Tag: nptech

20th January 2009

Big City Plain and two nubs.

Big City Plan Talk.jpg

Many, many evenings of voluntary work went public last night with a site to complement Birmingham’s Big City Plan consultation.

www.bigcitytalk.org has been built by Jon Bounds who’s worked patiently with other Birmingham bloggers Julia Gilbert, Nicky Getgood, Michael Grimes and myself to translate council speak into clearer speak. Stef Lewandowski has also been among a number of people who’ve supported and encouraged this, not least through conversations with the council. I don’t think it’s flawless – so please feel free to comment about the site, but more importantly please use it to comment about the big city plan before February 6th.
We want to help move beyond the traditional consultation approach of citizens or organisations making comments to government and for government. Instead we are keen to create an online place which will encourage a more public conversation about how we will shape the city centre over the next 20 years.

Fortunately it has been met with some enthusiasm from other people.

Midge describes it as “something that Joe Public could actually get involved with AND comment on”. Shona has already used it to have her say on the options for Digbeth. Mark Steadman wants people to use the site – pronto (consultation on this phase of the plan ends on February 6th), one Simon is chuffed to see the it built on free and open source software WordPress whilst another Simon is impatient to see more people commenting.

BiNS reminds us of one fundamental truth about planning for our city: “You know how big and complex Birmingham is, well it is. Very.” Digital Birmingham reflect on this as “another example of how far ahead Birmingham is in its use of social media. Digital technologies coupled with a highly-motivated group of citizens makes for a very powerful combination.” Something I think is very true!

For me Dave Briggs gets to one nub here (I declare a situation can be double nubbed)when he asks two questions:

Readers working within local government: how could you make the most of the civic energy in your area, to work with residents to create something really worthwhile?

Everyone else: What’s going on in your local area that you could take a bit of time out to help out with, or improve?

So I’d like to add that extra nub with a third question aimed at publicly funded media like the BBC: Should you be doing this sort of stuff? If so how will you need to change your rules of engagement?

18th January 2009

Isowish for the unselfish gene.

A couple of my friends, Stef and Dubber, set up this simple site a few months ago. It is much more interesting that it may at first appear. After all this looks like a selfish site. Tell us what you want, it says.

But what makes Isowish social, worth joining and interesting is not making a wish but being part of a community that might help grant one. Some of the wishes are deeply personal, beyond anyone’s power to grant. Yet even these elicit encouragement and support from the Isowish community. You may not be able to fix a problem, but you can make people feel better.

Isowish demonstrates a simple truth, that generosity is the key to social web.

6th January 2009

Vote Created in Birmingham

Created in Birmingham is not just a blog, it is a cultural asset to the city.

CiB has been core to helping dozens of folk begin their own blogs so helping Brummie talent join a global conversation. For this alone it’s worth a vote in the uk section of the worlds best blogs competition. You can vote here once a day between now and Janury13th. If you’d don’t want Melanie Phillips from the Daily Mail to win, this is time well spent.

(by the way Pete Ashton – who established CiB – is also on the short list. I voted for him yesterday because I prefer his blog!)

3rd January 2009

I promise to pay more attention to Beth Kanter

In the new year blog post I’ve written in my head (but not here – it needs to follow a review of the year and that too is still in my head) one of the things that occurred to me was that I need to pay more attention to Beth Kanter.

I treat Beth’s brilliance as the background to my online life, knowing that I needn’t do a million and one things ‘cos Beth will have already done them and reported on them, just for me. Here’s one for example – how to list the bits of your blog that you lot have found most engaging using something called Postrank (which counts much more than most clicks). Here are mine for the last 12 months, interesting year!

Why doesn’t government have reservists?

Bridging the digital divide is about strengthening human networks not internet access.

BAD08 Birmingham Social Media Surgery: provisional results

Blog Action Day in Birmingham – a social media surgery for voluntary orgs.

What is a Birmingham Blogger doing at the Tory Party Conference?

Birmingham Bloggers met.

Marc Reeves, The Birmingham Post and Five fine questions on blogging.

Quality newspaper video from the Birmingham Mail:

Was the Big Picture about the artist or the community?

The fab moment Lucy Moore realised her Grandfather’s picture was The Big Picture Winner 2008

Downing Tweet: is this about the personal, celebrity or patronage?

The Charity Commission Responds to Education and Blogging

Hands up whose blog helps them learn? The Charity Commission thinks you’re wrong

Is Tom Watson MP stealing or reading? The Tories think the former

Why should leaders blog?

The flow chart of faff

Has Birmingham’s Artsfest gone anti-social on Twitter?

Twitter and the Birmingham (ish) Earthquake.

and then here’s some more, but from Beth:

How Much Time Does It Take To Do Social Media?

Social Change Behind the Firewall

Transparency and Social Media: Dealing with Criticism

Blogging Behind the Nonprofit Firewall: ROI Approach

How To Share the Social Media Workload in Your Organization

I would put Beth high on Business Week’s new wanted list of online guru’s. If you’re not subscribed to Beth’s blog give yourself a new year treat, and do so.