Stuart Harrison - TwitterPlan

Post-event thoughts (updated 8 June 2009):

I enjoyed this presentation even though I didn't understand a lot of it. I am not in any way technical and so things like APIs etc are straight over my head (although props to Stuart as he did explain and I am closer to understanding)!
It was interesting to hear about the development of TwitterPlan and the reason's why Stuart had decided to give it a go in the first place. This sort of creativity spinning off wider networks and council data is a fascinating area where more work is surely possible (and I'm sure Stuart has a few more things up his sleeve).
There were some good points made about an open collaborative, interactive web being the original intention of Sir Tim Berners-Lee despite it now being referred to as web 2.0.
Also useful to know that Stuart has blogged himself about how easy it is to start mashing and sharing data.
Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next :)

What I wrote at the time:

Yet another #epicvisionary!

- Planning Alerts - volunteers grab info from councils and push out to users by email
- Stuart realised that lots of ppl prefer Twitter and pay more attention.
- Used the Planning Alerts API to make Twitter version (am I getting this? non-techy alert!)
- API delivers 'stuff' in standard format
- Twitter username and postcode, stored in db, runs script everyday to look for applications in there area, then throws a tweet with links if there is a match
- Looking to develop so you can add more than one postcode
- Brave / stupid move - going live at PSFBuzz to sign someone up to Twitterplan - go Stuart! (right address helps ;) )
-@skepticmike goes for it!
- Turning browsealoud off - but is online so faring well so far! Alert set up complete.
- Did have autofollow but not switched on right now
- opening up data - I think Stuart wants to shout Free Our Data really!!!
- What formats are available - RSS: only 101 have RSS news feeds. Mash The State
- They Work for You Local - get info about councillor / committee etc
- Add extra information into the profiles, make it easier to re-use info and helps with search
- Sir Tim Berners-Lee says this is the web done right prob recommend that councils etc publish using link data - good call Stuart / Sir Tim; here we go with semantic web
- Widgets! (not the John Smith kind)
- Allow information from your site to be republished on other sites and be automatically updated. Some instructions on Pezholio's blog about how to get started
- only limit is your imagination - publishing data in RSS etc is as easy as publishing a web page
- I can haz API! lolcatz feature!

Alistair Smith - Managing online reputation

Post-event notes (Updated 9 July 2009):

We've been really interested in the work that Newcastle City Council have been doing for a while. They have a really good and well-followed Twitter and a good common-sense approach to listening and joining the conversation.
So it was great to be able to hear this presentation on why it's important to listen, what the danger is if you don't and how Newcastle got to where they are now.
Alistair made some really good points about online vs offline conversation and comments and shared some examples of what is happening in the online space.
Having been asked to give the rest of our public relations team a canter through social media soon there were lots of great bits in this presentation which have got me thinking about what I want to cover with our guys and how and why.
There is some good new stuff on the cards for Alistair and Newcastle and they're developing an interesting Twitter model. Looking forward to a web-friendly version of the presentation being available :)

Alistair has also blogged about his presentation.

What I wrote at the time:

- citizensheep has good flowchart for managing online reputationter
- Internets are places to talk
- Libraries with all the books on the floor
- they can say what they like online - what would you do if they said it offline down the pub etc?
- how do we control online comments?
- loose tweets sink fleets
- know what everyone is using socmed for. Don't make same mistake as habitat
- control of officers? control of councillors? example of Plymouth cllrs inappropriate tweet
- NCL - one central twitter feed. RSS news, events, jobs and events. Plus extra like the bid for the world cup.
- More ppl look at news on twitter / jobs on website
- Libraries twitter @toolibraries - library news + extras. started them off by providing content, provided training, now up to them to run.
0 @Cityeye events
- @NCL101 - customer service & local info - not final name! Run from contact centre - agents twitter enquiries! US model. (Move on from SMS tying into CRM)
- promote info from specific channels to top channels
- new ways of working - used to view it as faceless organisation - now Al is 'face of newcastle' (and epic visionary!)
- more chatty and personal. respond.
- soft launch / beta test
- new project coming with flickr - cut costs from council rather than buying in from agency. Approach local users of flickr - offer rewards for ppl willing to share pics (access to closed buildings, cover of citizen mag).
- Peter Holt - what does success look like?
- can measure in numbers - followers, click-throughs, unique visitors
- impact you have in real world lasts longer than that in the online world
- people will say bad things about you anyway - whether you are there or not!

Carl Haggerty - unblocking access to social media in organisations

Post-event thoughts (updated 8 June 2009):

I was really interested to hear Carl's presentation on the social media policy / guidance he has been working on for Devon County Council.
He blogged his draft policy a while ago and this inspired me to start work on our version. This mainly involved a find and replace on the organisation name at first ;)
I got as far as completing a draft version and circulating to the rest of my team for comments but haven't got much further. And I've had a nagging doubt about it...which this presentation coaxed out into the light - my version is too much strategy / too specific on the networks.
The presentation Dave Briggs made later confirmed this for me and I have now given myself the action of going back and doing some more work on our version before putting it out again. I'd like to think at that point I can blog it and get some wider feedback too...and throw something useful into the discussion about Carl's version.
It was really useful to find out more about Carl's role and experience at Devon and I think I'll be coming back to some of this within a few months for some work I would like to carry out.

What I wrote at the time:

- getting ppl engaged with examples, usage policy (shared resources - crowd sourcing policy document :) )
- Plymouth Council put blanket ban on socmed following cllr tweeting something (more from @alncl later). Typical IT risk avoidance rather than managing it
- need a policy whatever the stance - whether banning or not - allow employees know what they are allowed to do
- shame officers aren't allowed access and miss out on resources such as conferences being broadcast on Twitter. I am missing the metaconference thanks to rubbish wifi lol
- need to be committed and passionate in order to go round and find out what their concerns are. Start by listening!
- What value / waste of time / distration / just a social thing
- Focus on socmed not tech. Listen to problems and see if socmed is the solution!
- What is a digital native? We've all been socially networking forever, only online versions are new to humanity
- Good examples of how to build your case: modern pub serv delivery, could support mobile working, not just about main networks (FB etc) is about solving problems (good stuff here for my pres to PR!)
- Banning it within corporate network won't stop it happening (just like the conversation). ppl will use their phones
- Management issue not tech issue - if ppl not doing their job they need managing - tech ban is way to gain control! Hear hear! - Time between first conversation to Carl's draft = 4 months; plus consultation and review = 10 months. Issued drafts on his blog, altered according to external ppl as well as internal
- If you aren't raising awareness - JFDI - keep doing it until ppl get it and come to you for advice. Passion, persistence, perseverence (hey - that's my localgovcamp pledge)
- talk to your CEX and get senior level champion!
- policy dev - challenges, concerns, what's missing?
- Jack Pickard - more advice for employees about what is allowed from the web - can web pics be used (Flickr etc) for PPT?
- What is stopping you from implementing in your org now?
- What impact has the policy had? Early stages but generated huge interest in how organisation embraces socmed. ppl are trying things - listening to online conversation - trying to be more proactive. It's a gradual evolution. Has deliberately stayed away from socmed strategy as not about tech.
- Use FB ad set up to gauge how many ppl you could reach (what I did for our elections stuff!) without actually buying ad space!
- Has led to further discussions in council - what skills are needed, what advice for staff, peer-to-peer support
- If anyone has comments on the policy add them to the PSFBuzz site and let's keep the conversation going!