emergence of the blogosphere has allowed people like my frustrated friend to give full vent to their views, be heard (by those who want, or need, to hear them), and ultimately connect to those big unhearing (as opposed to unlistening) media organisations. (read more...).

Andy aims for a Web of Generosity

Andy Bell from David Wilcox on Vimeo.

Some of the most interesting conversations at 2gether08 will, I suspect, be when activists and social media types get together with TV broadcasters and digital marketing specialist. That’s because they’ll have to talk about what’s engaging and makes a difference, rather than the latest tools and industry trends. (read more...).