Comments on: My hopes for 2009 http://davepress.net/2008/12/22/my-hopes-for-2009/ Using the internet to make government more interesting Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:22:05 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: David Wilcox http://davepress.net/2008/12/22/my-hopes-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-2362 David Wilcox Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:26:32 +0000 http://davepress.net/2008/12/22/my-hopes-for-2009/#comment-2362 Hi Paul - have you blogged a piece recently - wherever - on local politicians using social media for engagement? I picked up on that when interviewed after a recent informal get-together in Cabinet Office. Looking for a peg to follow up http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RSlvrDVbN28&feature=related Hi Paul – have you blogged a piece recently – wherever – on local politicians using social media for engagement? I picked up on that when interviewed after a recent informal get-together in Cabinet Office. Looking for a peg to follow up
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RSlvrDVbN28&feature=related

]]> By: Paul Evans http://davepress.net/2008/12/22/my-hopes-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-2361 Paul Evans Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:11:29 +0000 http://davepress.net/2008/12/22/my-hopes-for-2009/#comment-2361 I'd have a shorter (but possibly more ambitious) list. I think that the general drift of how government is organised over the past forty years has resulted in a massive rearmament of bureaucrats, newspapers, single-issue pressure groups and centralising politicians - and all at the expense of local politicians. New media tools provide those local politicians with the option to hugely improve their ability to communicate, form policy and generally behave like representatives who are able to compete with those who would rival them in framing policy and legislation. I'd like to see this potential acknowledged -both by those who frame policy in this area - and more importantly by those local politicians who are often quite scared by the whole business. I’d have a shorter (but possibly more ambitious) list. I think that the general drift of how government is organised over the past forty years has resulted in a massive rearmament of bureaucrats, newspapers, single-issue pressure groups and centralising politicians – and all at the expense of local politicians.

New media tools provide those local politicians with the option to hugely improve their ability to communicate, form policy and generally behave like representatives who are able to compete with those who would rival them in framing policy and legislation. I’d like to see this potential acknowledged -both by those who frame policy in this area – and more importantly by those local politicians who are often quite scared by the whole business.

]]> By: David Wilcox http://davepress.net/2008/12/22/my-hopes-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-2360 David Wilcox Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:56:30 +0000 http://davepress.net/2008/12/22/my-hopes-for-2009/#comment-2360 Hi Dave - nice list and thanks for the name check. It prompts some messages to myself: * now here's more of us freelances in the field, I'm looking forward to further friendly competition/collaboration: figuring out how we are each different, yet have overlapping interests and skills, and can do the best for ourselves and clients by developing an ecosystem that is also a model for others. * as part of that, continuing to use lightweight tools like Twitter, that create a sense of overlapping communities, without becoming a self-regarding social media village. That is, keep looking outwards too. * in looking outwards, respect those who don't get it. Ahem, don't use "don't get it". Stand on the side of the non-users ... how can we make things more useful, simpler * continuing - with you and others - to evolve planning tools like the social media game that bundle up a lots of ideas and knowledge in a simple, usable form, yet reveal complexity through play * developing a social reporting toolkit - hope you are up for that too * recognising there's lots of really interesting stuff (most interesting?) outside London and going there * oh yes, and continuing to to enjoy all your posting, which means I can feel I've done today's bit without a blog post:-) Hi Dave – nice list and thanks for the name check. It prompts some messages to myself:

* now here’s more of us freelances in the field, I’m looking forward to further friendly competition/collaboration: figuring out how we are each different, yet have overlapping interests and skills, and can do the best for ourselves and clients by developing an ecosystem that is also a model for others.

* as part of that, continuing to use lightweight tools like Twitter, that create a sense of overlapping communities, without becoming a self-regarding social media village. That is, keep looking outwards too.

* in looking outwards, respect those who don’t get it. Ahem, don’t use “don’t get it”. Stand on the side of the non-users … how can we make things more useful, simpler

* continuing – with you and others – to evolve planning tools like the social media game that bundle up a lots of ideas and knowledge in a simple, usable form, yet reveal complexity through play

* developing a social reporting toolkit – hope you are up for that too

* recognising there’s lots of really interesting stuff (most interesting?) outside London and going there

* oh yes, and continuing to to enjoy all your posting, which means I can feel I’ve done today’s bit without a blog post:-)

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